Just another WordPress site

The race for the future of AR wearables gained steam this week with several pivotal developments. First, Apple, the subject of numerous reports and rumors regarding its purported AR headset, is reportedly eyeing an in-person unveiling of the device for later this year, rather than introduce it at its upcoming virtual Worldwide Developers Conference, which would usually be as good a time as any to make a big AR hardware announcement. Second, Snap also has its Partner Summit scheduled for May, and now that virtual stage is expected to include the reveal of its own smartglasses. Third, Niantic… more

Mobile augmented reality gaming pioneer Niantic is chomping at the bit to get games like Pokémon GO out of smartphones and onto smartglasses, and it appears to be taking matters into its own hands. After previewing a proof of concept of Pokémon GO running on HoloLens 2 earlier this month, Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke on Monday shared a closely-cropped photo of a pair of smartglasses emblazoned the company’s wordmark on the temple. Don’t Miss: Niantic Adapting Pikmin as Mobile AR Game in New Alliance with Nintendo”Exciting to see the progress we’re making to enable new kinds of devices that leverage our platform,” said Hanke in the tweet accompanying the image. In a subsequent tweet, Hanke name-drops work with Qualcomm on reference designs. Despite the cryptic nature of the tweets, the company has already tipped its hand regarding its efforts in smartglasses development. In 2018, Niantic made a strategic investment into waveguide display maker DigiLens, with Samsung eventually…more

Who had Lil Nas X, blood-drop Nikes, and satan worship on your 2021 bingo card? In a story that’s stranger than fiction, the “Old Town Road” rapper has ruffled some feathers with the video for his new single, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” filled with demonic imagery usually reserved for death metal bands. Don’t Miss: Rockers Palaye Royale Conjure Creepy Immersive AR Music Video via Jadu App As if that weren’t enough, his collaboration with sneaker designer MSCHF to release “Satan Shoes” (customized Nike Air Max 97s with human blood-infused ink injected into the shoe’s air pocket) has… more

With NFTs taking the art world by storm, it’s a bit refreshing to know that you can enjoy world famous masterpieces in the comfort of your own home via augmented reality without emptying your cryptocurrency wallet. And that’s what you get with the Google Arts & Culture app, which adds three new Pocket Galleries with world-famous masterpieces, one of which emulates guided tours in real-world museums. Don’t Miss: Google Arts & Culture Drops AR Synth Exhibit That You Can Play This week, the Google Arts & Culture team introduced Pocket Galleries featuring works from the Jean Pigozi Collection… more

After years of testing and modifications, the US Army is moving forward with its customized version of HoloLens 2 from Microsoft. In separate announcements published on Wednesday, the US Army authorized moving from rapid prototyping to production and rapid field testing. Don’t Miss: Here’s Your First Look at the US Army’s Combat-Ready HoloLens 2 in Action The Army officially awarded the contract to Microsoft on March 26, according to a statement. A Microsoft spokesperson revealed that the deal is worth more than $21 billion over ten years. Microsoft beat out Magic Leap for the initial… more

The Apple rumor drumbeat is getting louder: a wearable augmented reality device is almost certainly coming, very soon. At least that’s the lay of the land based on yet another breadcrumb dropped on Wednesday regarding Apple’s upcoming plans for a “mixed reality” device in the coming months. • Don’t Miss: Apple’s AR Wearables Roadmap Includes Mixed Reality Headset in 2022, Smartglasses in 2025 & More by 2040 Recent reports from reliable analysts have pegged the release of Apple’s long rumored wearable to 2022, but a new thread has now emerged that indicates we’ll see the actual design of… more

As if teasing its own smartglasses weren’t enough, augmented reality gaming developer Niantic gave gamers a glimpse of how 5G speeds can revolutionize how they play mobile games in the near future. This week, the company revealed Codename: Urban Legends, a demo game built with the Niantic Real World Platform that showcases action-packed, multi-player mobile gameplay achieved through low-latency 5G connectivity via edge servers. Don’t Miss: Niantic Bringing Buddy Interactions to AR+ Mode in Pokémon GO, Shared Experiences with Other Trainers to Follow Footage of gameplay from the demo… more

Snapchat parent company Snap may finally be taking the big step into the fully-functioning augmented reality wearables realm with the next iteration of its Spectacles devices. The first two generations of Spectacles functioned merely as face-mounted cameras, but Spectacles 3 came with dual cameras capable of recording depth. As a result, users can add 3D effects from Snapchat Lenses to their videos, making the devices proto-smartglasses, if you will. Don’t Miss: How to Expand Your Available AR Effects for Your 3D Spectacles VideosNow, after flirting with the prospect of smartglasses, Snap appears to be ready to evolve Spectacles into legitimate smartglasses with mounted displays for projecting AR content. According to a report from The Information, the smartglasses are expected to be introduced at the company’s upcoming Partner Summit in May. Following in the footsteps of Magic Leap and Nreal, the device is expected to be marketed towards developers and creators, namely those creating…more

The AR walking navigation feature in Google Maps, which is arguably one of the most useful mobile augmented reality to available to consumers, is about to get even more indispensable for travelers. On Tuesday, Google announced a number of new features coming to Google Maps, chief among them an expansion of Live View to indoor navigation of airports, malls, and transit stations. Don’t Miss: Hands-On: Hands-On with Google Maps Walking AR Navigation Experiment, a Peek into Our Smartglasses Future The new indoor navigation is available now via iOS and Android, but it is limited to malls in… more

Microsoft believes its Mesh platform can help developers build immersive AR apps more easily. We spoke with a member of the Microsoft team to learn more about the platform. Meanwhile, one of the companies appearing on stage during Microsoft’s AR event where Mesh was unveiled, Niantic, unveiled plans for its next big mobile AR game with a familiar partner. Finally, we explore two devices, a prototype from electronics maker Ricoh and a device partnered with Snap that is available now, that provide different means for interacting with 3D content. Microsoft Mixed Reality Director Greg Sullivan… more