AOUSD unveils roadmap towards OpenUSD standardisation

The Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD) has unveiled a roadmap outlining its journey towards establishing OpenUSD (Universal Scene Description) as an international standard.

AOUSD's two-year roadmap is a strategic plan to make OpenUSD an international standard for interoperability in describing 3D scenes and environments.

The Core Specification working group, a key component of this roadmap, will lay the foundation for OpenUSD by defining the structure and interpretation of...

13 December 2023 | Gaming

Apple begins Vision Pro staff training ahead of launch

In the countdown to the release of its highly anticipated Vision Pro, Apple has begun training its staff on the $3,499 mixed-reality headset.

Unveiled in June, the Vision Pro marks Apple’s first major new product line for nearly a decade. According to a Bloomberg report by Apple tipster Mark, seminars for Apple Store staff are slated to commence in January.

Each store in the US is reportedly sending "a few" members for a two-day training session at Apple's Cupertino,...

11 December 2023 | Metaverse

Linux Foundation launches Open Metaverse Foundation

The nonprofit Linux Foundation has launched the Open Metaverse Foundation (OMF) to promote an open metaverse.

Current participating organisations of the OMF include the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Futurewei, GenXP, Hyperledger Foundation, LF AI, LF Edge & Networking, Open Voice Network, Open Wallet, and Veriken.

When discussing the metaverse, it’s important to consider the history of the web.

The original vision for the web was a decentralised...

19 January 2023 | Blockchain

Game development legend John Carmack quits Meta

Legendary game developer John Carmack has quit his executive consultant position at Meta.

Carmack, the co-founder of id Software and lead programmer of gaming classics including Doom and Wolfenstein, posted a scathing letter detailing his decision:

This is the end of my decade in VR.

I have mixed feelings.

Quest 2 is almost exactly what I wanted to see from the beginning – mobile hardware, inside out tracking, optional PC streaming, 4k (ish)...

20 December 2022 | Gaming

Apple may unveil its mixed reality headset in January

We could finally see Apple’s much-anticipated mixed reality headset in just a couple of months.

According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up to unveil the headset early next year. The headset is expected to offer a seamless transition between virtual and augmented reality.

Unlike efforts from Meta, Apple has reportedly designed its mixed reality headset for short stints of communication, content viewing, and gaming. The metaverse is...

15 November 2022 | Gaming

Tim Sweeney: The App Store is a ‘disservice’ to developers

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has continued his company’s fierce criticism of Apple and called the App Store a “disservice” to developers.

In an interview with Financial Times, Sweeney explained his reasoning behind taking Apple to court.

The long-running feud between Epic and Apple is the result of the latter’s infamous “walled garden” mobile ecosystem that many see as anti-competitive.

While Google has faced similar criticisms, its relatively open approach...

26 May 2022 | App Stores

Web3: Ethereum leads in developers, falling behind in activity

According to a16z’s 2022 State of Crypto report, Ethereum is maintaining its lead in web3 developers but rivals are overtaking in activity.

The report opens with some history of the various web eras and why web3 has many people excited:

Web1 (~1990-2005) – Based on open protocols, decentralised, and community-governed. However, relatively basic in terms of functionality.Web2 (~2005-present) – Siloed, centralised services with value and content ownership granted to a...

18 May 2022 | Blockchain

Epic Games raises $2B a week after Unreal Engine 5’s release

Epic Games has raised $2 billion in a funding round just a week after its release of Unreal Engine 5.

Epic – known for its hit titles, popular game engine, and high-profile spats with Apple – says the funding will support its continued growth and vision to build the metaverse.

Tim Sweeney, CEO and Founder of Epic Games, said:

“As we reimagine the future of entertainment and play we need partners who share our vision. We have found this in our partnership...

12 April 2022 | Development Tools

Niantic acquires WebAR experts 8th Wall to expand metaverse platform

Niantic is continuing its evolution from an AR game developer to a complete platform for building metaverse experiences.

Once upon a time, Niantic was an exciting but relatively unknown company behind the pioneering (and highly underrated) AR game Ingress. Niantic then released Pokemon Go and was catapulted into the spotlight.

The hype around Pokemon Go may have faded but Niantic hasn’t stopped working. The company has been using its experience in live, large-scale AR...

11 March 2022 | Development Tools

Omniverse Code helps developers to build 3D design and simulation tools

Nvidia has announced Omniverse Code, a new app to make it easier for developers to build advanced tools for 3D design and simulation.

The app includes the Omniverse Kit SDK runtime along with foundational tools, templates, and documentation. Developers won’t have to build from scratch with hundreds of Omniverse Extensions available to edit, modify, or integrate into their own extensions or applications.

Interactive documentation helps users to experience features like...

2 February 2022 | Development Tools