AR

There is no telling when the COVID-19 pandemic will really end but, when it does, it will be a very different world. Work alone is undergoing a shift and some tech companies are seeing a drastically different future at least for some kinds of jobs. Facebook, for example, thinks that computing and work will be not only remote but also virtual. And, of course, it's in a perfect position to push its social platform and products to be at the head of that new wave of computing.

Continue Reading

Apple's augmented reality glasses will be called the Apple Glass and be considerably more affordable in their first generation than might have been expected, a new leak claims, though don't expect to be wearing them for a while yet. Long-rumored, the smart glasses would arguably be Apple's biggest new product launch since the Apple Watch.

Continue Reading

Details of Apple's next big feature for iPhone and iPad just leaked in the app called Gobi. Apple's Gobi app is centered on AR, or Augmented Reality, and depends largely on the back and front-facing 3D sensors of the newest generations of iPhone and iPad to function. This app will focus first on useful features like an augmented reality view of where a lost device is in a user's home - like magic!

Continue Reading

We've been hearing rumors about a pair of Apple smart glasses, ones that will potentially revolve around augmented reality, for years. The company has made it clear that it is interested in augmented reality, something increasingly facilitated by its high-end iPad models and detailed in a number of patents. According to a new report, we still may be years away from the launch of this fabled product.

Continue Reading

The latest major acquisition made by iPhone company Apple was that of NextVR, a company that deals primarily in the broadcast of sports events in virtual reality. Users of NextVR's platform in the past have had access to NBA games for basketball, boxing, NHRA racing, WWE (wrestling events), ICC soccer, and other events. This system is still active (for the moment) on the VR platform Oculus GO.

Continue Reading

Faced with a new reality, the world seems to have gone into a development and creation spree to make new experiences that could be safely done inside the house. Many of those involved the passive consumption of content but a few have also been crafted to foster creativity and learning. Naturally, kids are one of the biggest audiences of these new experiences and, fortunately, Google is finally putting its previously dormant AR chops to good news to let kids learn new things without them even noticing they're actually studying rather than playing.

Continue Reading

Augmented or mixed reality experiences often involve placing virtual objects alongside real-world things as seen through glasses or on phone screens. Doing the reverse, that is, placing real-world objects into digital canvases and in real-time, isn't so common and not that easy either. That, however, is the almost magical accomplishment that AI programmer and UX designer Cyril Diagne accomplished, letting you "cut and paste" real-world things into a Photoshop canvas.

Continue Reading

There's still some debate on whether more computer screens make people more productive or distracted but some who believe in the multi-screen lifestyle are often limited by physical space or budget constraints. What if there was a way to extend your screen workspace without actually buying or even just adding new monitors? That seems to be the problem that Microsoft's new HoloLens app will be trying to solve, allowing users to add additional monitors to their desktops or laptops, except these monitors float like ghosts in virtual space.

Continue Reading

Augmented reality, or mixed reality as some would call it, has always been touted as the future of computing more than its sibling, virtual reality. Even Apple CEO Tim Cook has been more supportive of AR efforts than VR, though it is mostly limited to iPads and iPhones so far. Mixed reality headsets are almost impossible to come by if you're a consumer, even if a well-funded one. If you were hoping that Magic Leap would be the one to commercialize AR for good, however, its latest announcement will probably sound more like a death knell that a business-saving strategy.

Continue Reading

Apple could be close to buying a virtual reality company focused on streaming immersive sports, music, and entertainment experiences, as the Cupertino firm readies its big tech and content push for VR and AR. Though Apple currently doesn't have a virtual reality hardware product of its own, platforms like ARKit and recent devices like the LIDAR camera on the new iPad Pro have made it clear that the augmented reality is high on its agenda.

Continue Reading

The iPad Pro's inclusion of a LiDAR system wasn't exactly unexpected but it was still surprising to some extent. Leaks have hinted at Apple taking the professional tablet's cameras in that direction but more probably expected the technology to come to the iPhones first. It turns out that, probably due to scheduling, the iPad Pro was only getting a head start and the iPhone 12, specifically the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, will be getting that same camera and sensor combo for improved 3D object identification.

Continue Reading

Shelter-in-place orders and quarantines have shaken up businesses around the world. That includes not only those that require workers to come into work physically but especially those whose business revolves around people actually going out and walking around. Niantic Labs' games have been hailed for getting people to be more active, perhaps almost too active, but now the company is scrabbling to ensure players are still able to enjoy this AR experiences even when stuck inside their homes.

Continue Reading