Augmented reality
Latest
HoloLens 2 heads to South Korea, Taiwan and more countries
Microsoft's HoloLens 2 AR headset is headed to more countries later this year, including Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea.
Devindra Hardawar05.19.2020
An iPhone and an ultrasound wand could help doctors monitor COVID-19 remotely
Welcome to a new way to monitor COVID-19. The beauty of Butterfly's approach to telemedicine is that you don't have to know a thing about ultrasound systems to use it.
Chris Velazco05.18.2020
Sony AR app shows if a new TV will fit your room
Sony has unveiled an Envision TV AR app that can show how a new TV will fit into your environment.
Jon Fingas05.14.2020
Apple buys virtual reality company NextVR
In one of its more interesting acquisitions in recent memory, Apple has purchased NextVR. The company confirmed the deal to CNBC. The two had worked together to produce and broadcast basketball games and highlights in virtual reality.
Igor Bonifacic05.14.2020
Google can give you AR science lessons right from the search page
Last year, Google launched an augmented reality feature within Search that lets you put virtual animals in the real world.
Mariella Moon05.08.2020
Magic Leap layoffs reportedly affect about half its workforce
Magic Leap announced that it's laying off employees at every level of the organization, after compounding financial troubles.
Marc DeAngelis04.22.2020
Apple appears to to be acquiring virtual event company NextVR
Apple's augmented reality plans may have received a quiet but important boost.The 9to5Mac team claims that Apple is the midst of acquiring virtual event broadcasting company NextVR in a deal worth about $100 million. While the deal hasn't closed, an Apple shell company is reportedly hiring "most" of NextVR's engineers and asking them to relocate to Cupertino.
Jon Fingas04.04.2020
Niantic buys a 3D mapping startup to enable 'planet-scale' AR
As much as Niantic might be focused on making its location-based games more playable at home, it's also thinking about its future. The developer has bought 3D mapping startup 6D.ai to help it develop "planet-scale" augmented reality. The relative newcomer's work on 3D environment reconstruction and persistent AR objects promises more sophisticated experiences than you're used to in the past. Niantic teased the prospect of seeing creature habitats in Pokémon Go, or dragons landing on buildings.
Jon Fingas03.31.2020
Niantic is doing more to help 'Pokémon Go' gamers play at home
Niantic isn't done making it easier to play its location-based games while you're staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The developer has outlined some of its future plans for titles like Pokémon Go, Ingress and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and it's quite clear that you won't have to step outside to make progress during the outbreak. Adventure Sync will better support indoor activities (say, running on a treadmill). Pokémon Go Raid Battles will be playable at home. Social features will help you keep in touch with players you can't see in person, and there are even plans to help you "virtually visit" real-world locations.
Jon Fingas03.30.2020
'Minecraft Earth' tweaks encourage home play and social distancing
Microsoft's mobile AR title Minecraft Earth is following the lead of Pokémon Go by introducing new features that make it easier to play at home during the coronavirus pandemic. To start with, you'll have better access to "tappables" (resources like grass, stones and livestock), because they'll spawn more often and closer to you. Also, Minecraft Earth has introduced "adventure crystals" that spawn adventures right where you are, so you'll no longer need to go out and seek them.
Steve Dent03.26.2020
Pokémon Go gets easier and cheaper to play while you're stuck at home
It could be tough getting enough Poké Balls when you have to stay at home and can't visit PokéStops. To make sure you have enough balls to catch monsters with, Niantic has started selling a 100-Poké Ball bundle for 1 PokéCoin in the Pokémon Go shop. The company has launched a rotating 1 PokéCoin bundle that will change every week and will be available as one-time purchases. It's also increasing daily bonuses and giving you three times the Stardust and XP for your first catch of the day, as well as adjusting the number of gifts you can open in a day to 30.
Mariella Moon03.24.2020
Apple's updated iPad Pro has depth-aware cameras and trackpad support
Apple was clearly gearing up for an imminent launch when it inadvertently listed new tablets. Right on cue, the company has introduced updated versions of the iPad Pro -- and it won't surprise you to hear that the cameras play a major role like they do on the iPhone 11. The 11- and 12.9-inch tablets now have a secondary, ultra-wide 10-megapixel rear camera and, for the first time on any Apple device, a LiDAR scanner that lets them measure the distance for objects up to 16.4 feet away, improving augmented reality features like object placement, motion capture and occluding people in a scene. Thankfully, ARKit apps don't need any updates for the faster and more accurate technology.
Jon Fingas03.18.2020
Apex's electric supercar includes an AR race coach and partial self-driving
How do you make a name for yourself as an EV startup when you have plenty of rivals? By promising a mix of breakneck performance with uncommon tech, apparently. UK-based newcomer Apex has unveiled the AP-0, an electric supercar that's ready for the track but also has a few perks for commuting. The company is keen to tout the combination of a 650BHP motor system with a lightweight carbon fiber chassis (the entire car weighs 2,646lbs) that delivers 0-62MPH in 2.3 seconds and a top speed of 190MPH, all the while managing a healthy 320 miles of estimated range from the 90kW battery. Those are solid numbers for a performance EV, but Apex is clearly counting on the intelligence to win you over.
Jon Fingas03.16.2020
Magic Leap is reportedly trying to find a buyer
Following poor sales with its first augmented reality (AR) headset, Magic Leap is seeking a buyer for at least part of its business, according to Bloomberg. The company has reportedly already spoken with Facebook and Johnson & Johnson and insiders said it could fetch up to $10 billion in a sale. It would also consider a strategic partnership or other deal ahead of a potential listing.
Steve Dent03.12.2020
Atari classic 'Missile Command' is coming back as a mobile game
Atari has been milking Missile Command nostalgia for a while with re-released games and even plans for a movie (not that it has materialized), but its latest may be appealing for its relatively straightforward appeal. It's developing Missile Command: Recharged, a slightly modernized version of the classic base defense game for Android and iOS. The touch input is the most obvious update, but you'll also see an upgrade system, power-ups, achievements and online leaderboards to keep things fresh. There's even an augmented reality mode -- you can play on a virtual cabinet in your room if you have memories of spending all your quarters at the arcade.
Jon Fingas03.03.2020
Google's latest VR app lets you gaze at prehistoric paintings
Over the years, Google has digitized countless museums, galleries and landmarks for Arts & Culture, an encyclopaedic platform that anyone can access through a browser or mobile app. Today, the company is launching a new collection based on the Chauvet Cave in Ardèche, France, which contains some breathtaking prehistoric art. While the exact age of the paintings is unknown, radioactive dating has pinned the earliest to a period 36,000 years ago. The site was discovered in 1994 and, to prevent damage, closed off to the public that same year. Beyond a full-size replica, Google's new exhibit is the closest you'll ever get to standing inside the cave.
Nick Summers02.27.2020
Snapchat's latest AR filters turn the floor into lava
There have been immersive Snapchat Lenses before, but this latest batch can literally change the world around you. Snap has unveiled "Ground Transformation" Lenses that turn the ground into a lava pit or water -- yes, you can pretend the floor is lava like you're eight years old all over again. Both use machine learning to understand the geometry of the land and help apply special effects, such as reflections from the buildings around you.
Jon Fingas02.20.2020
Next version of Chrome brings web AR and NFC to more users
Google is close to making some cutting edge web tech more accessible. The internet giant has released a Chrome 81 beta for Android, Linux, Mac and Windows that adds WebXR support for browser-based augmented reality. Web developers now have a fairly straightforward way to bring AR to users across platforms without resorting to native apps. The underlying framework had been present before, but required enabling flags -- this will make AR available to Chrome users once site creators make use of it.
Jon Fingas02.16.2020
Google makes it easier to buy its Glass headset for workers
Google has announced that developers and businesses can now buy Glass Enterprise Edition 2 directly from its resellers. The third incarnation of Google Glass initially went on sale last May for enterprise customers. While Google no longer considers Glass to be a consumer-focused product, it should be much easier for anyone to get their hands on the latest version if they really want one.
Kris Holt02.04.2020
Google's 3D scans recreate historical sites threatened by climate change
Google is no stranger to reproducing historical sites online, but it's now pushing technical boundaries to recreate those sites at risk of vanishing due to the ravages of climate change. It's launching a "Heritage on the Edge" collection in Arts & Culture that will include over 50 exhibitions illustrating the effect of an evolving climate on historical landmarks, including five locations recreated in detailed 3D (with 25 models total) using a mix of scans, photogrammetry and drone footage. You can see vivid depictions of the statues at Easter Island's Rapa Nui, the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, the trading port of Kilwa Kisiwani in Tanzania, Bangladesh's Mosque City of Bagerhat and Peru's ancient city of Chan Chan.
Jon Fingas01.29.2020