Is Apple bringing an AR product into the game?

There are some big rumors floating around the techisphere that Apple has partnered with German lens specialist Carl Zeiss to create Augmented Reality/mixed reality smart glasses.

It would make for some lovely symmetry if, when the world is expecting a great iPhone 8 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the groundbreaking iPhone, they instead produced another groundbreaking product… and a great iPhone 8.

The rumor has come about because of a (purposefully?) not-very-tightlipped Zeiss employee at CES, at a Zeiss booth, which had no Augemented Reality products, but was situated in the AR area.

So… not super concrete.

But it sounds good, right? Augmented reality, in case you’re wondering, is different from Virtual Reality, because it superimposes digital information and images onto your view of the world, instead of creating a whole new world (good luck getting that song out of your head now, suckers).
Think: Pokemon Go, but less annoying?

Apple CEO Tim Cook has talked-momentarily- about his interest in AR before, and that he considers it to be of a higher commercial value than Virtual Reality, and Apple does have some patents out that could relate to this possibility , but we’re just not sure if this might not be reaching a bit.

Exciting rumor for this Wednesday Afternoon though.

World’s first VR Cinema experience

VR is the next big thing. Or is it already the big thing? Either way, if you want to experience it with a bunch of other people doing the same thing – get thee to Amsterdam!

Samhoud Media just announced that it’s opening the first permanent VR Cinema theater in Amsterdam, followed by other European cities later this year.

So how does it work?

Instead of everyone facing one big screen, eating popcorn and trying to ignore the kids behind them, this cinema experience includes swivel chairs, Samsung Gear and Sennheiser HD 201 headphones

If you do make the trip to the lovely city of Canals, expect movies about 35 minutes long, and costing about 12.50 clams. That’s euro clams. And also expect to feel a little weird and futuristic?

Check it out, thanks to samhoudinspirations:

Virtual Reality Happy Meal an actual reality!

Aw the Swedes get all the good things. McDonalds is beginning a program in Sweden whereby your Happy meal Box turns into Virtual Reality Glasses. Whaat.

After they’ve eaten their meal, kids (and lets be real here, adults) can transform their Happy meal Box into VR glasses supposedly similar to Google Cardboard with a couple of folds and the included plastic lenses. They call them Happy Goggles.

You need to provide your own Smartphone, but they do have an App for download which includes a virtual Ski race game which has been officially endorsed by the Swedish alpine ski team

From the Sauce, the Happy Goggles website: “It’s our mission to ensure that the world’s most famous box will continue to be magical and relevant to families for another 30 years. The Happy Meal simply must move with the times.”

Watch:

That is so cool.