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News: Upskill Releases HoloLens Version of Skylight AR Productivity Platform
Augmented reality productivity software maker Upskill has expanded the reach of its Skylight platform with support for Microsoft HoloLens.
News: Rovio's Mobile Gaming Classic Angry Birds Comes to Augmented Reality via Magic Leap One
Less than three weeks after Rovio Entertainment announced the game, the augmented reality adaptation of Angry Birds is now available for the Magic Leap One.
News: The Porgs from Star Wars Are Coming to Magic Leap One
It turns out that Dr. Grordbort's Invaders is not the only Magic Leap demo to become a reality for the Magic Leap One.
News: Investors Bank $30M on Varjo for VR/AR Headset with 'Human-Eye Resolution'
A Series B round of funding, totaling $30 million, will enable Helsinki-based startup Varjo to launch its industrial-grade augmented and virtual reality headset capable of "human-eye resolution" before the end of the year.
PSA: There's a Stupid Reason You're Not Finding Good Shortcuts in Apple's Gallery
There's something seriously wrong with Apple's new Shortcuts app, and it's severely limiting the number of shortcuts users can install on their iPhones.
News: Apple Releases iOS 12.0.1 to Address Wi-Fi & Charging Issues on iPhones
If your iPhone XS or XS Max has been suffering from Wi-Fi connectivity and charging issues, Apple just released iOS 12.0.1 on Monday, Oct. 8, as an over-the-air update for all compatible iPhones. The main focus of the update is to give fixes for users going through "Chargegate" and experiencing Wi-Fi issues.
News: Magic Leap Teaser for Dr. Grordbort's Invaders Previews Forthcoming Release During L.E.A.P. Conference
Magic Leap One owners with itchy trigger fingers may have their itch scratched next week, as Magic Leap has shared a brief teaser on Twitter for the long-awaited Dr. Grordbort's Invaders game from Weta Workshop.
Market Reality: Disney's Bob Iger Leads NR30 AR Investors, Magic Leap Acquires Computes, & Snap to Invest in AR Hardware
This week, we continued our NR30 series highlighting the leaders of augmented reality space by profiling the venture capitalists and strategic corporate investors that sustain the industry.
News: Snap CEO Memo Confirms Spectacles Are First Step Toward AR Smartglasses
In a leaked company memo, Snap CEO (and NR30 member) Evan Spiegel has made it clear that the future of the company lies not only augmented reality but also hardware that enables those AR experiences.
News: Nokia 7.1 — HDR Screen, Dual Cameras & Soon to Have Android Pie
Even with all the success HMD had with reviving the Nokia brand in 2017, it seems their second year is shaping up to be even better. Nokia has been steadily releasing sequels to last year's lineup, most with the new minimal bezel design language. The Nokia 7.1 is just their latest creation.
News: Magic Leap's Acquisition of Computes Strengthens Mesh Computing Capabilities by Crowdsourcing Processing Power
The latest business move by Magic Leap could result in a significant boost to its spatial computing platform's performance and headset design.
News: Brainlab Prescribes Magic Leap as Cure for Visualizing Medical Imaging Data, Lumin Updates Pushed to Devs
While many of the latest content partnerships announced by Magic Leap appear to lean towards entertainment and gaming, a new partnership with medical technology provider Brainlab has Magic Leap getting down to more serious business.
How To: Download Instagram Videos on Your iPhone
Let's say you want to download an Instagram video to your iPhone. What do you do? While Instagram doesn't offer an official solution, there are backchannel methods that exist to get the job done. However, if you want native support for downloading Instagram videos directly to your Photos app, you can start by updating your iPhone to iOS 12 and installing Shortcuts.
News: ThirdEye Reveals X2 Smartglasses Design & Retail Partnership with b8ta
Smartglasses maker ThirdEye has announced that its X1 model wearable will be updated by the slimmer, as yet unreleased X2 model. Both devices will be promoted and sold through its partner, brick and mortar technology retailer b8ta.
News: New 'Ghostbusters World' Gameplay Footage Revealed, Haunts Your Neighborhood in the Spirit of Pokémon GO
Location-based AR game Ghostbusters World is creeping closer to launch, and developer FourThirtyThree has released some new gameplay footage and a trailer to capture the interest of the living.
NR30: The Augmented Reality Investment Leaders of 2018
People say that money makes the world go 'round. And it's no different in the world of augmented reality.
News: 'The Purge' Invades Your Safe Home via Mobile AR App
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to try to survive The Purge as depicted in the popular movie series? Well, thanks to augmented reality, now you can.
How To: Your iPhone XS or XS Max Isn't Charging? Here's How to Fix It
It wouldn't be iPhone season without a new controversy. Chargegate, Apple's latest PR nightmare, is the name being used for charging issues on some iPhone XS and XS Max devices. If you plug in your iPhone at night — or whenever — then wake up or come back later and see that your iPhone has even less battery power, you're affected. But there is a fix you can implement right now.
News: Magic Leap & Andy Serkis Reveal Lord of the Rings-Inspired Character for Upcoming AR Experience
We already know that Magic Leap is working with Hollywood motion capture legend Andy Serkis on a new immersive content experience but, so far, all we've heard are descriptions of the work. Well, now the mystery is over, and the character of Grishneck, who Magic Leap mentioned just last month, has finally been revealed.
News: Apple Released iOS 12.1 Public Beta 2 to Software Testers with New Emoji & Chargegate Fix
Public beta testers will be pleased to know that the second iOS 12.1 beta has just become available for iPhones. The Tuesday, Oct. 2 update features an impressive 70+ new emoji for testers to enjoy, including bald emoji, emoji with red hair, gray hair, and curly hair, among many others, as well as a patch for iPhone XS and XS Max devices suffering from charging issues.
News: Apple Released iOS 12.1 Beta 2 to Developers, Introduces Over 70 New Emoji & Chargegate Fix
Apple released the second developer beta for iOS 12.1 to testers on Tuesday, Oct. 2. The new update features over 70 new emoji, including emoji with red hair, gray hair and curly hair, and an emoji for bald people, among many others. It also introduces a fix for iPhone XS and XS Max suffering from charging issues, that some have dubbed "Chargegate."
How To: Install a Custom Kernel on the Essential PH-1
When you unlock the bootloader on your Essential PH-1, you open your device to a host of new possible tweaks. One popular modification is a custom kernel, which can not only speed up your phone, but give you new features that wouldn't be possible otherwise.
News: Stage Your Own Big Bang with Magic Leap One via the Universe Creator App
One developer has taken the formal name of the Magic Leap One: Creator Edition quite literally with an app that enables users to create a custom universe in their own living room.
How To: 6 Habits That Will Help You Avoid Bad Android Apps on Google Play
When I review apps, I'll oftentimes end up downloading at least one or two "bad" apps that either lied about their functionality or were riddled with ads. These apps, while not as harmful as malware, can still be a major headache. This got me thinking about the other bad apps on the Play Store and how to avoid them.
How To: The Best Video Chat Apps to Use with Your Infant
You know your infant is advanced. Maybe you want to give her or him a head start at learning things like writing code to develop the next big Fortnite game. Or maybe you just want to play Fortnite with your infant. But the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages screen time for kids under than 18 months, with just one exception: video chat.
Market Reality: Unity Leads the NR30 AR Software Segment, Magic Leap & Microsoft Pursue Military Partners
Continuing our NR30 series this week, we focused on the leaders of the software development industry that make augmented reality experiences possible. In other news, two of the current leaders in making AR headsets, Microsoft and Magic Leap, are pursuing multiple verticals with their products, as both now appear to be interested in making AR headsets for the military.
News: Thalmic's North Wearable Teases a Cooler Direction for AR Smartglasses
A major obstacle to the mainstream acceptance of smartglasses is the current inability able to smoosh processors, sensors, and batteries into a pair of frames that look cool. Wearables maker Thalmic is hinting that it may have figured it all out.
NR30: The AR Software Development Leaders of 2018
One could argue that, at least for the moment, software development is more important to the augmented reality experience than hardware. Since a viable augmented reality headset has yet to emerge for the broader, mainstream consumer market, currently, the same devices that make texting and selfies possible are leading the charge to enable easy-to-use AR experiences.
News: Amazon Offering More Than $100K in Prizes for Augmented Reality & VR Apps Built with Sumerian
Amazon Web Services is calling up an age-old tactic of the tech industry — the hackathon — to drum up excitement and encourage the development of apps built on the Amazon Sumerian AR/VR platform.
News: Hands on with the Honor 8X — Coming to the US Very Soon
Despite Huawei's ongoing battle with the US government, the Chinese company has continued to release phones in the US under its Honor brand. The Honor X series has been consistently released for several years, offering midrange specs at ridiculously low pricing, and the Honor 8X is no exception.
News: Magic Leap Teams with Sennheiser to Deliver High-End Spatial Audio for Augmented Reality
One of the best aspects of the Magic Leap One is the spatial audio, a feature that enhances the overall sense of immersion when interacting with virtual objects and content through the device. Now the company is aiming to boost the quality of that component by partnering with one of the leading names in high-quality audio.
News: Microsoft Fuels Efficiency at Chevron with Remote Assist App for HoloLens
Four months after unveiling the latest productivity apps for the HoloLens, Microsoft now has a series of compelling real-world use case videos showing how the augmented reality device and its apps are helping oil giant Chevron.
News: Google Puts Faces of Historic Women on US Currency via Augmented Reality
Well-regarded men from the history of the United States tend to grace the country's currency, but what if equally deserving women were honored in the same fashion?
News: Magic Leap, Microsoft Pursuing Military Contracts to Supply AR Headsets for Soldiers, Report Says
Leading augmented reality headset makers Microsoft and Magic Leap are among the companies now vying for a military contract for battlefield heads-up displays.
News: Snapchat Ships Amazon Visual Search as Its Next Step Forward in AR Evolution
Snapchat has officially unveiled its Visual Search service for Amazon (teased a month ago), a tool the company began testing on Monday.
How To: Create Transparent Floating Windows on Your Galaxy Note 9
While Android does allow apps to use picture-in-picture mode (PiP), only a handful of apps actually support the feature. Most of the apps that do are video apps. The thing is, PiP is useful for more than just watching videos, and the Galaxy Note 9 has included a way to allow any app to offer a similar feature, video or not.
How To: Make Any App Work in Split-Screen on Your Galaxy Note 9
With the Galaxy Note 9's 6.4-inch AMOLED display, split screen is far more useful since each half of the screen is relatively large. The problem is that there are some noticeable omissions in the list of apps which support the feature. However, Samsung offers a fix for this.
News: Build 3D Content on Your Smartphone or Tablet with Torch's New Mobile App
Augmented reality experiences for consumers, for the most part, are relegated to mobile devices at present, but creation and development of those experiences is still a province of desktop computers.
Market Reality: Rony Abovitz Perches Atop NR30 AR Hardware Leaders as Angry Birds & Thyng Jump on Magic Leap Bandwagon
This week, Next Reality published profiles on the leaders in augmented reality hardware industry, with Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz topping the list. So, it should be no surprise that two app makers want to align themselves with Magic Leap's flagship product.
News: 11 Reasons to Not Skip Out on AppleCare+ When Buying a New iPhone
On the surface, AppleCare+ seems like an expensive and gimmicky option to tack onto your already pricey iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max. Upon further inspection, however, you'll see that its seemingly expensive price tag is chump change compared to the fees you'll have to pay if you end up having to repair your premium device outside its one-year warranty.