Augmented Reality News Features

Have You Seen This?: Mind Mapping in 3D with the HoloLens & Holo Mind

In the world we live in now — a world of complete data overload — new ways to sort through that data moves well past "nice-to-have" and firmly into the needs category. Mind mapping has been one tool that allowed someone to break down large problems into like components and help visualize the problems in different ways. Now thanks to Data Experts gmbh's Windows Store release Holo-Mind, we can do that in 3D on the HoloLens.

News: Surface Studio & HoloLens Used Together in New 3D Detailing & Visualization Tool

An interesting new use-case for the Microsoft HoloLens appeared in a YouTube video from Washington-based DataMesh last month. In it, you can see the HoloLens working in conjunction with the Microsoft Surface Studio, Surface Dial, and Surface Pen for 3D model detailing and visualization in real time.

News: Snapchat Continues to Find Fun New Ways to Turn Ads into Enjoyable Experiences

Snapchat has already found a compelling way to create advertisements in augmented reality with their branded filters, but they continue to experiment with new ways to monetize the bridging of the real and digital worlds. Their latest idea, which requires users to "snap" an image to unlock content, could succeed where QR codes haven't.

News: Magic Leap Teams with HBO & AT&T to Deliver Game of Thrones Experience

In recent months, the Magic Leap One has frequently tied promotions to groundbreaking entertainment properties, but the latest may be the startup's biggest coup yet.

News: Sennheiser AR Headphones for Magic Leap One Now Available to Purchase

Later this week, Black Friday will mark the start to the holiday shopping season, but if you're buying for a Magic Leap One owner, you can buy their ideal gift now.

News: Here's Your First Look at the Star Wars AR Experience Being Shown Off at Nissan Showrooms

Earlier this week, we told you about the new Star Wars augmented reality collaboration with Nissan that will bring the famed science-fiction franchise to auto showrooms, and now we can show you what it looks like.

News: Alex Kipman Just Said What All HoloLens Enthusiasts Are Thinking — 'The Phone Is Already Dead'

According to Alex Kipman, HoloLens inventor and futurist at Microsoft, the smartphone is already obsolete. In an interview with Bloomberg, Kipman boldly stated that the HoloLens will eventually replace the smartphone and drive society right into a new augmented normal.

News: Harry Potter Photo Printer from Lifeprint Turns Snapshots into Magical Augmented Reality Portraits

The Daily Prophet, the enchanted newspaper from Harry Potter lore, is no longer the sole source for magical moving printed photos.

News: Facebook Updates Spark AR with Windows Support & New Features, Instagram AR Arriving This Summer

Two years ago, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the F8 Developers Conference keynote with augmented reality and the introduction of Facebook's AR camera platform, now known as Spark AR.

News: Now You Can Visit the Statue of Liberty in NYC from Anywhere in Augmented Reality via iOS App

Many native New Yorkers, like myself, get a chance to visit the famed Statue of Liberty during school trips when they're a child in grade school. And if you're not lucky enough to be born in the city, you have to make a special trip to the monument as a tourist.

News: Oscars Fashion History Lives via New LA Times Mobile AR Experience

The Oscars are just a couple of days away when Hollywood will celebrate the best crop of films from 2019 in the US and internationally.

News: USA Today Enhances Notre Dame Fire Coverage with Augmented Reality Experience

On Monday, the world watched in horror as the historic Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames in Paris.

News: Japan Startup Launches What Could Be the First AR Barbie Doll for Your iPhone

We already showed you the dark side of augmented reality in the form of a virtual girlfriend from Japan, but now the same country has given us something a lot less creepy that could be the future of virtual pop stars everywhere.

News: The Walking Dead Doubles Down on AR with Another Mobile App

It seems like it was just last week that AMC and Next Games unveiled their location-based zombie game based on hit TV series The Walking Dead. (Wait, actually it was just last week.)

News: Magic Leap Reveals Partnership with Oscar-Winning Effects Studio Behind Marvel's Biggest Hits

For years, Magic Leap has promised to deliver stunning augmented reality experiences that will outperform any other competitor, and a newly revealed partnership hints that the company may be able to deliver on those promises.

News: Snapchat's Lens Explorer Guides You Through a Land of Augmented Reality Creations

Augmented reality experiences created in Lens Studio now have a permanent home in the Snapchat app. On Tuesday, Lens Explorer will begin giving users access to a scrollable screen full of a variety of new Lens Studio creations.

News: Magic Leap Looking into Sale of the Company, Report Says

The rumors have been circulating for months, but now there's a source attached to the notion that Magic Leap is looking to sell itself off after a rough couple of years following the launch of its Magic Leap 1 augmented reality device.

News: Leap Motion Shares Amazing Demo of Augmented Reality Table Tennis with AI Opponent

Hand tracking technology company Leap Motion has built a stunningly fluid augmented reality ping-pong game that not only showcases the capabilities of its open source Project North Star augmented reality headset, but also demonstrates how artificial intelligence can elevate immersive experiences.

News: Lumus Licensing Deal with Quanta Could Pave Path to First Generation of Consumer Smartglasses

Transparent display maker Lumus has reached a deal to license its augmented reality optical engine models to Quanta Computers for mass production of displays for consumer smartglasses.

News: Apple Built Its Augmented Reality Group with Outsiders from Oculus & Microsoft

Apple is combining internal and external talent in an effort to give them in edge in the augmented reality market, though we still don't know what form their foray into alternative realities will actually take.

News: Valentine's Day Lenses for Snapchat & Snap Camera Let You Flirt with Your Crush in Augmented Reality

Mobile augmented reality company Snapchat now has a special option for romantic message exchanging this Valentine's Day, a day which, incidentally, happens to be the first one in 116 years where Sweethearts, the original heart-shaped candy, will be unavailable for purchase.

News: Augmented Reality Empowers Indonesian Women to Operate Online Stores

While its direct-selling model echoes brands like Avon and Tupperware, Indonesia's MindStores gives the approach a modern twist—with augmented reality.

News: Snoop Dogg's Cali Red Wine Pours Another Glass of AR via 8th Wall's WebAR

When Treasury Wine Estates released 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red this summer, named for its new partner in wine, rapper Snoop Dogg, it already came with the brand's signature AR-enhanced label.

Apple AR: Move the AR World with Your Gestures in New Demo

The future is here with a new demo made with Apple's ARKit and LeapMotion. Typically, since ARKit works through your iPhone, in order to move augmented reality objects that are appearing on your screen, you have to drag them with your finger. However, developer Arthur Schiller is now playing around with how you can move augmented reality objects on your phone with gesture recognition, rather than by touching.

News: Samsung Beats Apple to the Punch with SmartTags+ & AR Finder

Over the past two product cycles, Apple has been rumored to be preparing to reveal its Apple AirTags tracking devices that can help iPhone owners find their possessions with augmented reality.

News: Amazon Pushes Athletic Wear in Augmented Reality with Mo-Capped Fitness Models

Apparently, Amazon's new year's resolution is to bulk up its fitness fashion sales by pumping up its augmented reality muscles.

News: Magic Leap Shows Off New Software Demo, Teases Release This Summer

After weeks of teasing what many hoped might be a live, on-device demo of Magic Leap software to go along with the hardware glimpse we got last month, it turns out that all we got was a bit of new demonstration video footage.

News: Google Updates AR App to Help Muslims Observe Ramadan When Offline

Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and prayer, is underway, and Google has rolled out several tools to help Muslims commemorate the event, including an augmented reality app.

News: Tech-Savvy Walsh Community Previewed Through Augmented Reality with Pre-ARKit iOS

Walsh, a new community under construction on 7,200 acres of former ranch land near Fort Worth, Texas, will one day contain 15,000 homes.

News: Apple's iPhone X Animojis Are Now Invading Your Favorite TV Shows

Just a day after the release of the iPhone X, the music-meets-comedy pastime known as Animoji Karaoke quickly emerged as one of the popular (albeit frivolous) features used to justify spending $1,000 for Apple's newest smartphone.

News: Snapchat Spooky AR Experiences from Lens Studio Creators Get You Ready for Halloween

Homemade Halloween costumes that exhibit the maker's creativity are always better than off-the-shelf versions. It turns out that the same is true with virtual costumers.

News: Augmented Reality App Maker Houzz Reveals Major Data Breach

In the realm of internet security, it's becoming clear that augmented reality is not immune to the increasing wave data breaches plaguing users.

News: Better Spatial Maps Will Make Mixed Reality Great

A group of researchers from Stanford University and Princeton University has put together the largest RGB-D video dataset to date with over 1,500 scans of over 700 different locations across the world, for a total of 2.5 million views.

News: Burberry Teams with Google Search to Let You Browse High Fashion in Augmented Reality

Just days ago, Georgio Armani canceled his live show in Milan and opted to stream it instead due to coronavirus concerns. Now, at the start of Paris Fashion Week — shadowed by similar worries — Burberry has launched an augmented reality tool that lets you view the latest high fashion from the comfort of your home.

Apple AR: Tayasui Blocks Gives iPhones & iPads a Knock-Off Lego AR Experience

If building with Lego blocks in AR appeals to you, rest assured that an app is on the way for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.

Apple AR: Luden.io Unveils 'AR Tribe' Mobile Game That Uses ARKit

Luden.io just revealed more details about their mobile game "AR Tribe," made using Apple's ARKit. The company has previously focused on VR games such as InMind 2 and VRobot. This is the company's first attempt at AR, and it looks like it's going to be pretty cool.

News: 8th Wall Powers Netflix AR Experience for George Clooney Film 'The Midnight Sky'

Help me, George Clooney. You're my only hope. If that mash-up of cultural references doesn't make sense, it will momentarily.

News: Apple iPhone X Owners Get a Trio of Super-Realistic Snapchat Lenses Aided by the TrueDepth Camera

Snapchat has released three new augmented reality Lenses that boast uber-accurate face tracking courtesy of the TrueDepth camera on the iPhone X and ARKit.

News: HoloLens' First Update Adds Voice Commands, Multitasking, & Much More

Microsoft released a robust version of the HoloLens when shipping the developer kits, but there's still lots of room left to grow. Today, they've released the first update to Windows Holographic, the operating system of the HoloLens, with a whole bunch of cool new features like voice commands and app multitasking.

News: Microsoft to Debut HoloLens 2 Livestream Video Series with Demos, Updates, & Developer Info

To build hype for the HoloLens 2 among developers, Microsoft is borrowing a page out of Magic Leap's playbook.