AR
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Snapchat will let creators make LiDAR lenses for iPhone 12 Pro
The latest version of Lens Studio could help them forge more immersive AR effects.
The iPhone 12 Pro will come equipped with a LiDAR scanner
Back in March, Apple unveiled its latest generation iPad Pro, a big 12.9-inch tablet sporting for the first time a teensy 1-millimeter LiDAR sensor alongside its main camera cluster. On Tuesday, Apple revealed that the iPad is on longer the only device with that capability as the new iPhone 12 Pro models will ship with LiDAR scanners of their own. LiDAR technology (Light Detection And Ranging) bounces pulses of light off of objects in the environment and measures their distance based on how long it takes for the light to reflect back.
Google wants you to visit long-lasting AR experiences
Google's new tools make long-lasting, shared AR a real possibility on Android and iOS.
Podcast: Bill Nye discusses VR, science and climate change
Bill Nye the Science Guy is on this week's Engadget Podcast to talk all about VR, climate change, politics and -- what else -- science! We also have tips on how to prepare for Amazon's upcoming Prime Day.
Lenovo and Ava DuVernay unveil VR film series on empowering women
The series looks at the stories of women from countries like Mexico, Japan, China, India, Germany, France, Italy, the UK and the USA.
Google Arts & Culture app lets you turn yourself into a Van Gogh painting
If you’ve ever wondered what your portrait would look like if Van Gogh or Frida Kahlo were to paint it, Google can help you find out.
Netflix now works on Facebook's Portal TV
You can hop into Zoom calls with Portal smart displays too.
We now know a lot more about 'Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit'
'Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit' looks like a lot of expensive fun.
The first music video shot on Snap Spectacles 3 is a rumination on love
Over the years, we've seen music videos and movies shot on iPhones, GoPros, and even in a few disappointing cases, Google Glass. Long story short, if a gadget has a camera, people will use it to make art, and that streak continues today with a new music video from R&B artist Bosco that was shot entirely on Snap’s Spectacles 3. As you might expect, the video -- made to accompany Bosco's single "4th of July" -- is packed to the gills with Snapchat's augmented reality lenses.
Facebook's first AR glasses are a research project called 'Aria'
Dubbed Project Aria, these smart glasses are more of a research platform than consumer-ready face gadget. As Facebook points out, “Project Aria was designed as a way to help us innovate safely and responsibly.
How to watch Facebook’s Connect keynote today
Facebook will likely show off its new Oculus Quest 2 VR headset at today's Connect event.
Facebook wants its AR glasses to unlock 'perceptual superpowers'
Facebook has been developing its own AR glasses for quite a while now, and a new report from its researchers reveal that the device could feature advanced audio technology. The technology can do that by using the glasses’ multiple microphones to capture sounds around you. While the researchers aren’t specifically developing the technology for the hard of hearing, the glasses could help those who’d rather not use hearing aids in social situations.
Niantic creates a 5G supergroup for 'planet-scale AR' experiences
Niantic, the AR specialist behind Ingress and Pokémon Go, has made a telecommunications dream team with some of the world’s biggest carriers. The ‘Planet-Scale AR Alliance’ has been formed with Deutsche Telekom, EE, Globe, Orange, SK Telecom, SoftBank, TELUS and Verizon. Niantic has been building and teasing a “planet-scale” AR platform for some time that will help developers make their own location-based experiences.
Apple is reportedly working on AR content for TV+ shows
Apple plans to introduce bonus augmented reality (AR) content to its Apple TV+ streaming service.
Amazon's latest AR shopping tool fills your space with virtual furniture
Amazon's new AR shopping tool lets you view multiple pieces of furniture and home decor simultaneously.
Oculus Connect conference is now Facebook Connect
Oculus Connect will now be known as Facebook Connect. The company said this is due to the event encompassing much more than just the VR headset.
Google Arts & Culture app lets you view ancient creatures in AR
Google has spent years developing 3D models that you can view and manipulate in the real world using smartphone-based AR. Tigers, velociraptors, Iron Man and even Childish Gambino — I’ve enjoyed summoning them all from the comfort of my living room. Google’s latest AR offering is an ancient crustacean with a large black eye covered in tiny lenses.
Apple buys a VR company that put real faces on virtual avatars
The company offered free-roam VR experiences, as well as a way of making virtual avatars that used your real face.
Snapchat's latest custom Lenses are designed for dancing videos
Snap has updated its Lens Studio platform so artists and developers can create custom Lenses — the company’s term for AR experiences — that leverage full body tracking. Snapchat’s maker has created two templates, Full Body Triggers and Full Body Attachments, that can conjure up various effects based on what the user is doing inside the frame.
Google's app for the visually impaired adds food and document scanning
Google launched its Lookout app in 2019 for people who are blind or have low-vision to navigate the world with their phones, but it was only available on Pixel phones with languages set to English. The first of the new modes is Food Label, which helps users identify packaged foods by pointing their cameras at the label. According to Scott Adams, product manager for Google’s Accessibility Engineering, this would let Lookout “distinguish between a can of corn and a can of green beans,” for example.