News & Views

Magic Leap has partnered with Spatial, a cross-reality collaboration platform which enables holographic meetings, to offer a new trial package of our software and equipment — the Magic Leap Collaboration Package. The package provides Magic Leap 1 devices for a trial period of 45 days and support for user set-up with Spatial.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has been watching, that Magic Leap is reported to be considering a sale. Looking back we can now see that their aggressive pace of investment just didn’t match what the technology needed to do for its users.

Compound Photonics US and Plessey Semiconductors announced that they have produced the first fully addressable microLED display modules from their new GaN-on-Silicon microLED process. These are intended for AR/MR applications.

Interfaces for xR are among the most challenging issues in the field. People have been trying to figure out the best way to work in virtual worlds since the 90’s, and the variations number at least into the hundreds. Frankly, most of those attempts have not been very successful. Why is this such a tough problem?

While AR/VR may appear to be useful to your organization, it’s not a certain solution. In many scenarios, starting with new or emerging technologies isn’t an acceptable risk even if you believe that AR/VR can and should be an option for your project. A thorough assessment of the objectives of your project and the ways that immersive technology can reduce costs, and/ or add benefits is essential.

The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., is enhancing visitor experiences and making its Honda Pacific Visions Theater even more accessible with the integration of Moverio® augmented reality smart glasses.

Brian Blau, a senior executive with over 25 years of experience in technology industry research, management, who is also one of the xR industry's most trusted analysts, has joined ImmersivEdge Advisors.

Panasonic Corporation today announced that it has developed the world's first High Dynamic Range(HDR) capable ultra-high definition(UHD) virtual reality (VR) eyeglasses which boasts a comfortable fit that makes users feel as if they were wearing eyeglasses.

Imagination Technologies has announced that it has a new multi-year license agreement under which Apple has access to a wider range of Imagination’s intellectual property.

North, makers of Focals smart glasses, today announced that its next generation of smart glasses, Focals 2.0, will begin shipping in 2020 North has further miniaturized its technology by 40%; making Focals 2.0 lighter, sleeker and featuring a dramatically sharper 10x improved retinal display.

At the IAAPA show for theme parks & family entertainment centers, all the proven leisure attractions are doing fine. After 5 years of entertainment VR, the results are in — and bimodal. It seems IAAPA hasn’t yet reached Peak VR.

With August’s news that they had collateralized a funding round with their patent portfolio, we regret to inform you that this looks like the beginning of the end, or maybe even the middle of the end, for Magic Leap. Having raised approximately $2.6 billion, including April’s Series D round of $280 million, it seems that Magic Leap may soon join a long list of over-hyped and under-delivering xR companies stretching back to VPL Research’s stunning bankruptcy in 1992.