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Holograms in your face: Is Magic Leap our future?

The hype around augmented reality knows no bounds. Let's get real about AR.

Bridget Carey Principal Video Producer
Bridget Carey is an award-winning reporter who helps you level-up your life -- while having a good time geeking out. Her exclusive CNET videos get you behind the scenes as she covers new trends, experiences and quirky gadgets. Her weekly video show, "One More Thing," explores what's new in the world of Apple and what's to come. She started as a reporter at The Miami Herald with syndicated newspaper columns for product reviews and social media advice. Now she's a mom who also stays on top of toy industry trends and robots. (Kids love robots.)
Expertise Consumer technology, Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, social media, mobile, robots, future tech, immersive technology, toys, culture Credentials
  • Bridget has spent over 18 years as a consumer tech reporter, hosting daily tech news shows and writing syndicated newspaper columns. She's often a guest on national radio and television stations, including ABC, CBS, CNBC and NBC.
Bridget Carey

The next stage of computing doesn't happen on a laptop or a phone. It happens in the space around you, hanging in the air, awaiting a command from a flick of your hand.

That company presentation? An animation beamed to the table in front of you. The next hit video game? Blaster fire shot from aliens hiding behind the sofa.

It goes by a few names: augmented reality or mixed reality (and not to be confused with virtual reality). It's a world where anything can appear in the palm of your hand… well, that is, if you don't mind strapping on some expensive headgear to make it happen.

Watch this: Getting real about AR: Magic Leap and the hologram era

Magic Leap is the latest tech company to launch an augmented reality device to make this world possible with its $2,295 headset. There's also the $3,000 Microsoft HoloLens. And, as you would expect, Apple is working on something, too.

The hype is ramping up -- but marketing footage isn't always realistic. Check out my latest video (embedded above) where I take a step back to help set a few things straight about the current state of augmented reality, and when the tech will become our everyday reality. 

Wearing Magic Leap One for the first time

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Magic Leap is either brilliant or BS: It's ready to prove its AR gear is real.

I finally tried Magic Leap: And I have mixed (reality) feelings.