You’ll soon be able to search NYC apartments using augmented reality on StreetEasy

... "We are building StreetScape to marry the digital and physical experience of home shopping in New York, a crucial step toward getting that level of confidence you need to make a move on a new home. Having that information immediately at your fingertips when you’re in front of a building will help home shoppers act fast, which is especially key in today’s competitive market."

Interestingly, a StreetEasy Instagram poll found that 95% of people have walked past an apartment building and wondered if it has an available unit that meets their criteria. At the same time, 77% have had trouble identifying a building’s address to search for later. ...

See the full story here: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/youll-soon-be-able-to-search-nyc-apartments-using-augmented-reality-on-streeteasy-050422

Former Facebook, WhatsApp Employees Lead New Push to Fix Social Media

... Some startups say product design should be considered as much as the content decisions that generate more headlines. At HalloApp, they believe capping the size of groups will help minimize the potential for abuse. Right-leaning platforms like Parler and Truth Social argue that people need fewer content rules so as to speak freely to the masses without worrying about censorship. Other companies argue for a combination of stronger content policies and design choices so that online political discussions become more civil. ...

See the full story here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/social-media-startups-take-aim-at-facebook-and-elon-musk-11651656600

Second Life Hires Its First CMO to Market The Metaverse

... Social connections and artistic creations are central to Second Life in a different way from the more gaming-centric Roblox and Epic Games. The platform also takes a minimalist approach to collecting user data for ads compared to Meta’s new venture. There is real money on Second Life, too, thanks to its  Tilia virtual payment system and connected market. Content creators can create and sell digital goods through Tilia, which the company claims saw $650 million in transactions last year, $80 million of which went right to the developers. ...

See the full story here: https://voicebot.ai/2022/05/03/second-life-hires-its-first-cmo-to-market-the-metaverse/

Fiverr Debuts Synthetic Voice Tool for Voiceover Auditions

Freelance marketplace Fiverr has unveiled an AI tool for companies to audition voiceover artists before hearing them read a line. The new AI Auditions feature lets the voiceover artist train a synthetic version of their voice that companies can test their scripts on, streamlining the hiring process and enabling the performer to “audition” for far more roles than their time would normally allow. ...

Startups like Lovo and Veritonehave their own voiceover marketplaces with synthetically generated voices that Fiverr’s new service looks like it could take on, with Veritone recently scoring a deal with iHeartMedia to make translated audio content that sounds like the original speaker.  ...

See the full story here: https://voicebot.ai/2022/05/03/fiverr-debuts-synthetic-voice-tool-for-voiceover-auditions/

POAP – Proof of Attendance Protocol

... POAP is a new way of keeping a reliable record of life experiences. 
Each time they take part on an event, POAP collectors get a unique badge that is supported by a cryptographic record. 
These badges are Non Fungible Tokens (NFT) and open a whole new world of possibilities. ...

Why use POAP?

POAP allows event organizers to better engage with their audiences by providing a customized experience. POAPs not only offer special designs but allow for a range of integrated services such as private chat rooms, raffles and more.

See the source here: https://poap.xyz

Virtual Reality: High Tech VR Headsets to Try in 2022

...

Newer headsets have a higher resolution, are less bulky and can be worn while wearing glasses. Some are not headsets at all, but actually place you in the metaverse, using augmented reality technology to take you on a sensory journey into a virtual world.

These are the most exciting VR headsets on the market to date.

XTAL VR Headset

A$11,800

Aimed at the professional use of VR technology by architects, helicopter pilot trainees and sim racers, this headset has a very high resolution, supporting an 8K Ultra High Definition display.

Vuzix M4000 Smart Glasses

A$3,509

... The Vizix M4000 is basically a wearable computer with the addition of a camera and screen, it allows you to merge on-screen instructions with real-world applications in real-time, greatly increasing productivity and precisely relaying instructions. ...

See the full story here: https://themarketherald.com.au/fancy/virtual-reality-high-tech-vr-headsets-to-try-in-2022/

A Detailed Guide on NFT Marketplace Development: Use cases, Prerequisites and Features

See the full story here: https://readwrite.com/a-detailed-guide-on-nft-marketplace-development-use-cases-prerequisites-and-features/

Meta Quest Virtual Reality Experience featuring ILMxLAB’s Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge Coming to Disney Springs May 2 to July 21

... Meta Quest, ILMxLAB – Lucasfilm’s award-winning immersive entertainment studio – and Disney Parks are excited to continue their collaboration by bringing the Meta Quest 2 preview of Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge to Disney Springs West Side from May 2 through July 21. ...

The hands-on preview will showcase a short version of ILMxLAB’s virtual reality experience Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge, which expands the world of Batuu like never before! Once inside the Quest 2 headset, you’ll be immersed within sweeping 360 views of the Star Wars galaxy. The adventure takes place on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu, which you may be familiar with from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the immersive epic lands at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. 

The story features both new and iconic characters from the Star Wars galaxy. Gameplay was designed for a variety of players – from Star Wars fans to VR gamers – at home on Quest 2.  ...

See the full story here: https://wdwnt.com/2022/04/meta-quest-virtual-reality-experience-featuring-ilmxlabs-star-wars-tales-from-the-galaxys-edge-coming-to-disney-springs-may-2-to-july-21/

Snap pushes into augmented reality shopping, unveils flying camera

... The Santa Monica, California-based company announced the pocket-sized camera called Pixy, which can fly a few feet above its owner to take photos and videos before landing in the palm of the hand, in a renewed push to grow its hardware business. Pixy will cost $230 and will be sold in the United States and France, Snap said. ...

See the full story here: https://www.reuters.com/technology/snap-pushes-into-augmented-reality-shopping-unveils-flying-camera-2022-04-28/

Best unexpected double majors for computer science students

... Did you know that double majors report higher earnings? They also report greater satisfaction with their college experience. ...

Philosophy

Why it's a good fit: Computer science and philosophy might seem like an unexpected combination, but the two fields overlap in a key area: logic. Adding a philosophy major to your computer science degree will build strong logic skills, which play an important role in programming languages. Philosophy majors also study the ethics of technology.

Challenges: Philosophy majors typically have very different course requirements than CS majors, including a year of a world language. (That's true of most BA degrees.) However, some schools offer a combined major; Northeastern, for example, has a computer science and philosophy BS degree.

Potential careers for double majors: Data scientist; computer programmer; data engineer, software engineer ....

See the full story here: https://www.zdnet.com/education/computers-tech/best-unexpected-double-majors-for-computer-science-students/