Gadget Hacks News
News: 8 of the Wildest Augmented Reality Glasses You Haven't Seen Yet
We've shown you the best augmented reality headsets, and now it's time to show you the rest. These are the AR headsets you've probably never heard of or even seen. The AR headsets that, in some cases, have a shot at the big time, and may one day reach widespread adoption, and, in other cases, are unwieldily contraptions that look like something out of a weird science fiction movie.
Market Reality: Snapchat Expands Ad Offerings, Magic Leap Takes Flight with Content, & Microsoft Readies New HoloLens
At present, consumer-facing augmented reality is a mobile world, and Snapchat is making money on it through advertising partnerships.
News: The Nokia 5.1 Is Coming to the US with a Premium Aluminum Unibody for Under $250
When it comes to the sub-$250 price range, the new Nokia 5.1 might be the perfect phone. Of all the new models announced at Nokia's event in Moscow, the Nokia 5.1 offers the most with the least compromises. For a third of the cost of a flagship, you get a phone with a premium build, solid specs, and good battery life.
News: The Nokia 3.1 Gets Updates Directly from Google for Only $159
During an event in Moscow earlier this year, Nokia announced a refresh to their Nokia 2, 3, and 5 series phones. While there is no official confirmation of a US release for the updated Nokia 2 and 5, we do know that as of July 2nd, you'll be able to snag a new Nokia 3.1.
News: Now You Can Even Try on Nail Polish in AR Before You Buy via This App for iOS & Android
Augmented Reality beauty tools have become quite popular lately, and while CoverGirl's didn't exactly turn heads, the new Wanna Nails app by Wannaby looks like a great tool for anyone who uses nail polish.
News: Unity Gives Developers the Keys to ARKit 2.0 Capabilities via Updated Plugin
With developers chomping at the bit to play with ARKit 2.0, Unity has updated its ARKit plugin to enable access to the new augmented reality superpowers of the toolkit.
News: Magic Leap Books Augmented Reality Experience with Air New Zealand
If touring the scenic vistas behind the Lord of the Rings film franchise doesn't persuade tourists to visit New Zealand, perhaps immersive content viewed through Magic Leap One will do the trick.
News: Snapchat & Facebook Kick Off the World Cup with Augmented Reality Effects
With the 2018 FIFA World Cup underway in Russia, soccer (aka "football") fans worldwide can show support for their favorite teams and players in augmented reality via Snapchat and Facebook.
News: Here's How Apple's Stopping Police from Breaking into iPhones
Since the San Bernardino shooting in 2014, Apple's been engaged in a game of cat and mouse with law enforcement. Authorities want access to evidence on criminals' iPhones, but Apple wants to protect all of its customers' personal data equally. The latest installment in this saga has Apple outright disabling the Lightning port.
News: Netflix Casts a Facebook AR Spell on Its Debut Comic Book 'The Magic Order'
Netflix is branching out into the comic book business, and it's summoning augmented reality via Facebook to make the first issue more magical.
News: Golfshot Mobile App Chips in AR Mode for Measuring Shots on the Course
Although some look to golf for some quick off-the-grid time, the scenic hills and blue skies of your local putting green are not immune from the ever-expanding reach of augmented reality. A new update to the Golfshot mobile app brings new AR features to iPhones and iPads designed to help golfers determine shot distances during course play.
News: Microsoft HoloLens 2.0 Has a Secret Codename, Release Date, & Major Price Change, Report Says
With all the talk about the impending release of the Magic Leap One, some have forgotten a very important, competing release on the near horizon: the HoloLens 2.0. Well, now we have new information that tells us when (roughly) the device will be released, as well as a few other exciting tidbits.
News: 8 Reasons the BlackBerry KEY2 Is Already the Best Phone for Privacy & Security
We need to take our privacy and security much more seriously. Whether it's malware-infected apps or the mishandling of our data by companies like Facebook, there are threats all around us in this digital world. Fortunately, some smartphones are simply designed to protect us better.
Hands-On: Kopin's Golden-i Infinity Is What Google Glass Was Supposed to Be, But Comes at a Cheaper Price
If you cover a particular area in tech long enough, you develop certain pet peeves, and one of mine happens to be devices that attempt to keep us wed to the Google Glass style of augmented reality. And while I remain mostly uninterested in such devices, one of these products recently earned my admiration and might work for you, too, under the right circumstances. It's called the Golden-i Infinity.
Caution: Here's All the Apps That Were Buggy or Broken on iOS 12.0 Beta for iPhone
The iOS 12.0 beta earned admiration for its superior performance to last year's controversially buggy iOS 11. That doesn't mean it was free from problems before the stable release went live. During the initial iOS 12.0 beta testing phase, there were plenty of bugs and glitches, many of which affected the apps we use every day. However, none of these issues persist anymore since iOS 12 stable went live.
News: Snapchat Unlocks Snappables Augmented Reality Games for Brands Including Candy Crush, Bud Light & Dunkin' Donuts
Less than two months after launching its augmented reality platform for casual gaming and shared experiences, Snapchat is ready to make Snappables available to advertisers.
News: E3 Just Proved That Gaming Phones Aren't Gimmicks
During E3, many major game developers announced plans to bring console and PC franchises to mobile. These titles are designed for more serious gamers with competition in mind. All of this points to a shift in mobile hardware priorities — soon, gamers will need gaming phones just like PC players need a gaming rig.
News: Crowdfunding Campaign Capitalizes on '90s Nostalgia with POGs Augmented Reality App
If you have a substantial collection of POGs, the disc-collecting game from the 1990s, squirreled away in your basement, then a new augmented reality app may give you a reason to dig them up.
News: Mobile App Like Gives Music Video Auteurs Body-Morphing AR Effects
Usually, the camera adds 10 pounds, but with a new augmented reality effect in Like's mobile app, the camera can actually make you look slimmer.
News: iOS 11.4.1 Beta 2 Released for iPhones with No Real Bug Fixes or Improvements
Apple released the second beta for iOS 11.4.1 on Monday, June 11. The company seeded the update 12 days after the release of the first 11.4.1 beta on May 30. The initial beta brought no new features to iOS 11, just bug fixes and stability updates, and beta 2 appears to be the same case.
News: Sony Opens AR & VR Capture Studio with Tech from Dell, Deloitte Digital, & Intel
The availability of space for filming immersive content has just gotten bigger with the launch of Innovation Studios by Sony Pictures Entertainment.
News: Apple's ARKit 2.0 Could Make These 10 Mobile AR Apps Even Better
With the announcement of ARKit 2.0 at WWDC 2018, Apple is bringing some powerful new capabilities to mobile augmented reality apps this fall.
News: 7 Reasons Why the KEY2 Is a Return to Glory for BlackBerry
After years of struggling, it appears BlackBerry has finally figured out how to update its iconic design for modern times. The BlackBerry KEY2 pays homage to past devices such as the Bold 9000 while adapting to modern times with the Android OS. The result is a device that might be the best BlackBerry to date.
Market Reality: Magic Leap Steps on Apple's Big ARKit Moment, DreamGlass Starts Selling Its Meta 2 Competitor
Last week's Augmented World Expo felt like a distant memory by this Monday, as Apple unveiled ARKit 2.0 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Certainly, this news would overshadow anything augmented reality this week as it nearly eclipsed AWE when early reports leaked of the toolkit's new superpowers.
News: 5 Snapchat Lenses You Have to Try Out This Week — Maroon 5, Markiplier & More
As summer is upon us, new musical Snapchat lenses are as well. This week has entries from Maroon 5, Simon and Garfunkel, and Snow Tha Product with entertaining visuals to match. As kids start to leave school for the summer, expect the lens scene to be kicked up a notch with anticipation.
Hands-on: DreamGlass Looks Like a Cheaper, More Mobile Meta 2, But This Is What We Really Think After Trying It
Earlier this week, we told you about the new DreamGlass augmented reality headset from Dreamworld, a company started by a former Meta executive. The device looks great, and the features sound good, but is it worth your hard-earned cash? I recently took it for a brief spin to find out.
News: The One Thing That Sucks About iOS 12's New Snapchat-Like Camera Effects for iPhone
In iOS 12, Apple included new, Snapchat-like effects and stickers for photos and videos in Messages. While these new options are fun, they're missing something that takes away from the appeal, especially since Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and similar apps already let you do it.
News: Escape Room Experience Comes to Mobile via Futuristic 'The Lockdown' Augmented Reality Game
Escape rooms, those real world puzzle games that challenge teams to solve a mystery and gain their freedom from a locked room, are all the rage right now. But augmented reality games such as The Lockdown could make them obsolete.
News: The Ancients AR Puts Mystical Sea Battles in Your Living Room in Augmented Reality
While mobile gaming, in the 10 years since the App Store launched, has matured to console-level quality, premium augmented reality games built with ARKit (or ARCore) have been scarce.
News: Build Your Own AR Headset Using Leap Motion's Open Source Project North Star Design
Less than two months since unveiling Project North Star, Leap Motion has released the reference design that will allow developers, makers, and even manufacturers to build their own augmented reality headsets based on Leap Motion's work.
News: Magic Leap Finally Delivered a Live, Public Demonstration of the Magic Leap One, Here's What Happened
On Wednesday, June 6, the people at Magic Leap finally (FINALLY) decided to give the public a dedicated, slow, feature-by-feature walkthrough of the Magic Leap One: Creator Edition. How was it? About as good as it gets without actually getting to see what images look like through the device when wearing it.
News: Former Meta Exec Launches DreamGlass AR Headset, Shipping at End of June for $399
Just a year after facing trade secret theft allegations from his former employer, ex-Meta Company employee Kevin Zhong and his new company are ready to ship the product that triggered the lawsuit.
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: 30+ Privacy & Security Settings in iOS 12 You Should Check Right Now
There's always an iPhone in our list of top phones for privacy and security, due in large part to advanced security measures like Face ID, consistent iOS updates, and easy ways to prevent unwanted access and excessive data sharing. However, some of those options actually do the opposite and hinder security. It all depends on how you use your iPhone, but you should at least know everything available.
News: Adobe's Project Aero Takes on Unity & Unreal for AR Content Creation Supremacy
Using the ARKit 2.0 announcement as its springboard, software maker Adobe is looking leap up to the level of Unity Technologies and Epic Games, the companies making the go-to tools for creating augmented reality experiences.
News: HoloLens Can Now Wirelessly Tap Rendering Power of Any Desktop PC via UWP Apps Built in Unity
Looking to inject a little more processing juice into your HoloLens? Unity can fix you up with the Standalone Universal Windows Platform Holographic Emulation.
News: Magic Leap Focused on Creators & Content Ahead of Shipping Magic Leap One
As Magic Leap prepares to ship the Magic Leap One later this year, the company is putting its focus on mentoring developers and creators to build a content ecosystem for the spatial computing platform.
News: 24 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Install iOS 12 Beta on Your iPhone
This year's big iPhone update, iOS 12, aims to solve many of the issues that arose during iOS 11's controversial, buggy tenure. With that in mind, it may be tempting to jump on board the new software immediately and leave iOS 11 in the dust for good. Here are some reasons why you might want to reconsider joining the iOS 12 beta.
News: 7 Features iOS 12 Stole from Android
The great thing about competition is it drives innovation. But when a company tries to one-up its competitor, it's not always with something brand new. Sometimes, one party will draw heavy inspiration from the other — but hey, it's still all good, because the consumers benefit either way.
News: Apple Brings New Characters & Features to Animoji — Then Destroys Samsung's AR Emoji with Memoji
Alongside ARKit 2.0, Apple revealed new Animojis alongside new Memoji virtual doppelgangers that compete with functionality quite similar to that of Samsung's AR Emoji.