Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
News: Blippar Bounces Back with Web-Based AR Platform
After one of Britain's "Brothers Bling" bought Blippar out of bankruptcy, the mobile augmented reality company is getting back to business with the addition of web-based AR capabilities to its platform.
Hands-On: Hands-On with Lenovo's ThinkReality A6, a Disappointing Step Back from Augmented Reality's Cutting Edge
In the technology space, there are certain brands you grow to depend on. Whether it's due to a long, multi-decade track record of success, or new innovations that blow you away, some tech names accrue a rare kind of brand equity with users that's difficult to earn.
News: Vuzix Drops Blade Price to $699, Adds Support for Netflix & Amazon Prime Video
After North cut the base price of its Focals smartglasses, Vuzix is now testing the waters of a lower price point for its Blade smartglasses.
News: Toyota Rolls Out Web-Based AR Advertising Campaign via 8th Wall
While Toyota ranks as the leading automotive brand in the world, the company is a follower when it comes to augmented reality.
How To: Make Your Own WhatsApp Sticker Packs on Android
WhatsApp stickers can make your chat more fun. The stickers that come with WhatsApp are fine, but they're standard and accessible to everyone. What if you wanted to show off unique stickers that your friends haven't seen? To take things to the next level, you can create your own WhatsApp Stickers.
News: Apple Releases iOS 12.4 Public Beta 4 for iPhone
While iOS 13 is not ready for public beta testers just yet, Apple is still testing iOS 12.4 out, and you can install that right now on your iPhone. The latest version, iOS 12.4 public beta 4, was released June 12, a day after its developer version.
How To: iOS 13 Makes It Easier to Request Desktop & Mobile Sites for Webpages on Your iPhone
Ever since iOS 7, you could ask Safari on iPhone to show you the desktop version of a website, and in iOS 9, it became even easier to do. However, it's always been a hidden feature, something you wouldn't know is there without reading articles or tips online telling you what to do. Apple's iOS 13 update shines a light on it so everyone will know it's there, ready to use.
News: Apple Releases Fourth iOS 12.4 Developer Beta Today
With iOS 13's developer beta in full swing, it can be easy to forget that there's an entirely separate iOS beta cycle still running right now. Yes, iOS 12.4 is still in beta, and unlike iOS 13, it's available to the public for testing.
News: Vuzix Blade Teams with Facial Recognition Company to Provide Law Enforcement Solution
Perhaps it's a coincidence that the Vuzix Blade smartglasses look like the sunglasses that a police officer would wear, but a new partnership with an AI software company makes the wearable a perfect fit for law enforcement.
News: Google Helps Tell the Story of Stonewall in Augmented Reality
Snapchat isn't the only tech company transforming landmarks with augmented reality for Pride Month. About four miles southwest of New York's iconic Flatiron Building, which is getting its own Pride makeover via Snapchat's Landmarker AR, Stonewall National Monument is also receiving some augmented reality treatment by way of the Stonewall Forever mobile app published by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center (better known as The Center) in partnership with Google.
News: Apple Just Released iOS 12.3.2 with Fix for Portrait Mode on iPhone 8 Plus
If you're noticing issues with Portrait Mode on your iPhone 8 Plus, you aren't alone. Apple confirmed the problem by introducing a new software update Monday, June 10, 17 days after the release iOS 12.3.1, and exactly four weeks after iOS 12.3. The update, iOS 12.3.2, is available only for the iPhone 8 Plus and not other iPhone models, so every other device will still be on iOS 12.3.1 for now.
Market Reality: Apple Unveils New ARKit & Dev Tools, Unreal Engine Comes to HoloLens 2, & North Expands Focals Pop-Ups
While Apple's smartglasses development reportedly moves forward behind-the-scenes, the company continues to build on its AR software foundation in its mobile ecosystem with further iterations to its ARKit platform and the introduction of new AR development tools.
News: Unity Hustles to Add ARKit 3 Support to AR Foundation
After Apple unveiled ARKit 3 at WWDC on Monday, Unity Technologies wasted little time on ensuring its developers can take advantage of it.
Hands-On: The Varjo XR-1 Developer Edition has Seamless AR to VR Imaging & Low-Latency
The ability to shift between virtual reality and augmented reality seamlessly on one device is a dream of many AR fanatics, but the execution is usually fairly buggy or underwhelming.
News: Magic Leap's Neal Stephenson Visits Microsoft HoloLens Headquarters to Talk Augmented Reality
One of the masters of science fiction, Neal Stephenson, may be on staff at Magic Leap, but that doesn't mean he can't take a moment to visit the halls of competitor Microsoft, the maker of the HoloLens.
How To: Fix Blemishes in Photoshop Express to Get Flawless Skin in Your Selfies
You finally did it! You've combined all your knowledge about photography and angle to take the perfect selfie. It looks stunning, and you cannot wait to post that bad boy to Instagram. But wait, what's this? Your skin looks so uneven and — is that a zit!? I guess the selfie gods were not in favor of your skin when you snapped it. Luckily, you can fix all of those minor flaws with the help of Photoshop Express.
News: North Hits the Road Again with New Focals Smartglasses Pop-Up Stores Across North America
After testing the waters with a few pop-up stores along the West Coast earlier this year, North is bringing its smartglasses to more cities across the US and Canada.
News: Amazon Adding Virtual Try-On from L'Oréal's ModiFace to Its Beauty Products
Cosmetics augmented reality specialist ModiFace appears to be really benefiting from the brand power of L'Oréal, which acquired the company last year.
How To: Tag People in Reminders to Get Alerts When Chatting with Them in iOS 13's Messages App
While iOS 13 might have made waves for some of its more prominent features — most notably system-wide Dark Mode — some of the more interesting tools lie with its smaller, unannounced updates. One of those updates is a new Reminders setting to tag contacts in a to-do task so that iOS pings you when texting that person in Messages.
News: Snapchat Celebrates Pride Month with New Landmark AR Experiences
While the 49th Annual Gay Pride Parade and Festival will take place on Santa Monica Boulevard and West Hollywood Park, revelers will also be able venture Northeast to the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Boulevard to continue celebrating via Snapchat.
News: Magic Leap Adds Sketchfab Support to Its Native Helio Web Browser
New York-based virtual content startup Sketchfab is usually at the forefront of the latest developments in augmented reality, so it's no surprise that the company has locked in yet another major platform.
News: Here's What You Need to Run ARKit 3 on Your iPhone or iPad
If you've been putting off upgrading your iPhone or iPad, you might want to start shopping for a current-generation device to take advantage of the latest capabilities in ARKit 3.
How To: Get Dark Mode in Google Photos
Dark mode is everywhere. Both Android 10 and iOS 13 added the feature natively, and many of your favorite apps now include the option. So far, Google has been on a mission to add it to all of its apps, and Google Photos is no exception.
How To: Send Robocalls, Spammers & Unknown Callers on Your iPhone Directly to Voicemail
Does your iPhone always ring off the hook, with each call nothing more than a robocall, spammer, or scammer? It's not just you. Auto-dialing systems and phone scams are a growing issue that anyone with a phone number is likely experiencing throughout the United States. But Apple has added a super simple way to combat these calls in iOS 13, a feature we recommend everyone turn on.
News: Snapchat Mutates X-Men Fans via Augmented Reality to Sell Tickets for 'Dark Phoenix' Movie
Augmented reality is often likened to granting superpowers to mere mortals, but what about mutant powers?
News: Ellen Degeneres Is Leveraging the Power of Augmented Reality Gaming to Help Save an Endangered Species
Many tech insiders are waiting for augmented reality to go mainstream, but if you look around hard enough, you'll find that it's already gone as mainstream as possible, thanks to talk show host Ellen Degeneres.
How To: Can't Find the Accessibility Menu & Its Options in iOS 13? It Got a Huge Update Worth Checking Out
The iPhone's "Accessibility" menu is one of those options that's very easy to overlook but incredibly handy in certain situations. You can set AssistiveTouch to help navigate your device, use a Bluetooth mouse when your screen is acting up, and enable the red screen filter for nighttime escapades. For as long as the menu has been available, it's been in the "General" settings, but not in iOS 13.
News: Meet & Compete Against Team USA via USA Today's Augmented Reality Experience for FIFA Women's World Cup
After winning the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the USA Women's National Soccer Team is ready to defend its title in the 2019 tournament.
News: Augmented Reality Startup AstroReality Expands Its Product Universe with NASA AR Series
After getting its start with models of augmented reality planets that serve as targets for augmented reality experiences, AstroReality is diversifying its portfolio by paying tribute to one of the space agencies that made its products possible.
How To: Download the New iOS 13 Wallpapers on Any Device
We're excited about iOS 13 and its many shiny new features. System-wide Dark Mode, new Messages options, and so much more awaits iPhone users. But if you don't have an iPhone or don't want to update to iOS 13, you can still get its new wallpapers on your device for some Apple-friendly backgrounds for your home and lock screen.
News: Magic Leap Achieves Full Hand Tracking & Lays Foundation for Magicverse with Latest Lumin Update
After improving hand-tracking and adding multi-user sharing features in the last Lumin OS update, Magic Leap has upped the ante yet again.
News: iOS 13 Developer Beta 1 Available for iPhone with a Lot of Kinks to Work Out
The first developer beta for iOS 13 is available to install on iPhone models, but the process for doing so may be a bumpy ride. Apple has not included configuration profiles for the developer beta yet, and many developers are having issues installing iOS 13 even with macOS 10.15 Catalina installed. Plus, since this is the first beta, there are a lot of problems with old and new features to work the kinks out of.
News: Fashion Startup Kollectin Lets You Try on Earrings & Necklaces from Indie Designers in AR, with Just a Swipe to Buy
The natural marriage between fashion and augmented reality is charging onward, but not just from the major brands we already know about.
News: Apple Brings People Occlusion & Motion Capture to ARKit 3 Alongside RealityKit & RealityComposer for AR Development
Like clockwork, Apple has unveiled the latest additions to its ARKit tookit at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference, where ARKit first said hello to the world in 2017, as well as some new tools that take a direct shot at Unity, Unreal Engine, and others.
News: Unreal Engine 4 Now Available for Microsoft HoloLens 2
A major software tool first promised during the reveal of the HoloLens 2 earlier this year is finally available.
How To: Hide Contact Photos from Your Apple Messages List & Conversations to Declutter the Interface
The Messages app on iOS features contact photos for every one of your conversations — including group chats. Even if you don't have a picture for a specific contact, their initials will appear instead. For non-contacts, a generic profile avatar appears. These give threads a bit of flare, but if you're looking for extra privacy or don't enjoy the look, you can easily hide those images and icons.
Market Reality: Meta Company & Leap Motion Find New Owners as AWE 2019 Wraps Up
The annual Augmented World Expo (AWE) typically packs the front page of Next Reality with new products and services from companies in the augmented reality industry.
News: Snapchat Assists Warriors & Raptors Fans in Rooting for Their Teams with NBA Finals AR Experiences
With the defending champion Golden State Warriors and Drake's favorite team, the Toronto Raptors, set to face off in the NBA Finals starting Thursday, Snapchat has gifted hoops fans with a pair of augmented reality experiences.
How To: Watch Apple's WWDC 2019 Keynote on Any Device
Apple had its Worldwide Developers Conference on June 3, 2019, which showcased big software announcements for all of Apple's hardware, and anyone can watch the keynote as it happened.
News: Vuzix Reveals Price for M400 Smartglasses, Opens Pre-Orders for Early Adopters
Smartglasses maker Vuzix rushed out of the gate to be the first company to announce hardware powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 for augmented reality wearables, but now the company is buying time until the product is ready to ship.