Hacking Emperor

Over the past week, practically every major tech company working on augmented reality has held their quarterly earnings calls with investors, and each addressed or at least mentioned the role of AR during their prepared remarks. However, Facebook's earnings call had some of the spicier commentary on the technology. Speaking of Facebook, the company's Spark AR platform assisted The New York Times in delivering AR content on the ongoing Olympic Games. Google also delivered its own Olympic AR experiences through its own AR platform. Finally, Snapchat continues to lean on AR as its growth driver... more http://dlvr.it/S4lp0m

Facebook's earnings calls are generally focused on numbers—revenue and user growth. But this week the company's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, carved out a significant portion of the call to elaborate on Facebook's plans for immersive computing. • Don't Miss: Facebook CEO Zuckerberg Uses Latest Appearance to Triple Down on Augmented Reality & Creator Revenue-Focused Future By now, even non-VR users are aware of the Oculus Quest and its promise to transport you to other worlds. But most of the public is still unaware of Facebook's even bolder augmented reality ambitions. Those ambitions... more http://dlvr.it/S4gsMw

Old school media stalwart The New York Times mobile-ar.reality.news/news/new-york-times-adds-ar-its-coverage-time-for-winter-olympics-0182577/ launched its augmented reality news content in 2018 with a feature on the athletes of the Winter Olympics. However, after a solid year of AR reporting, the Times all but abandoned its AR news coverage via its mobile app, instead opting to publish AR content via the Spark AR platform from Facebook. Don't Miss: Google Adds More Olympic Athletes to Its Roster of Augmented Reality Search Content Now, the publication's AR journey has come full-circle with... more http://dlvr.it/S4bkzR

The Lens Studio community, now made up of more than 200,000 creators, has generated some impressive augmented reality effects in the last few years. Amazingly, the groundbreaking Lenses for Snapchat continue to come, often from the internal AR team at Snap. Take, for instance, Cartoon 3D Style, which generated approximately 2.8 billion engagements on Snapchat within its first week. Don't Miss: Snap Adds Upper Garment Segmentation, Multiple Object Detection, & More with Lens Studio 4.1 The latest AR magic trick to arrive on Snapchat (iOS or Android) from Snap's AR team is the... more http://dlvr.it/S4XcC2

After facing delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Olympic Games are underway in Tokyo, but a surge in cases worldwide has taken the spectator out of these spectator sports. However, thanks to AR content in Google Search, fans can get closer to select athletes than they would have if they had a ticket to the events. Don't Miss: Google Adds Pac-Man, Hello Kitty & More Japanese Anime & Video Game Characters to AR Search During the keynote presentation for its I/O developer conference in May, Google unveiled sports athletes as the latest content type available in Google Search, with Olympic... more http://dlvr.it/S4X6xl

It's already been a banner year for mergers and acquisitions in the augmented reality industry, with WaveOptics and Ubiquity6 among the notable companies acquired. Two of the more active M&A players, Snap and Epic Games, continued their respective buying sprees this week with major deals supporting their AR strategies. Speaking of Epic Games, its lawsuit against smartglasses maker Nreal took another plot twist, with the plaintiff firing back this week. Back to Snap, the company released the latest version of Lens Studio with new features catering to retailers and shared a preview of a new AR... more http://dlvr.it/S4JyZv

Facebook Reality Labs chief Andrew "Boz" Bosworth does a lot of hinting and teasing of what's coming next at Oculus, often with only a vague timeline on the horizon. However, on Friday, Boz finally delivered on a big tease he last highlighted back in April, and it has everything to do with augmented reality on the Oculus Quest. • Don't Miss: Facebook Reality Labs Chief Teases AR Coming to Oculus Quest Gaming, Delves into Future Smartglasses Hardware The feature is called the Passthrough API Experimental and Boz describes it as "a way to build and test apps that seamlessly blend the real and... more http://dlvr.it/S4JyXx

On Friday, the Tokyo Olympics finally kicked off after massive delays and complications due to the pandemic. Part of the opening ceremonies included an Intel-powered drone show that put a virtual globe in the sky, but this weekend a different kind of virtual object innovation will be in play at the games thanks to augmented reality. • Don't Miss: Japan-Based Developer Unleashes Giant AR Gundam Robot on the Public via HoloLens 2 Japanese telecom giant NTT Docomo has launched a series of tech-powered innovations at the Olympics called the Tokyo 2020 5G Project. (In case you weren't aware, the... more http://dlvr.it/S4JZp2

One app is continuing to make a name for itself as the go-to platform for celebrity art that transcends canvas and paint and moves in augmented reality. The Acute Art app's latest example of this comes from the likes of BMW and its stable of fine artists who have spent decades transforming the luxury car maker's vehicles into works of art. • Don't Miss: Microsoft HoloLens 2 Brings Extinct Animals Back to Life at Paris National Museum The first real foray the Acute Art app made into the world of immersive celebrity art involved street art legend KAWS. That AR release on the app allowed users... more http://dlvr.it/S4F1Xl

After adding full-body tracking and 3D body mesh in its past two Lens Studio updates, Snap continues to supply creators, particularly apparel retailers, with tools for creating clothing-centric AR experiences. Arriving via Wednesday's release of Lens Studio 4.1, the Upper Garment Segmentation template enables users to create the ability to project AR content shirts, jackets, dresses, and other similar clothing on multiple persons appearing in the camera view. Don't Miss: AR Snapshots: Dive into Shark Week with These Snapchat AR Lenses But that's not all. The Multi-Object Detection template... more http://dlvr.it/S49TcD

Already among the leaders in AR development tools via its Unreal Engine, Epic Games has added another tanky weapon to its arsenal. On Wednesday, the company announced its acquisition of Sketchfab, itself one of the leading repositories of 3D content for AR and VR experiences. Don't Miss: Unreal Engine Maker Epic Games Lands $1.25 Billion Investment to Drive Future of Gaming & AR Sketchfab will continue to operate as an independent company, which includes maintaining compatibility and support for other platforms, including Unity, a chief competitor to Epic Games' Unreal Engine. In addition... more http://dlvr.it/S48zQr

The legal battle between Epic Games and augmented reality startup Nreal isn't cooling off anytime soon. In a new twist, the Chinese startup, while defending itself against Epic's lawsuit, has decided to file its own lawsuit against the games and software platform maker. • Don't Miss: Epic Games Restarts Lawsuit vs. Nreal as Settlement Talks Collapse If you haven't been keeping score, here's the basic chain of events, which was first exposed to the public when Next Reality broke the story in January 2019. In late December of 2018, Epic Games quietly lobbed its first legal volley at Nreal... more http://dlvr.it/S46N8n

Snapchat parent company Snap has opened up its war chest to acquire yet another company that will play a role in its augmented reality ecosystem. This week, Snap confirmed its acquisition of Vertebrae, an AR and 3D e-commerce startup with offices in Los Angeles and Austin, for an undisclosed amount. Don't Miss: What Snap's Voca.ai Acquisition Could Mean for Snapchat & Spectacles — Virtual Voice Assistants Meet Augmented Reality The deal, first reported by The Verge and confirmed by Next Reality via a Snap spokesperson, will allow Vertebrae's team of 50 employees to continue development on... more http://dlvr.it/S45Qy1

From the front lines of mainstreaming augmented reality smartglasses comes the latest update from Snap and its Spectacles wearable. This time the demonstration of the device's powers comes from a more creative arts perspective. • Don't Miss: AR Snapshots — Dive into Shark Week with These Snapchat AR Lenses New York-based poet and computer programmer Zach Lieberman managed to get his hands on a pair of Spectacles and decided to translate his words into immersive elements using Lens Studio. The results of the experiment can be seen in a new video posted on Monday which shows Lieberman... more http://dlvr.it/S42vpC

After a postponement of the Summer Olympics for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokyo is set to host the games this summer, despite a surge in cases in the city. Nonetheless, the games seem set to go on, and USA Today has published two AR experiences highlighting two new sports, skateboarding and sports climbing, making their Olympics debut. Don't Miss: USA Today Teams Up with 8th Wall to Launch AR Basketball Game for March Madness The AR experiences feature American professional skateboarder Tom Schaar and Team USA climber Kyra Condie, with a 3D scan of each athlete anchored in the... more http://dlvr.it/S41R56

A pair of properties from the soon-to-merge Warner Media and Discovery companies chose different platforms for their augmented reality marketing, with Warner film Space Jam: A New Legacy opting to go with Facebook and Discovery Channel publishing an AR experience through Snapchat. Other brands, Virgin Galactic and Asics, jumped into the AR content fray this week via mobile apps and NFTs. In addition, while Google brought its Google Meet video platform to Google Glass, Rokid and DigiLens unveiled new developments in the smartglasses segment. AT&T Taps Facebook to Promote 'Space Jam: A New... more http://dlvr.it/S3tNPz

Due to the apparent lackluster adoption of its Explorer Edition, it can be easy to forget that Google Glass still exists as an enterprise product. But Google hasn't forgotten, as it has been working on bringing its Google Meet video conferencing platform to Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2. Don't Miss: Google Just Made It Easier to Get Your Hands on Glass Enterprise Edition 2 On Friday, Google made the open beta of Meet on Glass available to Google Workspace (the new brand name for G-Suite) customers after launching the closed beta last year. With Meet on Glass, Google Glass users can... more http://dlvr.it/S3tNNB

The remake of the Warner Bros. classic animation meets live-action movie Space Jam, this time starring LeBron James instead of Michael Jordan, hits theaters today. And while bringing Bugs Bunny into your real world surroundings is still Hollywood fantasy, thanks to augmented reality there's now a way to get the same effect as seen in the movie. • Don't Miss: Looney Tunes Antics Jump from Screen to Real World with Augmented Reality Experiment There are actually a couple of ways to teleport the characters from Space Jam: A New Legacy into your surroundings. The most accessible way is to use... more http://dlvr.it/S3syLl

Shark Week, which debuted in 1988 as a week of programming on the Discovery Channel dedicated to the titular predatory fish, has grown into a cultural beast of its own. At Next Reality, we can think of no better way to commemorate the week than to try out some shark-themed AR Lenses via Snapchat. Searching for "shark" in Lens Explorer returns no shortage of options, but these separate themselves from the pack (or shiver, as that is what a group of sharks is called)... Don't Miss: AR Snapshots: Snapchat Lens Shows Us What Our Fav Live-Action Movies Would Look Like from Pixar Animation Look... more http://dlvr.it/S3pJR3

When it comes to the future of AR smartglasses, DigiLens has one word for you. Just one word. Are you listening? Plastics. On Thursday, the waveguide maker and its strategic investment and production partners Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) will begin producing the first-ever waveguides made of plastic instead of glass for use in AR smartglasses and headsets. Don't Miss: DigiLens' Vision of Cheaper Smartglasses Becomes Clearer with Crystal Reference Design Using a proprietary photopolymer and holographic contact copy manufacturing process, DigiLens' plastic waveguides perform... more http://dlvr.it/S3nBml

Some tried to call it a brief cryptocurrency-fueled fad, but it looks like NFTs are here to stay. Now, one of the biggest sneaker companies on the planet, Japan's Asics, is getting into the game with its own set of NFTs, and there's a virtual object component included. • Don't Miss: Beeple's NFT Startup Wenew Could Pave Way for Holographic Displays as Archival Asset The auction is called the Asics Sunset Red NFT collection and it features nine different sneaker NFT that will go on auction beginning Thursday, July 15. Rather than go through more traditional auction house routes, Asics is... more http://dlvr.it/S3l1Cj

With the release of Object Capture this fall, Apple is giving everyone with a Mac and a camera the means to create their own 3D objects. But what about volumetric video, which currently requires multi-camera rigs like those at Microsoft's Mixed Reality Capture studios? One developer is shooting its shot at giving iPhone users similar powers. Don't Miss: Snap Releases Lens Studio 4.0 with 3D Body Mesh & More, Upgrades Scan as Fashion Assistant On Wednesday, 3D capture startup Volograms released the public beta of its Volu app for iOS. The app enables users to create rudimentary volumetric... more http://dlvr.it/S3kYTz

After receiving $100 million in funding in 2018, smartglasses maker Rokid is going the crowdfunding route to finance its latest product. On Tuesday, Rokid launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund Rokid Air, AR smartglasses that serve as a virtual display by tethering not only to Android smartphones but also iPhones, iPads, desktop computers, and gaming consoles. Don't Miss: News: China's AR Showdown: How Rokid's New Vision Compares to Nreal Weighing in at just 90 grams, the smartglasses include twin 4K displays and a BirdBath optical engine, which are capable of 43 degrees field of view (or... more http://dlvr.it/S3fpLy

Cosmetics brands have a long love affair with augmented reality, embracing virtual try-on effects as a means to help sell eyeliner, hair color, lipstick, and the like. Now, Camera IQ wants to make it even easier for makeup makers as well as other consumer brands to promote their products in augmented reality. Don't Miss: Snap Releases Lens Studio 4.0 with 3D Body Mesh & More, Upgrades Scan as Fashion Assistant On Tuesday, Camera IQ launched Virtual Try-On Composer, a design platform that enables creators and brands to build virtual try-on AR experiences with no coding necessary. Erin... more http://dlvr.it/S3dgvQ

Billionaire Richard Branson did his part to advance space tourism this weekend by beating Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin) to become the first among them to travel into space. And while the pricey trips to copy Branson's space flight via Virgin Galactic won't open to the public until 2022, you can get a taste of the journey now in augmented reality. • Don't Miss: ISS Astronauts Use Magic Leap One to Prepare for Next Mission During the height of the global pandemic in 2020, Virgin Galactic released an AR app designed to promote its space tourism venture, but most people had... more http://dlvr.it/S3bTGH

Brands are increasingly adopting augmented reality to promote their products and services, and they have multiple paths for bringing AR experience to their audiences. To promote its stage production, the Harry Potter franchise turned to Facebook to pull together an AR experience for its Portal devices and Facebook and Instagram apps. Doritos opted to go the web-based AR route with 8th Wall's platform. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball decided to build its own app, with promotional consideration from T-Mobile, to increase engagement around the upcoming All-Star Game. And we take a dive into how... more http://dlvr.it/S3Qf1l

The most viral internet cat of the moment is a virtual kitty trapped in a billboard in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Japan. But if you've been paying attention, you know that this is just the latest in a trend toward digital billboards that mimic a 3D effect to give passersby a sense that the experience is pushing itself in your reality. • Don't Miss: Beeple's NFT Startup Wenew Could Pave Way for Holographic Displays as Archival Asset The first big splash this dynamic make was actually in Seoul, South Korea, Japan's neighbor to the west, just last year via a display appropriately called... more http://dlvr.it/S3QDWk

The 2021 season of Major League Baseball (MLB) is in full swing, and now that vaccines are widespread in the US, major baseball stadiums are allowing fans back in at full capacity. But for those either without the time to attend or still comfortable observing developments from afar, there's a new augmented reality option that lets fans immerse themselves in the season. • Don't Miss: Marvel Heroes Invade ESPN's NBA Broadcast of Warriors vs. Pelicans Game via AR The official MLB AR app was released this week for both Apple iOS iPhones and iPads as well as Android devices. Upon opening the... more http://dlvr.it/S3Lmqc

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Google has packed new functionality into Google Meet to compete with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other video conferencing platforms. After adding background blurring and virtual backgrounds to match Zoom's capabilities, Google Meet now has a unique differentiator in the form of augmented reality effects. Don't Miss: Snap Releases Lens Studio 4.0 with 3D Body Mesh & More, Upgrades Scan as Fashion Assistant The AR filters, which are vailable now for the mobile app on iOS and Android, run the gamut from cartoon character masks of cats, dogs, dragons... more http://dlvr.it/S3Kkt5

Digital artist Beeple's $69 million NFT art auction at Christie's has a second act called Wenew, and includes attempting to open the digital art floodgates to mainstream collectors and artists alike by using physical goods. Wenew is unique in that it is the first NFT platform to offer a physical artifact with every auction in the form of a museum-quality display containing either an image or looping video of the NFT. But beyond the blockchain technology story, this could also serve as the perfect platform to mainstream the new technology of holographic displays. • Don't Miss: This Virtual... more http://dlvr.it/S3Gp4X

Augmented reality technology is often likened to magic powers, so it is fitting that a new AR experience featuring the Harry Potter franchise uses the newest AR tricks from Facebook and its Spark AR platform. With Harry Potter and the Cursed Child returning to Broadway this fall, Facebook is bringing some magic from the wizarding world to its Portal devices via a new augmented reality experience called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Curtain Call. Don't Miss: Instagram Creators Launch Filters for Harry Potter, Pokémon & Simpsons Characters in Augmented Reality The Curtain Call experience... more http://dlvr.it/S3GJrf

The Chromecast TV streaming lineup from Google is one of the more popular products in the category, primarily due to its low price tag and broad app support. With more than 430,000 reviews on the App Store, Chromecast has even found fans of those in the Apple ecosystem. The latest edition in the lineup, Chromecast with Google TV, elevates the platform from a casting dongle to a full-fledged smart TV device and Apple TV alternative. Although Chromecast's obvious strength is in streaming video, its Ambient Mode is one of its low-key great side benefits. Ambient Mode (formerly known as Backdrop... more http://dlvr.it/S3BLL8

The close of the second quarter of 2021 brought about a flurry of merger and acquisition and financing activity in the augmented reality industry, headlined by the acquisition of Ubiquity6 and JigSpace's new multimillion-dollar funding round. The week in AR news also saw activity in partnerships, including Viber getting closer to Snapchat AR and the US Army making progress in testing its military-grade HoloLens 2 from Microsoft. Finally, a marketing promotion featuring Megan Thee Stallion for Cash app may serve as a muse for the presentation of future smartglasses to consumers... Discord... more http://dlvr.it/S2y3Hv

With fears over the COVID-19 pandemic subsiding, live concerts are returning. And Doritos wants to send music fans to a few of them via an augmented reality promotion. Dubbed "Mark Your Play," the campaign is centered on scannable posters, denoted by a Doritos chip displayed as a play button, found in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Brighton, Cardiff, and Southampton in the UK. Don't Miss: 8th Wall's Web AR Brings Album Art of Pink Floyd to Life Scanning the QR code opens the Doritos Make Your Play website. The AR experience begins with participants... more http://dlvr.it/S2xcVR

It's all fun and games until the technology is actually put into use and you realize augmented reality is now part of Death Star. That's what some AR insiders may be thinking once they get a look at the latest modified HoloLens 2 images released by the US Army. • Don't Miss: Hands-On with the HoloLens 2, the New Best Augmented Reality Experience You Can Get The newest images come from a battery of tests being conducted by the US Army Futures Command and Project Manager Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS). Looking at some of these new images, the modded HoloLens 2 gives soldiers a... more http://dlvr.it/S2x5D1

The Fourth of July, the celebration of US independence, as well as the second paid holiday of the summer, has arrived. If you're vaccinated, you're probably planning to commemorate the occasion much differently than last year. However, if you're still playing it safe, you can still celebrate the Fourth of July with safety and social distancing via these AR Lenses from Snapchat... Don't Miss: AR Snapshots: Snapchat Lens Shows Us What Our Fav Live-Action Movies Would Look Like from Pixar Animation Dress Up in Virtual Patriotic Costumes Whether or not you plan to celebrate the Fourth in... more http://dlvr.it/S2sDZL