Weekly Insights

Apple debuts the first scripted film captured in Apple Immersive Video and reveals new immersive films for Apple Vision Pro

New episodes, films, series, and concerts captured in Apple?Immersive?Video are set to debut later this year, with more coming early next year.

Today, Apple revealed new episodes, films, series, and music performances captured in Apple Immersive Video that will debut on Apple Vision Pro for free. Apple Immersive Video is a remarkable media format that leverages ultra-high-resolution 3D video and Spatial Audio to put viewers in the center of the action. (Apple )

Will AI Make AR More Conversational?

Though it’s often painted as a technology that will steal XR’s thunder, AI is the best thing that’s happened to XR in a while. AI can be an intelligence backbone for XR, while XR can be the front-end graphical interface for AI. The two technologies?complete?each other in lots of ways.

That goes for user-facing XR experiences, such as generating world-immersive overlays and lenses on the fly through text prompts. And it applies to creator-facing work, such as streamlining workflows through the time-saving and capability-boosting power of generative AI.

Both angles were recently advanced by Snap. In Lens Studio 5.0, it?launched?GenAI suite. This gives lens creators generative AI tools to do things like rapidly prototype 3D designs using text prompts. It also teased the other angle noted above: user-facing generative lenses.

The convergence of these technologies was also explored in a recent report by our research arm, ARtillery Intelligence. As such, it joins our weekly report-excerpt series, with the latest below. This week’s segment zeroes in on the high-level aspects of AI & AR’s collision. (AR Insider )

Walmart Unveils AI and Immersive Commerce Plans

Walmart unveiled its strategy to accelerate Adaptive Retail, the new era of retail defined by profoundly personal experiences that brings shopping to customers in exactly the ways they want and need.

The company revealed proprietary artificial intelligence (AI), Generative AI (GenAI), Augmented Reality (AR) and Immersive Commerce platforms it is leveraging to create hyper-personalized, convenient and engaging shopping experiences across Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs, apps and other virtual environments. (Corporate Walmart )

Developers React to Meta Orion & Quest 3S

Today marks one week since Meta’s Orion unveiling and other updates at the Meta Connect keynote. During that time, we’ve been gathering reactions and insights from XR developers. How do Orion, Quest 3S, and other updates accelerate and empower their efforts?

To that end, here are quick Q&As with three developers who were at the event and entrenched in Meta’s ecosystem. In fact, Lucky Juicebox’s AR game Mega Fireball was showcased during the event’s developer keynote. With that backdrop, let’s dive in… (AR Insider )

Philips’ Hue app now uses AR to preview how a smart lamp will light up a room

A recent update to the Philips Hue app has introduced several new features, including an augmented reality and interactive 3D modeling tool to show you how Hue products will look in your space. The update, spotted by Hueblog, also includes updates like a “do not disturb” option for motion sensors.

Version 5.27 of the Hue app is coming to iOS, iPadOS, and Android. But the standout AR feature is limited to iPhone Pro and iPad Pro models with a lidar sensor, which Apple introduced on the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. Found in the app’s Explore tab, it lets you test 12 different Philips Hue products, including the Hue Twilight sunrise lamp, the Hue Dymera wall light that shines both up and down, and the Hue Infuse ceiling light. (The Verge )

Spooky season is here with another Halloween-themed Snapchat lens

This AR experience brings a whole new level of spine-tingling chills, as eerie vines wrap around you, creeping down your throat and taking over your reality!

This latest lens, inspired by the Phantomhouse mini-series, blends haunted vibes with immersive storytelling, offering an experience that goes beyond the screen. It’s all about captivating your audience in ways only AR can—turning every scream into engagement and every fright into fun. (Atomic Digital Design )

Ray-Ban I Meta glasses continue to advance

Menlo Park, California, and Paris, France (September 25, 2024 ) – Meta Platforms, Inc. and EssilorLuxottica continue to advance Ray-Ban Meta glasses into the future with the announcement of feature updates and a broader selection of product offerings and partnerships.

Ray-Ban Meta glasses are the ultimate companion and stylish assistant to help people stay in the present moment. With its high quality, 12MP camera, users have since tagged thousands of hands-free photos and videos sharing their unique POV around the world. Ray-Ban Meta feature open ear speakers so people can listen to their favorite podcast, book or album and with the announcement today, they’ll soon be able to use their voice to search and discover on Spotify and Amazon Music. (Exilor Luxottica )

Is Gen Z Ready to Embrace AI? It’s Complicated

Screenagers. Digital natives. The TikTok generation. It's hard to find an epithet for those born between the mid 1990s and early 2010s—aka Gen Z—that doesn’t call out a dependency on technology. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume, then, that those between the ages of 12 and 25 would glom onto everything generative AI. But that’s not what we found.

IDEO embarked on a data-driven approach paired with qualitative research with a group of Gen Zs, asking them what they think about the AI that so many companies are rushing to fold into new and existing products. The findings immediately challenged many of the prevailing assumptions about Gen Z. (IDEO )

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