Author: XR Today

Just weeks before 2024 wraps up and the new year draws closer, the XR industry is steeped in countless stories that may lead to a transformative year for XR.2024 looks to be a foundational year for the future of XR, from hardware to software and from consumer to enterprise. The plumbing powering the XR revolution appears to be built or is at least almost complete.From digital twins to AR smart glasses, 2025 may very well be a big boom for XR across the market. However, as always, that future is not set. What is set is the present day, and…

This week, immersive collaboration service provider ENGAGE announced version 3.10 of its flagship application, which allows professionals and classrooms to work together in shared virtual spaces.The new update looks to enhance AI integrations, desktop controls, and session access-including improving the integration of Meta’s AI Llama framework.In a social media post, David Whelan, CEO of ENGAGE, added:Whether you’re looking to revolutionize collaboration in the hashtag#workplace or enhance student hashtag#learning experiences, ENGAGE 3.10 is designed for the future of work and education.New 3.10 FeaturesENGAGE 3.10 notably introduces support for Meta’s Llama LLM framework in its AI Builder service. The move enables users…

Originally announced in Spring 2024, the Meta for Education program is gradually beginning to roll out to teachers, schools, and training institutions across the US and UK. This initiative is empowering schools to leverage XR headsets, like the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S, alongside cutting-edge software specifically created for the educational landscape.Similar to the “Meta Quest for Business” model, introduced last year, the educational solutions are intended to help administrators, trainers, and teachers access specific XR experiences and applications that should revolutionize the future of learning.Not only will they be able to experiment with a huge range of inspirational…

XR has already reached many end users and workplace situations. While the era of widespread consumer adoption of XR into everyday life is still some way away, major businesses are already profoundly leveraging the technology.Among those key enterprise sectors is manufacturing. There are many moving parts behind a successful manufacturing firm, from the design team to frontline workers on a factory floor; in both areas, XR is becoming a strong tool.For example, in design review situations, VR allows teams to collaborate over immersive digital twins of an existing or upcoming product, which allows for many positive outcomes. One is saving…

Today, Meta announced the Meta for Education beta program, a product targeted at colleges and universities that the firm first teased in April. The solution aims to bring education-specific XR services to teachers, trainers, and administrators via the Quest portfolio of VR and MR headsets.  The beta launch sees Meta drop its new educational solution in US and UK colleges and universities, including Arizona State University, Houston Community College, Imperial College London, Miami Dade College, Morehouse College, New Mexico State University, San Diego State University, Savannah College of Art & Design, The University of Glasgow, University of Iowa, University of…

Recently, XR Today spoke exclusively to Arome Ibrahim, Program Director of Immersive Tech Africa, a nonprofit bringing XR to the business of Africa. The Immersive Tech Africa team is “championing and supporting the next generation of emerging tech content creators on the African continent,” Ibrahim said.Founded in 2020, the nonprofit organization is “committed to democratizing access” to XR and AI, Ibrahim stated, via education, training and research, and with a goal to “build a thriving and inclusive tech community on the African continent.”Ibrahim explained that the Immersive Tech Africa team first started an online webinar group inviting guest speakers to…

Alibaba Group has allegedly cut ‘dozens’ of employees from its metaverse arm ‘Yuanjing’ as hype for the sector has calmed down.The news comes from an Alibaba-owned media publication, South China Morning Post (SCMP), although it was first reported by other Chinese media sources too.A source told SCMP that restructuring will help to enhance organisational efficiency. They also reassured that the metaverse unit at the multinational retailer would continue its work, focussing on metaverse applications and tools, while also offering metaverse-based services to customers.Far from being abandoned, sentiment towards metaverse still remains positive within the Alibaba Group. Alibaba Cloud, a cloud…

Cornerstone and Meta have announced a strategic partnership to deliver AI-powered immersive learning.Cornerstone, a provider of workforce agility solutions, has joined forces with Meta to enhance immersive learning and extended reality (XR) capabilities powered by AI. Announced as part of Meta Innovation Day, this partnership aims to democratise immersive learning within the enterprise space. It will prioritise the integration of Meta’s AI advancements and the adoption of Meta’s key XR technologies and devices.“Meta is committed to the accessibility of extended reality and artificial intelligence,” said Himanshu Palsule, CEO of Cornerstone.Democratised access is key to scaling this technology, which is reaching…

NVIDIA recently revealed its Q3 earnings, as compiled by Yahoo. Expectably, the firm continued ramping up revenue, which reached $18.1 billion, an uptick of 34% from the previous quarter and more than 200% year-on-year. The firm noted how products like the NVIDIA HGX platform drove Q3 performance. The NVIDIA technology portfolio is incredibly deep, and the Q3 performance is based on many moving parts within that product portfolio, which reach an extensive list of end customers and partners.  Another area of success for NVIDIA in 2024 is its Omniverse platform, an ecosystem of RT3D, XR, and simulation technologies aiming to provide businesses with emerging…

Augmented Enterprise Summit 2024 will kick off this week on October 15-17, showcasing how industry-leading firms are driving AR/VR/MR innovation toward a workplace revolution. AES will host global operations this year, uniting the industry across the three-day event in Dallas, Texas.AES 2024 is platforming XR companies such as Meta, Qualcomm, XREAL, HTC VIVE, and RealWear, showcasing the products and technologies that are changing the industry and enterprises today and in the future.Some featured technologies at AES 2024 include digital twins, haptics, avatars, blockchain, wearables, VR headsets, AR smart glasses, and more. Moreover, the event will feature a rich expo floor,…