Sure, here’s your rewritten article:
Okay, so here’s the thing. Just heard an Italian tennis player smashed through Wimbledon and snagged that trophy for the first time ever! I mean, wow. Being Italian, I suddenly feel the urge to do something historic myself. Like, seriously. No clue what, though. Any suggestions? Hit me up in the comments!
For now, I’m sticking to my trusty routine (don’t judge) – a rundown of the top XR news this week!
Top News of the Week
XPANCEO Hits Unicorn Status
So, here’s a twist. XPANCEO – this Dubai-based company, right? They’ve nailed a $250M investment, pushing their valuation to $1.35 billion. Unicorn territory, baby! Think about smart contact lenses – that’s their playground. Leading the pack was Opportunity Venture, throwing cash to keep those prototypes rolling. A 2026 release is the buzz, but honestly, sounds a tad ambitious. I’m just pumped there’s life again in this field after Mojo Vision’s tumble.
Oh, gotta mention – had a behind-the-scenes peek at their lab before. The folks there? Solid. Tested a few prototypes at AWE Europe. They worked! Fingers are crossed they move from working prototype to market model. Imagine a lens measuring glucose for diabetics. Niche, but neat. Hats off to Roman Axelrod and Valentyn Volkov at XPANCEO – hope to shake their hands in Dubai someday!
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Upload VR Summer Showcase 2025: Indie Galore
Upload VR did its thing again with their Showcase Summer 2025. No earth-shattering reveals, but hey, they shone a spotlight on indie XR games. Those big guns at studios save their reveals for larger stages, so this was indie territory through and through. Too many announcements to list, but I’ll drop a few highlights:
- Elsewhere Electric pops up on July 23 – co-op puzzle fun!
- Reach gets a trailer. Super sleek. Dropping on major platforms soon.
- Virtual Skate rolls out August 21. Feeling the grind?
- Fixer Undercover hits early next year. Quirky puzzles galore.
- How To God enters Beta on July 21. Channel your inner deity.
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Moohan Ghosts at Samsung Unpacked
Predictions are a gamble. Analysts muttered about Samsung’s Project Moohan headset at Unpacked. Instead? Crickets. Nada. Just whispers of a future event. Suspense or last-minute tweaks? Only time will tell. That device in AWE’s glass box—untouchable! Why? Maybe they’re tightening screws. It’s a mystery. Stay tuned!
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Meta Pours $3.5B Into Luxottica
Remember those rumors about Meta cozying up to EssilorLuxottica? Well, it’s a thing now. $3.5B later, they snag 3% shares, aiming for more. Smart move, considering Luxottica’s chokehold on the glasses game. An alliance like this could steer clear of competitor shenanigans.
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Canon’s MR Headset Tease
Got wind from Norman at /r/AugmentedReality – Canon’s dabbling in mixed reality. Their enterprise kit costs a fortune! But whispers about a consumer model are out. Could it challenge Vision Pro? Who knows, but my curiosity’s piqued.
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A Glimpse at the SINGRAY G2
So HMS dropped a new AR device – the SINGRAY G2. Norman had a go. Conclusion? It’s real, but not quite HoloLens 2 material. Progress is progress, right?
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Viture’s Bold Moves
Viture’s back with its Luma Series glasses. Big virtual screen, micro-OLED panel – all the jazz. Prices start at $399. And they’re throwing in real-time media-to-3D conversion. Watching movies just got a twist.
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Whispers of Ray-Ban Meta 3
Leaks from China suggest new Ray-Ban Meta models, Aperol and Bellini – featuring AI tricks like key-finding. Speculation’s in the air – will Meta surprise us at Connect? Fingers crossed for clarity.
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Apple Vision Pro Refresh Rumors Persist
Grapevine’s buzzing about Apple Vision Pro’s revamp. An M4 chip? Maybe this year? Rumors clash like old swords, but there’s hope for something fresh.
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CREAL Bags Investment
Swiss startup CREAL just got $8.9M for its lightfield displays. The depth these offer? Stellar. They’re downsizing from bulky to sleek. Excited to see where this leads. Cheers to them!
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RealSense is Back!
RealSense tracking cameras – remember those? Intel’s letting them fly solo with $50M backing. Diving into AI-powered vision, their tech might spill into XR. Keep an eye out.
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Epic VR LAN Party
Jeff Baz (yep, wooden chopstick guy) hosted a killer VR LAN party. 130 VR headsets in one warehouse? It’s a scene straight outta sci-fi. Hats off to Jeff.
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Hackathon Highlights
Mentra’s hackathon is all the rage. Their open smartglasses OS had enthusiasts buzzing. Can’t wait to see the magic concocted over the weekend.
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New Content Alerts
- Table Troopers lands July 17.
- "Grit and Valor — 1949" bags VR support soon.
- BuildPort Xumia’s space combat, currently $6.
- BlackGate by Fun Train goes pre-order on Meta Quest.
- Beat Saber jam session with Billie Eilish’s track.
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Content Insights
Prison Boss Prohibition’s sequel is a blast. Just needs a little tracking tweak, but loads of fun otherwise.
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Sneak Peek Elsewhere
ShapesXR introduces animations to XR prototypes. Neat!
Apple snatched up TrueMeeting for beefing up avatars. Dodged the digital uncanny valley, perhaps?
Zoom’s on Quest. Avatar meetings, but who’s the audience?
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From Friends & Co.
Pre-orders for Iron Guard: Salvation are open! Dive into tower defense with a 17% launch discount.
Meet FM DUO – a VR camera boasting 12K filming. 8K is so last year. Real-time immersion’s the game!
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XR Shenanigans
Motorbike immersion done right? Or hilariously wrong. Link’s a laugh!
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Giving Back
Once again, encouragement to donate to the Red Cross for Ukraine’s ongoing crisis. Thanks to all my Patreon supporters – your backing fuels this ride:
[Donor Shoutout]
Donate here: [Support The Red Cross in Ukraine]
(Header image by XPANCEO)
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