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Because augmented reality is still so new to so many people, there are a number of would-be experts opining online, often repeating basic facts anyone with a spare 15 minutes can find on their own. That's why it's important to point out when someone delivers what could be cons ...more

Samsung's big reveal of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at Mobile World Congress revolved around its "reimagined" camera and augmented reality capabilities. Between AR Emojis, Bixby, and ARCore, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ offer more native AR software features than any other device. AR is s ...more

A very low-key update to the ARCore developer's site has expanded the universe of officially-supported devices for Google's augmented reality toolkit to include the Samsung Galaxy S7, S8+, and Note 8 handsets. The expansion itself isn't a surprise with regard to the S8+ and N ...more

In just a few days, all the Galaxy S9 and S9+ leaks will come to an end, as Samsung will officially unveil its latest top-tier smartphone. But before that happens, we're all getting another leaked image of the handset thanks to a bit of snooping and the magic of augmented real ...more

Harry Potter fans can set down their wands for a spell, as the highly-anticipated augmented reality game from Niantic based on the franchise won't arrive until after July at the earliest. In an interview with The Financial Times (subscription required), Niantic CEO John Hanke ...more

The augmented reality industry made great strides in 2017, but its apex is not even in sight. In terms of software, augmented reality is approaching meaningful mainstream awareness, thanks mostly to Apple and ARKit. Meanwhile, on the hardware side, AR is very much in its infa ...more

With just a few more days to go before its release in theaters, the Star Wars: The Last Jedi push has gone into overdrive. On Monday, Google released "The Last Jedi AR Stickers," a set of augmented reality stickers that lets users put a number of different Star Wars characters ...more

Usually paper beats rock. With augmented reality, The Rock beats paper. Using the Life VR app for iOS or Android, Entertainment Weekly readers can point their smartphones at the cover of the Dec. 8 edition to view a holiday greeting from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, star of the ...more

The past year brought about a number of trends in the smartphone space. More immersive displays, better processors, and portrait mode for cameras come to mind as big steps forward. One of the most polarizing trends that continued in 2017 is the removal of the 3.5 mm headphone ...more

If you're a regular reader of Next Reality, you're more likely to spread the joy of augmented reality than most others. But it can be difficult to introduce newbies into the AR fold if you don't give them exactly the right starting point in terms ease-of-use and affordability. ...more

After previously learning how to make the material of an object change with the focus of an object, we will build on that knowledge by adding new objects through code. We will accomplish this by creating our bounding box, which in the end is not actually a box, as you will see ...more

If giving truly is better than receiving, then The Box AR should be the best ARKit app available when iOS 11 releases next week. Dad jokes and hyperbole aside, developer 8ninths puts a creative spin on placing holograms on the user's view of the real world. Every 24 hours, A ...more

The future is here with a new demo made with Apple's ARKit and LeapMotion. Typically, since ARKit works through your iPhone, in order to move augmented reality objects that are appearing on your screen, you have to drag them with your finger. However, developer Arthur Schille ...more

From all the demos we've seen, we know for sure that the marketing world is going to change drastically thanks to Apple's ARKit. We've already started to see examples of it like the giant iPhone advertisement that let you get a large scale 3D look at the newest iPhone and all ...more

This demo made with Apple's ARKit is 13/10 and features a very good boy. Since the ARKit was announced, there have been rumors going around about what it could mean for pet lovers who want to see augmented reality dogs. The popular Twitter We Rate Dogs has created a Good Dogs ...more

If you're a Doctor Who fan, you've likely always hoped to see that iconic blue box appear on your doorstep with the Doctor asking you to come on an adventure. With the 13th Doctor just announced, this seems like the perfect time to tell you that thanks to Apple's ARKit, explor ...more

Universal Studios and Cinemark Theaters have enlisted mobile augmented reality game Seek to promote The Mummy, a reboot of the action-adventure film franchise starring summer movie mainstay Tom Cruise. Available as iOS and Android apps, Seek is among a growing number of mobil ...more

One of the truly beautiful things about the HoloLens is its completely untethered, the-world-is-your-oyster freedom. This, paired with the ability to view your real surroundings while wearing the device, allows for some incredibly interesting uses. One particular use is trigge ...more

Lawsuits among tech giants is a tale as old as time (or at least as old as the tech world). But one lawsuit between two tech giants appears to be heating up; Apple's lawsuit against Qualcomm is being met with a countersuit. The Hill reports Qualcomm filed the countersuit base ...more

While it remains unknown how exactly augmented reality will make its way into the mainstream (the Microsoft HoloLens sitting at $3,000 isn't exactly accessible), many brands have been trying to integrate the tech into their mobile apps, mimicking the success of Snapchat and it ...more

Regular HoloLens developer and YouTuber Sky Zhou, a founding member of mixed reality studio Matrix Inception, has done it again. With an Xbox One controller in hand, watch as he makes these Pokémon battle it out Super Smash Brothers-style in his HoloLens app. Video: . I asked ...more

Cancer is a complicated illness, but the more we understand it, the likelier we are to beat it. The 3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab at the University of New South Wales took to virtual reality to help improve our odds by allowing scientists to walk through virtual representati ...more

We've seen plenty of good, bad, and weird things that have come out of the worldwide augmented reality game Pokémon GO, including murder and location-based bans, but nothing on a large scale. That was, of course, until Iran decided to ban the game country-wide. Don't Miss: Po ...more

While the early stages of any new technology always seems amazing because of the utilitarian, almost altruistic software concepts it inspires, mixed and augmented reality will still see its fair share of corporate apps. That might be a good thing, however, as Volvo's plan goes ...more

After a relatively short beta-testing period, Pokémon Go is now rolling out to Android and iOS devices right now. If you want to catch 'em all in the real world, your wait is over. Video: . By now most of us know the details of the highly-anticipated, real-world Pokémon advent ...more

The Oculus Rift's virtual experiences become a little less immersive when you're barely moving in a chair with a headset on, playing on a gamepad—but you don't have to accept that reality anymore. Their special Touch controllers, which theoretically let the user explore the V ...more

Every year, tech companies use April 1st as a means to prove that they have a sense of humor. Sometimes their jokes are good for a chuckle, other times the gags backfire disastrously. For the most part, however, we'd be better off without the bulk of these annual antics. But ...more

If we go by the timeline set forth in Back to the Future Part II, Nike's new HyperAdapt 1.0 with adaptable lacing is at least a year late. But HyperAdapt will do more than just automatically tighten your laces—sensors in the sole of the shoe will provide a "tailored-to-the-mom ...more

With the DOJ attempting to rip Apple a new one and an Apple attorney firing back, the President offered his opinion on the recent encryption debacle between the FBI and Apple at SXSW, amidst some talk about the direction of today's tech industry. In Case You Missed It: The FB ...more

In case you didn't know, Android has an awesome hidden settings menu called "Developer options" that contains a lot of advanced and unique features. If you've ever come across this menu before, chances are you just dipped in for a minute so that you could enable USB debugging ...more

Serving as the primary tool of distribution for many websites, social media is how most of us catch up what's going on around the world. While there is a bunch of clickbait going around on Facebook and Twitter, there are plenty of genuinely interesting articles being shared. ...more

In the wake of a horrific attack on its Paris headquarters, satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo has responded by upping its print run from a typical 60,000 to upwards of 3 million. This commemorative issue, Tout est pardonné ("All is forgiven"), has been met by such demand that ...more

In the aftermath of the unindicted police killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, we've been told that the system worked as intended. When our legal system's outcome is at conflict with what a majority of Americans believe is just, it's clear that some changes are needed. B ...more

We've already told you how the Japanese pioneered growing specially shaped watermelons (including square, heart, and Godzilla egg). Now it turns out an organic farmer just north of Los Angeles is doing them one better. Tony Dighera has figured out a way to grow "Pumpkinsteins ...more

I may not be a well-traveled man, but one thing I've learned from my few excursions across the world is that currency exchange rates are a serious pain to keep up with. With global markets seemingly in a continuous flux, I started looking for anything to make staying on top of ...more

Video: . Extraterrestrial life is life that does not originate from Earth. It is also called alien life, or, if it is a sentient and/or relatively complex individual, an "extraterrestrial" or "alien" (or, to avoid confusion with the legal sense of "alien," a "space alien"). Th ...more

Google's Chromecast streaming device is a marvel of functionality and form. Even with powerful features such as screen mirroring and collaborative party playlists, it's the device's idle screen that first catches the eyes of most folks. Breathtaking photos of nature and citys ...more

Whether you are just starting or returning to college, or have already been out in the real world for some time, it's always a good idea to stay on top of your game by keeping your intellect sharp. While it may be easy to just sit in front of your TV, watching reruns of The Bi ...more

The idle screen for the Chromecast is certainly beautiful. Full of many high-definition pictures taken of various parts of the world, it's almost a shame that we have to dismiss this screen in order to cast content. The folks over at RiR Software love this idle screen, too. S ...more

April Fool's Day, aka National Screw with Your Friends Day, is finally here. You can always pull a conventional prank, like strategically placing a whoopee cushion on your mom's chair, but that joke has been exhausted generations before smartphones were around. We live in a d ...more

If you are using the the AT&T variant of the HTC One, you are well aware that the carrier opted not have the HTC Backup app pre-installed on the device. Luckily for us, HTC said "screw it" and put the app on Google Play, allowing anyone with an HTC One, regardless of carrier, ...more

Android may be one of the world's most popular operating systems, but the fragmentation of it between devices can cause some confusion. Known for their deliciously sweet names, Gingerbread, Froyo, and Jelly Bean are just of few of the many versions of Android your device could ...more

Photographers have been using the Pepper's Ghost Illusion for over a century to play up the level of creepiness in their photos. Many of the pictures that claim to be real "sightings" use this technique to project a ghostly figure into the background of their images. Today, it ...more

I like being fast at everything (well, almost everything), and I expect no less from my smartphone. So when I'm using an app on my Samsung Galaxy S3 that takes up the full display, I don't want to swipe down twice to get to my notifications—I want to swipe down once. The Slow ...more

Lock screen exploits are becoming increasingly common in the mobile world. Four weeks ago there was the iPhone 5 passcode bug (which just got fixed yesterday...kinda). Then there were a couple lock screen bugs on the Samsung Galaxy S3 two weeks ago. Now that GS3 lock screen b ...more

When it comes to live wallpaper for your Android device, the choices are pretty much limitless. Anything from a planet's elliptical orbit around the sun to a school of fish swimming across your screen are just a click and a download away. With the advancement of smartphones, l ...more

For the majority of my math classes in middle and high school, a graphing calculator was a must. While the calculators were very useful to have, they were quite steep in the price column. After losing the TI-83 graphing calculator my parents bought me in high school, I had to ...more

YouTube and Vimeo are two of the most well known video websites, and each receive millions of views a month, with YouTube being one of the most visited sites in the world. Well, for folks who have mobile phones, but like watching videos on a TV or other large display, now ther ...more

As an avid Steam user, I'm faced daily with high prices for all of the games I want to download and play. It's gotten to the point where I don't even bother going on Steam altogether because I might end up spending a bunch of money I don't have. There's even times when I begr ...more

With all of the advancements in the smartphone world, we can virtually use them for anything. You can use your smartphone as a mobile hotspot, an Xbox controller, a car locator, and a security camera. Heck, you can even turn it into a Swiss Army knife. And now you can even use ...more

The first album I ever bought with my own money was Nirvana's MTV Unplugged in New York. It featured mainly lesser-known songs and covers, but was on constant repeat on my Walkman. While the whole album was fantastic, there was one song that stood out the most to me—"The Man W ...more

As if Samsung's Galaxy series isn't already ruling the smartphone and tablet world, they've now moved on to digital point-and-shoots with their new Samsung Galaxy Camera. The smartphone/tablet/camera hybrid comes equipped with a 16-megapixel image sensor and a touchscreen equi ...more

Having the ability to stream music or video from practically any internet-capable device is a thing of wonder—especially at the airport. I don't know how many times Netflix has saved me from watching something like CNN for 5 hours straight at the gate during long layovers. But ...more

As most of us know, men and women are (shocker alert) different. Not only are they different, but they view the world an entirely different way. Especially colors. But with the help of a new Android app called Color Grab by Loomatix, now everyone can view colors the same way. ...more

Let's say that you've got the look down, and you have your Steampunk props all ready to go. Congratulations! You're a Steampunk! But now what do you do with yourself? You can sit there, patting yourself on the back, but that gets lonely after awhile. Your props will look nic ...more

There are plenty of reasons not to use location information when you tweet, whether you're trying to stay safe or just don't want your crazy ex showing up while you're in line at the grocery store. But a new website called 'Please Don't Stalk Me' could actually make broadcasti ...more

If you've never heard of geocaching, it's kind of a grown-up treasure hunt you play everywhere in the world. GPS coordinates are given as clues and the players must find the cache box. There is usually a log book to write your name and a small toy or present to collect. The l ...more

We love these Gomi Style guys. Creators of past sensations like the cardboard chair and aqua mirror, here they come with a new inspiration. Steampunk! Steampunk can be traced back to the mid-80s cyberpunk movement out of Silicone Valley. Steampunk enthusiasts make all sorts c ...more

Impossible, right? Ahh, well science says fire and ice can and do coexist. The Science of this experiment:Dry ice at -109ºF, is frozen carbon dioxide (CO2), not water (H2O). Dry ice is also much colder than a freezer ice cube. To be exact it is almost as cold as Earth's cold ...more

You can't beat Samsung's hardware, but their software still isn't for everyone. That's the thing, though — software can be replaced. So if you're more a fan of Google's vision for Android, but you can't get enough of Samsung's beautiful screens and build quality, you're just 1 ...more