AWE USA 2021 Day One: “Metaverse Shmetaverse”

Tuesday, November 9, was the first day of AWE USA 2021, including keynotes from Ori Inbar and John Hanke, panel discussions, and of course, company announcements. If it could be summed up in a single word, that word would, of course, be “metaverse” – love it, hate it, or both, almost everyone on stage used it at least once. Our classic events disclaimer first: There was too much going on for everything to get covered – including some things that we would have really liked to have covered. Marathon Session on the Main Stage The day started off with three powerhouse speakers on the main stage: AWE founder Ori Inbar, Niantic CEO John Hanke, and Qualcomm’s VP and GM of XR Hugo Swart. Ori Inbar’s State of XR, AWE.LIVE Perhaps nobody has been looking forward to the return of in-person AWE more than Inbar himself, and his excitement was clear

‘XR Casino’ Brings Cross-Platform Gambling To VR & AR

Bet on games of Blackjack and Roulette in this blockchain-powered virtual casino coming soon to major VR & AR devices.

XR Casino, Inc (“The Company”) has announced an official release date for its cross-platform gambling experience which allows users on VR and AR devices to bet real money on games like blackjack, roulette, and slots from the comfort of their own holographic casinos.

Lynx R1: XR2 AR-VR Hybrid Ships 2022 For ‘A Few Hundred Dollars’

French startup Lynx is shifting strategy for its upcoming AR-VR hybrid headset, dramatically lowering the price to target consumers too.

Lynx R1 was initially announced in February 2020 as a $1500 product focused on businesses & professionals. It has the same Snapdragon XR2 processor found in Oculus Quest 2 & HTC’s Vive Focus 3. But whereas those headsets can only show a low resolution black & white view of the real world, Lynx R1 has two dedicated high resolution color cameras for passthrough AR.

Lynx to Launch MR Headset “below $1,000”, Kickstarter Coming in September

French startup Lynx announced its Lynx R-1 mixed reality headset last year. The standalone headset, which is capable of both VR and pass-through AR, was previously said to launch for business somewhere around the $1,500 price point. Now Lynx says it’s pivoting focus to include both enterprise and consumers, and will bring the headset down “below $1,000.” You can expect a Kickstarter sometime in September 2021, the company says.

Lynx founder and CEO Stan Larroque announced in the project’s July update a few key changes to its upcoming MR headset. You can check out the full 30-minute video at the bottom of the article.

Cannes XR Virtual Exhibit Offers Insightful Panels On VR

The legendary film festival goes virtual to deliver a series of live talks featuring some of the biggest names in the XR industry.

This week marks part two of XR3, an ambitious collaboration between Cannes XR, Tribeca, and the NewImages Festival that consists of 50 pieces of VR art from immersive artists located around the globe. Festival-goers can purchase a ticket to access a collection of genre-defying art via the Museum of Other Realities, a virtual exhibition space accessible via PC VR headsets.

Dogecoin Millionaire Launches Tamagotchi-Style AR Game

Earn exclusive NFTs and Dogecoin by taking care of an AR-powered ‘Dogeagotchi’ in this location-based mobile game.

In an effort to establish what he calls a “Doge-fueled Party metaverse,” Vancouver-based Dogecoin millionaire Gary Lachance is giving away one million of his own Dogecoin, currently worth $300,000 CAD, but there’s a catch.

In order to access this digital stockpile, you’ll need to take care of your own personal ‘Dogeagotchi.’ This includes feeding it treats and taking it on healthy walks throughout the real world.