This Giant Spider at Frieze London Will Transport You to a Digital World

news.artnet.com Jul 8, 2026

This Giant Spider at Frieze London Will Transport You to a Digital World

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Jul 8, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Greek new‑media artist Theo Triantafyllidis unveiled a massive, climbable spider sculpture at Frieze London, titled Feral Metaverse (Spider). The work serves as a physical portal to an interactive video‑game environment the artist calls the “feral metaverse,” a tactile counterpoint to the sleek, corporate visions of the metaverse promoted by Silicon Valley. Visitors are invited to scale the spider’s bristly body, locate embedded controls and screens, and then enter the digital realm, where they can “play‑test” social dynamics. The installation is the latest installment in Triantafyllidis’s ongoing Feral Metaverse project, which seeks to replace frictionless virtual simulations with awkward, embodied experiences. The piece won this year’s Frieze Artist Award and will be on view throughout the fair.

💡 Why It Matters

· By forcing participants to physically engage with a digital gateway, the spider challenges the prevailing notion that immersive tech must be seamless, suggesting a future where virtual experiences are rooted in bodily interaction.

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X by Xreal is the first affordable pair of smart glasses that…

Xreal has launched the X by Xreal, positioning it as the first affordable pair of smart glasses that avoids the typical compromises associated with the category. The device aims to bridge the gap between high-end augmented reality hardware and consumer accessibility, offering a lightweight design suitable for everyday wear. Unlike previous iterations that often sacrificed comfort or battery life for display quality, this model prioritizes a balanced user experience. It features high-resolution micro-OLED displays and seamless connectivity with smartphones and PCs. The launch addresses a critical pain point in the wearable tech market: the lack of stylish, practical AR glasses for the mass market. By focusing on affordability and form factor, Xreal challenges competitors who have relied on premium pricing for advanced features. The glasses support various content types, including video playback and gaming, without the bulk of traditional VR headsets. This release marks a significant step toward mainstream adoption of wearable displays, proving that high-quality AR experiences do not require exorbitant costs or cumbersome designs.

💡 Affordable AR glasses finally offer a viable alternative to bulky VR headsets for casual consumers. This shift lowers the barrier to entry for spatial computing, potentially accelerating mainstream adoption of wearable displays.

fastcompany.com · Jul 10

10 years later, ‘Pokémon Go’ is as popular as ever

Pokémon Go celebrates its tenth anniversary, marking a decade since former Google engineers launched the augmented reality mobile game. The title transformed global gaming by overlaying digital creatures onto real-world maps, encouraging physical exploration. Scopely, which acquired the franchise for $3.5 billion last year, reports sustained engagement with tens of millions of monthly players. Daily playtime increased 10% year-over-year, and the game generated over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. Cumulative earnings have surpassed $9 billion, ranking it as the fifth-most-lucrative mobile game historically. Ed Wu, now president of games at Scopely, emphasizes the original vision of making Pokémon feel real. The team is currently developing features to encourage deeper outdoor exploration, including potential integration with national parks. Despite initial skepticism, the game’s unique premise has ensured its longevity and continued financial success in the competitive mobile gaming market.

💡 The game’s decade-long dominance proves that location-based augmented reality remains a viable, high-revenue business model. Its success challenges the industry assumption that mobile hits have short lifespans, demonstrating that physical-world integration drives sustained user engagement.

androidcentral.com · Jul 9

Why Meta’s new smart AI glasses might not be for everyone, and…

Meta unveiled its latest smart AI glasses, integrating advanced vision‑processing chips and an AI‑driven assistant that can overlay contextual information in real time. The glasses feature a lightweight design, a high‑resolution display, and a battery lasting up to eight hours, targeting both enterprise and consumer markets. Meta plans to launch the device in Q4, with a price point of $799, positioning it against competitors like Apple’s rumored AR glasses and Google’s Project Starline. The company emphasizes privacy safeguards and developer tools for third‑party applications.

💡 The release signals Meta’s serious push into the emerging AR ecosystem, potentially reshaping how users interact with digital content in everyday life. It also intensifies competition for the limited consumer AR market, compelling rivals to accelerate their own product roadmaps.

newindianexpress.com · Jul 9

Two Tambaram Corporation schools get Augmented, Virtual Reality labs

Tambaram Corporation inaugurated two AR and VR laboratories in its Hasthinapuram and Zameen Royapet schools, spending 89.37 lakh rupees. The labs, built by NETCOM and opened by Minister D. Sarathkumar, target classes 3‑12 and follow the Tamil Nadu State Board syllabus. VR modules let pupils virtually explore the human digestive system, the heart and other scientific phenomena, and also take immersive tours of ancient civilizations and the Indian freedom movement. Content spans Science, Social Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Botany, Zoology and History; primary lessons use curiosity‑driven stories, while senior students study genetics, magnetism and modern physics. The launch coincided with the unveiling of a renovated children’s park in ward 52 and an aspirational toilet at Gandhi park in ward 48. Aims to boost digital learning citywide for students.

💡 By embedding immersive technology in standard curricula, the program transforms rote memorization into experiential education, setting a precedent for statewide digital integration.

androidcentral.com · Jul 7

Solos’ new smart glasses come with a literal plastic shield to block…

Solos unveiled its AirGo A6 and a Privacy Kit at the AI Smartglasses Symposium 2026 in Hong Kong, while also launching the AirGo V2 globally. The A6 forgoes a built‑in camera, weighing about 19 g without lenses and supporting prescription inserts, and offers AI functions such as SolosChat, wake‑word activation, live translation and open‑ear audio. The V2 retains a 16 MP camera, 2K video, modular SmartHinge frames and up to 12 hours of battery life, with optional swappable battery temples. Solos’ new Privacy Kit includes a transparent temple and a clip‑on shield that physically covers the camera, plus a polarized sun lens; the kit sells for $39, or $79 as a bundle. Pricing for the A6 remains undisclosed, awaiting more info from Solos.

💡 By offering a hardware shutter for the camera, Solos gives users a tangible privacy control that could ease public resistance to wearable AI devices.

techcrunch.com · Jul 6

Smart glasses maker Even Realities hits $1B valuation with $150M funding led…

Even Realities, a three‑year‑old Shenzhen startup founded by former Apple engineers, secured $150 million in a pre‑Series B round led by Meituan and Tencent, valuing the company at $1 billion. The funding follows the launch of its G1 glasses, which sold over 10,000 units, and the G2 model released in November, which forgoes a camera in favor of a heads‑up display controlled by a companion ring. CEO Will Wang emphasizes privacy‑by‑design, using encrypted voice translation and European‑grade data protection. Even’s proprietary Holistic Adaptive Optics integrates microchips, waveguides and prescription support, positioning optics as its competitive edge. The firm now employs 300‑400 staff, ships primarily from China, and targets affluent professionals in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, the Middle East and Europe, with average orders near $1,000.

💡 By proving a profitable, privacy‑focused glasses model can scale without a camera, Even Realities challenges the dominant content‑capture narrative and forces larger players to reconsider hardware‑first, optics‑centric strategies.