FDA approves HoloLens powered medical augmented reality system

OpenSight specifically utilizes the Microsoft HoloLens headset that allows simultaneous visualization of the 3D patient images in AR and the actual patient and their real-world surroundings. The technique may decrease operative times and improve surgical planning and the understanding of anatomic relationships.

New York City Opens a City-Funded AR/VR Lab In Brooklyn’s Navy Yard

New York City wants to make an old naval yard in Brooklyn a hotbed for virtual reality and augmented reality. City officials, professors and entrepreneurs on Thursday gathered in Brooklyn’s Navy Yard for the opening of RLab, a 16,000-square-foot center that will house AR and VR startups while also providing research, education and training for New Yorkers working with the emerging technologies.

Samsung’s Odyssey+ VR headset claims 1233 PPI user-perceived resolution

Leaked two months ago by the FCC, Samsung’s HMD Odyssey+ Windows Mixed Reality headset became official today with a somewhat unexpected feature: a “user-perceived resolution” of 1,233 pixels per inch, double the apparent detail of the original Odyssey. Of course, there’s a catch.

Oculus Rift vs. HTC Vive

Oculus Rift and HTC Vive head to head: Prices are lower, but our favorite remains the same. The virtual reality headset industry is far more mature than when it re-emerged with exciting new hardware in 2016, but Oculus and HTC’s flagship PC headsets are still two of the best choices out there. While you might be more excited about the HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Go, or Oculus Quest, the Oculus Rift versus HTC Vive comparison is still a major debate worth having when it comes to picking the right VR headset for you — especially if you already have a capable gaming PC.

Microsoft patent highlights a potential VR text input system

Microsoft has been awarded a patent for a new virtual reality text input system that could prove to be a better way for writing complicated or lengthy text in VR when using motion controllers and Xbox gamepads. It uses a radial design with layered inputs and predictive elements that put the most likely of letters within easy reach depending on what’s being “typed.”

Magic Leap’s Mica is a human-like AI in augmented reality

Magic Leap showed off a demo of Mica, a humanlike artificial intelligence that can be viewed in the company’s augmented reality glasses, the Magic Leap One Creator Edition. I saw a demo of Mica, a short-haired woman who doesn’t speak but still communicates in warm ways with the viewer. I put the AR glasses on my head and looked through prescription inserts to see the virtual overlays in the real world. I thought it was the best thing Magic Leap showed off.

Oculus Quest tracking is ‘indoor-only’

The first thing I thought about when the Oculus Quest was officially announced at the recent Oculus Connect 5 is using the standalone wireless VR headset in a wide, open field outside. The idea of playing a free-roaming game by actually running around in a massive space sounds amazing. We did some light tests with the Lenovo Mirage Solo, but with “Rift quality experiences” and games like Superhot VR coming to Oculus Quest, in its a whole other category.

Atomico leads $31M Series B in Varjo, the Finnish startup developing ‘human-eye resolution’ VR and XR

Varjo Technologies, the Finnish startup that made a splash earlier this year with news it had developed a virtual reality headset capable of “human-eye resolution,” has raised $31 million in Series B funding. Leading the round is Europe’s Atomico, with participation from Siemens-backed venture capital firm Next47. Existing Series A investors EQT Ventures and Lifeline Ventures also followed on. It brings total funding for the Helsinki-based company to $46 million.

Facebook’s Oculus Looking to Invest in Location-Based Virtual Reality (EXCLUSIVE)

Facebook’s virtual reality (VR) unit Oculus is getting ready to get out of the house: The subsidiary is looking to embrace VR centers and arcades in malls and movie theaters and has plans to strike deals with producers of location-based VR content. Ultimately, Oculus wants to use location-based VR to get more consumers interested in buying VR headsets.

Haptx unveils haptic gloves so you can feel things in VR

Haptx has been working on its haptic gloves — which give you a sense of touch in virtual reality — for a few years. Today, the company is launching its Haptx Gloves Development Kit, an industrial-grade product for advanced simulation in virtual reality.