Gadget Hacks News

News: European Inventor Award Profiles Microsoft's Alex Kipman as Finalist for HoloLens

Usually, when the public gets to see and hear Microsoft's Alex Kipman expound on the future of immersive computing, it's because the company has a new product to show off. But on Tuesday, April 24, Kipman was in the spotlight for an entirely different reason: an award nomination.

News: FPP Mode for PUBG Mobile Might Be Right Around the Corner

The recent 0.4.0 update for PUBG Mobile brought us a host of welcome features like the training ground and arcade mode. Sadly, one highly sought-after feature remained out of our reach: The ability to play in first person perspective, or FPP mode. Our wait may soon be over, as this gameplay mode could be out as soon as the next update hits for both Android and iOS.

News: iOS 11.3.1 Finally Fixed the QR Code-Scanning Vulnerability in Your iPhone's Camera App

One downside to iOS 11's awesome built-in QR code scanner in the Camera app is its only been live for a short while. In its short life, there has already been a security vulnerability discovered that was an issue for at least the last 4.5 months, but Apple has finally patched this weakness with its iOS 11.3.1 update.

News: Why the LG G7 ThinQ's New Super Bright Display Is Actually a Game-Changer

The LG G7 ThinQ will likely be lambasted for its notch and awkward name, but one thing they seem to have gotten right is the new display. The G7 ThinQ will give many a first look at a new type of panel with lots of promise. While it was previously limited to TVs, from what we know, it should really shine on a smaller screen.

News: ARCore Closes Gap with ARKit via Image Recognition from Viro Media

Upon Google's release of ARCore in February, the platform wasn't only playing catch-up with Apple and ARKit in terms of downloads, but it also lagged in capabilities, as Apple already had vertical surface recognition and image recognition on the way with ARKit 1.5 for a March release.

News: iOS 11.3.1 Released for iPhones with Third-Party Display Repair Patch & Security Fixes

Apple released the iOS 11.3.1 update for iPhones on Tuesday, April 24, 26 days after the official release of iOS 11.3 and eight days after the iOS 11.4 beta 2 update. It is the first minor update to iOS 11.3, and the biggest thing in it is a fix that lets displays fixed by third parties work again.

News: U2 Kicks Off Latest Tour with Augmented Reality App Experience

One of the most successful rock bands still making music has just made augmented reality an integral part of its upcoming tour. Irish rock band U2 has announced a new mobile app experience that allows you to preview the group's live performance in your own home in AR.

News: 12 Important Privacy & Security Features Google Added to Android 9.0 Pie

We know Android 9.0 will have the formal designation of Pie, following Google's age-old tradition of naming their OS after items you'd normally find on a dessert menu. And thanks to a slew of new features that centers around your overall security, P could also stand for Privacy.

News: In Time for Star Wars Day, Best Buy Slashes Price on Refurbed Lenovo 'Jedi Challenges' AR Headsets

If $200 was too much for you to get in on some Star Wars augmented reality action, Best Buy is now selling refurbished Star Wars Jedi Challenges sets for $79.99 and new ones for $99.99.

News: Microsoft Video Shows Off BAE Systems' HoloLens-Powered Manufacturing Training Solution

While some in the augmented reality space are tweeting about future amazing immersive experiences and others are showing off cool experiments, Microsoft continues to move forward with tangible business solutions right now that show how the HoloLens can improve business.

News: 12 Android Features We Want to See in iOS 12

I love my iPhone, but it would be a lie to say there aren't some Android features I wish would find their way to iOS. While iOS has plenty of its own advantages, Android has pulled ahead in many other areas. With iOS 12 coming later this year, we're hoping Apple takes a hint from Google and adds some of these awesome features to the iPhone.

News: Try These 5 Hot New Snapchat Lenses — The Zucc, PUBG Helmet & More

Spring is finally here (in earnest now), and a new batch of great augmented reality Snapchat lenses have come along with it. New life has been breathed into meme culture with the spring lineup of TV shows, Mark Zuckerberg's ongoing investigation, and college kids with too much time on their hands.

Market Reality: Snapchat Does E-Commerce, Renault Drives into Star Wars AR & Christie's Taps Wealthy Art Buyers via AR

It doesn't matter how cool or groundbreaking a particular technology is, if it doesn't offer the promise of big returns on investments, you'll have trouble drawing interest from both Silicon Valley and Wall Street. That's why we're increasingly seeing existing augmented reality players doing everything they can to focus in on revenue generation, which was the message coming from Snap Inc. this week.

Marketing: Snapchat Sells Advertisers on Augmented Reality with New E-Commerce Features

In an effort to help its advertising partners close sales with its sponsored augmented reality camera effects, Snapchat has launched a set of e-commerce tools designed to encourage users to buy products directly in the app.

News: View the Lands You'll Conquer in 'God of War' with Mimir's Vision AR App

With the heavily anticipated installment of the God of War game series arriving on April 20, PlayStation has taken the opportunity to make its first foray into mobile augmented reality with a companion app.

News: Christie's App Brings the Art of the Rockefellers to Your Living Room via Augmented Reality

The latest update to the Christie's app for iPhones and iPads extends its augmented reality capabilities to the famed private art collection of David and Peggy Rockefeller.

News: Star Wars Holochess Comes to ARKit-Friendly iPhones & iPads

Part of the Star Wars: Jedi Challenges experience that was once exclusive to users of Lenovo's Mirage AR headset is now available to anyone with an ARKit-compatible iOS device.

News: HTC Opens Up Augmented Reality Development for HTC Vive

HTC is entering the augmented reality market through the back door by giving developers access to the stereo front-facing cameras on the Vive and Vive Pro VR headsets.

News: Snapchat Bulks Up Lens Studio with Face Templates, Giphy Integration & More

Snapchat is making it easier for developers and creators to build augmented reality effects in Lens Studio with a slew of new features, including seven face templates.

News: What You Need to Know About ZTE's Ongoing Battle with the US Government

| Update: ZTE's issues with the US government have finally been resolved. Check out the details below.

News: Google Researchers Have Developed an Augmented Reality Microscope for Detecting Cancer

Augmented reality might not be able to cure cancer (yet), but when combined with a machine learning algorithm, it can help doctors diagnose the disease.

News: Coachella & Eminem Hit High Notes with Augmented Reality Mobile Apps

The annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is one of those events that everyone talks about, so an augmented reality experience in the festival's mobile app and from one of its headlining acts, Eminem, basically means the technology is officially cool.

News: iOS 11.4 Beta 2 Released with New Wallpaper, Fixes Issues with AirPlay, Music & Keychain

Apple released the second beta for iOS 11.4 on Monday, April 16. Its release comes eighteen days after the company pushed the first 11.4 beta to iPhones, as well as the official build of iOS 11.3. This beta fixes issues with AirPlay, Music, and Keychain, and it also adds a new wallpaper.

News: Renault Uses Shazam AR to Harness the Latest Star Wars Movie Hype

French automaker Renault is tapping into the promotional machine for Solo: A Star Wars Movie by deploying an AR experience through Shazam that's triggered via synergistic advertising.

Market Reality: Bareburger & Zara Use AR for Marketing, While vTime Gets a Cash Infusion to Move from VR to AR

Modern "mad men" are buying into augmented reality for marketing, with the two latest examples being trendy burger maker Bareburger and department store chain Zara.

News: iOS 11.3 Bug Removes Screenshot Previews for Some iPhone Users

Apple's latest iPhone operating system is notorious for its frequent bugs and glitches. The latest iteration, iOS 11.3, is no exception, as users are experiencing not only 3D Touch issues but missing screenshot previews as well.

News: The 50 Best Augmented Reality Apps for iPhone, iPad & Android Devices

Contrary to popular belief, augmented reality apps have been available for a while now. I remember using the Layar app (still available for iOS and Android) to explore nearby businesses and landmarks with varying success via an early-generation Android handset.

News: Try These 5 Hot New Snapchat Lenses — Stranger Things, Pokémon & More

While you were slaving away at work or school or whatever you were so busy doing over the last seven days, people have been hard at work creating a variety of new Snapchat lenses for your enjoyment. These lenses are hot off the presses, and I'm honestly really impressed with this week's crop.

News: Facebook Camera Can Now Change Your World into an AR Paint Canvas

For social media platforms like Facebook, augmented reality represents a whole new art form with which users can express themselves online. Now, Facebook is giving those users a new brush.

News: Magic Leap's Website Has an Immersive Reality Experience Hidden in Plain Sight, if You Know Where to Look

Magic Leap loves to stoke mystery around its still unreleased product, the Magic Leap One: Creator Edition, and now we've found yet another piece of the puzzle in the form of an Easter egg on the company's website.

News: Nickelodeon Reels in AR Mode for Popular Mobile Game Sky Whale

One of the most popular mobile games out there for kids has added an augmented reality mode that brings the titular character into the real world.

News: Bareburger's Recipe for Future Menus Includes a Heaping Portion of Augmented Reality via Snapchat

Fast-casual burger restaurant Bareburger expects to soon replace all of its paper menus with 3D models of its burgers and other items rendered in augmented reality, but for now, the company is preparing some rather interesting limited AR interactions.

News: ODG's Newest Wearable Allows FedEx Pilots to Use Augmented Reality to Navigate Emergency Situations

On Thursday, Osterhout Design Group (ODG) revealed a new, specially-crafted oxygen mask that uses the same augmented reality technology from its smartglasses to assist FedEx Express pilots navigating dangerous conditions.

News: Zara AR App Brings Virtual Models to Life in Stores

Department store chain Zara is temporarily ditching its mannequins and dressing up its stores with augmented reality experiences featuring virtual versions of real fashion models.

News: Here's Exactly When You Can Play Hearthstone's Newest Expansion, The Witchwood

Blizzard announced last week that the latest Hearthstone expansion, The Witchwood, would be releasing on April 12 2018. Equipped with 135 "hair raising" new cards and mechanics like Echo and Rush, Hearthstone players across the globe are itching to start playing with the set the minute it drops. Now, we know exactly when that'll be.

News: Now You Can Share & Borrow Hearthstone Decks with Your Friends

With Hearthstone's latest expansion, The Witchwood, arriving on April 12 2018, Blizzard also rolled out a number of in-game improvements alongside Update 11.0. One improvement that could revolutionize the Friendly Challenge experience is deck sharing, allowing you and your friends to borrow each other's decks.

News: PhotoBloom AR Brings Your Framed Photos to Life as Augmented Reality Videos

Taking photos that are actually printed and hung on a real wall, versus being shot and shared via a social wall, is a seemingly lost art, but PhotoBloom AR wants to change that with augmented reality.

News: Social VR Startup vTime Lands $7.6M to Launch Augmented Reality Version Later This Year

One of the earliest players in the social virtual reality space, vTime, has just landed $7.6 million in new funding, which the company says is partially earmarked for developing and releasing an augmented reality version of its platform later this year.

News: Lampix Exec Gordon Meyer Podcast Interview, Says the Future of AR Isn't in Wearables

The future of augmented reality isn't on your smartphone or face, it's in the everyday items all around us. At least that's the belief of Gordon Meyer, the vice president of marketing at New York-based startup Lampix.

News: Microsoft Japan Concept Video Demos How HoloLens Will Help Pilot the Drone Ships of the Future

Although the HoloLens is still primarily the domain of developers and researchers, the device is nevertheless on the cutting edge of showing us what will be possible with augmented reality in the coming years. The latest example comes via Microsoft Japan and a new concept video that shows off how the HoloLens will be used in the relatively near future to pilot autonomous ships.