Augmented Reality

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the design of Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset with professional product designer Marcus Kane. Marcus is an industrial designer and UX consultant who uses virtual and augmented reality headsets on a daily basis to support his workflow. He recently created detailed concept renders of what he expects Apple's mixed-reality headset...

Mark Zuckerberg wants to make Meta's forthcoming AR glasses an "iPhone moment" that will cast him and the company in a new light, according to a former employee who worked on the project. The comment was made to The Verge for a report outlining Meta's roadmap for AR glasses, which includes at least four different versions to be launched over the next six years. According to the report,...

Samsung is significantly falling behind in the rush to bring augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices to market, partially due to the company's "obsession" with foldable smartphones, The Korea Herald reports. Apple mixed-reality headset concept render based on purported leaked information by Ian Zelbo Samsung's main competitors, including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Sony, are...

Meta has stopped developing its scratch-built operating system for augmented-reality (AR) and virtual-reality (VR) devices, according to The Information. In a paywalled report published earlier today, The Information claims that Meta stopped the development of its operating system designed for Oculus virtual-reality devices and the company's upcoming augmented-reality glasses in November...

Uber appears to be working on an augmented reality walking directions feature designed to help Uber users find the appropriate vehicle and driver in a crowded area. Mentions of augmented reality function were discovered in the Uber iOS app code by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser. From Uber's augmented reality assisted pickup patent "Tap to enter AR walking experience," reads the code, which ...

Facebook is reportedly weighing up the legal implications of building facial recognition technology into a pair of smart glasses that the company is currently developing and which it intends to launch later this year. Prototype Project Aria AR glasses Facebook is using to research AR tech According to BuzzFeed News, Facebook's chief of AR and VR, Andrew Bosworth, told employees during an...

Amid a spate of rumors in recent months about Apple's plans for a mixed reality headset and AR glasses, videos of Samsung's plans for its own AR glasses have purportedly leaked online (via The Verge). A leaker known as "WalkingCat" has shared seemingly official Samsung concept videos that depict "Samsung Glasses Lite" and "Samsung AR Glasses." Samsung Glasses Lite give the illusion of a 2D ...

Apple today announced the launch of a new augmented reality app that takes inspiration from Apple TV+ series "For All Mankind." The app, built on Apple's ARKit framework, is designed to offer augmented reality experiences for the 2020 iPad Pro models and the iPhone 12 lineup. Apple describes "For All Mankind: Time Capsule" as a new augmented reality experience that "brings the world of...

Apple's rumored virtual reality (VR) headset may be released as soon as the first quarter of 2022, according to JP Morgan analysis seen by China Times. The report, spotted by iMore, explains that the "industrial design of Apple's headset will be close to that of other brands of VR headsets." The headset is said to feature six lenses and an optical LiDAR scanner to map the wearer's...

Apple's first virtual reality headset will be a "pricey, niche precursor" to a more ambitious augmented reality product, according to a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As a mostly virtual reality device, it will display an all-encompassing 3-D digital environment for gaming, watching video and communicating. AR functionality, the ability to overlay images and information over a view...

Live View in Google Maps uses your iPhone's camera and GPS to provide augmented reality directions when you're walking somewhere, and this week Google announced that it's enhancing the feature and making it available in additional transit scenarios. In Live View, arrows, directions, and distance markers are placed right on top of your surroundings to visualize your destination in the real...

Apple plans to add bonus augmented reality content to its Apple TV+ streaming video service, according to a new report today by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The new feature is said to take aspects of scenes in a TV show, such as characters or objects, and display them on the viewer's iPhone or iPad so they can be seen as if they existed in the user's surrounding environment. For example,...

Last year, seven artists led an augmented reality project in Apple Stores around the world. A new free documentary now available on Apple TV highlights the work of each artist and tells the story of pushing "the boundaries of their work by exploring the uncharted territory of augmented reality art." "Infinite Canvas" is the debut documentary film of award-winning photographer Ryan...

Lamborghini today announced that all iPhone and iPad users will be able to view the new Huracán EVO RWD Spyder using Augmented Reality and Apple's AR Quick Look. Apple users can visit the Lamborghini website from tomorrow on their ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌, tap "See in AR" next to the announcement of the Huracán EVO RWD Spyder, and then the vehicle will be viewable in AR. Users can rotate and...

Apple is enhancing its Augmented Reality Quick Look feature that's designed to allow users to see augmented reality versions of products they're intending to purchase right in their houses. According to CNET and TechCrunch, Apple has updated the Quick Look preview feature in Safari to allow retailers to add links and buttons to the augmented reality experience. When browsing sites like...

While we're still two months away from Apple's widely rumored trio of 2018 iPhones, the rumor mill is already looking ahead to next year. iPhone with triple-lens rear camera mockup via iDrop News Much of the early discussion has centered upon the rear-facing camera on 2019 iPhones, with multiple reports claiming it will be a triple-lens array with advanced 3D sensing for augmented reality...

Apple today announced a new augmented reality file format called Universal Scene Description (USDZ) during its keynote event at WWDC in San Jose, California. Apple explained that USDZ was developed alongside animation studio Pixar and is an open file format optimized for creating and sharing 3D Augmented Reality assets in a compact, single file. This means that the format is optimized for...

Ahead of next week's Worldwide Developers Conference, Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster today shared his predictions for the features and services that Apple will unveil during the event. Munster expects Apple to debut new Siri, AR, AI, and Digital Health functionality, including a Beats-branded accessory (presumably a speaker) that includes Siri integration, much like the HomePod. Some of...

Google today outlined several new features coming to Google Maps at its Google I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California this morning. First and foremost, this summer, Google Maps will be updated with a new personalized "For You" section that offers up recommendations based on your interests. The Maps app is gaining a dedicated "For You" tab that is designed to "tell you what you...

Snapchat today announced the launch of Snappables, which are new Snapchat Lenses that are designed to allow Snapchat users to play augmented reality games with their friends. Interactive Snappable lenses are located right near other Snapchat Lenses in the Lens Carousel and can be accessed by tapping the icon on the left side of the capture button. To use a Snappable, tap the Snappable...