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Microsoft chief defends controversial military HoloLens contract
Microsoft employees objecting to a US Army HoloLens contract aren't likely to get many concessions from their company's leadership. CEO Satya Nadella has defended the deal in a CNN interview, arguing that Microsoft made a "principled decision" not to deny technology to "institutions that we have elected in democracies to protect the freedoms we enjoy." The exec also asserted that Microsoft was "very transparent" when securing the contract and would "continue to have that dialogue" with staff.
Epic Games' Unreal Engine will support HoloLens
You can't call HoloLens 2 a gaming platform, but Microsoft is at least laying the groundwork. Epic Games has announced that it's adding HoloLens support to Unreal Engine 4, the technology that powers a wide range of games and 3D productivity apps. It's "up and running" now, Epic's Tim Sweeney said, and should be available to all developers in May. You're not about to play an augmented-reality version of Fortnite. It should allow for "photorealistic" 3D in AR apps, though, and it's really just the start of Epic's plans.
Mozilla's mixed reality Firefox browser is coming to HoloLens 2
If you want to surf the web with Microsoft's HoloLens 2, you'll be guaranteed to have a browser optimized for the immersive format -- Mozilla is partnering with Microsoft to make Firefox Reality available for the next-gen headset. While it's unclear exactly how much this will vary from the existing browser (above), the developer hopes to learn more about bringing augmented-reality material to the web. It'll build on work for existing mixed reality headsets like Magic Leap and run on Mozilla's next-generation Servo platform.
Microsoft workers demand end to HoloLens contract with US Army
You can add Microsoft to the growing list of companies whose staff are objecting to the use of their technology for some military purposes. A group of Microsoft workers has published an open letter to CEO Satya Nadella and legal chief Brad Smith asking them to end a $479 million HoloLens contract with the US Army. They contended that Microsoft is effectively developing weapons by helping the Army create a platform that helps its soldiers train and fight using augmented reality. It not only helps kill people, but turns war "into a simulated 'video game'" that disconnects infantry from the "grim stakes" of combat, the workers argued.
Microsoft posts HoloLens 2 teaser ahead of February 24th launch
You've had to wait a long, long time for news about HoloLens 2, but it's finally right around the bend. Device creator Alex Kipman has posted a teaser for the mixed reality headset that confirms its premiere just before Mobile World Congress on February 24th. The clip itself is cryptic, with vague allusions to processors and possibly carbon fiber (which could help reduce the weight). Not that you'd need to read the tea leaves to have an idea of what to expect -- there have already been a few clues.
Nreal Light are mixed reality glasses in disguise
While the likes of Microsoft Hololens and Magic Leap One got their moment of fame, both their size and image quality left a lot to be desired, so there wasn't much excitement in the mixed reality market after them. But at CES, a Chinese startup dubbed Nreal brought out something rather interesting: Low-profile mixed reality glasses that look and feel almost like ordinary sunglasses, so you can use them out in the open without getting too much attention. Better yet, the display quality was surprisingly good.
BMW's iNext mixed reality concept entertains as your car drives itself
BMW's iNext concept vehicle continues to reveal new tricks after its official introduction at the LA Auto Show last November. Ahead of CES 2019 in Las Vegas on Sunday, the company showed off its latest futuristic feature, mixed reality holographic display.
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."
Samsung's updated mixed-reality headset goes on sale October 22nd
It's official: Samsung is updating its mixed-reality headset, the Odyssey. The new version, the Samsung HMD Odyssey+, promises to bring lifelike experiences through the Windows Mixed Reality platform. You can buy the headset in the US starting on October 22nd at Microsoft.com and Samsung.com. It will be available later this year in South Korea, Hong Kong, China and Brazil. The device will retail for $500.
Sennheiser's Ambeo AR One are the first Magic Leap-certified headphones
Sennheiser has released the first pair of earphones that's certified for Magic Leap's mixed reality headset. The Ambeo AR One looks just like any other pair of in-ear headphones, but the company says it has the features developers need to be able to create spatial computing experiences that can expertly blend real-world with virtual sounds. It's the first device (possibly out of many) to come out of Magic Leap's partnership with the audio giant first announced in September. At that time, the startup said the partnership would help it expand its "spatial audio accessory solutions."
Oculus predicts a VR future that includes ultra-thin headsets
Oculus' virtual reality ambitions extend well past standalone headsets. In a talk at Oculus Connect 5, the company's Michael Abrash updated his predictions for the future of VR headset technology. Most notably, he sees an end to the bulky headsets that define the experience today. Pancake lenses (already in use with interchangeable lens cameras) could slim down headsets or lead to ultra-wide fields of view, but the real star may be waveguide displays, where light bounces down extremely thin glass plates. You could see VR headsets that are scarcely thicker than glasses, with images that are as wide as you need. Abrash showed a concept drawing (this isn't a hint at a future product, he stressed) for a headset that would make your Rift or Go look positively ancient, although he wouldn't predict just when you might see such a device.
Oculus has a mixed reality vision that goes far beyond Microsoft
Microsoft has been pushing the idea of mixed reality -- combining virtual and augmented reality -- for years now. But today at Oculus Connect 5, Facebook showed off a concept that pushes the notion of mixed reality even further. We caught a brief glimpse of Andrew Bosworth, the company's head of AR and VR, wearing an upcoming Oculus Quest headset. Instead of seeing an artificial VR environment, he saw a crude real-time rendering of the room around him, drawn in a cartoon-like style. As he panned his head around, the layout and furniture in the room appeared, as if it were being painted in place.
Sennheiser is making spatial audio accessories for Magic Leap
Magic Leap has teamed up with audio giant Sennheiser to help it "explore and enhance [its] spatial audio accessory solutions." The secretive mixed reality-maker's first headset, the One Creator Edition, is equipped with onboard speakers for audio. However, it can also accommodate headphones through its 3.5 mm jack. Sennheiser will be creating accessories specifically for Magic Leap devices, and you might be able to plug some of them into that port. We've said it before and we'll say it again: for virtual and mixed realities to be truly immersive, they need convincing sound to match.
Firefox brings the thrills of web browsing to VR
Mozilla's headset-focused web browser is finally ready for your cranium: Firefox Reality is available for HTC Vive, Oculus and Daydream devices through their respective stores. The software is designed from the start for AR and VR hardware, with an interface that revolves around pointer control and voice search. There's a virtual keyboard if you need it, but let's face it -- you'd probably go back to a regular screen if you wanted to type more than once in a blue Moon. And yes, Mozilla knows the flat web isn't so exciting in a headset. The home screen provides fast access to 3D content like Sketchfab models, so you won't be hurting for something to take advantage of AR and VR technology.
Facebook hopes to prove AR is more than selfie filters and games
As I sit surrounded by software engineers in a conference room with no natural light, playing augmented reality games on an iPhone, I forget for a second that I'm in Seattle visiting Facebook. Not Amazon or Microsoft. Facebook, a company that's evolved from a simple social network to a full-on technology behemoth. Here, inside the company's largest engineering hub besides its Menlo Park headquarters, Facebook says people are working on many of the projects that will impact its 10-year road map and mission of "bringing the world closer together," including Games, Groups, Messenger and, of course, ads. But I'm here to talk about one particular emerging technology that the company believes will be key to its future: augmented reality.
Facebook’s next big augmented reality push is multiplayer games
Even as Facebook faces extreme pressure from Congress on issues like foreign interference and fake news, the company has to remain focused on keeping users tied to its many products. After all, that's how it makes its money. One of the ways Facebook is doing that is by going in heavy on augmented reality. Aside from bringing the technology to its News Feed and main app's camera, Facebook sees AR as the perfect medium to bring a different layer to one particular service: Messenger, where friends interact with one another on a daily basis.
Watch Acer's IFA 2018 event in 9 minutes
Acer often has a lot to show at its events, and its IFA 2018 presentation was no exception. The tech giant unveiled a bevy of laptops, including the world's lightest 15-inch laptop and a metal-clad budget Chromebook. However, that was really just the start. It also launched a uniquely detachable mixed reality headset, and even a gaming cockpit that's practically a throne. It's a lot to take in, but don't worry -- we've condensed Acer's announcements into a nine-minute video that covers all the bases.
Magic Leap teardown reveals the complexities of mixed reality
After years of waiting, Magic Leap released its mixed reality headset earlier this month. The Magic Leap One Creator Edition isn't quite a consumer-facing device -- instead, it comes bundled with several 'preview experiences' meant to inspire folks who want to make their own apps for the device's mixed reality OS. Now that the community's had a bit of time with the headset, Ifixit has torn one apart, giving us an inside look at the device that's been a big mystery.
Magic Leap's $2,295 mixed reality headset is available now
It didn't take long for Magic Leap to confirm the rumors of an imminent launch for its mixed reality headset. The startup has announced that its Magic Leap One Creator Edition headset is available as of today. If you're an American developer (or very, very early adopter), you can shell out $2,295 for all the necessary hardware. You currently to live in a major burg to get one, though -- Magic Leap only has "limited quantities" available, and it's offering free in-person delivery and setup in six urban areas (Chicago, LA, Miami, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle). If you're not in a qualifying area, you'll have to make a reservation.
Magic Leap's mixed reality headset might launch today
Magic Leap might finally launch its headset -- or announce when it will launch the device -- today. The secretive company's founder, Rony Abovitz, has tweeted hints that seem to point at an event for August 8th. Two of his tweets are illustrations of a flying Magic Leaper (which went out at 8:08PM) and a rocket ready for takeoff, while the third is a link to a Wikipedia article that leads to Roland TR-808. His Twitter banner is also trippy illustration of a Magic Leaper surrounded by flying whales with the numbers 8, 8 and 18 hidden in the background. If you go to the company's website, you'll see a rocket starting to take off, as well.
