9 Sep 2019
|
Emily Friedman
AR+VR Weekly: Notable Women, Apple's AR Device, and XR Documentaries
AR/VR Weekly
Catch up on the latest AR+VR highlights, funding news & launch announcements: Weeks of August 26 & September 2
Image Source: CNET
Highlights
Welcome to a double dose of our AR+VR weekly! In addition to keeping you up-to-date on the biggest news, funding activity, and launch announcements in immersive tech, here are eight stories that caught our eye:
On the heels of Google's Notable Women app, which uses AR to put women on US currency, Debra Lee Charatan asks whether VR can help create a more equal reality for working women. And with traditional print journalism dying, Kenny Kline wonders if immersive tech will save the journalism industry.
Meanwhile, programming code in iOS 13 suggests Apple is already testing an AR device; Ubisoft is building a 50-person team for an unannounced VR project; and Facebook is once again assuring it doesn't store Quest camera or Guardian data.
Finally, two XR documentaries: These Sleepless Nights, an MR documentary addressing homelessness in the U.S., debuted at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, while the Emmy-nominated VR film Traveling While Black continues to garner acclaim.
Funding News
Sony Acquires Insomniac Games, Delivering a Strategic Blow to Oculus Studios in the Process (Road to VR)
Ario Technologies Increases Seed Funding to $2M for AR Software Platform (MarTechSeries)
Launch Announcements
Microsoft HoloLens 2 will go on sale in September (Engadget)
Lenovo, Disney Launch Marvel AR Headset (Variety)
Bjork Releases 'Vulnicura Virtual Reality Album' (Engadget)
5G-ready VR telepresence app Avatour launches in beta (VentureBeat)
Puma Launches New Basketball Line with Web-based AR Activation (Next Reality)
BAE Systems Announces Finalized Prototype of its High-performing AR Glasses (Manchester Times)
New Volumetric Capture Studio The Lightframe Co. Opens in NYC (VR Scout)
Form Teams Up with Polar to Bring Heart Rate Data to AR Swim Goggles (VentureBeat)
Parrot unveils the Anafi FPV, a drone you fly with a HUD (VentureBeat)
Google Releases Real-time Mobile Hand Tracking to R&D Community (Road to VR)
Google Confirms Launch of its New 3D Editor for Google Poly (VRScout)
Social VR Platform 'AltspaceVR' Coming to Oculus Quest Mid-September (Road to VR)
Ximmerse Reveals New Rhino X Augmented Reality Headset (Next Reality)
Billie Eilish and more coming to Oculus Venues in VR concert series (Billboard)
Snapchat Adds New Landmarkers, Templates, and Guides to Lens Studio (VentureBeat)
6D.ai Announces Working with Qualcomm to Provide Spatial Understanding for Snapdragon-powered XR HMDs (VentureBeat)
Event Listings
Tech Inclusion 2019: September 11-12 (San Francisco, CA)
European Women in Games Conference: September 11-12 (London, UK)
XRBavaria Kick-Off-Event: September 12 (Munich, Germany) -- Sign up and win one of 2 free tickets to AWE EU 2019!
EWTS 2019: September 17-19 (Dallas, TX)
Crypto Games Conference: October 10-11 (Kyiv, Ukraine)
AWE EU 2019: October 17-18 (Munich, Germany)
