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Virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR)

The Rokid Glasses include a number of use cases that are aided by artificial intelligence, including real-time translation and messaging. Photo: Rokid

Chinese AR start-up Rokid puts Alibaba AI in smart glasses to take on Meta

Rokid’s US$345 smart glasses are the latest from China to adopt generative AI to capitalise on the burgeoning product category.

19 Nov 2024 - 9:00PM

These AR glasses can tell you names and addresses of people you meet

13 Nov 2024 - 4:15PM

Apple explores smart glasses, following Meta’s lead

5 Nov 2024 - 11:00AM

Alibaba cuts ‘dozens of employees’ at metaverse unit as sector’s hype cools down

The lay-offs affected Alibaba metaverse unit Yuanjing’s operations in Shanghai and Hangzhou, according to a report.

3 Nov 2024 - 7:00AMvideocam

Alibaba’s move to downsize its metaverse workforce reflects how other major tech companies are pulling back resources from the sector. Photo: Shutterstock

Review | Seeing is believing: Chinese smart-glasses maker Even Realities bets on visuals

The US$600 G1 glasses are a premium, display-oriented product in a market increasingly flooded with cheap Chinese alternatives.

4 Oct 2024 - 1:03PM

5 great shows for arts fans in Hong Kong this weekend, October 4-6

A Chinese instrument masterclass and a Grammy nominated duo are part of a feast for music fans this weekend. And an art fair is back.

3 Oct 2024 - 1:45PM

Meta Platforms will produce virtual reality headsets in Vietnam

Facebook parent Meta said it will produce its next-generation virtual and augmented reality headsets in Vietnam, creating 1,000 jobs.

1 Oct 2024 - 3:04PM

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg presents Orion AR glasses at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, September 25, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Meta’s chatbot will speak in voices of celebrities like Awkwafina

Meta’s new feature comes after rival OpenAI introduced a ChatGPT voice that sounded like actress Scarlett Johansson, without her consent.

24 Sep 2024 - 12:00PM

Smart glasses, AI features to boost AR and VR headsets growth

VR and AR headset makers are expected to ship over three times more devices in 2028 than this year, says research firm IDC.

17 Sep 2024 - 11:00AM

Alibaba’s Taobao puts Xiaomi car buyers behind virtual wheel

After an update to Taobao’s app on Apple’s Vision Pro headset, users can test drive Xiaomi’s SU7 virtually before buying it online.

18 Sep 2024 - 11:58AM

The “boost mode” in the test-drive function on Taobao simulates high-speed driving. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong Ballet artistic director on ‘over the top’ The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz has been a favourite of Septime Webre since his childhood. His version of the tale of Dorothy and her friends for Hong Kong Ballet leans towards the ‘outrageous’, he says.

19 Aug 2024 - 5:15PM

A scene from Septime Webre’s ballet The Wizard of Oz. Photo: Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios

Japanese city’s VR tour shows devastating aftermath of atomic bomb

In Hiroshima, hit by a US atomic bomb on August 6, 1945 during World War II, a travel company is operating a unique virtual reality tour to offer visitors an immersive window into Japan’s past.

6 Aug 2024 - 4:15PM

Effects studio behind Marvel’s Avengers to set up Hong Kong R&D centre

Digital Domain’s research and development centre in Hong Kong will focus on artificial intelligence-powered virtual humans and their application in service-oriented environments.

26 Jul 2024 - 1:32PM

As Apple’s Vision Pro hits China, 2 quite different users’ takes

A Gen Z gamer and a Gen Y gadget geek give their thoughts on the innovative but costly Apple Vision Pro as the mixed-reality headset hits shops in Hong Kong and mainland China.

4 Jul 2024 - 10:02AM

A customer tries the Apple Vision Pro at a store in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Photo: Jelly Tse

Apple’s Vision Pro launches in Hong Kong, drawing mainland buyers

The 256-gigabyte basic model sells for roughly US$550 more on the mainland than in Hong Kong.

28 Jun 2024 - 5:34PM

Apple’s Vision Pro mixed-reality headset officially launches on Friday in Hong Kong. Photo: Xinmei Shen

Play For Dream mixed reality headset: an improved Apple Vision Pro clone

It may look just like the Apple Vision Pro, but the headset from Shanghai-based Play For Dream puts out higher-resolution visuals, feels more comfortable, and can run Android apps.

28 Jun 2024 - 5:44PM

Apple’s Vision Pro headset sets China launch, facing fierce competition

Pre-orders for the mixed-reality headset start on Friday and shipments later this month, but the US$4,100 price tag is even steeper than in the US.

11 Jun 2024 - 2:37PMvideocam

ByteDance-owned TikTok said to cut hundreds of jobs globally

The lay-offs, which were announced internally earlier this week, are expected to affect TikTok’s operations and marketing departments.

24 May 2024 - 6:30PM

Apple’s Vision Pro mixed-reality headset obtains China quality certification

This development lends credence to Apple chief executive Tim Cook’s assurance that the Vision Pro will be released this year on the mainland.

14 May 2024 - 6:05PM

Alibaba’s Taobao launches 3D-capable app for use on Apple’s Vision Pro headset

The app marks the latest effort by Alibaba to improve users’ experience on its various online platforms via augmented and virtual reality technologies.

18 Apr 2024 - 7:06PM

An Apple robot that follows users around the home could be its ‘next big thing’

Engineers at Apple have been exploring a mobile robot that can follow users around their homes, sources told Bloomberg, as the tech giant searches for new revenue.

4 Apr 2024 - 12:04PM

ByteDance raises annual bonus for high-performing employees amid restructuring

The increased bonus programme shows the lengths taken by TikTok owner ByteDance to retain and attract talent, even as the company continues to restructure its operations this year.

29 Mar 2024 - 9:30PMvideocam

The increased bonus programme shows the lengths taken by ByteDance to retain and attract talent, even as the company continues to restructure its operations this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Paris museum takes visitors back to birth of Impressionism via VR

Impressionism is 150 years old and to celebrate, the Orsay Museum in Paris invites visitors to travel back to the year the art movement began by putting on virtual-reality headsets.

28 Mar 2024 - 3:15AM

ByteDance invests in chip firm InnoStar as VR unit Pico faces Apple’s Vision Pro

ByteDance’s latest semiconductor-related investment shows the lengths being taken by the company to overcome the impact of tighter US tech sanctions on mainland China.

14 Mar 2024 - 7:00PM

Xiaomi founder determined to make cars despite Apple’s EV exit

From Xiaomi to Xpeng, leading Chinese electric vehicle makers have expressed disbelief that Apple is ending its decade-long effort to build a car.

1 Mar 2024 - 2:47PM

Xiaomi displays its first electric vehicle, the SU7, at trade show MWC Barcelona in Spain on February 27, 2024. Photo: Iris Deng

Savvy Chinese merchants offer Apple’s Vision Pro for rent as official release awaited

Savvy merchants are renting out Apple’s Vision Pro headset as Chinese consumers await official release date in country.

26 Feb 2024 - 11:13PM

A person uses a Vision Pro headset in a store in Beijing, China, 24 February 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE

Opinion | When Sora meets VR, AI offers great rewards – and risks

OpenAI’s groundbreaking Sora, which generates video from text prompts, could offer never-before immersive experiences when combined with virtual reality – but could also boost misinformation and erode trust.

23 Feb 2024 - 7:30PMvideocam

Apple Vision Pro at a fraction of the price? Try China’s Shenzhen

Shenzhen-based headset maker EmdoorVR is hoping to leverage the interest around Apple’s Vision Pro to survive a slowdown in the VR and AR industry.

17 Feb 2024 - 7:16AM

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Virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR)

Tech companies are actively pursuing developments in virtual reality - which involves creating an interactive virtual world using body motion tracking and headsets - and its sister technology, augmented reality, which combines real world and virtual data into the experience. Find out the latest developments in these industries right here.

last updated:

9 September, 2024