Left it a bit late? Here’s a quick list of good tech things for people of all ages
Lego Hidden Side – £25
Continue reading...Amazon devices and other great gifts with delivery by Christmas
Christmas is three days from now, but you can still shop online to buy gifts in time for the holiday. Amazon adds new deals to its Last-Minute Deals campaign daily.
Amazon’s 12 Days of Deals on iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, Fitbit, and Instant Pot
Amazon's post-Cyber Monday 12 Days of Deals sales include bargains on many of the most popular devices from top brands. Amazon will continue to add new deals to the site to maintain buyer interest and to stay competitive with other merchants.
Rec Room Coming To iPhone And iPad ‘Really Soon’
Seattle-based startup Against Gravity is bringing social service Rec Room to iPhone and iPad soon with invites to a testing release slated to go out this month.
The startup is offering a “Rec Room Mobile” signup page for potential access to a testing release of the service on iOS devices. “We will let you know once we’re ready for testers and once we hit the app store,” the page states.
“We’ll be launching Rec Room on iOS really soon,” a statement from Against Gravity reads. “We’re doing internal testing now and we’ll start sending out beta testing invites this month. Based on how that goes, we should hit the app store shortly after testing wraps up.”
Creators Getting Paid
Against Gravity has big plans for Rec Room with the goal that “someone in school with no coding knowledge can build a game in an afternoon and ship it on console, PC, mobile, and VR. We’re already seeing this happen, but we think the ability to instantly build and publish a game gets a lot more interesting when you open up the audience to anyone with a mobile device.”
In addition to cross-platform creation tools, the company is also looking into ways for creators to get paid for their works in Rec Room.
“We’re looking into letting creators charge in-app tokens for inventions they created, costumes, events, and for different things they can build into their games and rooms,” according to the company.
Getting players paid for making stuff in Rec Room? As far as goals go it doesn’t get too much bigger than that. Creating a single community that enjoys fun things together across flat screens, phones and VR is not an easy task. We’ll report back as soon as we get our hands on Rec Room mobile and have a sense of how the game extends onto touchscreens.
Tagged with: Against Gravity, ios, iPad, iphone, rec room
The post Rec Room Coming To iPhone And iPad ‘Really Soon’ appeared first on UploadVR.
Adobe Launches AR Creation Tool ‘Project Aero’ For Creative Cloud
Adobe released a powerful new AR editing & creation tool, currently named ‘Project Aero’. The key feature of Aero that sets it apart from similar projects is its direct 1st party integration with Adobe’s popular Creative Cloud suite, which millions of creators already use and love.
This article was originally published on October 17, 2018. The tool is now publicly available for download on iOS devices after more than a year in beta. There have been no updates on Aero’s availability on other platforms.
Creators can instantly export their 2D or 3D content from Photoshop CC to Aero. They then simply open the Aero app on their iPad and they can view the content in real dimensions in real space, leveraging Apple’s ARKit framework for high quality positional tracking.
Aero might ultimately become a tool used to prototype AR content, to create AR experiences, or it could be used as a visualization tool for creators making 3D designs of objects that will become physical. For example, a furniture designer could use Aero to rapidly see how their new chair would look in a physical room, and then adapt their design based on how it looked.
Right now Project Aero is iOS only, however Adobe tell us the “vision is to bring Project Aero to additional platforms and devices in the future.” Google’s ARCore SDK provides the same general ease to integrate high quality AR tracking for Android devices, but very few tablets have support for ARCore. Most Android tablet manufacturers use mid-range chips and low-quality rear cameras while Apple tends to use high end components. The result is that even the $329 iPad base model is able to support AR.
Project Aero is clearly in its early stages, but Adobe believes that it will help to push AR forward, helping to solve the issue of lack of compelling AR content by letting the many Creative Cloud users of the world use a toolset with which they are already comfortable.
The post Adobe Launches AR Creation Tool ‘Project Aero’ For Creative Cloud appeared first on UploadVR.
Star Wars: Jedi Challenge – HoloChess ab sofort für iOS verfügbar
Die Star Wars: Jedi Challenge von Lenovo erschien letztes Jahr und bietet Fans mit dem speziellen Set aus AR-Brille, Lichtschwert-Controller und Peilsender die Möglichkeit, in verschiedene Spielmodi im Star Wars-Universum einzutauchen. Ab sofort können auch Besitzer eines neueren iPhone oder iPad den ikonischen Modus HoloChess ohne das bisher obligatorische Zubehör zu spielen.
Star Wars: Jedi Challenge – HoloChess kostenlos für iOS 11 erhältlich
Das HoloChess der Star Wars: Jedi Challenge kann ab sofort mit einem iPhone oder iPad mit ARKit-Support gespielt werden. Das ikonische Spiel aus den Filmen dürfte jedem Fan von Star Wars ein Begriff sein, wenn nicht als HoloChess, dann als Dejarik.
Beim bekannten AR-Titel handelt es sich nicht um ein klassisches Schachspiel, sondern um eine Art Tabletop-Game, in dem ihr verschiedene Einheiten auf dem Spielfeld platziert und diese gegeneinander antreten lasst. Die acht unterschiedlichen Kreaturen besitzen verschiedene Fähigkeiten, Eigenschaften und Lebenspunkte, wodurch das Spiel taktische Tiefe erhält. In insgesamt 18 Level auf sechs verschiedenen Planeten spielt ihr euch mit steigendem Schwierigkeitsgrad an die Spitze.
Für die anderen Spielmodi mit Lichtschwertkampf wird jedoch nach wie vor die Hardware von Lenovo vorausgesetzt. Wir haben die Star Wars: Jedi Challenge bereits genauer unter die Lupe genommen und berichten darin in unserem ausführlichen Test:
Seitdem erhielt die Anwendung für das AR-Set bereits neue Inhalte im Stil von The Last Jedi. Dazu zählen der strategische Kampf mit drei neuen Leveln, AT-M6 Walkern, putzige Porgs sowie der neue Aussault-Modus mit weiteren Stages und Gegnern.
Die Star Wars: Jedi Challenges mit HoloChess sind für iOS 11 kostenlos im Apple Store erhältlich. Wann eine Version für Android erscheint, steht aktuell noch nicht fest. Das AR-Set von Lenovo ist derzeit für 199 Euro auf Amazon erhältlich.
(Quellen: Upload VR | Videos: Disney Games Youtube | VR Nerds Youtube)
Der Beitrag Star Wars: Jedi Challenge – HoloChess ab sofort für iOS verfügbar zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!
Tunnel AR: AR-Musikvideo der Fantastischen Vier
Das Hamburger Startup headraft hat gemeinsam mit den Fantastischen Vier das neue Musikvideo Tunnel AR umgesetzt, welches durch das iPhone zum Leben erweckt werden kann. Neben Easter Eggs erwartet euch in der kostenlosen App auch ein Zerstörungs-Modus, bei dem ihr einen Bohrkopf anwendet.
Tunnel AR
Wenn ihr ein relativ aktuelles iPhone (ab 6s) besitzt, dann könnt ihr euch hier das Musikvideo kostenlos im App Store herunterladen. Während aktuell viele Künstler wie NakedElephant auf 360-Grad-Videos für VR-Brillen setzen, springen die FANTA 4 direkt auf den nächsten Technologie-Hype mit auf und erschaffen tatsächlich eine komplett neue Form der Inszenierung von Musik. Ihr haltet das Smartphone (oder später eure smarten Brillen) auf einen Punkt im Zimmer und plötzlich entsteht ein Musikvideo als Hologramm, welches gleichzeitig den Charakter eines herkömmlichen Speakers hat, da es einen festen Ort im Raum für die Schallquelle gibt.
Innerhalb des Musikvideos ist auch nicht nur stumpfes Zusehen angesagt. Der Zuschauer übernimmt die Rolle der „Mission Control“ und kann den Bohrkopf mit Drehungen vorantreiben und extra “Boosts” verwenden, um kleine versteckte Inhalte zu finden. Wenn ihr alle Easter Eggs ausfindig machen konntet, winkt am Ende ein „Captain Fantastic“-Status und ein Remix des Songs als Download. Zudem lässt euch der Zerstörungsmodus mit dem Bohrkopf Chaos anrichten, das ihr anschließend direkt über die App in euren Social Media-Netzwerken teilen könnt.
Der Beitrag Tunnel AR: AR-Musikvideo der Fantastischen Vier zuerst gesehen auf VR∙Nerds. VR·Nerds am Werk!
Mercedes-Benz Joins the AR Manual World With Ask Mercedes
2017 was certainly a year that was instrumental in the development of augmented reality (AR) technology, whether that was through headsets and smart glasses like HoloLens and Vuzix, or software such as Google’s ARCore and ARKit by Apple. This helped developers create new AR videogames as well as more functional apps. The automobile industry has embraced the rise of AR by creating interactive manuals, the latest of which comes from Mercedes-Benz.
The company has built an AR app called Ask Mercedes, allowing customers with an Apple iPhone or iPad to learn more about their new car. The app works with the 2018 E-Class Mercedes-Benz (all body styles, non-AMG), with users having to align an image on their device with the interior of the vehicle. After which they’ll be able to see a selection of numbers automatically superimposed onto the controls and displays shown in the camera image. Clicking on a number will then bring up the relevant information.
“We are creating a personalised customer experience that goes well beyond the vehicle. With innovative services such as ‘Ask Mercedes’, we are further expanding our digital ecosystem”, says Britta Seeger, member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales in a statement.
The app has been launched in the US, South Africa and Malaysia initially. At the start of 2018 it is scheduled to be introduced in India and Hong Kong, with a version in German to follow later in the year. Mercedes-Benz has said it’s also working on an Android version of the app which should become available this year. Additionally, Ask Mercedes is expected to be gradually expanded in the coming months, with support for further vehicle models, content and communication channels envisaged.
Ask Mercedes may showcase updated AR technology for car manuals but it’s certainly not the first. One of the earliest examples VRFocus covered was Hyundai back in 2015. As AR is further embraced by car manufacturers worldwide, VRFocus will keep you updated on the latest developments.
Put all of humankind in the palm of your hands with ‘Civilization VI’ on iPad
This iPad port of Civilization VI marks the first time the core series has been playable on iOS. The full base game has been brought over, only excluding expansion content. Even so, building a new empire only takes the touch of a finger.
The post Put all of humankind in the palm of your hands with ‘Civilization VI’ on iPad appeared first on Digital Trends.
Play as Bumblebee in Paramount’s new Transformers AR Experience
To coincide with the release of Transformers: The Last Knight on 4K Ultra HD Paramount Home Media Distribution has today unveiled a free augmented reality (AR) experience for iOS app users.
Created by Viacom NEXT using Apple ARKit, Cade’s Junkyard AR Experience incorporates content from the latest film in the blockbuster series, with players controlling the actions of Bumblebee.
The app has been designed to appear as the virtual junkyard of protagonist Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg), with players able to create their own junkyard before going on a rampage, using Bumblebee to blow everything up, whether that’s in full robot mode using his guns or racing around in vehicle form.
“This augmented reality experience gives fans the chance to interact with the Transformers universe in a new and exciting way,” said Howard Hsieh, Vice President, Worldwide Digital Business Development, Paramount Home Media Distribution in a statement. “The Transformers films appeal to a vast and diverse audience and we’re excited to give fans the opportunity to get in the driver’s seat and take BUMBLEBEE for a ride.”
“With ARKit, we can seamlessly bridge virtual and physical worlds to create immersive experiences that bring storytelling to life,” said Chaki Ng, Senior Vice President of Viacom NEXT. “We‘re thrilled to help break this new ground at Paramount with the iconic Transfomers franchise.”
Cade’s Junkyard AR Experience is free to download from the App Store until February 20, 2018. Users can also order Transformers: The Last Knight on 4K HDR through the app. Additionally, the Transformers 5-movie Collection will also be available on 4K HDR for purchase exclusively on iTunes beginning today.
The app is Paramount’s first foray into AR, but not the first in terms of immersive entertainment. Earlier this year, in conjunction with Oculus Studios, REWIND, Dreamworks and HERE BE DRAGONS, the companies created the Ghost in the Shell experience to tie-in with the movie.
For the latest AR experiences on iOS 11, keep reading VRFocus.