philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

Handheld games device Playdate looks adorable and innovative

Announced on Wednesday, Playdate is due out next year, at a price of $149. It comes with a few interesting quirks. First, it has a crank on the side, which manufacturer Panic says puts “a whole new spin on games.” The company’s website shows one game, Crankin’s Time Travel Adventure, in action. Players use the crank to control an on-screen character.

Second, its launch library of 12 games are all included in the price of the hardware. The games are released on a weekly basis, and are designed to surprise and delight players.

See the full story here: https://www.polygon.com/2019/5/22/18636485/playdate-release-games-handheld-panic

DDI Pioneers Groundbreaking Virtual Reality Experiences to Transform Soft Skills Training for Leaders

DDI is creating a library of VR scenarios that deliver powerful, memorable experiences that help leaders develop and practice critical leadership skills such as empathy, communication, and coaching in realistic scenarios.

Working with top VR companies such as Strivr and Friends with Holograms to create the experiences, DDI offers a library of scenarios spanning several applications, including immersive experiences that help leaders understand diversity, and inclusion and interactive environments where leaders can practice skills such as coaching and having tough conversations.

"In most cases, leaders don't intend to be exclusionary, but it's a natural part of being human that we tend to gravitate toward people like ourselves, which creates a lot of bias in the workplace," said Tacy Byham, Ph.D., CEO of DDI. "Trying to accuse people or make them feel guilty for being part of the 'in-group' won't work and is counterproductive. What VR enables us to do, however, is make people understand at a visceral, emotional level how exclusion works and the negative effect it has on people, including highly talented people who could be adding a lot of business value if given the chance."

See the full story here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ddi-pioneers-groundbreaking-virtual-reality-223000397.html

Could This Be The Big Break-Out Moment For Augmented Reality?

“Key players like Snapchat use AR almost only to boost video creation,” Braverman explains. “This approach is good as an initial step, but it cuts the potential of spatial experience.” He and his co-founder noticed the lack of in-camera apps with depth of experience and interactivity and decided there was a massive opportunity. WATTY Remote was born, and now the company is working to make AR more accessible by bringing multiuser AR experiences to daily activities such as grocery shopping, sports viewing and social interaction.

In order to demonstrate the company's capabilities, WATTY Remote is launching an AR ping-pong application. Braverman says that this activity was selected given the fact that it is fast-paced and, therefore, showcases AR elements, such as matchmaking, lag compensation and latency, at their best,  WATTY is also currently at work on a stealth AR business solution that will be revealed later this year.

See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencoleman/2019/05/22/could-this-be-the-big-break-out-moment-for-augmented-reality/#1ae6d5fc67bf

Google announces a new $999 Glass augmented reality headset

Google has announced a new version of its business-focused Glass augmented reality headset, which it’s now designating an official Google product instead of an experiment. The Glass Enterprise Edition 2 costs $999, although, like its predecessor, it’s not being sold directly to consumers. It’s got a new processor, an improved camera, a USB-C port for faster charging, and a variety of other updates.

Google is also adding new safety frames to Glass in partnership with Smith Optics, plus a bigger battery and other upgraded components. Glass also now runs on Android, with support for Android Enterprise Mobile Device Management. The Glass Enterprise Edition 2’s existence leaked months ago, complete with news that it would likely be moving to Android. But we haven’t gotten a full picture of Google’s plans for it until now.

See the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/20/18632689/google-glass-enterprise-edition-2-augmented-reality-headset-pricing

WATCH A REAL PASTOR BAPTIZE AN ANIME GIRL IN VIRTUAL REALITY

See the full story here: https://futurism.com/the-byte/pastor-baptize-anime-virtual-reality

Virtual Reality Museum Allows Users to Explore Five Shipwrecked Vessels

Some 200 years ago, a trio of vessels now known as the Monterrey Shipwrecks came to rest more than 4,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.

Given the Monterrey Shipwrecks’ remote resting place, it is impossible for divers to explore them using scuba gear. But thanks to surveys conducted with the help of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), maritime aficionados and amateurs alike can now explore the three wrecks—as well as two more known as the 15377 and Blake Ridge shipwrecks—from the comfort of their own homes.

Newly launched by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the so-called Virtual Archaeology Museum features 3-D models, video footage and mosaic maps of the five 19th- and 20th-century shipwrecks. Aside from the Blake Ridge Shipwreck, which is situated around 130 miles off the coast of North Carolina under more than 7,000 feet of water, all of the wrecks are located in the Gulf of Mexico.

See the full story here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/virtual-museum-allows-users-explore-five-shipwrecked-vessels-180972240/

Dave & Buster’s Debuts First Virtual Reality Free-Roaming Arena Experiences in Tampa, Florida

Best described as a combination of Laser Tag and Dodge Ball, VRcade PowerPlay is highly competitive, re-playable and fun for all skill levels. Players may also elect to play a second title, Barking Irons Gunslinger, where they will step into a Wild West town and face off against their friends in the ultimate VR showdown. Players can compete in three different game modes to see who has the fastest hands in the West, including a “High Noon” quick draw duel, a fast-paced search and destroy engagement, and an exciting skeet shoot.

These new VRcade Arena attractions expand on a longstanding and successful relationship between VRstudios and Dave & Buster’s, providing market-leading commercial VR products and attractions.

See the full story here: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dave-buster-debuts-first-virtual-100000350.html

There’s a new Minecraft game coming, and it’s played entirely in augmented reality

Players will be able to construct builds on their living room tables either alone or in collaboration with others, then go and place them full-size in the outside world when they're ready. You can collect new mobs (both familiar and new) and resources around you to incorporate in your build, then fight them in the life-size version of the build. Fundamentally, it appears to be the basic Minecraft experience translated to augmented reality with geolocation features.

See the full story here: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/05/minecraft-hits-the-streets-in-a-new-ar-game-called-minecraft-earth/

Bizarre virtual reality fighting game where an actual robot PUNCHES you in real life revealed

See the full story here: https://www.thesun.ie/tech/4111248/bizarre-virtual-reality-fighting-game-where-an-actual-robot-punches-you-in-real-life-revealed/

Virtual reality specialist bags airport innovation award

The aim is to produce virtual reality environments of public spaces to help with journey planning, and to ease the anxiety of travelling in a new place, especially for those with mental health issues or young families.

Using cameras and laser scanners, Ocean3D technicians can replicate an environment, like an airport or railway station in just a few days.

The interior digital twin is then filled with information and directions that tell customers exactly where they need to go to check in at the airport, collect tickets in a railway station, or find facilities.

See the full story here: https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/virtual-reality-specialist-bags-airport-innovation-award/10042624.article