Market Reality: Vuzix & Meta Represent the Brightest AR Present at CES, While Google, Facebook & Huawei Grow AR's Future
It would be difficult to discuss the business of augmented reality without acknowledging the annual tech meat market of CES.
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News: Concept Smartglasses Offer Glimpse of the Future of Luxury AR Wearables
In the years leading up to the release of the Apple Watch, we were frequently teased with concept designs of what Apple's smartwatch might look like. Of course, many of those outlandish designs were off the mark, but the attention to the idea itself hinted that the public was ready for a mainstream wearable from a high-end hardware maker like Apple. Now smartglasses are getting the same treatment.
News: The Best Black Friday 2017 Deals on Wireless Chargers for Your Smartphone
If you're planning on picking up a new iPhone X, 8, or 8 Plus, or maybe a Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, or Note 8, you'll want to consider a wireless charger. While you might feel a bit fancy charging your smartphone without a cable, that pomp might come at a price. Thankfully, Black Friday is almost upon us, and we know all about the best deals.
News: We've Found the Best Black Friday 2017 Deals on Phones & Accessories So You Don't Have To
Black Friday is fast approaching, and just like every other day-after-Thanksgiving, there will be too many tech deals you won't want to pass up. If you've been saving up all year just for this sometimes-chaotic shopping holiday, we'll help you figure out the best tech sales to take advantage of and when, whether it's Black Thursday, Black Friday, or Black Friday weekend.
News: You Can Still Get Google's Magical Translation Pixel Buds on Preorder at Best Buy
While unveiling various other gadgets, Google announced the Pixel Buds at their October 4th event in San Francisco. These wireless earbud-style headphones are particularly interesting thanks to their ability to offer real-time language translation via Google Translate when paired with a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL.
News: Facebook, Instagram & Snapchat Pass Out Halloween-Themed AR Filters Like Soooo Much Candy
If social media apps were houses in a neighborhood and augmented reality photo effects were candy, then Facebook went to Costco and brought home a full pallet of treats.
Apple AR: ARKit Bestows iOS Apps Thyng & Holo with Ability to Stick Digital Things Anywhere
One of the byproducts of the success of Pokémon Go was the viral images that made the rounds on social media of people putting Pikachus, Charmanders, and their brethren in compromising positions. Snapchat has a similar claim to fame, most recently with the inexplicable popularity of the dancing hotdog.
News: Sony Xperia XZ1 Boasts 3D Scanning Capabilities
At IFA in Berlin today, Sony introduced the latest models of the Xperia line, with new features in tow that should appeal to creators of augmented and virtual reality content.
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.
Today's Top News: Ford Tries to One Up Waymo with Removable Steering Wheel & Pedal Design
Google largely helped to pioneer the concept of a steering wheel- and pedal-free self-driving experience when it began testing its Firefly pod-like vehicles a few years ago.
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: A Multibillion-Dollar Investment by Softbank Could Revive Uber's Uncertain Driverless Program
The status of Uber's driverless program remains a big unknown amid the company's recent woes, but a reported multibillion-dollar shot in the arm by Japanese tech giant Softbank could change all that.
Today's Top News: OpenAI Hacks Machine Vision and the Results Aren't Pretty
Research group OpenAI, a research institute co-founded by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, says it is possible to trick driverless cars' neural networks into mistaking images for something else.
How To: Find Out What Music Is Trending on SoundCloud Right Now
SoundCloud is a really interesting alternative to Spotify and Pandora in that it will never really give you the exact mainstream song that you want. If you're looking for new up-and-coming artists that are making some wonderful alternative remixes to mainstream music, then SoundCloud is the right music streaming app for you.
Today's Top News: Forget Volvo — VW Aims to Take Out Tesla with Worldwide EV & Driverless Rollout
Volvo Cars' "all-electric" announcement last week was seen as a direct threat to Tesla's electric vehicle (EV) and driverless lead, but German auto giant Volkswagen (VW) says it is in a better position to challenge Tesla.
Facebook 101: How to 'Go Live' from Your iPhone or Android Phone
It looks like "going live" is another thing we all have to figure out how to do to remain relevant in this very Facebook-driven world. But why would you ever want to go live? That's really up to you.
Today's Top News: The Point of No Return for Carmakers
The automotive industry is traditionally very conservative, so when a carmaker says it will launch a particular model or feature by a certain date, it means a lot.
Help Wanted: GM's Cruise Seeks Lead Engineer for 3D Maps as Driverless Plans Take Shape
Cruise Automation is actively seeking to recruit a lead engineer to head its development efforts of 3D maps with expertise in city environments, signaling the GM driverless unit's move towards a mobility-as-a-service business model.
News: Magic Leap Founder Says Launch 'Not Far Away'
At the eMerge Americas investors conference in Miami, Florida, Magic Leap founder and CEO Rony Abovitz previewed details of the launch of their highly-anticipated device.
Instagram 101: How Not to Get Busted by the FTC
It looks like all the unregulated fun and games we were having promoting products on Instagram is about to get, well ... regulated. According to a new report by Mediakix, 93% of celebrities on Instagram are not in compliance with the Federal Trade Commission when it comes to posting paid content.
News: And Suddenly, Tesla Becomes a $5.9 Billion Car Brand with 32% Jump in Value
Demand for Tesla's driverless features as well as its ultra-long battery ranges and a reputation for offering the best-in-class electric car driving experience helped Tesla see a 32% surge in its value as a brand, topping out at $5.9 billion in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, released June 5.
News: WittyThumbs Offers Online Advice for Online Dating
A new dating advice site, WittyThumbs, launched today that lets users offer advice to others as well as seek it; the site combines that collaboration with advice from designated dating experts.
Brief Reality: ITC Infotech, PTC, Oracle Join Forces for Augmented Reality Service
The common thread between this week's Brief Reality stories is that augmented reality is beginning to prove its worth as a technology that improves workflows and processes. From customer service to healthcare to manufacturing, augmented reality is helping companies improve productivity.
News: Samsung Preinstalls McAfee Bloatware on Your S8 & It's Neither Great nor Free
Malware attacks on mobile phones are reaching an all-time high and it looks like companies like Samsung are doing all that they can to prevent any unwanted hackers from accessing its sensitive user data.
News: Verizon's $80 'Unlimited' Plan Actually Has Lots of Limits
Verizon launched the $80 unlimited prepaid plan this week and we've found that it actually isn't as limitless as they would have you believe.
News: 'After Ice' Shows What Climate Change Is About to Do to Our World
In honor of Earth Day tomorrow (woo!), visual artist Justin Brice Guariglia has released a new augmented reality app that lets you experience climate change from wherever you're standing.
News: With #VerHIGHzon, T-Mobile Shows Companies How to Do Pot Humor
I was a slap-happy T-Mobile customer before, but now, after hearing that the company sent out a box of rolling papers to certain media sites with memes bad mouthing #VerHIGHzon ... I love you even more, John Legere!
News: Lyft Now Offering a Commuter Ride-Sharing Option Called 'Shuttle'
Lyft is experimenting with commuter ride sharing by debuting a new "Shuttle" option, which offers pickups and drop-offs along select routes, much like a metro bus would do. The company is trying out the new option in San Francisco and Chicago, but if all goes well, we might all be ordering a pickup soon through Lyft's new Line ride share option.
News: Elon Musk Says Tesla's Model 3 'Release Candidate' Prototypes Will Be Ready to Drive in 2 Weeks
According to Electrek, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in a covert conference call with a select few investors, commented in detail about his plan to have Tesla's Model 3 driving on the road earlier than we all expected.
News: Automatic 3D Model Optimization Solution Simplygon Was Just Acquired by Microsoft
Any developer working with the HoloLens knows that the fight for polygons is a very real conflict. For all of the magic it creates, the HoloLens is a high-powered mobile device that has all the typical processing limitations of a mobile device.
News: Coffee Isn't the Only Thing Brewing in Your Nespresso—Extremophiles Could Be Living in Your Drip Tray
You just sat down, coffee in hand, and the day is ready to start. Now that you have taken a few sips, let me pose a question: What is living in that coffeemaker of yours? The answer might make you dump that coffee down the drain pronto.
News: Reputable Analyst Predicts Apple's AR Ambitions Are Heading to Cars
Google and Microsoft have both established platforms and hardware for emerging digital realities, but Apple, true to form, hasn't had much to say on the subject. They've shown interest in augmented reality, and we've seen patent filings that indicate research and development, but a recent rumor points to that research ending up in your car instead of a rose gold headset.
How To: Earn Play Store Credits by Getting Google Opinion Rewards to Give You More Surveys
In case you didn't know, Google has an awesome app that gives you free money to spend on apps, games, movies, books, and virtually anything you can buy on the Google Play Store. The app is called Google Opinion Rewards, and all it asks in exchange for the Play Store credit is that you answer a few questions every now and then.
How To: From Uni to Aloe—6 Ways to Kick Your Cocktails into Savory Overdrive
From fungi to foie gras, the weird ingredient cocktail game across the nation is growing by leaps and bounds. We had our hesitations about trying some of them out, and especially about attempting to make any ourselves, so we did a bit more research and realized the flavor profiles aren't as unfathomable as one may think.
News: Pro Sports Teams Are Turning to Tomorrow's Reality Tech for Better Player Development
Although professional sports has been no stranger to emerging technology, it still seems hard to think about how a football player might benefit from strapping on a VR headset. While it won't do much in an actual game, many athletes can improve by using virtual reality as a training tool.
News: Windows Holographic Is Coming to Intel's Project Alloy Cord-Cutting Headset
Most popular virtual reality headsets, like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, require a tethered connection to the computer and that imposes some obvious restrictions on how much we can move in our space. We'd all prefer a simpler, untethered option, and Intel wants to provide just that.
News: Idealens Standalone Headset Makes VR Mobile Without a Phone
When you think about consumer VR headsets, you either imagine a computer-tethered powerhouse like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, or something portable yet limited that utilizes your smartphone like Google Cardboard. Somehow, we haven't seen much in-between, but the Idealens aims to fill that gap.
How To: Never F' Up a Frittata Again with These 5 Tips
A carefully constructed frittata is one of the culinary world's perfect wonders. It's inexpensive to create, can be made with all sorts of leftovers, and is outstanding to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, frittatas can go downhill fast and come out spongy, tasteless, dry, and over-done.
How To: Easy Ranch Dressing Variations That Beat Store-Bought Hands Down
We admit it: we are ranch dressing fanatics. We like to put it on our simple salads, spread it across our chicken wings, and dip homemade sweet potato fries in it. Plus, since childhood, neither of us can eat pizza without ranch dressing to accompany it.
How To: Make Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker
You may have had to deal with this unfortunate scenario when you have a hankering for homemade ice cream: you find a great recipe, just the flavor you want to make, you start reading it... and you discover those ever-dreaded words "pour into your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer directions." Oh no!