Qualcomm’s new XR1 AR Smart Viewer design can tether to smartphones and PCs

With the introduction of its XR1 platform, Qualcomm indicated that AR would be something of a big focus for it, and now it has announced a new AR Smart Viewer reference design. We’ve already seen Smart Viewer reference designs from Qualcomm in the past, ... more - slashgear

Next-gen PlayStation VR for PS5 confirmed: Sony’s big promises

Sony has spilled the first details of PlayStation 5 Virtual Reality, confirming that a new PlayStation VR system is in the works, though don’t expect to be putting the headset on this year. The next-generation VR system is still in development, Sony says, ... more - slashgear

Nreal Light AR glasses are coming to the US

Some consider AR or augmented reality to be the next step forward in computing. Unlike VR, AR mixes the real and the digital in an almost seamless manner, at least ideally speaking. That goal is difficult to pull off, however, with bulky and heavy headsets ... more - slashgear

Samsung AR glasses concept videos look very ambitious

Every major tech company except Google might be working on some AR headset or another. While Google may have dropped the ball, rumors about Apple’s own AR glasses refuse to die. Naturally, Samsung won’t be left behind, at least not for long. It has, after ... more - slashgear

Some people may have COVID-19 resistance thanks to Neanderthal DNA

A group of researchers has performed a study that found that some people could have genes inherited from Neanderthals that reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 by 22 percent. These inherited genes are said to be more common in people of European and Asian ... more - slashgear

WhatsApp to wean users into inevitable privacy policy change

Facebook isn’t one to back down from a fight or making controversial changes, at least until its hands are forced by laws. Even as it faces inquiries and lawsuits about its alleged monopolistic business practices, it is still pushing through with unpopular ... more - slashgear

Oculus Quest gets app sharing and multi-user support with a Facebook catch

Oculus Quest is getting two useful features today, particularly for instances where there are multiple people in a household using a single headset. Oculus has rolled out multi-user accounts and app sharing – two somewhat self-explanatory features that ... more - slashgear

LEGO VIDIYO sets and pricing revealed ahead of March launch

Last month, LEGO announced VIDIYO, a new augmented reality system that allows kids to make music videos using LEGO minifigures and music licensed from Universal Music Group. Today, the two companies revealed the products that will be included in the first ... more - slashgear

Report claims Apple and TSMC are teaming to build micro OLED displays

A report is making the rounds that claims Apple is partnering with TSMC to develop micro- OLED displays specifically to be used in upcoming augmented reality devices. Apple currently works with TSMC on multiple fronts. Specifically, TSMC is the sole supplier ... more - slashgear

Zoom just added lip and hair color effects: Here’s where to find them

Zoom just added a feature to video chat called Studio Effects. This feature allows users to add oddities to their face in augmented reality in odd colors and combinations of colors. With this feature, users can add a moustache and beard in human hair ... more - slashgear

Google Daydream VR is truly dead with Play Store shutdown

Google is notorious for killing off projects and products. Sometimes the move makes sense, sometimes they break hearts and dreams. One of those dreams involved a VR experience untethered to any computer and powered by the computer that’s almost always ... more - slashgear

Apple’s hardware chief just switched to AR/VR headsets

Apple’s head of hardware engineering just switched his focus entirely to virtual and augmented reality devices, according to one report. This is only the latest in a line of rumors and tips that the company is preparing their biggest move in augmented ... more - slashgear

Apple’s $3k mixed-reality headset could pack twin 8K displays

Apple’s first mixed-reality headset will be no Oculus Quest alternative, new leaks suggest, with a supposed price tag – and high-end specs – that would put it among the company’s most expensive Mac and display models. Long rumored, though believed to ... more - slashgear

Facebook Messenger is now on the Oculus Quest platform

It has been quite a while since Facebook surprisingly acquired Oculus but, for the longest time, the social network allowed the pioneering VR platform to operate in its own bubble. That has been changing lately, and not exactly in good ways, with Facebook ... more - slashgear

Next Magic Leap AR headset specs teased

Although VR systems like the Facebook Oculus and HTC Vive get the lion’s share of mass media coverage, they are often geared more towards entertainment with a pinch of productivity on the sides. In contrast, AR, at least the ones that involve headsets, ... more - slashgear

High-tech threads sense how and when the wearer moves

Tufts University engineers have developed a flexible thread-based sensor that can measure neck movement and provide data on direction, angle of rotation, and degree of displacement of the head. Researchers say the breakthrough has the potential to be ... more - slashgear

Elon Musk shares a new Starship photo and it’s like something from a movie

SpaceX’s massive Starship prototypes are the subject of a new photo from Elon Musk, and they look like something you’d see in a Hollywood sci-fi movie. The shiny silo-like spacecraft are surrounded by people and vehicles, making it easier to put the sheer ... more - slashgear

Google Tilt Brush goes open source

Tilt Brush is a virtual-reality painting application from Google that has been used by various creators over the years. Some of those creators are part of the Google Artist in Residence Program. Google says it wants to continue supporting artists using ... more - slashgear

The 5G Smart Car is coming and Qualcomm aims to dominate its dashboard

Qualcomm is firmly embedded in phones, and now it wants to dominate the car dashboard, with multiple launches today that should push 5G-connected vehicles, Alexa-powered infotainment, and eventually autonomous driving into the mainstream. Star of the ... more - slashgear

LEGO VIDIYO lets kids make augmented reality music videos starring minifigs

LEGO today announced that it’s launching a new product called LEGO VIDIYO with Universal Music Group. This product – which comprises new minifigures, UMG’s music, augmented reality, a mobile app, and new tiles called BeatBits – allows kids to make their ... more - slashgear

Sony Alpha 1 50.1MP full-frame camera makes some huge claims

Sony has revealed the latest addition to its camera line-up, but the Sony Alpha 1 is no ordinary shooter. Packing a new 50.1-megapixel full-frame stacked Exmor RS sensor, combined with a new BIONZ XR imaging processing engine, it doubles the AF and AE ... more - slashgear

Apple VR headset – Ongoing developments and things to know

Apple has been chasing after augmented reality and virtual reality for almost a decade now, hoping to come up with a commercially feasible product that changes the way we interact with our devices and the world around us in more ways than one. The Cupertino ... more - slashgear

Pinterest’s new AR feature lets you try on virtual eyeshadow

Shopping online is the primary way people get most of the items they want or need, but there are some downsides: you can’t try on clothes to make sure they’ll fit right and it’s not easy to determine whether a particular makeup color will look good on ... more - slashgear

Apple said to be creating beastly VR headset in its quest for AR dominance

Throughout the years, we’ve heard a lot of rumors about Apple’s VR and AR ambitions, but today, a new report is revealing a ton of new information. As it turns out, Apple is said to be pursuing a virtual reality headset first and is planning to take what ... more - slashgear

Minecraft Dungeons launcher shuts down as Unified Launcher rolls out

Minecraft has grown considerably from its humble voxel beginnings and has branched out into different platforms and even genres. Some, like the Minecraft Earth AR game, didn’t really take off but others like the hack-and-slash Minecraft Dungeons have ... more - slashgear

Microsoft Hololens 2 preview brings Microsoft Edge, Swipe Keyboard

Although the likes of Facebook Oculus and HTC Vive take the lion’s share of the attention of consumers and mainstream media, their technologies are still mostly seen to lean more towards entertainment and gaming. In contrast, Microsoft’s HoloLens platform ... more - slashgear

Oculus Quest 2 secondary accounts, app sharing have lots of caveats

Oculus fans’ fears finally came true when Facebook announced that the Oculus Quest 2 would require a Facebook account to even use. That hard requirement had very significant and mostly negative implications and it seems that those will continue despite ... more - slashgear

Lenovo ThinkReality A3 smart glasses offer virtual monitors & workplace AR

Lenovo is diving further into wearables, with the ThinkReality A3 smart glasses promising virtual displays, 3D visualization, remote collaboration, and more, by tethering either to your laptop or smartphone. Announced at CES 2021, the headset runs Qualcomm’s ... more - slashgear

Sony’s new BRAVIA TVs pack advanced AI with Cognitive Processor XR

As part of its CES wares this year, Sony has taken the wraps off its new BRAVIA XR television lineup with models offering a Cognitive Processor XR and up to 8K video resolution. There are five models in the newly revealed line, the most notable being ... more - slashgear

Niantic Mayhem acquisition confirms AR isn’t dead: Pokemon GO won’t die like Minecraft Earth

This week Niantic announced that they’d acquired the company called Mayhem. This acquisition was made for what Niantic described as a reinforcement of their commitment to “real-world social as the centerpiece of our mission.” In other words: They’re aiming ... more - slashgear