Weekly Insights #5

The 7 Habits of Highly Accessible VR

VR continues to reach new heights, albeit gradually. As it grows, developers and designers must recognize that the technology’s expansion means it must cater to a more diverse audience. Ensuring VR accessibility will be critical going forward.

Accessibility is a broad topic, but some best practices apply in most scenarios. Here are seven of the most important accessibility settings to include in VR games and apps. (AR Insider)

Lumus Launches Z-30 Optical Engine to Enable Smaller and Lighter AR Devices

Lumus, a developer of geometric waveguide technology for augmented reality (AR) eyewear, has this week announced the introduction of its Z-30 optical engine. Featuring the company’s Z-Lens 2D waveguide architecture and a smaller field-of-view (30 degrees), the Z-30 is designed to fit seamlessly within standard glasses sizes, and offers “major functional and aesthetic benefits,” according to Lumus. (Auganix)

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Snapchat Create Augmented Reality Experience

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has partnered with Snapchat on a new Augmented Reality (AR) tool that will help music lovers to "explore sound through a visual medium."

The Colors of Music is an AR lens that shows a 3D representation of the notes played live by an instrument, translating them into colors and shapes. Users can access the lens in the Snapchat app, and scan live instruments — for example, at a concert — to see the notes represented in real time. (The Violin Channel)

Tech Trends 2025

In Deloitte’s 16th annual Tech Trends report, AI is the common thread of nearly every trend. Moving forward, it will be part of the substructure of everything we do.

Tech Trends 2025 reveals the extent to which AI is being woven into the fabric of our lives. We’ll eventually think of AI in the same way that we think of HTTP or electricity. We won’t proactively use it; we’ll simply experience a world in which it makes everything work smarter, faster, and more intuitively—like magic, but grounded in algorithms. (Deloitte)

Inside Microsoft’s quick embrace of DeepSeek

Microsoft was ready for the next steps in AI models. The Chinese startup Deepseek shook up the world of AI last week after showing its super cheap R1 model could compete directly with OpenAI's O1 (The Verge)

How Many XR Devices Did Meta Sell in Q4?

Meta announced Q4 earnings yesterday, including $48.39 billion in revenue, up 21 percent year-over-year. This was driven by AI-fueled ad targeting, which has elevated its core business and marked a continued rebound from previous declines inflicted by iOS privacy restrictions. (AR Insider)

Apple AR glasses and AirPods with cameras are all about AI

The iPhone is Apple’s most important Apple Intelligence product right now, but it’s not the only one. The iPad and Mac also run Apple Intelligence, and the Vision Pro will probably get its AI features soon.

The iPhone won’t be the best way to interact with Apple Intelligence, especially when you’re away from home and the office. We’re starting to see the AI product revolution just as the AI software gets better. Various accessories will make AI chatbots even more accessible and usable while giving them eyes and ears to see our surroundings, hear our voices, and see whatever else is happening around us. (BGR)

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