Tim Cook: Augmented reality can ‘bring people together’

Apple CEO Tim Cook has long been a proponent of augmented reality (AR) over virtual reality, arguing that AR has the potential to bring people together rather than isolate them.

In a recent profile with GQ, Cook reiterated his belief that overlaying the physical world with digital elements can enhance communication and connection between people. 

Cook emphasised that AR should be used to drop digital things into the real world rather than transport people to purely...

4 April 2023 | Platforms

Google tool helps developers create XR experiences

Google has released a tool called Immersive Stream for XR that makes it easier for developers to create mixed-reality experiences.

Earlier this week, the company held an event where it demonstrated a new “immersive view” in Google Maps that uses advances in AI and computer vision to fuse billions of Street View and other images to create a detailed 3D model of locations. Impressively, it even works indoors to allow users to check out a venue like a restaurant before they...

10 February 2023 | Developer

Linux Foundation launches Open Metaverse Foundation

The nonprofit Linux Foundation has launched the Open Metaverse Foundation (OMF) to promote an open metaverse.

Current participating organisations of the OMF include the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Futurewei, GenXP, Hyperledger Foundation, LF AI, LF Edge & Networking, Open Voice Network, Open Wallet, and Veriken.

When discussing the metaverse, it’s important to consider the history of the web.

The original vision for the web was a decentralised...

19 January 2023 | Blockchain

Further details emerge about Apple’s first AR/VR headset

Apple is set to launch its first AR/VR headset this year and we’re starting to get more details about what to expect.

We’ve known for some time that the mixed reality headset is set to pack M2 and H2 chips, adjustable lenses, two 4K displays, a 120-degree field-of-view, and feature more than 10 external and internal cameras to offer a seamless transition between VR and AR.

As expected with such hardware specs, the headset won’t be cheap. Expectations put the cost...

4 January 2023 | App Stores

Game development legend John Carmack quits Meta

Legendary game developer John Carmack has quit his executive consultant position at Meta.

Carmack, the co-founder of id Software and lead programmer of gaming classics including Doom and Wolfenstein, posted a scathing letter detailing his decision:

This is the end of my decade in VR.

I have mixed feelings.

Quest 2 is almost exactly what I wanted to see from the beginning – mobile hardware, inside out tracking, optional PC streaming, 4k (ish)...

20 December 2022 | Gaming

Apple may unveil its mixed reality headset in January

We could finally see Apple’s much-anticipated mixed reality headset in just a couple of months.

According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up to unveil the headset early next year. The headset is expected to offer a seamless transition between virtual and augmented reality.

Unlike efforts from Meta, Apple has reportedly designed its mixed reality headset for short stints of communication, content viewing, and gaming. The metaverse is...

15 November 2022 | Gaming

Kuo: Apple will hold its mixed reality headset event in January

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple will hold a special event for its mixed reality headset in January.

The analyst says tools for developers will launch “2-4 weeks after the event” and pre-orders will begin in Q2 2023.

https://twitter.com/mingchikuo/status/1534063922852302849

Last month, Kuo warned excited Apple fans not to expect the much-anticipated mixed reality headset at this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Indeed, the headset...

7 June 2022 | iOS

Kuo: Don’t expect Apple’s mixed reality headset at WWDC 2022

Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says not to expect Apple’s anticipated mixed reality headset at WWDC 2022.

Kuo’s comment arrives after a trademark filing for ‘RealityOS’ – Apple’s OS for its mixed reality headset – was uncovered. The filing suggests an official announcement of the headset is getting close, but Apple isn’t quite ready for the grand reveal.

https://twitter.com/mingchikuo/status/1531518877498490880

As with any current hardware launch,...

1 June 2022 | iOS

ARCore Geospatial API helps developers build immersive experiences

During I/O 2022, Google launched its ARCore Geospatial API to help developers build more immersive, richer, and more useful experiences.

Augmented reality experiences are beginning to gain traction beyond Pokémon Go. Now there are AR apps for making floorplans, seeing how furnishings will look in your home, understanding the world around you, and even getting real-time information about the night sky.

Google showed off enhancements to its own AR solution, Lens, during...

12 May 2022 | Android

Unity says PSVR2 takes VR gaming ‘to a whole new level’

Unity held a ‘Building Next-Gen Games for PSVR2’ session at this year’s Game Developers Conference and the company appears to be as excited as many developers about the upcoming VR hardware.

"PSVR2 takes VR gaming to a whole new level, enabling a greater sense of presence and allowing players to immerse themselves into game worlds like never before", says Bria Williams, Senior Product Manager at Unity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ2bCnX5Sh0

The original...

1 April 2022 | Gaming