augmentedreality
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Mystery company buys Meta's augmented reality tech
After a promising start, AR startup Meta's assets have been sold to an unknown buyer, reports TechCrunch and other sites. Meta fell on hard times in September after a promised $20 million investment from a Chinese company fell through over trade tensions between the US and China. The company has promised that its current products, mainly its latest Meta 2 AR headset, will continue to be supported.
CBS Super Bowl coverage features augmented reality and 8K
CBS has big, high-tech plans for its Super Bowl LIII coverage this February. To start with, it's using 14 cameras, including aerial systems, to create live virtual graphic elements designed to blend into the background. The network promises to show you those AR graphics up close and from various angles -- even if you're just watching on TV -- by using wireless handheld cameras that can track them on the field.
'David Bowie Is' AR exhibit puts Ziggy Stardust on your phone
Sony Music has a fitting tribute for David Bowie on what would have been his 72nd birthday: its promised virtual museum exhibit dedicated to the music legend. David Bowie Is has launched for both Android and iOS, giving you an augmented reality tour of memorabilia that previously required a lengthy physical visit. You'll see famous costumes, photos, handwritten notes and videos, including items that were either limited to the Brooklyn Museum appearance or are exclusive to the app. You can see documents and props from the Blackstar era, watch live performances and glimpse at footage from the experimental DIamond Dogs movie.
This smart mirror uses AR to let you 'try on' different hair styles
We've seen a slew of smart mirrors get introduced over the past few years, including one from Panasonic that's designed to analyze your skin. But for CareOS, a company based out of Europe, it wants to make an entire connected platform for the home and beauty salons out of its Artemis smart mirror. The mirror uses augmented reality to do things like "try on" a variety of different hair colors on your, which would come in handy before you decide to get a makeover. It can also integrate with brands to let you buy facial creme, as well as show you video tutorials on how to apply the makeup you're buying.
AR pioneer Blippar is going out of business
Pioneering augmented reality startup Blippar, once touted as a $1.5 billion British tech unicorn, has stumbled into administration. The company said that it failed to secure the funding it needed to reach profitability following a dispute with one of its shareholders. Corporate insolvency firm David Rubin & Partners announced on Monday that it was appointed as Blippar's administrators by a UK court.
Facebook Messenger's camera fakes portrait mode photos
Facebook Messenger's camera just caught up to Instagram's in a few key areas, and then some. To start, you can snap software-based portrait mode photos -- if you don't have a dual-camera phone (or one with clever AI photography), you can still get that blurred background for your headshots. You can also shoot animated Boomerang loops if you want to capture a brief bit of movement without recording a whole video.
You can try on the latest Adidas sneaker drop on Snapchat
Adidas is dropping its all new Ultraboost 19 running shoes later this week, but you won't have to wait in line to get a look at them. The company is partnering with Snapchat to offer an augmented reality-powered preview. Sneakerheads will be able to use the Snapchat lens to see exactly how the shoes will look laced up on their feet before they are officially available on December 15th.
Google adds Lens to its iOS search app
You no longer have to fire up Google Photos if you want to use Lens searches on your iPhone. Google has rolled the AI-based feature into its iOS search app, putting it in a more logical place than your image library. Tap the Lens icon in the search bar and you can point your device camera at books, bottles, pets and various other objects to get more answers about what you see. You can tell Lens to look at your existing images or turn on the flash when it's too dark.
Lego's augmented reality iOS app is ready for adventure
Lego's augmented reality Playgrounds app was arguably the highlight of the demos at Apple's yearly developer conference, and now you can try it for yourself -- the iOS app is available today. Point your iPad or iPhone at a compatible Lego set (more on that in a bit) while you're using the app and you'll see bricks liven up with animations, interactive moments and full-fledged games. You'll have a strong incentive to complete a set besides the usual opportunities for imaginative play.
Insomniac's first Magic Leap game made me an alien plant gardener
Insomniac Games, a studio that's built up a reputation for action-packed games and bold VR experiences, wants you to take care of a plant. It's not just any plant, though. In Seedling, the company's first Magic Leap experience, you're tasked with taking care of alien vegetation. By doing so for a few minutes every day, you help to repopulate the galaxy after a mysterious event wiped out every trace of life outside of Earth. There aren't any blasters or space battles in Seedling -- just the joy of nurturing what's effectively an alien bonsai tree in augmented reality.
Bose's $199 audio AR sunglasses ship in January
Bose's unique, audio-only AR sunglasses are about to become a practical reality. The company has announced that Frames will be available in January for $199, with pre-orders starting now. The eyewear is available in squarish (Alto) and rounded (Rondo) styles to suit your fashion sensibilities. Don't expect the glasses to live up to their full potential right away, though.
Google's AR Pocket Gallery turns your phone into an art museum
You can certainly view paintings on your phone, but you can't truly recreate the feeling of seeing a masterpiece in museum. Google thinks it can get close, though. The search giant has introduced a Pocket Gallery feature to its Arts & Culture app that uses augmented reality to create virtual art galleries, starting with one dedicated to classic Vermeer paintings (yes, including Girl with a Pearl Earring) curated by The Hague's Mauritshuis museum. Once you choose a room, you can walk up to paintings to both study them in detail and learn more about them. These are the highest-resolution images for eight of these paintings, according to Google
AR technology helps the blind navigate by making objects 'talk'
If you're blind, finding your way through a new area can sometimes be challenging. In the future, though, you might just need to wear a headset. Caltech researchers have developed a Cognitive Augmented Reality Assistant (CARA) that uses Microsoft's HoloLens to make objects "talk" to you. CARA uses computer vision to identify objects in a given space and say their names -- thanks to spatialized sound, you'll know if there's a chair in front of you or a door to your right. The closer you are, the higher the pitch of an object's voice.
How to get a coding job at Google with an art degree
I wasn't really aware as a kid that game development was a career that I could have, especially from an artist's perspective." That's Ashley Pinnick, a 28-year-old artist and game developer living in San Francisco. Pinnick is a VR Technical Artist for Google, where she's working on Playground, the company's augmented reality app. But three years ago, she was an art school graduate and self-taught virtual reality developer with an uncertain future at her feet. "I was playing games and I knew that there was art there," Pinnick said. "I just didn't put two and two together."
Snap will reportedly release AR-enabled Spectacles with dual cameras
Snap is reportedly set to release a new version of Spectacles with an aluminum design that packs in two cameras. Through the Snapchat app, you may be able to add augmented reality overlay effects in videos you capture with the updated Spectacles. The $350 frames will cost more than double the first version, which arrived in 2016, and will be on sale by the end of the year, according to Cheddar.
Facebook reorganizes Oculus to further its long-term VR goals
Facebook isn't done shaking up its strategy for Oculus. TechCrunch has learned that Facebook reorganized its augmented and virtual reality teams this week to focus on areas of technical expertise, rather than specific products. The company acknowledged the change in a statement, saying that they were "internal changes" that shouldn't affect end users or developers. However, that's not entirely true -- this appears to be as much about making AR and VR more viable in the long term, rather than revolving around near-term releases.
Adidas is using augmented reality to sell limited-edition sneakers
It's never been easy to buy limited-edition sneakers, especially for consumers who may not have the same resources as a reseller. This can be anything from automated scripts (aka bots), to an army of people waiting in line outside a store ready to take all the stock. That's why brands such as Nike and Adidas are using technology to try to even the playing field for everyone, be it through random launches on an app or by using experiences based around emerging mediums like augmented reality. On November 3rd and 4th, at ComplexCon in Long Beach, California, Adidas Originals will debut a new AR feature that's going to let attendees buy some of the hottest shoes of the year -- including its Dragon Ball Z collaboration.
Magic Leap in the living room: Alone together
"I wish I could see it." He's standing in the hallway, graphite-colored goggles strapped to his face and a small, circular computer sticking out of his front pocket. He laughs as the distant sounds of explosions and screams echo around his head. "I wish you could see it, too," he says, before crouching down to get a better angle on an inconspicuous bare spot on the floor. He twists and pulls back the hand holding a motion controller, then lets the trigger go. The quiet crashing sounds resume and he stands up, smiling. "Got it."
Twitch streamers are getting Snap's AR selfie filters
As part of its Snap Camera announcement, Snap Inc. has revealed a partnership with Twitch that will bring augmented reality Lenses to users of the video-streaming site. This will give Twitch streamers access to thousands of Snapchat-style selfie filters, including those made by Snap and independent Lens Studio creators. There's no need for users to have a Snapchat account, though the company is hoping to drive Twitch viewers to its mobile app by letting them unlock Lenses that their favorite streamers are "wearing" during a stream. You just have to scan a Snapcode that shows up on the big screen.
Snap is bringing augmented reality Lenses to the desktop
Fresh off its Q3 2018 earnings report, in which it broke a revenue record, Snap Inc. is making another major announcement. Meet Snap Camera, a standalone application that will bring the company's popular augmented reality filters, aka Lenses, to the desktop. Interestingly enough, the new app won't require a Snapchat login, a move Snap says is part of its vision to expand the Lens ecosystem beyond mobile.
