Remote surgery platform Proximie raised $80M. We unpack how it solves typical telehealth connectivity barriers and why more US health systems are becoming interested in the tech.

Are parental controls enough to keep kids safe in the metaverse? Desperate for new users, Meta is putting the onus on parents to supervise their teens’ access to Quest and Instagram.

Meta on the ropes: Meta shares have dropped, but metaverse adoption is expected to be a $13 trillion industry by 2030 as more players build competing immersive VR experiences.

Smartphones will gain a few competitors in the next several years. As metaverse tools and wearables like virtual reality (VR) headsets become more commonplace, they will cause growth to slow for everyday devices like smartphones.

All eyes on Apple: As expectations mount for AR/VR product plans, Apple doubles down on iPhone, Mac, and iPad—a move that might indicate its metaverse ambitions are on hold.

Tech wrestles with an era of uncertainty: As 2022 hits the halfway point, we look at how various technology companies navigate expected and unexpected challenges that could alter the business landscape.

Honda’s Prologue SUV ushers in its EV transition: The second-largest Japanese carmaker is leaning on American technology to jumpstart its wider electrification efforts with a SUV it designed in VR.

Global shipments of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets will hit 16.5 million this year, up more than 5 million or 32.1% from last year. Most of these shipments are to consumers, but commercial sales are set to multiply over the next five years, driven by the opportunity for product visualization prior to purchase.

Meta freezes hiring and reduces metaverse investment: Months after an audacious pivot into its VR future, Meta is contending with declining ad sales growth. Will the future wait for Meta to sort itself out?

Meta juggles its Facebook present and metaverse future: The social network gains users, but recent losses could mean less money for metaverse R&D, giving VR platform competitors an opening.

The metaverse promises to be transformative for the digital marketing landscape—at least, as soon as tech platforms figure out how it will actually work.

Among executives worldwide, 72% believe the metaverse will have at least some positive impact on their organization. Some 13% expect this mixed-reality realm to redefine their industry, while 28% think it will enable new business practices and help them reach new customers. Another 28% anticipate the metaverse will have minimal or no positive effect on their company.

Once the domain of gamers and young social media users, AR and VR are entering the mainstream. This year, more than a quarter of the US population will use AR and nearly a fifth will use VR. As device-makers improve VR headsets and AR spreads to new use cases, the number of AR and VR users will continue to grow over the next four years, with AR outpacing VR.

Nearly 2 in 5 augmented reality (AR) users in the US will shop with the technology this year, for a total of 35.0 million retail AR users. That base is up 18.8% from last year and will continue to grow at double-digit rates through 2024 as shoppers make use of virtual try-on and product visualization features.

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) continue to expand their reach as new devices and applications make them more accessible to consumers.

Meta uses fitness data to tap into Apple’s ecosystem: Bringing the metaverse’s fitness stats into Apple Health via Oculus headsets helps Apple users close their activity rings and gives Meta synergy with a larger user ecosystem.

Meta’s future is muddled by declining Facebook users, slow metaverse adoption and a beleaguered ad model: In response to TikTok's success, Meta will shift focus to video, but will the reactionary move be enough to recover losses?

AR, VR, and video games present opportunities that marketers can tap into right now.

Buyer's remorse intensified in 2021 as ecommerce adoption rose: High return rates are cutting into retailers’ margins and increasing inventory pressure.