IMAX is the latest company to leave the virtual reality business.
The straw that broke the camel's back?
It shouldn't go unnoticed that Google ended its VR camera development project with IMAX in August, and Star VR, which made the headsets IMAX used in its VR centers, is shutting down its VR business. To continue to offer a VR experience, IMAX would have had to switch from Star VR's wider-screen models to standard VR headsets, eliminating whatever technical it might have been leaning on to attract consumers.
See the full story here: https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/12/23/another-virtual-reality-dream-dies-quietly.aspx
Long-distance bus company debuts virtual reality experience for Las Vegas commuters
German busing company FlixBus, which began service for as low as $2.99 between Las Vegas to stops in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego on May 31, added the VR headsets to its list of offerings for passengers who upgrade to its “panorama seats.” The Pico’s Goblin headsets, which retail for about $200, have an array of games and cinematic elements available, from virtual basketball to floating through outer space.
There are also 3D experiences such as diving to the bottom of the Red Sea or walking across the Arctic with penguins, FlixBus officials said. They say it is the world’s first virtual reality experience on long-distance buses.
See the full story here: https://lasvegassun.com/news/2018/dec/24/long-distance-bus-company-debuts-virtual-reality-e/
Can you stand segregation (Isolation)? These researchers are using virtual reality to let hospital staff see through their patients’ eyes
Four Emerging Technology Areas That Will Help Define Our World In 2019
1. The Internet of Things and Smart Cities
2. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
3. Quantum Computing
4. Cybersecurity (and Risk Management)
See the full story here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cognitiveworld/2018/12/24/four-emerging-technology-areas-that-will-help-define-our-world-in-2019/#3bf4156f58dd
US-tech giant Intel’s VC arm backs China’s Sky Limit Entertainment
China’s Sky Limit Entertainment Group has received an undisclosed amount in a series A funding round from US-based technology company Intel Corporation’s venture capital arm Intel Capital. Sky Limit Entertainment will use the funding proceeds for location-based VR content creation and for the development and promotion of comprehensive virtual, augmented and mixed reality content solutions for applications such as large space multiplayer free-roaming interactive games, an announcement said in Thursday.
The funding round follows previous investments that the company had received from AVICTC, Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group (LCIG), Shenzhen Weiyue Creative Investment Group and Mango Cultural and Creative Industry Private Equity Fund.
In 2017, Sky Limited Entertainment opened one of the world’s first super-scale VR experience centers in downtown Beijing under its newly announced international entertainment brand “SoReal”. In addition, Sky Limited Entertainment’s Global Innovation Center, established in 2018, was the first entertainment technology operation to be located in the National Base for International Cultural Trade (Beijing).
Unlocking the Value of Augmented Reality Data
The word “sensor” has become inseparable from the internet of things (IoT), where sensors detect environmental conditions and communicate these signals bidirectionally as data, whether it’s an industrial machine reporting its operating condition or your home thermostat being turned on remotely.
Before the IoT, the two key functions of a sensor — to detect environmental change and to communicate that data — were largely carried out by humans. Today, as augmented reality (AR) technology gains adoption, humans will soon be equipped with sensors through various AR devices, such as phones and headsets. This augmentation provides uncharted opportunities for organizations to use these data insights to drive operational effectiveness and differentiate their products and services for consumers.
Smart, Connected Reality Means More User Data
Assessing the Business Opportunities From New AR Data
Early Use Cases for AR Insights
Connecting the Strategic Dots
See the full story here: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/unlocking-the-value-of-augmented-reality-data/
Granted Apple patent shows off immersive AR maps projected from iPhone
Apple was granted a patent today for an augmented reality viewing system to display 3D flyover data from Apple Maps onto a desk or any other flat surface from an iPhone.
Filed initially back in May 2016, this feature may or may not ever make a debut. However, with Apple’s heightened push into AR, it could be more likely to become a reality than other patents.
Interaction with the map is primarily controlled by device motion rather than “fingertip manipulation”, meaning users will likely physically walk closer, farther, left and right to visualize the entire mapped area being displayed.
It seems clear the feature will most greatly benefit tourists, especially those visiting a large, well-mapped out city, as it seems Apple’s own 3D Flyover data is required to generate the 3D environment.
See the full story here: https://9to5mac.com/2018/12/20/apple-patent-shows-off-immersive-ar-maps-projected-from-iphone/