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Augmented reality studio castAR picks up 'Disney Infinity' devs
CastAR, the augmented reality company founded by two former Valve engineers, has set up a new studio in Salt Lake City with the goal of creating fresh mixed-reality experiences. To help fill the new digs, castAR scooped up a handful of developers who worked on the Disney Infinity series at Avalanche Software until that studio was unceremoniously shut down in May.
Tim Cook has more faith in augmented reality than VR
When Tim Cook is not busy showing off the newest iPhone to celebrities, he is doing interviews on morning shows and speculating on emerging technologies. During an interview with Good Morning America this morning, the Apple CEO told ABC News' Robin Roberts that he believed augmented reality to have a more promising future than virtual reality.
Microsoft launches Actiongram on HoloLens with a tiny George Takei
Ever wanted to hang out with a tiny, goofball celebrity? If you happen to have a HoloLens augmented reality headset, now you can. Today Microsoft made Actiongram, its mixed-reality filmmaking app, available to all HoloLens owners -- and celebrated the launch by giving users access to a hologram of George Takei.
HoloLens' 24-core chip makes vivid AR possible
Microsoft has revealed more details about its HoloLens headset at the Hot Chips conference in Cupertino. The augmented reality (AR) device marries video games with the real world, so it needs to calculate your location, head position and gestures extremely rapidly. We now know more about the so-called holographic processing unit (HPU) that does that -- the 24-core chip has near-supercomputer levels of performance, performing a trillion operations per second.
Augmented reality power tool helps anyone craft things
Crafting with CNC mills, routers and other power tools isn't all that easy, especially if you're new to it. You'll frequently want a template, and it's all too easy to mess up a cut if you haven't developed a steady hand. Shaper doesn't think it has to be daunting, though: it's launching Origin, an augmented reality power cutter. All you need to get started is a set of visual markers ("ShaperTape" in company lingo) that create a map -- the handheld will not only show you where to cut on its screen thanks to these markers, but automatically correct your cut or retract the bit if you're veering off-course. You could be a neophyte and still create something reasonably professional-looking.
Mt. Sinai's new AR tech overlays 3D models into surgeon's eyepiece
For the medical community, virtual and augmented reality offer the tantalizing opportunity to visualize hidden or blocked areas of the body. This year has seen some fascinating applications, from mapping a patient's brain mid-operation to livestreaming the actual surgery. Today, Mt. Sinai announced the first procedural use of the CaptiView AR system, a heads-up-display that overlays critical data and 3D models over the eyepieces in a surgical microscope.
'Pokémon Go' is the 'aha' moment AR has been waiting for
Pokémon is a thing right now thanks to Pokémon Go. Niantic's AR creature-catching game is number one in both the Android and iOS app stores, and it's on track to have more daily active users than Twitter thanks to an install base of 7.5 million players so far. It was impossible to go out this past weekend without being surrounded by Pokémon Go players of all stripes -- a lot of kids, sure, but plenty of adults, too. Some were revisiting their childhood love of the franchise while others were discovering it for the first time. But cute little monsters aren't the only thing Pokémon Go is their first exposure to: For many of these players, it's their first time using augmented reality. And, based on their reactions, they love it.
Lowe's has a Tango AR app for home improvement projects
We've explored the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya using Google's Tango technology, and we've also used it for a little gaming. Now that Lenovo is bringing the first Tango device for the masses, we're also going to see new augmented reality software that make use of Google's 3D mapping software tech. Lowe's, the hardware and home improvement store chain, has an app of its own that allows you to place appliances, add accessories and make other virtual tweaks to your house before you begin a project.
The New Yorker's latest issue comes alive with AR
As far as attempts to supplement print media with technology go, there are some winners, some awkward gimmicks and some utter failures. But The New Yorker's latest cover, a collaboration between illustrator Christoph Niemann, Qualcomm and AR app maker Uncovr, looks to be firmly in the "winners" category.
Magic Leap reveals more about its 'mixed reality' tech
Despite billions in funding and board members like Peter Jackson and Sundar Pichai, there's still a lot of mystery around Magic Leap's augmented reality (AR) tech. We know that it's making a self-contained, high-resolution AR headset that seamlessly inserts digital elements into the real world, much like Microsoft's Hololens. We've also seen a patent application and a spectacular gaming concept video. However, the company has revealed a bit more new information about its vision for Magic Leap via a new demo video (below) and a feature article from Wired.
HoloLens TED Talk shows what augmented reality can do
If you think you have a sense of what Microsoft's HoloLens headset can do, you're in for a pleasant surprise. The company's Alex Kipman recently presented a TED Talk on HoloLens that included multiple fresh demos illustrating Kipman's vision of an augmented reality future. He showed off virtual caves and forests, and a space where you could watch TV at one moment and talk to family in the next. The highlight, however, comes near the end: Kipman talks to an avatar of NASA's Jeffrey Norris standing on a recreation of Mars. Suddenly, Star Wars' holograms aren't so far-fetched.
