News: Niantic Acquires Escher Reality to Add Multiplayer Capabilities to Its Apps
Soon, Pokémon GO allies attacking a raid boss at a gym will be able to do so together in augmented reality.
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News: Augmented Reality in Cars — the Companies & Tech Driving Us into the Future
While autonomous vehicles are almost assuredly the future of personal transportation, we are likely many years from seeing self-driving cars become as ubiquitous as manually-driven ones, as the auto industry has a myriad of government regulations and other constraints to contend with. Until then, augmented reality is looking like the next big thing in automotive technology.
Dev Report: Live 3D Tiles Are Finally Available for Windows Mixed Reality Headsets but Not HoloLens
Longtime Next Reality readers may remember my Wish List for Microsoft early last year. It was a post in which I put my head together with a number of other community developers to create a list of features that would make Windows Mixed Reality and HoloLens better for developers. It would seem that one of the most sought-after features is finally here ... well, sort of.
Apple AR: Apple Adds Much-Needed Vertical Surface Recognition in ARKit Update
When Apple unboxes the next major update to its mobile operating system this spring, iPhones and iPads will gain some significant new features for augmented reality experiences: verticality.
Apple AR: Tim Cook Makes Rare Animoji Appearance, Pushes AR Amid Slow iPhone X Sales Reports
In the wake of reports of slow iPhone X sales and a possible early end to its shelf life, Apple CEO Tim Cook is on a public goodwill tour of sorts, espousing the virtues of Apple AR.
News: 'The Walking Dead' Mixes Augmented Reality & Wine to Keep You Alive Between Episodes
Fans of The Walking Dead can now kill time until the series returns from its winter hiatus by raising walkers from the labels on bottles of wine influenced by the show.
News: Microsoft Gives Us a Peek at the Reality Room Created for Employees to Experiment with AR & VR
One of the most overlooked components of talking about augmented reality and virtual reality is getting people to actually use the hardware and software associated with these platforms.
News: iOS 11.2.2 Released with Security Patch for Spectre Chip Vulnerability
Apple released an iOS 11.2.2 update on Monday to iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches. The update comes as no surprise since news broke last week of a massive security vulnerabilities, named Meltdown and Spectre, which are found in smartphone chips throughout the industry. This update in large part addresses the security risks imposed by these chip flaws.
Meltdown & Spectre: Here's How to Keep Your iPhone or Android Phone Secure
You may have seen news reports over the last two days detailing a major security flaw in virtually all smartphones. The devices that are at risk are not limited to either iPhone or Android — all of us are affected. If you want to make sure your smartphone and its data stay secure, there are a few steps you can take.
News: iOS 11.2.5 Beta 3 Released with Increased Volume on Keyboard Clicks & Dial Sounds
Apple released the third developer beta for iOS 11.2.5 on Wednesday, Jan. 3, and public beta testers got in on the action the following day. The update comes two full weeks after the release of the second beta, marking an extended update period of Apple. The second beta mostly brought under the hood improvements to 11.2.5.
News: Snapchat Claps Back at Facebook by Letting Users Create Custom AR Lenses with Lens Studio
On Thursday, Snapchat opened up its walled garden of World Lenses to the masses of creators with the launch of Lens Studio.
News: Give the Gift of AR This Holiday Season with These 12 Newbie-Friendly Ideas
If you're a regular reader of Next Reality, you're more likely to spread the joy of augmented reality than most others. But it can be difficult to introduce newbies into the AR fold if you don't give them exactly the right starting point in terms ease-of-use and affordability. But fear not, oh gift-giving AR pioneer, we're here to help!
News: Apple Park Visitor Center Opens to Public with AR Tour of Entire Campus
After years of tantalizing drone video, and then brief glimpses from special guests sharing photos on social media, the Apple Park Visitor Center finally opened to the public on Friday, Nov. 17.
News: Niantic & Warner Bros. Bringing Every Harry Potter Fan's Dream to Life with AR Game Based on Franchise
Ever since the planet went crazy trying to find augmented reality creatures in Pokémon GO, we've been waiting for the next virtual object game capable of delivering a similar hit. And now, we might finally have one coming, direct from the magical world of Harry Potter.
News: Target Focuses on Mobile Web Rather Than App for AR Shopping Tool
While some companies like IKEA and Lowe's zig towards ARKit to entice shoppers, Target has opted to zag to broader appeal with an augmented reality see-before-you-buy tool for its mobile website.
News: Updates to Upskill's Skylight Productivity Platform Make Building AR Apps Easy
Augmented reality software maker Upskill has released the latest version of their Skylight platform, adding a number of new tools to ease implementation and improve functionality for enterprises, including a new application builder.
Apple AR: Occipital's ARKit App Offers Room Scanning on Par with Tango for iPhones
In off-record discussions with AR experts, the consensus on ARKit is that it takes a software approach to the depth-sensors available on Tango devices. As a result, the toolkit has shortcomings, such as detecting walls and vertical surfaces.
News: Varidesk Raises App to Visualize & Purchase Standing Desks
The standing desk movement has gained momentum over the past few years as research has pointed to the detrimental health effects of sitting at a desk all day.
News: 8th Wall Breaks Down Walls Between ARKit, ARCore & the Mobile Devices They Leave Behind
With Apple ready to unleash ARKit to millions of iPhones and iPads and ARCore on its way to supporting millions of Android devices, is there room in the world for a cross-platform mobile AR platform?
Apple AR: Dunkin Donuts Goes All in for the Solar Eclipse with 'Moonchkin' App
The total solar eclipse is just a few days a way and everyone is buzzing about it. It will be visible in the US from Oregon to South Carolina with 16.5 million people able to view it.
Today's Top News: Ford CEO Rethinks Strategy to Lead Driverless Revolution
Newly appointed Ford Motor CEO Jim Hackett admitted yesterday that demand for driverless transportation could take many different forms and that Ford was rethinking how it would tailor its cars and mobility services for self-drive modes of transportation in the future.
News: Waymo Patent Shows Plans to Replace Steering Wheel & Pedals with Push Buttons
Waymo just received approval on a patent for a push-button console that replaces not only a steering wheel in a car but the brake and gas pedals, too. This reflects Alphabet's driverless arm could remain true to its original mantra of developing cars that pilot themselves without human intervention.
News: Freeze Tag Mimics Niantic with Garfield-ified Version of Pokémon GO
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Niantic must be blushing constantly, as numerous copies of Pokémon GO have spawned over the past year or so, seeking to capture the same success, often adding the lure of tangible prizes from brand partnerships.
Today's Top News: Maverick Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt Hires Controversial Jeep Hackers
Cruise Automation, General Motors' (GM) driverless car arm, has hired two hackers who were once seen by many as a safety threat to help find vulnerabilities in its self-drive car network.
News: Faraday Has Little Luck Filling Empty Engineer Slots, Left with Gutted Driverless Program
Faraday Future's all-electric super sports car concept attracted a lot of attention at CES earlier this year, but now it is struggling to replace key driverless engineers and program directors who left the company amid its recent financial troubles.
News: University of Washington Students Preview New Computer Science Building in Augmented Reality
It's fitting that students at the University of Washington can catch a glimpse of the new, 135,000 square-foot computer science building in augmented reality before construction is completed.
Today's Top News: As Questions Mount About the Future of Uber's Driverless Program, Lyft Steps into the Fray
Lyft officially laid its stake in the ground to develop driverless fleets following its Friday announcement, but how fast it is catching up to ride-hailing competitor Uber's driverless initiative remains to be seen.
News: uSens Introduces Markerless Tracking for Mobile Apps
With mobile developers near and far primed to implement augmented reality into their iOS apps with Apple's ARKit, uSens offers them a new tool for markerless location tracking.
News: HoloLens Assists in Live Surgery
Numerous examples exist of doctors and surgeons using HoloLens to plan surgeries. The device has even been used to view reference images during a procedure and stream it to a remote audience. Until recently, it has not been used to augment the surgeon's view of the patient during a live surgery.
News: You Can Now Record Multiple 10 Second Snaps Continuously with New Update
Snapchat is rolling out some awesome new features in their update today. The major update comes just two weeks after the company's premiere of backdrop, snap shopping, and voice clip features. They rolled out two new features this time, Multi-Snaps and the Tint Brush.
News: Children Can Now Go on an AR Adventure at Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport's most recent arrival isn't a flight, but rather an interactive children's game featuring augmented reality technology.
News: DAQRI Deploys Smart Helmet for Navy Gunners
Augmented reality headset maker DAQRI has collaborated with the US Navy to outfit the company's Smart Helmet device for use on battleships.
Today's Top News: Congressional Republicans Push Bill to Let Silicon Valley & Detroit Lead the World in Driverless
The laws and regulations in place in the US for driverless vehicles are a mess, but Republican congressional members say they can fix it.
News: For Virgin Mobile Customers, Twitter Just Became Free-er
How can something get more free than free? Well, in the case of Twitter, Virgin Mobile found a way with its newest promotion. If you have a 4G plan with Virgin Mobile, you can now access Twitter from your smartphone without it counting towards your monthly data allowance.
News: Apple Patents Light Field Cameras That Could Add AR to FaceTime
Apple continues to impress the AR world with game-changing innovations that add to their already incredible products. The company's most recent endeavor has been to plunge into the world of augmented reality with the announcement of their ARKit.
Today's Top News: BMW Slashes Combustion Engine Costs by 1 Billion Euros in Auto Industry Shift to Driverless & EVs
The auto industry continues to shift into high gear to lay the groundwork for driverless cars with an electric vehicle (EV) emphasis.
News: Augmented Reality Treasure Hunt Allows You to 'Snatch' Up Free Beer
Free beer and AR? What could be better? Amstel, a Dutch beer brand, has launched an innovative sampling campaign using an AR app called "Snatch." Snatch is a treasure hunt gaming app, and if you win the game, your prize is 10,000 free pints of Amstel beer, redeemable at Mitchell & Butler pubs.
News: Samsung Could Lose Grip on OLED Monopoly Thanks to Google & Apple
The race is on to break Samsung's near-OLED Monopoly. Google joined the race back in April, reducing their reliance on Samsung's OLED's by supposedly investing about $880 million into using LG's OLED's for their Pixel phone screens. Now, Apple's stepping up with a rumored $2.5 billion investment into LG's OLED Display initiative for their phones too.
News: Curve's Newest Feature Lets You Go Back in Time
Mobile wallet Curve just released a new feature that lets you correct past mistakes. Sounds incredible, right? Unfortunately, the mistakes you can erase aren't things like forgetting to do an assignment in school, screwing up a job interview, or, well, your ex. However, you can switch the card you want to use to pay even after you've paid with Curve, and that's still pretty cool.
News: Ubisoft Proves They're Serious About AR Gaming at United Europe 2017
Though the Microsoft HoloLens' release to the consumer market is still a distant thought at the moment, Ubisoft is preparing for the future with the unveiling of AR video game prototypes.