AR
Meta’s $499 Quest 3 headset arrives this fall
Say hello to the second worst kept secret in VR. Meta today gave the world the first (official) glimpse of its latest headset, the Quest 3. The mixed reality hardware was shown off this morning ahead
A brief history of VR and AR
By the time Howard Rheingold’s “Virtual Reality” was published in 1991, the Sensorama was already a “slowly deteriorating” relic stashed away in a cabana next the pool at its invento
Apple invites media to WWDC 2023 keynote, where AR headset is expected to debut
Apple has sent out official invitations to select media to attend its WWDC 2023 keynote in person at the company’s Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California. The keynote is set to take pl
Meta pitches augmented reality to advertisers with new AR Reels Ads and Facebook Stories
Augmented reality is coming to Reels Ads and Facebook Stories, Meta announced this afternoon at the IAB’s NewFronts as part of its pitch to advertisers. The update allows brands like Sephora, Ti
This Week in Apps: Apple ‘sherlocks’ journaling apps, Twitter’s checkmark apocalypse, Snap summit recap
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app economy in 2023 hit a few snags, as c
Snapchat’s AR technology comes to the real world with ‘AR Mirrors’
Snap today offered an update on its AR Enterprise Services (ARES), the company’s recently announced initiative focused on providing AR tools and expertise to businesses that want to leverage Sna
Despite uncertain US future, TikTok launches Branded Effects for marketers
While the U.S. government debates TikTok’s future following last week’s congressional hearing, the video entertainment platform today announced a new product called Branded Effects aimed a
Snap quietly acquired 3D-scanning startup Th3rd last year
Snap quietly acquired Amsterdam-based 3D-scanning studio Th3rd in the second quarter of last year, at a time when the company was looking to bolster its AR-powered commerce ambitions. A spokesperson f
Goodbye, Google Glass, we knew you well
Update: Google tells TechCrunch that it remains committed to augmented reality, stating, “For years, we’ve been building AR into many Google products and we’ll continue to look at ways t
Apple’s AR/VR headset reportedly being pushed out due to ‘huge pressure to ship’
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Apple is building a mixed reality headset that’s set to ship this year. The company’s MR (AR+VR) hardware ranks among its longest-lasting rumor cycles. S
Hexa raises $20.5M to turn images into 3D objects for VR, AR and more
Hexa, a 3D asset visualization and management platform, today announced that it closed a $20.5 million Series A round from Point72 Ventures, Samurai Incubate, Sarona Partners and HTC. CEO and co-found
TikTok’s teenage filter has us confronting our own mortality
People on TikTok are getting emotional over an AR filter that makes you look like a teenager. Juxtaposed one beside the other, the filter shows you as you are, and then a version of you that has perfe
After struggling with consumers, Magic Leap hang its hopes on enterprise
Something wasn’t working. In late 2020, Magic Leap announced a major change spearheaded by incoming CEO, Peggy Johnson. “[W]hat I found was nothing was really broken,” she told the press at the
Mojo Vision puts contact lens production ‘on hold’ as it lays off 75% of staff
We’ve met with Mojo Vision for several CESes, watching the startup’s AR contact lenses develop, year by year. These sorts of things take a lot of time and money, of course — and these days it se
Lablaco seeks to help usher in the new era of web3 digitized retail
SPIN focuses on luxury consumers, though it’s not hard to ponder what an app such as this could do for a market in desperate need of a transfix, such as fast fashion.
Meta acquires Luxexcel, a smart eyewear company
As Meta faces antitrust scrutiny over its acquisition of VR fitness developers Within, the tech giant is making another acquisition. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it is purchasing Luxexcel, a smar
Google acquires Twitter-backed AI avatar startup Alter for $100 million
Google has acquired Alter, an artificial intelligence (AI) avatar startup that helps creators and brands express their virtual identity, for about $100 million, a source familiar with the matter told
Disney+ releases its first AR-enabled short film, ‘Remembering,’ starring Brie Larson
Today is Disney+ Day, and, as part of its perks, the company is offering Disney+ subscribers a new AR experience in conjunction with the short film “Remembering,” starring and produced by
Snapchat launches a spooky AR game for hunting ghosts around you
Snapchat has launched a new in-app game called Ghost Phone designed to showcase the company’s AR technology by allowing players to discover the secrets of an abandoned phone and hunt supernatura
This Week in Apps: Elon wants out, TikTok’s content ratings, a new milestone for subscription revenue
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. Global app spending reached $65 billion in th