Latest news with #XR
Business Wire
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Business Wire
DreamPark Opens Mixed Reality Theme Park at West Canal Yards
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamPark: Tickets available at Walk-ups welcome, Saturday and Sunday, weekly starting on July 19th. Share WHAT: DreamPark, the creator of the world's largest downloadable theme park, is now open at Seattle's West Canal Yards. This immersive, 25,000-square-foot mixed-reality experience turns the real world into a free-roam adventure game leveraging XR technology through Meta Quest headsets. From kids to corporate teams, DreamPark brings digital magic to life, right on the Ballard waterfront. WHEN: Sneak Peek: Friday, July 18, 4-6 pm Opening Day: Saturday, July 19, 2025 Times: 12 pm - 6 pm Tickets: Tickets available at Walk-ups welcome, Saturday and Sunday, weekly starting on July 19th WHERE: West Canal Yards – 1731 NW Canal St, Seattle, WA, 98119 (Just off the Ship Canal, near Ballard Bridge) WHO: DreamPark was co-founded by Brent Bushnell, Aidan Wolf, and Kevin Habich, with installations in Santa Monica, the LA County Fair and premier events across the country. Their latest and largest venue transforms Seattle's waterfront into a playable mixed-reality world for ages 4+. WHY IT MATTERS: It's a fun, social, active, and tech-forward experience for families, friends, and teams alike. VISUALS: Colorful gameplay, groups in headsets exploring the waterfront, real-world with digital overlays, live multiplayer adventures. ABOUT DREAMPARK DreamPark is creating the world's first mixed-reality downloadable theme park, transforming real-world spaces into immersive adventures. Using the latest XR technology, we overlay digital worlds onto physical environments, creating magical experiences accessible through Meta Quest headsets and mobile devices. With strategic locations across major cities, we're building the world's largest theme park—one that exists everywhere and is open to everyone. Founded by industry veterans Brent Bushnell, Aidan Wolf, and Kevin Habich, and backed by top VCs including Long Journey Ventures and Founders, Inc., DreamPark is reimagining how people play, connect, and experience their communities in the mixed reality era.
Phone Arena
4 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
Meta is secretly readying itself for the future of smartphones
Extended Reality Do you believe XR will replace smartphones? Yes Not a chance Both will co-exist Yes 0% Not a chance 0% Both will co-exist 0% Receive the latest Apps news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy True AR glasses may be the future of our smartphones. | Video credit — Meta With all these recent AI acquisitions, it seems clear to me what Meta's end goal is: a pair of true AR smart glasses. These glasses won't just project the UI in front of the user, they'll also understand context and communicate better than any AI-powered glasses that have come before. Acquiring startups like PlayAI ensures that Meta has as much talent behind it as possible. Like XR, the AI-powered AR smart glasses race is a slow burn, but Meta has its eyes on global dominance. The company may have missed out on smartphones, but it definitely wants to beat Apple and Samsung to the punch by making a name for itself in XR beforehand. Speaking of, both Samsung and Apple are competing for this exact same future. We've seen the Will Meta's acquisitions of AI startups and talent with reckless abandon give it an upper hand against the two, though? I truly believe that it will. With all these recent AI acquisitions, it seems clear to me what Meta's end goal is: a pair of true AR smart glasses. These glasses won't just project the UI in front of the user, they'll also understand context and communicate better than any AI-powered glasses that have come startups like PlayAI ensures that Meta has as much talent behind it as possible. Like XR, the AI-powered AR smart glasses race is a slow burn, but Meta has its eyes on global dominance. The company may have missed out on smartphones, but it definitely wants to beat Apple and Samsung to the punch by making a name for itself in XR of, both Samsung and Apple are competing for this exact same future. We've seen the Apple Vision Pro , and there are now credible reports about an underwhelming Apple Vision Pro 2 . Meanwhile, Samsung is almost ready to release its new headset: Project Meta's acquisitions of AI startups and talent with reckless abandon give it an upper hand against the two, though? I truly believe that it will. Grab Surfshark VPN now at more than 50% off and with 3 extra months for free! Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer For a while now, there have been reports that Meta has been offering insane salaries to poach talent from rival companies, including recently an Apple AI executive . The company has also been buying out AI startups, and has just acquired PlayAI, a company that specializes in crafting natural-sounding voices for AI spending spree for Artificial Intelligence — which has been the rage across the smartphone industry as well — makes perfect sense, keeping in mind Meta's other obsession: VR. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is convinced that XR () devices are the future of smartphones, and the company needs AI to perfect their Zuckerberg's leadership, Meta has spent billions of Dollars into growing the XR industry. Its most important contribution is undoubtedly the Meta Quest headsets, which came about due to Meta having bought Oculus in 2014. The Meta Quest 3 and its counterparts are affordable, powerful, and come with an extensive list of content to barely making any profits on its headsets, Meta has dominated the XR industry. Its Ray-Ban smart glasses are also much more popular than initially anticipated, and Zuckerberg is determined to release a consumer version of the Orion smart glasses soon.
GSM Arena
4 days ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
Qualcomm is hosting XR Day in India on July 21
Qualcomm has announced that it's hosting XR Day in India on July 21 as the first event part of its month-long "Snapdragon for India" initiative. The chipmaker will showcase its vision in MR, VR, and AR at this event, while also highlighting the use of its chipsets in next-gen smart glasses, spatial computing, and immersive experiences. Additionally, Qualcomm will highlight real-world applications of XR across health, fitness, education, and entertainment. It will also announce new collaborations with developers, OEMs, and partners at the XR Day. After XR Day, Qualcomm will host Auto Day in India on July 30 to showcase what's next in mobility and how the company is enabling safer, smarter, and connected mobility in India.
CNET
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
Last-Minute Prime Day Deal: We're Big Fans of These Viture Pro XR/AR Glasses, and This Is Your Last Chance to Get Them for 30% Off
VR headsets are chunky, heavy, expensive and only tend to work with a few platforms. It would be pretty cool to squeeze something like that into something the size of a pair of sunglasses, which is exactly what Virture accomplished with its Viture Pro XR/AR Glasses. With these, you can connect them to just about anything and get a more immersive experience. For the remainder of Amazon Prime Day, you can score a pair of these glasses for 30% off, and the brand will even toss in a free item while they're at it. The deal works like most other Amazon Prime Day deals. You add the Viture Pro XR/AR Glasses to your cart alongside the brand's Ultimate C Bluetooth Controller. Once you get to checkout, the price of the controller will be removed from the total, giving you a nearly $40 controller entirely for free. Add to that the $150 in savings you get from the 30% discount, and you have a pretty decent deal in the works here, especially if you've been curious about XR experiences since that seems to be taking over the mixed reality space right now. These glasses are pretty slick. According to CNET video producer and hardware expert Sean Booker, the glasses have two 1080p micro-OLED displays that feature a 120 Hz refresh rate, and they get bright enough to make "everything look super clear in any settings, indoors and out." Despite their size, the displays are large enough to see small text. That means you can game or work with these things if you so choose. That is just the tip of the iceberg. They connect to virtually anything with an HDMI cable, including game consoles. Thus, you can hook your Xbox Series X up to these things and game through the displays while sitting on the couch with no TV required. It even works with the Nintendo Switch 2 over USB-C. We don't have any best lists for AR glasses just yet, but based on our reviews of other products, we liked the Viture Pro more than any of the others. With the controller, it's a pretty neat little rig. You can lay down in bed or on the couch and play with the Ultimate C controller and the Viture Pro in tandem, giving you the kinds of freedom of positioning you simply don't get with a TV or a computer monitor. Booker checked out the controller during his Viture Pro review and found it to be very similar to a Nintendo Switch controller, which is a good thing. Time is running out. Sign up for CNET Deals texts to get last-minute deals. They're quick, free, and easy. XR and AR glasses are somewhat new and there aren't a ton of them on the market. If you want to wait for the products to mature a little more, you can always check out the best VR headsets, which have had over a decade of iterations to increase refinement. Many of those are on sale, including the Meta Quest 3S, which is 17% off right now. Why this deal matters In the grand scheme of things, the Viture Pro glasses go on sale pretty often for this exact price, so this certainly won't be your last chance to pick up a pair at a steep discount. However, they don't always include the controller for free, and that's why this deal is worthy of consideration. It's $180 in total savings, and Bluetooth controllers are fairly universal, so you'll be able to use them even without the glasses. Even so, the whole XR/AR thing is new and exciting, and for someone who gets motion sick like I do, it's a viable way to try out mixed reality without suffering through a VR-induced stomach ache.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
AI vision: Founder Peyush Bansal bets on ‘small, beautiful' deals to bolster Lenskart's tech capabilities
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Eyewear retail chain Lenskart is continuing to invest in and acquire artificial intelligence (AI) companies to strengthen its technological capabilities, founder Peyush Bansal said on Friday.'We are definitely investing and acquiring a lot of AI companies right now. I always thought acquisition was a good way to speed up technology. It's not the first time. I like small, beautiful deals, which are building tech, and that has always enhanced the tech capabilities,' Bansal said at Shiprocket's Shivir, AI Commerce Edition: Made for this month, Lenskart invested in Ajna Lens, a Mumbai-based deeptech company building AI-powered XR company is reported to be planning to acquire location AI startup GeoIQ. Earlier in 2023, Lenskart had acquired Tango Eye, an AI-based computer vision startup.'We think technology first for problem solving, and AI makes it a lot more exciting for us, because for us, that journey is that the base is built, and we feed each other now. We have the super power to do things which we could not have imagined earlier,' he according to Bansal, while the company adopted AI quite early on, it is much simpler for newer firms to build with AI from the ground up than it is for large companies, which have to transform their existing plans to file papers for its draft initial public offering (IPO) this year, targeting a potential $10 billion valuation for a $1 billion public issue, ET had reported July 10, ET reported that the Gurugram-based company is likely to issue additional shares to Bansal through a structured payout arrangement, which could increase his stake in the company by 1.5-2%.The SoftBank-backed company closed a $200 million secondary round in June last year at a $5 billion valuation, with investments from Singapore sovereign fund Temasek and US financial services giant Fidelity. A month later, founders Bansal, Neha Bansal, Amit Choudhary, and Sumeet Kapahi invested almost $20 million in the company produces 25 million frames and 30-40 million lenses annually. It operates more than 2,500 stores in India and Southeast Asia and has a strong online presence.
