philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

DOJ cracks down on ‘rug pulls,’ charging Frosties NFT project founders

According to a Thursday release from the Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York, 20-year-olds Ethan Nguyen and Andre Llacuna were arrested in Los Angeles and both charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in “connection with a million-dollar scheme to defraud purchasers” of the NFTs “Frosties.”

The DOJ’s complaint alleges that they “abruptly abandoned” and shut down the project within hours of selling out $1.1 million worth of NFTs, and transferred the proceeds to various crypto wallets “under their control in multiple transactions designed to obfuscate the original source of funds.” ...

As part of the release, IRS-CI special agent-in-charge Thomas Fattorusso warned that his team is watching crypto closely. Despite NFTs being a relatively new choice for financial investments, the “rules apply to an investment in an NFT or a real estate development:” ...

See the full story here: https://cointelegraph.com/news/doj-cracks-down-on-rug-pulls-charging-frosties-nft-project-founders?utm_source=Telegram&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR1cu8TRd8hllIeZq2z1V0pl6qsU29_guhjBiOZY493aKnIFhsvfa2m8H7Y

The Ultimate LA Guide To The Metaverse

... Across L.A., companies both new and established are building and betting on the metaverse to varying degrees—from animation studios making virtual reality movies, to electronics companies designing hologram videos straight out of a sci-fi story. These investments are tied to a lucrative promise: the metaverse is projected to be a nearly $800 billion market opportunity, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. For the region’s entertainment industry, in particular, the metaverse could present a new way to create and deliver content and engage with fans. ...

See the full story here: https://dot.la/guide-to-the-metaverse-2657027165.html

The Web Foundation is taking on deceptive design

The Web Foundation‘s Tech Policy Design Lab is working on an interesting-looking project to counter deceptive design — aka dark patterns* — with the goal of producing a portfolio of UX and UI prototypes which it hopes to persuade tech companies to adopt and policymakers to be inspired by as they fashion rules to make the online experience less exploitative of web users.

The Design Lab was launched last year to be the “action arm” of a wider Web Foundation initiative, announced back in late 2018 — when the not-for-profit digital access group proposed a “Contract for the Web” ahead of the 30th anniversary of World Wide Web founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s invention. ...

Just look at how aggressively Amazon nudges users toward inadvertently agreeing to sign up to its subscription-based Prime membership scheme — teasing a carrot of free shipping at the point of purchase in a bid to distract the shopper from the simultaneous sleight of hand as shipping is only free if you also agree to sign up to a free trial of Amazon’s Prime scheme, after which the e-tail giant will start to bill you for what is normally a paid service. (And of course it also makes users go on a not-so-merry dance through multiple menu layers to find the button to cancel Prime if you inadvertently sign up for this “free” shipping/trial.) ...

See the full story here: https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/23/deceptive-design-patterns-project/

Peabodys Create New Awards Site with Digital and Interactive Storytelling Winners

... The Peabody Awards is taking an ambitious step forward to address that shortcoming by adding 12 new awards for Digital and Interactive Storytelling alongside four special awards to leaders in the field. ...

The finalists stretch back to 2001 and, along with the recipients of the special awards, showcase the range of innovation in digital media as well as its artistic development. The categories are also a form of historical preservation, as the announcement arrives in tandem with a new website that preserves the projects and introduces them to new audiences. ...

The inaugural “Field Builder” award has gone to Nonny de la Peña, ... Her 2012 VR documentary “Hunger in Los Angeles” was the first such project to be programmed at Sundance. ...

The Peabodys also introduced a “Trailblazer Award” that went to Phil Yu, who founded the famous “Angry Asian Man” blog in 2001 that addressed a wide array of issues from a historically marginalized perspective. ...

Additional special awards were given to the creators of the computer program ELIZA for its language processing program that inspired future A.I. projects, and the British research group Forensic Architecture for developing technology aimed at addressing social justice issues. ...

See the full story here: https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/peabodys-digital-interactive-storytelling-winners-1234710885/

National Football League Announces Partnership with StatusPRO to Develop Virtual Reality NFL-Licensed Game

The National Football League (NFL) and StatusPRO, Inc., a sports technology and gaming company that uses real-time player data to create authentic extended reality experiences, announced today a partnership to bring an NFL-licensed virtual reality (VR) simulation gaming title to fans globally. Available on Meta Quest and PlayStation® VR, this title will bring fans closer to the gridiron than ever before, allowing them to play like a professional football player through a first-person 3D immersive experience.

See the full story here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220323005297/en/National-Football-League-Announces-Partnership-with-StatusPRO-to-Develop-Virtual-Reality-NFL-Licensed-Game

Bored Ape Yacht Club creator raises $450 million to build an NFT metaverse

Yuga Labs, the owner of three of the biggest NFT brands on the market, has raised $450 million in funding at a $4 billion valuation, the company announced today. The team behind Bored Ape Yacht Club plans to use the money to build a media empire around NFTs, starting with games and its own metaverse project.

The team describes its metaverse project, called Otherside, as an MMORPG meant to connect the broader NFT universe. They hope to create “an interoperable world” that is “gamified” and “completely decentralized,” says Wylie Aronow, a co-founder of Bored Ape Yacht Club who goes by the pseudonym Gordon Goner. “We think the real Ready Player One experience will be player run.”

The announcement comes just weeks after Yuga Labs made a major move to consolidate the NFT space, acquiring CryptoPunks and Meebits from Larva Labs. The acquisition put three of the most lucrative NFT collections under one roof — and gave Yuga Labs a bigger roster of IP to pull from when crafting its game and metaverse plans. The company also launched a cryptocurrency, ApeCoin, last week; the token will be governed independently and used as the primary currency in Yuga Labs’ properties.

Twitter video - https://twitter.com/yugalabs/status/1505014986556551172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1505014986556551172%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theverge.com%2F2022%2F3%2F22%2F22991272%2Fyuga-labs-seed-funding-a16z-bored-ape-yacht-club-bayc-metaverse-other-side

See the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/22/22991272/yuga-labs-seed-funding-a16z-bored-ape-yacht-club-bayc-metaverse-other-side

Most Popular Metaverse Reviews 2022

Decentraland Review

For an insight into what aspects of the Metaverse might look like in the years ahead, it’s worth taking a closer look at concepts like Decentraland. This blockchain-based technology is the perfect example of how we might interact with the Metaverse in the years ahead. Using virtual reality and open-source technologies, Decentraland aims to create a free market economy in a virtual space, leveraging the power of the blockchain.

The Decentraland ecosystem doesn’t even have a physical real-world address. Instead, the environment is based out of the Genesis building in the Metaverse – a VR real estate solution built by the company. In our Decentraland review, we’ll walk you through some of the unique metaverse experiences you can discover in this landscape. You’ll learn about everything from the fully customisable avatars to the in-built environment builder and marketplace.

Microsoft Mesh Review

Somnium Space Review

Another example of a Metaverse-ready experience powered by both virtual reality and blockchain, Somnium space is a VR world-builder supporting autonomous VR real estate ownership and trading. It’s similar in style to environments like Second Life and Decentraland. Though the company has been around since 2017, it’s rapidly gaining more attention as interest in the potential of the Metaverse continues to grow.

Throughout our Somnium Space review, we explore the key features of Somnium space, including it’s VR headset and desktop support options, so everyone can get involved in a new digital reality. We also cover the extensive partner network for Somnium Space, built through blockchain, and the opportunities users have for VR asset creation and monetisation. 

Meta Horizon Workrooms Review

Varjo Teleport Review

Offering another exciting insight into the future of extended reality collaboration in the Metaverse, Varjo Teleport is an open and flexible environment, designed for companies looking to build immersive digital landscapes for work. The Varjo Teleport environment is built with flexibility in mind, similar to other market-leaders in the metaverse.

With Varjo Teleport, you can use the existing tools and systems you already use within your virtual environment and connect with colleagues on a range of different desktops. In our Varjo Teleport review, you can learn everything you need to know about the features and functionality of this ultra-flexible collaboration platform. 

Second Life Review

Spatial Review

Once again, Spatial isn’t quite a complete Metaverse by itself today, but it’s an excellent example of where collaboration and workplace interactions in this new landscape might be heading. Spatial allows companies to create everything from photo-realistic avatars to comprehensive virtual workspaces, where people can join forces on projects.

See the full story here:https://www.xrtoday.com/virtual-reality/most-popular-metaverse-reviews-2022/

You could feel real-life pain in the metaverse thanks to Japanese start-up

A Sony-backed Japanese start-up company called H2L Technologies is working on creating real-life pain experiences for the metaverse.

The start-up is working on a metaverse wristband to be used alongside a VR headset.

The wristband aims to allow users to move around in the virtual world but feel sensations like pain and the weight of objects.

It works by electrically stimulating a wearer’s arm muscles.

A user is said to be able to feel sensations like their skin being pinched or a weight in their hands. ...

By 2029, she hopes to “release humans from any sort of constraint in terms of space, body and time”. ...

See the full story here: https://nypost.com/2022/03/22/you-could-feel-real-life-pain-in-the-metaverse-thanks-to-japanese-start-up/

Metaverse Lessons From Hollywood

Recreating the human face could give virtual interactions the sense of intimacy they’re missing. ...

Perlman, a longtime inventor who also helped to develop digital video technology at Apple, said that what he has seen so far from the metaverse feels flat compared with fully fleshed out Hollywood and video game characters. He says that technologists should be laser-focused on recreating the human face and emotional expression. It’s extremely difficult technology, but one that Perlman says is necessary to tackle to give virtual interactions a sense of intimacy.

“The face is the most subtly expressive part of the body,” Perlman told me. ...

If you’ve tried virtual worlds like Fortnite, Second Life or Meta’s Horizon Worlds, you know that the digital beings there don’t yet look or feel human.  ...

See the full story here: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/22/technology/metaverse-faces-steve-perlman.html

Zoom’s new virtual avatars let you show up to your next meeting as a dog

... Zoom will let you show up to your next meeting as a rabbit, fox, dog, or another type of animal, using its new Avatars feature that replaces you with a virtual character that copies your expressions, Memoji-style. The company says this feature, which is included in the Zoom 5.10 update, will only let you become an animal at launch, but that new avatar options will be added in the future. ...

At least one study has indicated that constantly looking at yourself to make sure you’re presentable and reacting appropriately is part of what makes being in video calls all day so tiring. If your Zoom box is showing a giraffe that’s mirroring your facial expressions, that’s a lot harder to scrutinize than your actual face. ...

See the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/22/22990983/zoom-virtual-avatars-animal-face-replacement?fbclid=IwAR2bNrgQktXPlCIfzjbuHnNSn4tz0hw9wg33adm-r0RSYn1r2HFcN5wKHrw