Meta and Magic Leap in talks to partner on VR optics and manufacturing

Photo: Magic Leap

Meta is reportedly in talks with Magic Leap to license the latter's optical tech and manufacturing process for Meta's virtual reality headsets. The Financial Times says the two companies are negotiating a multi-year deal that would not involve a joint headset. But it would help Meta reduce its reliance on China and compete with Apple and other rivals in the AR space.

Click to read more ...

Magic Leap 2 headset to debut on Sept. 30

Source: Magic Leap

Magic Leap is ready to launch its latest mixed reality device. The Magic Leap 2 headset will debut on September 30 with a starting price of US$3,299 (around CA$4,301). It succeeds the 2018 Magic Leap, promising a smaller, lighter device with a broader field of view. The Magic Leap 2 will be available in three packages, with varying software support and intended use. 

That Base model will include the headset and a limited warranty. The US$4,099 (~CA$5,343) Developer Pro option gets development software tools and early access to software releases. But this is limited to internal development—not a full commercial product. And then, the US$4,999 (~CA$6,517) Enterprise edition will come with quarterly software updates and tools to manage deployment across an organization.

Click to read more ...

Sennheiser joins ‘Works with Magic Leap’ certification program

Sennheiser just announced it’ll be working with Magic Leap to create spatial audio accessories for the latter’s augmented reality headset’s platform. The headphone and audio gear company will be joining the “Works with Magic Leap” certification program, which is basically a way to ensure the accessories developed for the Magic Leap One will interact with the headset the way it should. Sennheiser hints in the announcement that it might reveal more news at Magic Leap’s L.E.A.P. conference next month.

Magic Leap and Lucasfilm want to bring C-3PO into your living room

Watch this on The Scene.

It’s feels like a match made in heaven when you think about Lucasfilm and mixed-reality startup Magic Leap partnering, especially if you think about the technology the two companies can bring into the world. What took over a year of “courtship” has resulted in the two innovators working to bringing Star Wars content into our lives. Magic Leap is working closely with Lucasfilm’s forward-looking division, xLab, to do something both brands won’t elaborate on. But a video showed at WIRED Business Conference shows the possibility of having C-3PO in your living room interacting with you and sharing the issues from the Star Wars galaxy, making use of augmented reality and other “mixed reality” tech we’re sure is headed our way many years from now. What they could put forward could be a new medium to consume content or change the way we tell stories. It’s all pretty exciting, if you ask us.

Source: WIRED