Snap Inc. has released Snap OS 2.0 in advance of the release of its next-generation Spectacles AR glasses, due for release next year. The OS 2.0 XR operating system will power both the fifth and sixth generation Spectacles, the first that the company will market directly to consumers after years of selling AR glasses made for developers building AR experiences for the Snapchat app. The new OS aims to simplify content viewing and sharing with Spectacles as well as heightening Internet exploration via a native browser with WebXR support. Snap is still keeping details like pricing and the specific release date for the consumer Spectacles under wraps. Continue reading New OS Will Power Snap’s Upcoming Consumer AR Glasses

During Snap’s annual Lens Fest event, the company introduced new features and upcoming changes to its Lens Studio creation suite. Snap touted updates involving the integration of outside media and data in addition to a collection of new augmented reality features intended for future glasses, including its own AR-enabled Spectacles. Creators will be able to add audio clips and licensed music to Snapchat Lenses. The company is working on delivering real-time data such as weather info from AccuWeather and cryptocurrency prices from FTX. Developers will also have the ability to embed links inside Lenses and send Snapchatters to different websites. Continue reading Lens Fest: Snap Reveals New Augmented Reality Possibilities

To promote its new thriller “Don’t Breathe,” Sony Pictures Entertainment created the first immersive, 360-degree video ad for the social media platform Snapchat, with its more than 150 million mainly young users. The campaign is a 10-second video that lets users “swipe up” to see the 90-second 360-degree video on a Web page in the app. “Don’t Breathe,” about three burglars who invade the home of a blind military veteran and find themselves trapped and fighting for their lives, opens in theaters August 26. Continue reading Sony Debuts Immersive Video to Promote Movie on Snapchat