MIT is working on a new chip, however, to perform this sort of public-key encryption that only uses 1/400 as much power as a software solution would. In addition, the chip uses about 1/10 as much memory and executes processes 500 times as fast.
15Feb/18Off
DroneBase raises $12 million to bring augmented reality to aerial drone imagery
Founded out of Santa Monica in 2014, DroneBase is one of a number of drone companies to raise venture capital cash in recent years, particularly since the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) passed new rules in 2016 allowing drones to be used commercially.
DroneBase works with businesses to provide them with drones that can capture aerial photos and videos for specific industrial work, be it analyzing construction sites or inspecting cell phone towers.
AirCraft is a beta service within the DroneBase pilot’s app that allows you to overlay virtual objects onto the landscape to build an obstacle course or help visualize how a new structure, for example, may look. While the current incarnation of AirCraft is aimed at the recreational market, the new Pro service will allow companies to upload 3D computer design models, images, and data at scale to showcase anything they want.
See the full story here: https://venturebeat.com/2018/02/15/dronebase-raises-12-million-to-bring-augmented-reality-to-aerial-drone-imagery/
15Feb/18Off
The smartphone is eventually going to die, and we’re not ready for what comes next – AR and the dark side
Again: These tech companies are asking us to hand control of our senses over to a computer with these smart glasses. If, today, a dedicated and unscrupulous party can figure out ways to get you to watch a video you don't want to see, it's anyone's guess what can happen when those same principles are applied to what we see in our everyday lives.
And, as Engadget pointed out, the recent controversies over YouTube star Logan Paul prove that the algorithm isn't necessarily self-policing. His now-notorious video of finding a dead body in Japan's "suicide forest" wouldn't have been picked up by any computer system as objectionable — it took the very human response of outrage to prove that.
In other words, we're trusting an imperfect system to rank the information in our lives, and soon, our senses. It's a harder problem to solve - you can always improve the quality of information you spread, but it's harder to come up with a mathematical algorithm that sorts data that doesn't have some kind of bias, one way or the other.
See the full story here: http://www.businessinsider.com/augmented-reality-could-make-fake-news-worse-2018-2
15Feb/18Off
Virtual-reality field trips give Brooklyn students advanced adventure
The effect on learning, he said, is to improve interest, understanding and recall.
It's unknown how many classrooms have or will adopt the technology, but experts say it's still relatively rare. While individual headsets that require a user's phone can cost as little as $20 or $30, systems and software for classes run into the thousands of dollars. Early complaints about a lack of good software are fading as more companies enter the market, but the rules for use haven't necessarily caught up to the technology.
In New York, for example, simulated lab experiments don't count toward the state's hands-on lab time requirements.
Even so, experts say, the sciences are an area where virtual reality, especially enhanced to let users manipulate their surroundings, holds particular promise for classrooms.
"The biggest hindrance, I think, is going to be the quality of that experience, how closely it mimics the physical world," said David Evans, executive director of the National Science Teachers Association.
But, he said, "the ability to do dangerous things, the ability to run many, many more cases in a simulation space as opposed to the real physical space represents a huge learning opportunity."
See the full story here: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2018/2/14/virtual-reality-field-trips-give-brooklyn-students-advanced-adventure
15Feb/18Off
Japanese tour firm offers virtual reality holidays – with a first-class seat
[PhilNote: dinner theatre 2.0]
Fasten your seatbelts for a flight departing to Paris – and never leave the ground.
That’s exactly what 12 passengers did at First Airlines in central Tokyo this week, where they relaxed in first and business-class seats and were served four-course dinners, before immersing themselves in 360-degree virtual reality (VR) tours of the City of Light’s sights.
At 6,600 yen ($62), a fraction of the cost of an actual trip overseas, it’s easy to see why First Airline’s two-hour “flights” to Paris, Rome, Hawaii and New York have been fully booked since the company opened in 2016.
“We have lots of elderly customers who want to go overseas but are not able to easily, given their physical limitations,” Abe said, explaining that the majority of First Airlines’ customers are older Japanese from around the country.
Abe added that domestic flights around Japan would be added soon, with meals highlighting the region’s cuisine.
See the full story here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/15/japanese-tour-firm-offers-virtual-reality-holidays-with-a-first-class-seat
15Feb/18Off
Magic Leap, NBA and Turner Sports Partner for Future AR App
AR startup Magic Leap has partnered with the NBA and its broadcast partner Turner Sports to allow some users to watch some NBA content with the Magic Leap headset, once it is released. People wearing the headset will see multiple screens overlaid on the real world; they will be able to “pin” those screens to a wall or watch them as they walk around. Initially, live NBA games will not be available. As Magic Leap readies its headsets for sale, its chief executive says the cheapest will be the price of a high-end smartphone.
Recode reports that, according to NBA senior vice president of global media distribution Jeff Marsilio, “eventually, the game could be available streaming on your coffee table as though you were a giant looking into the arena from above.” “Those are some ideas, those are things that we’re working towards,” he said. “[They’re] not quite ready, but actually more possible than you might think.”
Magic Leap says it is using “Digital Lightfield” technology, but TechCrunch opines that, “we still don’t actually know what that means and whether they are using true light field tech or something that can simply fake it.”
See the full story here: http://www.etcentric.org/magic-leap-nba-and-turner-sports-partner-for-future-ar-app/
14Feb/18Off
Robert Rodriguez preps VR action series ‘The Limit’
Director Robert Rodriguez and Actress Michelle Rodriguez attend the Austin Screening of "Machete" at The Paramount Theater on September 2, 2010 in Austin, Texas.
Director Robert Rodriguez has been teasing a virtual reality video project for a while, and now it's clear just what it entails. He's partnering with STXon The Limit, a short-form VR action series starring long-time collaborator Michelle Rodriguez as a "genetically enhanced weapon of mass destruction" bent on destroying her creators.
The Limit will premiere sometime in mid-2018 on STX's upcoming VR 'channel' Surreal as an app for headsets.
...he's experimenting with VR video production while the format is still young, but has grown just enough to start reaching the mainstream.
See the full story here:https://www.engadget.com/2018/02/14/robert-rodriguez-vr-action-series/
14Feb/18Off
App combines virtual reality with personalized psychotherapy
Here’s how the app works:
- Patients use their smartphones to access the app. They can see and hear the therapist, but can also look around the therapist’s room, which was filmed using a virtual reality camera.
- During a session, the therapist might assign the patient a task, such as completing a questionnaire about anxiety levels.
- The patient completes the in-app questionnaire. The answers dictate which video of the therapist plays next.
Later, the therapist might suggest a mindfulness exercise in which the patient is asked to imagine being in a relaxing environment, such as a beach. - The patient is then shown environmental photographs and asked to select a preference. Earlier in the module, the patient was able to identify personal preferences for calming music.
- The app’s algorithms then serve up the patient’s preferred 3D environment (a beach, complete with the sound of waves) and accompanying music. Meanwhile, the virtual therapist talks the patient through the mindfulness exercise.
The next time the patient uses the app for an on-demand therapy session, the previous answers along with visual and aural preferences will be taken into account.
Evidence-based psychotherapeutic practices? Check.
Aesthetically pleasing and immersive video and music? Check.
Built-in algorithms that deliver personalized content based on your needs and preferences? Check.
See the full story here: http://www.rochester.edu/newscenter/intersections-app-combines-virtual-reality-personalized-psychotherapy-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-296922/
14Feb/18Off
Why IoT Finally Makes Augmented Reality Important
Volumetric Geofencing and Geotagging
As the internet of things connects us more closely with our location, it also provides opportunities for increased privacy and protection. Augmented reality development is now looking at ways to protect against terrorism: A statement from the Swedish governmentexplains that they are seeking a “technical solution to enable only authorized vehicles to be driven within a geographically defined area.”
See the full story here: https://mutualmobile.com/posts/why-iot-finally-makes-augmented-reality-important