Gadget Hacks News
News: Former Leap Motion Exec Returns to Filmmaking with 'Merger' VR Film Depicting AR Workspace
Last month, Leap Motion's vice president of design and global creative director, Keiichi Matsuda (a member of the NR30), suddenly left the company. Just days later, a story leaked that revealed that Leap Motion had twice failed to lock in a potential deal with Apple.
News: The Enterprise Leap — Robots, Gremlins, & Games Won't Save Magic Leap, but Tapping the Inner Child of CEOs Just Might
Mystery is a tricky thing. Used correctly, it can give onlookers the impression that wondrous and perhaps valuable things are afoot. However, once the veil of suspension of disbelief is removed in any significant way, that same mystery can quickly turn into not just skepticism, but outright anger at what may have seemed like an attempt to dupe trusting onlookers.
News: The Best Black Friday 2018 Deals on Wireless Chargers for Your Phone
If you or someone you're shopping for has a newer iPhone model or an Android smartphone like the Galaxy Note 9 or Pixel 3, they come with wireless charging capabilities. Problem is, they don't come with wireless chargers. But there's no better time to snag one than on Black Friday, and we've found the best deals out there for 2018's holiday season.
News: David Bowie's Legacy Lives On in Forthcoming Augmented Reality App
Famed singer-songwriter David Bowie will return to the real world as part of an augmented reality app launching on Jan. 8, 2019, which would have been his 72nd birthday.
News: This Augmented Reality Black Friday Ad from Footwear Retailer DSW Is Like a Scene from 'Black Mirror'
If you're looking into buying shoes from DSW on Black Friday, then you can save an extra 20% — but only if you smile more.
News: The Best Black Friday 2018 Deals on Smartphone Cases
The holidays are here, which means a slew of new smartphones are set to be gifted to loved ones in the spirit of giving. Of course, a great case to compliment and protect that precious flagship is a must, regardless of whether it's a OnePlus 6T, iPhone XS, or Galaxy Note 9. And while quality cases usually come with a hefty price tag, there are plenty of Black Friday deals to keep you from going broke.
News: The Best Black Friday 2018 Deals on iPhones
Let's face it, iPhones are expensive. With the latest iPhone XS Max reaching as high as $1,449, our wallets could all use a little support. That's where Black Friday comes in, supplying us with deals and discounts on iPhones of all kinds. If you're looking for a new iPhone this holiday season without having to break the bank, you've come to the right place.
News: Snap Rolling Out New Spectacles with AR Features by End of Year, Report Says
The augmented reality smartglasses future that Snap founder Evan Spiegel has teased for so long may be closer than many realize.
News: The Best Black Friday 2018 Deals on Android Phones
It's that time of year again. No, not Thanksgiving. Black Friday. There are a lot deals available this holiday weekend, many of which include flagship Android devices. Whether you are thinking of buying a phone for yourself or looking for a gift for someone else, you can find a little savings to shop smart during the holidays.
News: Tim Cook Takes to HBO to Promote the Future of Augmented Reality, Addresses Apple AR Glasses Question
On Sunday, Apple CEO Tim Cook (the number one person on our NR30 list) made a rare television appearance to talk about and show off his current obsession: augmented reality.
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.
Market Reality: North Opens Smartglasses Retail Stores, Magic Leap & Microsoft Court Devs, & Another Exec Exits Snap
The North remembers...that smartglasses are the future! Game of Thrones jokes aside, the smartglasses startup opened its doors, and we visited its Brooklyn store to get our hands the consumer-focused Focals smartglasses.
News: Microsoft's HoloLens Morphs Paris Museum Model of Mont-Saint-Michel into Masterpiece of AR
Amid the opulent and historic confines of Paris, Microsoft is now hosting an exhibit at a local museum that brings a historic map of a Normandy tourist destination to life in augmented reality.
News: Mojo Vision Raises $50M to Replace Smartphones & Devices with 'Invisible Computing' AR
On Thursday, Mojo Vision, a startup comprised of former engineers from Apple, Amazon, Google, and other Silicon Valley mainstays, emerged from stealth backed by $50 million in funding for a hands-free augmented reality platform that runs without smartphones, tablets, or other devices.
News: Magic Leap Launches App Creator Grant Program Awarding Up to $500,000 in Funding
On Thursday, Magic Leap decided to step up its efforts to foster its developer community by launching the Independent Creator Program.
News: iOS 12.1.1 Public Beta 3 Now Available to Software Testers
It seems Apple will keep with recent tradition — the third iOS 12.1.1 public beta released to software testers Thursday, Nov. 15, just hours after the 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT) release of dev beta 3. Apple likes to take a short time after a developer release to ensure the beta is good enough to release as a whole, as seen with the entire iOS 12 dev beta 7 debacle.
News: Apple Just Released iOS 12.1.1 Developer Beta 3 to Testers
Apple released the third beta for iOS 12.1.1 on Thursday, Nov. 15. This update is not much of a surprise, as it comes just a little over one week after the release of dev beta 2. As with that beta, we expect Apple to release the 12.1.1 public beta shortly, possibly as soon as this afternoon.
News: Wonderscope iPhone App Turns Bedrooms into Stages for Children's Stories in Augmented Reality
Augmented reality content makers often position the technology as a new storytelling medium. And who loves stories more than children?
News: Magic Leap Launches Video Interview Series & Unpacks More Technical Sessions from L.E.A.P. Con
On Wednesday, in addition to uploading another batch of videos from its L.E.A.P. conference to its YouTube channel, Magic Leap also launched a new video series for developers called Spacebar.
Gift Guide: Must-Have Phone Accessories for Photographers
With smartphone cameras and software getting better and better every year, more and more users are getting passionate about photography. So when you're shopping for a gift to get someone, if they have a smartphone, chances are they'll more than appreciate some tools and accessories for taking better photos with their pocket friend — and we've got some gear ideas they'll love.
News: Lenovo Star Wars Jedi Challenges Update Lets You Turn to the Dark Side via Kylo Ren Lightsaber
Any real Star Wars fan knows that fear is a path to the dark side, as it leads to anger, and then suffering. For players of Star Wars Jedi Challenges, though, access to the antagonistic side of the Force is now available through their mobile apps.
News: Warner Bros. & Niantic Release Trailer for Harry Potter Wizards Unite, but Delay Launch Until 2019
It looks like the Harry Potter version of Pokémon GO won't appear in 2018 after all, as the company has decided pushed the game's release to 2019.
Exclusive: Hands-On with North's New Focals Smartglasses & Flagship Store in New York City
On Tuesday, the smartglasses startup known as North finally took the wraps off its Focals product, but in a very unique way: The team simply opened a couple of stores and invited the public in.
News: AT&T Reveals Winners of First Magic Leap Hackathon
Now that its first developer conference is in the rearview mirror, Magic Leap continues to nurture its content development community, this time with an assist from strategic investor and retail partner AT&T.
News: Snap's Vice President of Content Is Ghost, as App Continues to Shed Users
In a move sure to stir up even more speculation about the future of Snap Inc., the company's vice president of content, Nick Bell, is leaving the company after five years.
News: Microsoft to Host Women in AI & Mixed Reality Hackathon in San Francisco
Over the last few years, the virtual reality space has earned a welcome reputation for fostering better representational balance with regard to gender compared to the general tech industry, with women like Nonny de la Peña and many others leading the charge.
News: Toyota Begins Testing HoloLens for Production Process Improvements
With HoloLens and its enterprise-focused software offerings, Microsoft continues to make an impression on companies looking to adopt augmented reality, with Toyota Motor Corporation among the latest.
Market Reality: Samsung Intros AR Cloud, Niantic Real World Platform Makes Debut, Election Broadcasts Go AR
This week, at its developer's conference, Samsung took the wraps off a new tool from Wacom that bestows the S-Pen with AR powers, as well as its own entry to the AR cloud market called Project Whare.
News: Magic Leap Publishes More L.E.A.P. Developer Videos Featuring Insomniac Games, Weta Workshop & More
After publishing two batches of videos from its L.E.A.P. developer conference, Magic Leap has made the session on Seedling from Insomniac Games available to the public.
News: Samsung Unveils Its Project Whare AR Cloud Service & Wacom Partnership for AR Creations
With barely a whisper of augmented reality during the first day of its developer's conference, Samsung came out swinging on day two with the introduction of its version of the AR cloud and a partnership with Wacom that turns Samsung's S-Pen into an augmented reality magic wand.
Samsung Android Pie Update: Galaxy Devices Are Getting Better Edge Lighting
As Samsung's very own take on Android 9.0 Pie, the newly-dubbed One UI (formerly Samsung Experience, and TouchWiz before that) comes with a slew of new features and redesigned elements for the Galaxy's interface. Many of the changes, like the redesigned native app icons, are readily apparent, but other features got subtle enhancements that greatly improve user friendliness.
News: Here's When Your Galaxy Will Get Samsung's New One UI Update
Who doesn't love a refresh? Samsung's upcoming One UI makes it easier to use your device with one hand and adds a fresh coat of paint to the formally "Samsung Experience" skin. While you're probably looking forward to installing One UI on your phone, not all Galaxies are equal — your device could be one of the first to receive the update, or it could never see One UI at all.
News: Unreal Engine 4.21 Adds Support for Magic Leap's Lumin OS & Windows Mixed Reality Apps
Epic Games released Unreal Engine 4.21, bringing a number of new features, bug fixes, and improvements for augmented reality development, including deeper support for Magic Leap One and the addition of support for the Windows Mixed Reality platform and headsets.
News: Google's Security Report Shows a Clear Pattern Among Malware-Infected Users
According to Google's new Android ecosystem transparency report, you're eleven times more likely to be infected by malware if you're running Android Lollipop (5.0) as opposed to Android Pie (9). The same report shows that if you sideload apps, you're almost seven times more likely to be infected than if you stick to Google Play as your app source. All of the data provided in the report is quite interesting, but there's a clear pattern among malware-infected users.
News: Domino's Australia Serves Up Virtual Previews of Your Pizza Order in Augmented Reality
If you're hungry for pizza and ordering from Domino's in Australia, you can now see what your pie will look like in augmented reality before placing your order.
News: Apple's Updated Clips App Lets You Put Yourself Inside the World of The Incredibles 2
One of Apple's most touted (but seldom seen on social media) apps, Clips, got an update on Wednesday.
News: iOS 12.1.1 Public Beta 2 Released Shortly After Dev Beta 2
Registered iOS developers received their first taste of 12.1.1 dev beta 2 on Wednesday, Nov. 7, and public beta testers received the iOS 12.1.1 public beta 2 shortly thereafter.
News: Apple Just Released iOS 12.1.1 Beta 2 to Developers
Developers opened their iPhones on Wednesday, Nov. 7, to find an update to the iOS 12.1.1 beta. Apple seeded developers the first 12.1.1 beta on Halloween, marking one week between it and the second beta. It's a quick update turnaround but in line with trends as Apple typically waits at least a week in between beta releases.
News: Children's Book Classic Peter Rabbit & Other Tales Come to AR via iOS App
The landscape for mobile augmented reality apps is still mostly filled with utility and gaming apps, but a new entrant into the space is looking to pull children into the mix.
News: You're Going to Love the New Notifications in Samsung's One UI Update
Samsung's Android Pie update — known as One UI — is bringing major changes to the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy Note 9. The main interface has received a visual overhaul, and this is no more evident than it is with notifications.