Category: AR News

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Microsoft Exec Peggy Johnson to Take Over as CEO of Magic Leap

Peggy Johnson, Microsoft’s Executive VP of Business Development, is slated to take the reins as the new CEO of Magic Leap, effective August 1st.

This comes nearly a month after co-founder Rony Abovitz announced he would be stepping down as CEO, citing the company’s need for leadership to further commercialize Magic Leap tech for enterprise.

Magic Leap recently pivoted to the enterprise space after seeing lackluster success with its $2,300 AR headset, Magic Leap 1 (previously known as Magic Leap One Developer Edition). A recent $350 million funding round has ensured the company more runway as it no doubt strives to justify its already massive $3 billion funding, which has arrived from sources including Google, Alibaba, Qualcomm, AT&T, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and Axel Springer.

Image courtesy Microsoft

In a company statement, Johnson says she’s vowed to “accelerate Magic Leap’s growth and bring transformative enterprise solutions to market.”

“As CEO, I look forward to strategically building enduring relationships that connect Magic Leap’s game-changing technology and pipeline to the wide-ranging digital needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries,” said Johnson. “It is with great pride and sincere appreciation to the Magic Leap Board, Rony and the entire team, as well as to Satya Nadella at Microsoft, that I assume the role of leading this visionary business into the future.”

Over Johnson’s 24 years at Qualcomm, she held various leadership positions and served as a member of Qualcomm’s Executive Committee. At Microsoft Johnson oversaw strategic partnerships and transactions, as well as strategic investments through Microsoft’s corporate venture fund, M12.

In addition to her duties at Magic Leap, Johnson also serves on the Board of Directors of the global investment management firm BlackRock, Inc.

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Magic Leap Appoints New CEO: Microsoft Executive Peggy Johnson

Microsoft’s Executive Vice President of Business Development, Peggy Johnson, is Magic Leap’s new CEO.

Johnson, who also previously worked at Qualcomm, will lead the heavily-invested augmented reality company from August 1. Magic Leap’s hunt for a new CEO began in May when founder and figurehead Rony Abovitz stepped down from the role following a significant round of layoffs for the company.

“Magic Leap’s technological foundation is undeniable, and there is no question that has the potential to shape the future of XR and computing,” Johnson said in a blog post announcing the news.

Magic Leap CEO Peggy JohnsonJohnson joins the company following a recent shift in focus for its $2,295 Magic Leap One headset, which projects virtual images into real-world environments through a pair of transparent lenses. Originally aimed at consumers and featuring apps made by famous developers such as Insomniac Games, the company pivoted its hardware more towards enterprise customers at the end of last year following reports of slow sales.

“As CEO, I look forward to strategically building enduring relationships that connect Magic Leap’s game-changing technology and pipeline to the wide-ranging digital needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries,” Johnson added. As a former Microsoft executive, Johnson will already have experience in the field of AR, given that the company has produced two enterprise-level headsets, HoloLens and HoloLens 2, which are similar to Magic Leap One in capabilities.

Magic Leap is currently working on its second-generation product, Magic Leap 2, which hasn’t been revealed yet. A recent report stated that the device was targetting a 2021 release but, which the recent layoffs and changes in leadership, it’s unclear if that’s still the goal.

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Niantic To Launch New Mobile AR Game Based On Catan

Niantic announced that it is working on a new mobile AR game called Catan – World Explorers, based on the popular board game Catan. The company is also partnering with immersive theater studio Punchdrunk to create several other new projects.

Niantic is one of the biggest players in the mobile AR market, with a variety of successful titles like Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Now, the studio looks to expand its offerings with a new game based on the popular strategic board game.

Similar to other Niantic games, Catan – World Explorers is a multiplayer augmented reality title for mobile platforms, which “transforms the entire Earth into one giant game of CATAN”. Players will be able to “harvest, trade, and build in the real world as cities and landmarks transform into settlements where you can collect resources, construct buildings, and score points for your Faction.”

catan mobile game ar niantic

There’s a few graphics on the World Explorers website, embedded above, which indicate that the UI and general aesthetic of the game will continue the same style and use similar assets seen in Pokemon Go and Wizards Unite. There’s a few more gameplay tidbits over on the World Explorers site too.

Niantic also announced that it is partnering with Punchdrunk, an immersive theater studio, to develop multiple new projects. “I believe that Punchdrunk and Niantic can create something that has never been done before,” said Punchdrunk Artistic Director Felix Barrett. “They do it in AR, we do it in real life. Collide the two and I think we will blow people’s minds; bend the rules of genre and redefine the norms of mobile gaming.”

Catan – World Explorers will go into beta very soon and those who are interested in taking part can sign up online.

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‘Pokémon GO’ Studio Partners with ‘Sleep No More’ Creators to Bring AR to Immersive Theater

Niantic, the makers of Pokémon GO and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, today announced what they’re calling a “multifaceted partnership” with Punchdrunk, the company behind the ‘Sleep No More’ immersive theatrical experience.

“Together we are developing multiple projects that will reinvent storytelling for a 21st century audience and further expand the horizon of interactive entertainment,” Niantic says in a blog post.

Punchdrunk are pioneers of the immersive theater genre. The UK-based theater company focuses heavily on bringing audiences a narrative experience with a unique ability to freely choose what to watch and where to go. This is achieved by adapting classic texts, physical performances, and immersive set design. How Niantic will bring AR into this isn’t certain, although it sounds exciting.

SEE ALSO
Google ARCore Depth API Now Available, Letting Devs Make AR More Realistic

“I believe that Punchdrunk and Niantic can create something that has never been done before. They do it in AR, we do it in real life. Collide the two and I think we will blow people’s minds; bend the rules of genre and redefine the norms of mobile gaming,” says Felix Barrett, Artistic Director of Punchdrunk.

The company says it’s been experimenting with “new forms of gaming on mobile and AR glasses,” with 10 new games currently in development including prototypes for AR glasses. Niantic says each of these games, like their previous titles, will be centered around outdoor exploration, movement, and social interaction.

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Google Launches Depth API for ARCore, Increasing Realism And Improving Occlusion

Google announced today that the Depth API is now available for ARCore 1.18 on Android and Unity. The Depth API is meant to improve occlusion and increase realism thanks to new interaction types.

The Depth API was first announced with a preview on the Google developers blog last year. The API allows a device to determine the depth of objects shown on the camera, according to how far or close by they are. In terms of AR, the API helps to significantly improve occlusion, which Google succintly describes as “the ability for digital objects to accurately appear in front of or behind real world objects.”

snapchat hotdog arcore

The example embedded above shows the dancing hotdog filter on Snapchat being accurately occluded by a lounge as the camera moves down. According to Google, another case where the API would be useful is in Five Nights at Freddy’s AR: Special Delivery, as occlusion is vital to the experience — characters can accurately hide behind objects and then provide a jump scare by moving out from behind the real-world object. Niantic showed something similar with Pokemon Go in the past as well.

However, Occlusion is not the only use for the Depth API — Google notes that developers have found many other uses as well, including implementing more realistic physics, better surface interactions, and environmental traversal. For example, the Google Creative Lab experiment ‘Lines of Play’ allows users to build AR domino arrangements that will accurately collide with furniture and walls in the room when the dominoes knocked over.

The Depth API will begin rolling out today. You can read more over on the Google developers blog.

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Apple is Snapping up Many of Magic Leap’s Former Employees

It seems now that many of Magic Leap’s recently laid-off employees are helping Apple with its own AR headset ambitions.

Magic Leap was in hot water earlier this year, as reports surfaced that the well-funded startup was searching for a buyer. Although the AR company managed to avert disaster by securing another $350 million in May, around 600 full-time employees have reportedly been let go in its downsizing—presumably a direct result of the company’s failure to ignite a consumer AR market and subsequent pivot to the enterprise space.

According to an investigation of LinkedIn profiles by Protocol, many former Magic Leap employees have taken up residence at Silicon Valley’s most prominent tech companies, including Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon.

Image courtesy Protocol

In the past six months though, Apple seems to have hired the most ex-Leapers, and positioned them into roles such as XR prototyper, computer vision engineer, and optical systems engineer—things you’d expect would have a direct effect on the development of an Apple AR headset.

The flow from Magic Leap to Apple has been a constant one too, Protocol has found. According to a broader assessment of LinkedIn bios, Apple has consistently been the number one place for former Magic Leap employees, with Facebook coming in a close second.

Like with all things Apple, hardly nothing is clear about its upcoming AR headset. We’ve had our fair share of Apple rumors in the past, like the most recent one pointing to device’s name, price, and possible launch window, although there’s really nothing solid to go on yet.

What is clear: love it or hate it, Magic Leap has acted as a lightning rod for early AR talent who have hands-on experience with a full-featured AR headset, something that only a tiny number of companies can claim at this point.

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Librestream Secures $24M Series D Funding to Expand Its AR-powered Worker Platform

Librestream, an enterprise-focused AR company, today announced it’s raised a $24 million Series D financing round. The Winnipeg, Canada-based company says the funds will be used to expand its ‘Augmented Worker’ services into Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

The Series D was led by Canadian Business Growth Fund (CBGF), and joined by Export Development Canada (EDC), Pender Technology Inflection Fund, Emerald Technology Ventures, and BDC Capital.

In addition to its expansion into new regions, the company says it will also be moving into the telehealth and retail fields, and hire 50 percent more staff over the next 24 months.

The company’s Onsight augmented worker platform is aiming to meet the needs of remote workforces by integrating smartglasses and AR headsets into industrial applications such as working on oil rigs, manufacturing floors, or aircraft hangars.

 

With Onsight, Librestream says workers can collaborate with remote experts, share live visuals, talk and view feedback onscreen, while freeing-up their hands for work.

“Librestream’s strong partnership over the past four years, and especially during this pandemic, proved invaluable in driving innovation within our processes and service delivery,” says Tina Bender, Manager Business systems & IT at Volvo Group. “The ability to remotely perform inspections has tremendous business impact from cost savings and productivity to improved customer service.”

Founded in 2003, the company’s Series D brings its overall financing to over $55 million, with its penultimate round arriving in mid-2016.

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HoloLens 2 Now Available To Purchase Direct For Non-Enterprise Customers

The HoloLens 2 is now available to purchase for regular consumers in the United States, direct from Microsoft’s online store. Previously, the AR headset was only available at an enterprise level, and businesses were required to contact Microsoft to discuss placing an order.

Microsoft’s second enterprise-level AR headset, the HoloLens 2, began shipping in late 2019. However, now just over a year later, US consumers are able to place an order for the headset online through the Microsoft Store. Upon launch, the headset was aimed at an enterprise level, priced at $3500 per unit — $1000 above the Magic Leap One Creator Edition. Any prospective business looking to adopt HoloLens headsets had to contact Microsoft to discuss purchase options.

A screenshot of the HoloLens landing page, featuring a new ‘Buy Now’ button.

However, on the US Microsoft site, the device is now available to be purchased directly on the HoloLens webpage — any visitor is able to add the HoloLens 2 directly into their cart and place an order. At the time of writing, Microsoft offers a 2-day express shipping for the headset as well, so you wouldn’t have to wait very long for it to turn up on your doorstep.

However, don’t get too excited — just because the HoloLens 2 is available to purchase online doesn’t mean it’s any less pricey or overflowing with consumer-facing apps yet. If you’re sitting at home and fancy placing an order, you’ll still have to shell out a hefty $3500 to get your hands on one.

We first went hands-on with the device in February of 2019. At the time, Jamie was quite impressed, calling it ‘an AR headset that [he’d] actually use‘. You can place an order for a HoloLens 2 over on Microsoft’s website.

Did you miss out on the UploadVR Showcase: Summer Edition? Check out every trailer, article, announcement, interview, and more from the UploadVR Showcase right here.

The post HoloLens 2 Now Available To Purchase Direct For Non-Enterprise Customers appeared first on UploadVR.

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HoloLens 2 Now Available To Purchase Direct For Non-Enterprise Customers

The HoloLens 2 is now available to purchase for regular consumers in the United States, direct from Microsoft’s online store. Previously, the AR headset was only available at an enterprise level, and businesses were required to contact Microsoft to discuss placing an order.

Microsoft’s second enterprise-level AR headset, the HoloLens 2, began shipping in late 2019. However, now just over a year later, US consumers are able to place an order for the headset online through the Microsoft Store. Upon launch, the headset was aimed at an enterprise level, priced at $3500 per unit — $1000 above the Magic Leap One Creator Edition. Any prospective business looking to adopt HoloLens headsets had to contact Microsoft to discuss purchase options.

A screenshot of the HoloLens landing page, featuring a new ‘Buy Now’ button.

However, on the US Microsoft site, the device is now available to be purchased directly on the HoloLens webpage — any visitor is able to add the HoloLens 2 directly into their cart and place an order. At the time of writing, Microsoft offers a 2-day express shipping for the headset as well, so you wouldn’t have to wait very long for it to turn up on your doorstep.

However, don’t get too excited — just because the HoloLens 2 is available to purchase online doesn’t mean it’s any less pricey or overflowing with consumer-facing apps yet. If you’re sitting at home and fancy placing an order, you’ll still have to shell out a hefty $3500 to get your hands on one.

We first went hands-on with the device in February of 2019. At the time, Jamie was quite impressed, calling it ‘an AR headset that [he’d] actually use‘. You can place an order for a HoloLens 2 over on Microsoft’s website.

Did you miss out on the UploadVR Showcase: Summer Edition? Check out every trailer, article, announcement, interview, and more from the UploadVR Showcase right here.

The post HoloLens 2 Now Available To Purchase Direct For Non-Enterprise Customers appeared first on UploadVR.

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Now Anyone Can Buy HoloLens 2 Direct from Microsoft

HoloLens 2 has been available to Microsoft business partners and developers since last year, however anyone else interested in the augmented reality headset would have to jump through a few hoops first to get their hands on the device. Now Microsoft has opened sales of HoloLens 2 to anyone with the cash on hand.

Up until now, prospective HoloLens 2 owners would have to either contact an official reseller or sign up for a special developers program, making this the first time when John Q. Public could buy a HoloLens 2 direct from Microsoft without any additional fuss.

Customers will be able to buy the $3,500 headset itself and a host of replacement accessories including a carrying case, a USB-C charger, straps, and forehead pads of varying sizes. All of those come in the box already, but it’s nice to know you can buy a spare if need be.

Image courtesy Microsoft

Microsoft is only selling HoloLens 2 direct to online customers, so you most likely won’t be able to buy it in a Microsoft Store.

We first went hands-on with HoloLens 2 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) last year, and it proved to be a capable AR headset that, despite some misgivings on how the field of view was initial misrepresented at its reveal at the Barcelona-based trade show, showed some real material improvements over its predecessor.

It packs in a number of features not present in the original 2015-era HoloLens, the most prominent of which is eye-tracking. Eye-tracking not only lets users select UI elements simply by looking at them, but also allows developers to know where a user is looking to better optimize AR apps by better understanding user behavior. Check out the full specs below:

HoloLens 2 Specs

Display Optics: See-through holographic lenses (waveguides)
Resolution: 2k 3:2 light engines
Holographic density: >2.5k radiants (light points per radian)
Eye-based rendering: Display optimization for 3D eye position
Sensors Head tracking: 4 visible light cameras
Eye tracking: 2 IR cameras
Depth: 1-MP Time-of-Flight (ToF) depth sensor
IMU: Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer
Camera: 8-MP stills, 1080p30 video
Audio and speech Microphone array: 5 channels
Speakers: Built-in spatial sound
Human understanding Hand tracking: Two-handed fully articulated model, direct manipulation
Eye tracking: Real-time tracking
Voice: Command and control on-device; natural language with internet connectivity
Windows Hello: Enterprise-grade security with iris recognition
Environment understanding 6DoF tracking: World-scale positional tracking
Spatial Mapping: Real-time environment mesh
Mixed Reality Capture: Mixed hologram and physical environment photos and videos
Compute and connectivity SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 Compute Platform
HPU: Second-generation custom-built holographic processing unit
Memory: 4-GB LPDDR4x system DRAM
Storage: 64-GB UFS 2.1
WiFi: Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac 2×2)
Bluetooth: 5
USB: USB Type-C
Fit Single size
Fits over glasses
Weight 566g
Software Windows Holographic Operating System
Microsoft Edge
Dynamics 365 Remote Assist
Dynamics 365 Guides
3D Viewer
Power Battery life: 2–3 hours of active use
Charging: USB-PD for fast charging
Cooling: Passive (no fans)
Contains lithium batteries: See more information >

Thanks to Jad Meouchy of the AR/VR data analytics company BadVR for pointing us to the news.

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