Hot Gadget Hacks Posts
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.
News: UK-Based Ultrahaptics Acquires Leap Motion for $30 Million
The long and somewhat tumultuous journey of Leap Motion has come to an end, thanks to another startup.
News: CGTrader Arms Retailers with Augmented Reality Content via ARsenal Platform
If online retail is war (and who says it isn't), then CGTrader is prepared to arm its allies with augmented reality ammunition.
News: Nreal Light Consumer Edition Arriving Later This Year for $499
Having already solved for functionality and form factor, Nreal appears poised to pull ahead of its consumer smartglasses competition as the third piece of the puzzle now falls into place.
News: Mojo Vision Debuts Microscopic Display for Augmented Reality Wearables
After raising more $100 million in funding from some of the tech world's biggest names, Mojo Vision is finally ready to show the world the building block of its "invisible computing" platform.
Hands-On: Here's How Augmented Reality in Google Search Works
Lions and tigers and bears are just a few of the animals that Google users can now bring into their physical environments.
News: AWE Partners with Accessories Project to Deliver the Ultimate Augmented Reality-Powered Swag Bag
I'm here at the annual AWE event in Santa Clara, California, and the venue is just as packed, if not more so, than last year.
News: Scope AR Adds Session Recording to Its Enterprise Augmented Reality Platform
With a fresh infusion of $9.7 Million in funding on its ledger, enterprise augmented reality company Scope AR has now expanded the functionality of its WorkLink platform.
News: Apple Releases iOS 12.4 Public Beta 3 Today for Software Testers
Apple released the third public beta for iOS 12.4 on the afternoon of May 28. The update arrives roughly three hours after Apple published 12.4's third developer beta, and eight days after 12.4 public beta 2. At this time, it seems beta 3 is a minor update for 12.4, which itself is a small upgrade to iOS 12 as a whole. We expect iOS 12.4's shining feature to be Apple Card support.
News: Apple Seeds iOS 12.4 Developer Beta 3 Today for iPhone
With the iOS 13 beta right around the corner, Apple is churning out the betas for iOS 12.4 with developer beta 3 out today, May 28. It's the third beta in just 14 days and just eight days after developer beta 2 and public beta 2. The third beta may only house improvements overall, as iOS 12.4 is pretty bare bones as is, despite some hints at Apple Card support.
News: Looking Glass Pro Workstation Offers Glasses-Free 3D Computing, but at Premium Price
With Microsoft taking direct aim at enterprises for its HoloLens 2 with a $3,500 price tag, one startup is betting that business will be willing to pony up for glasses-free 3D displays as well.
News: Meta Rises from the Ashes Under New Ownership, Along with a New CEO
Almost half a year after we broke the story about the demise of Meta Company, there's good news for fans of the augmented reality startup — a rebirth is at hand.
News: Sony Pictures & Snapchat Serve Up Creepy Augmented Reality Lens to Promote 'Brightburn' Movie
The new film Brightburn, a horror take on the superhero genre produced by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, debuted in theaters on Friday, and it has some promotional backing from Snapchat to drive ticket sales.
How To: Get a Dark Theme on Gboard for iPhone or Android
If you've been paying attention to the smartphone industry, you've certainly noticed a rise in dark mode lately. With most phones now sporting OLED panels, which use less power to display darker colors, users have been begging developers to include a dark theme in their apps. Lately, Google has been happy to oblige.
News: Features We Want in iOS 13 for iPhone (& What's Rumored to Show Up)
Apple's scheduled to show off the first look of iOS 13 at WWDC 2019 on June 3, but what will the new operating system hold for iPhone? Rumors suggest that many features initially planned for iOS 12 will show up in iOS 13, codenamed "Yukon," and dark mode will be the big ticket item this year.
Market Reality: North Secures More Funding, Google Unveils New Glass, & McGraw-Hill Takes AR to School
After a rough run of news, smartglasses maker North still has the confidence of investors, as evidenced by its latest round of funding.
News: Amazon Prime Takes Over Times Square with Augmented Reality Apocalypse
Hollywood loves to use New York City's Times Square as a setting for major scenes in a blockbuster movie, so it's only right to use the area for a choice bit of virtual apocalypse in augmented reality.
News: Hollywood Exhibit Uses HoloLens to Transport Fans into the Worlds of 'Back to the Future' & Halo
The potential of augmented reality is often shown in science fiction movies, but a new exhibit marries the genre with very real-world AR technology, to great effect.
News: Amazon Will Pay You to Help Develop Its Augmented Reality System, No Skills Required
Many of us know that you can make a few bucks from Amazon by helping the company sell its wide array of products, but now there's a very different way to make a buck with the company, and it involves 3D technology.
News: Streem Upgrades Its Augmented Reality Platform via Acquisition of Computer Vision Startup Selerio
There's no shortage of augmented reality platforms for remote video assistance, but startup Streem is looking to give its offering a leg up with an infusion of new technology.
How To: Change Your Display Name on Skype to Stand Out More
Your Skype contact list might contain a sea of names that make it tough to find a specific person you're trying to reach. The same goes for your loved ones and colleagues, especially if you have a common name like Jennifer or John. Knowing that, you might want to change your Skype display name to set yourself apart.
News: North Focals Smartglasses Update Adds Google Fit, Google Slides, & a Distraction-Free Mode
The software updates from Canadian smartglasses startup North keep coming, each with a unique new twist.
News: Pepsi Celebrates Summer with Hundreds of Instagram Camera Effects for Soda Drinkers
With the upcoming Memorial Day weekend serving as the unofficial start of summer, Pepsi is turning to Instagram to help sell its soft drinks to quench the thirst of beachgoers and BBQers.
How To: Play Talking Tom Hero Dash on Your iPhone Right Now
Talking Tom has long been mesmerizing children of all ages with his ability to repeat words and phrases and encourage touch interactions. Now, the lovable cat and his band of cuddly friends have ventured into the endless runner genre as heroes bent on saving Angela and their city from a band of mischievous raccoons.
News: McGraw-Hill Jumps into Educational Augmented Reality via Partnership with Startup Alchemie
In the wake of Apple and Google pitching augmented reality to schools, McGraw-Hill is stepping up its own augmented reality efforts for education.
News: Smartglasses Startup North Secures $40 Million in New Funding, Report Says
Despite the recent gut punch of staff layoffs, Canada-based smartglasses startup North and its Focals are likely to be in the game for a while longer.
How To: Enable Dark Mode in Google Maps on iPhone & Android
Dark mode is one of the most requested features these days, but it's even more important with a navigation app. If you're using Google Maps for directions while driving at night, the default white background will shock your eyes and make it harder to see the road in front of you. Thankfully, you can now enable a dark theme to make this whole process a lot safer.
News: Apple Releases 'Second' iOS 12.4 Public Beta for iPhone to Software Testers
Public beta testers, you're in luck. Apple just released the second iOS 12.4 public beta today, May 20. The update comes five days after the release of the first developer beta for iOS 12.4 and seven days after the release of iOS 12.3. Public beta 2 and dev beta 2 were both released at the same time, something that doesn't happen often.
News: Magic Leap Adds Mobile Carrying Case to Its Arsenal of Augmented Reality Gear
It took a while, but one of the most anticipated Magic Leap One accessories is finally here. Magic Leap has quietly added the official Magic Leap One carrying case, which we previewed last year, to its website.
News: Apple Releases Second iOS 12.4 Beta for iPhone to Developers Today
Apple just released the second iOS 12.4 developer beta today, May 20, five days after the release of the first developer beta for iOS 12.4 and one week after the public release of iOS 12.3. In general, the iOS 12.4 update will support Apple Card, Apple's upcoming credit card due out this summer.
How To: Automatically Send 'Low-Quality' Photos in Messages to Use Up Less Data on Your iPhone
Every model iPhone since the 6s has boasted a 12-megapixel rear camera. You can take some pretty spectacular, professional-looking photos with it, especially on devices that have more than one rear lens. But the file size of each photo can become a problem when sending as an iMessage, which can eat up data.
Market Reality: Mimesys Joins Magic Leap, Samsung Funds DigiLens & Lenovo Moves in on Microsoft's AR Territory
Magic Leap and Samsung are putting their money where their augmented reality plans are, with the former acquiring an AR collaboration technology and the latter funding a waveguide display maker.
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.