facebook Facebook Acquires CTRL-labs to Advance Neural Input Armband Tech Facebook purchases CTRL-labs, a startup that creates armbands translating neural impulses into digital signals, for an estimated $500 million to $1 billion.
daqri Daqri Shuts Down as Apple Updates App Store Billing Augmented reality headset maker Daqri closes its doors, while Apple introduces a new grace period for lapsed App Store subscriptions.
ar Industrial AR Pioneer DAQRI Shuts Down After a Decade Augmented reality startup DAQRI closes its headquarters and lays off employees as it prepares to cease all operations by the end of September.
samsung Samsung Limits Note 3D Scanning to Premium Plus Model Samsung's new 3D scanning feature on the Galaxy Note 10+ wows crowds but offers limited practical value right now. The capability remains locked to the more expensive phone to help justify the higher price tag.
snap Snap Looks to Asian Messaging Apps by Launching Social Games Snap introduces multiplayer, ad-supported games inside its app to boost user engagement, taking inspiration from successful Asian messaging giants like WeChat.
microsoft Microsoft Unveils HoloLens 2 at MWC Barcelona Microsoft introduces HoloLens 2, marking a major step in mixed reality computing that blends the intelligent cloud with intelligent edge devices. The new headset aims to transform how people work, learn, and collaborate in three-dimensional space.
asteroid Asteroid Builds Biosensory Interface Engine to Prepare AR Developers for the Future Asteroid creates a node-based human-machine interaction engine that helps developers integrate advanced biosensory data like eye-tracking and brain-computer inputs into their apps. The startup also offers a crowdfunded hardware dev kit to showcase these emerging interface capabilities.
google maps Google Maps AR Walking Directions Aim to Eliminate Navigation Confusion Google is testing an augmented reality mode for Maps that projects directional arrows onto your phone's camera view to prevent users from walking the wrong way.
meta Struggling AR Startup Meta Acquired by Mystery Buyer After Insolvency Following a sudden plunge into insolvency, AR headset maker Meta sells its assets to an undisclosed buyer for less than its outstanding bank debt.
facebook Facebook Hires Google AR/VR Lead to Oversee Portal Hardware Facebook hires Ryan Cairns, Google's former AR/VR engineering lead, to manage its Portal hardware division following a recent internal restructuring.
niantic Niantic Closes $245 Million Series C, Reaches Nearly $4 Billion Valuation Pokémon GO creator Niantic officially closes a $245 million Series C funding round led by IVP. The company plans to use the capital to launch Harry Potter: Wizards Unite and expand its AR platform for third-party developers.
augmented reality Augmented Reality Check: Are AR Goggles Ready to Replace Smartphones? AR technology shows potential to replace smartphones but hardware limitations keep it years from consumer readiness.
ar AR and VR Face Crucial Transition Before 2020 Rebirth The current generation of augmented and virtual reality struggles to find a mass market, with mixed smartglasses sales and declining VR units. Analysts predict a necessary industry shakeout in 2019 before a major inflection point arrives in late 2020.
marc andreessen Marc Andreessen Predicts Audio Boom and VR Dominance Over AR In a recent a16z podcast, Marc Andreessen explains why audio technology and body sensors are poised to become massive markets. He also makes the bold claim that virtual reality will eventually dwarf augmented reality by a factor of one thousand.
google Google Launches Pixel 3 and 3XL With AI Features and Unlimited Storage Google introduces the Pixel 3 and 3XL smartphones, challenging Apple with AI-powered cameras, wireless charging, and an AR partnership with Marvel Studios. The devices feature larger screens and start at $799.