Tag: ar

Microsoft Is Bringing Cutting-Edge Tech Into Gaming

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: Engadget

Gaming is growing increasingly immersive as integrations with cutting-edge technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) deepens. In fact, at the E3 event currently underway, Microsoft just announced a new version of Minecraft built specifically for its HoloLens headset that was demonstrated at E3 yesterday. The company has also teamed up with Oculus for Xbox One game streaming and Valve for VR on Windows 10.

These two announcements may have Sony on high alert, as the competitive company does not offer the compatibility that Microsoft now does. ESPN magazine is at the forefront of the rise of competitive gaming, releasing the first ever issue on e-sports, calling the meteoric rise of professional gaming in recent years “the birth of a new sport”. As eSports continues to grow and gain legitimacy, we expect more emerging technologies to be integrated.

 

 

Why Google Is Dipping Its Toe Into Original Content

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: CNET

Google’s game studio, called Niantic Labs, is reportedly adapting its popular mobile AR game Ingress for television. This is a surprising move, considering the aversion towards developing original content the search giant has demonstrated, but nevertheless an understandable one, given that Google can position the TV show as another layer of the game to increase its reach and influence.

SXSW 2015: Solutions for Augmented and Virtual Reality

Posted on by Lab Team

The nexus of virtual and augmented reality is one of the most interesting topics at SXSW, and content creators are currently exploring the new tools. Augmented reality (“AR”) like Google Glass and Microsoft HoloLens, is a way of transmitting digital content into the real world. Virtual reality (“VR”), as used by Oculus and Samsung, is completely immersive. Both can create great, consumable content, but in the coming years, brand will need to understand and execute on the best use cases for each. For instance, DAQRI, an augmented reality developer working in industrial and enterprise-grade solutions, believes that the enclosed environment of virtual reality is best suited toward immersive experiences, while augmented reality is best when needing to interface with the world around the audience.

But it’s not just brands who are interested in AR and VR; consumers are becoming more active in the space as well. Video multi-channel network Machinima is attempting to bridge the gap between user-generated content and the new space. “You can’t create a medium with a lot of content if 1% of the population has the tools to do so,” admitted Machinima CEO Allen DeBevoise. Brands may be able to pay for expensive and beautiful VR content, but if the public can’t create its own, there may be a small audience.

Here Come The Holograms

Posted on by Lab Team

Read the original story on: Vox

At yesterday’s Microsoft press event, among standard updates for its software offerings, including the new Windows 10 OS and accompanying new apps, the company also unveiled an intriguing new project: the Microsoft HoloLens. Currently in the prototype stage, it is a see-through visor-like headset that projects holographic objects into the real-world surroundings.

Microsoft has developed a new user interface for 3D computing and is still working on how to enable users to control and interact with the virtual 3D objects. This marks Microsoft’s official foray into augmented reality and could very well be the first step towards a future full of holograms.

Wearables You May Actually Want To Wear

Posted on by Lab Team

Sometimes we get so caught up in wearable tech functions that we forget the form factor. You do need to actually wear these things at the end of the day. In an effort to push Glass into the mainstream, Google is pairing up with designer Diane von Furstenberg to design limited-edition frames. The cultural cache may provide some renewed excitement for the groundbreaking tech that has many turned off thus far. 

To see great examples of tech meeting fashion, check out Netatmo’s June, an elegant UV sensing bracelet.

Google Glass App Glashion Changes Shopping Behaviors

Posted on by Lab Team

Google Glass and the AR movement at large have created enormous opportunities to change behaviors.  A new Glass app, Glashion, does just this, allowing users to purchase fashion items they see on the fly.  The app captures a photo of the product and uses the ShopStyle API to find similar items, which can then be purchased directly in the app.  The app can also direct the user to nearby stores carrying the item.  Founder Billy Mauro explains that Glashion’s goal is to demonstrate how Glass can bridge online and offline shopping behaviors, and should Glass take off, this kind of behavior could become increasingly common.