Using virtual reality systems to teach chemistry in 3-D
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions across the U.K. has developed a framework for using virtual reality (VR) systems to teach chemistry. In their paper published on the open access site Science Advances, the team describes the system they developed and the advantages it has over standard teaching methods.
With their new system, the researchers point out, users are able to achieve co-location, which they describe as a phenomenon in which interactions in an actual 3-D physical space align with interactions in a simulated 3-D environment. Their system is cloud-based, which means the data used in the simulations can be constantly updated and improved, even as the system is being used.
The system currently allows six people to use the system at the same time—they can be in the same room, or other parts of the world. Users use wireless controllers that behave like tweezers, allowing them to grab molecules and their parts.
To test their system, the researchers asked 32 volunteers to carry out three different tasks: manipulating a methane molecule through a carbon nanotube, manipulating an organic helicene molecule to change its rotation, and finally, to tie a knot in a polypeptide. They report that most of the volunteers, none of whom had ever used a VR system before, were able to use the system to some degree.
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-07-virtual-reality-chemistry-d.html#jCp
Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-07-virtual-reality-chemistry-d.html#jCp
High Fidelity to Create New Virtual World on EOS Blockchain
Blockchain and virtual reality are arguably two of the most innovative inventions of this generation. Bringing the future to the present day, VR platform High Fidelity is creating a new virtual world powered by the EOS blockchain.
Sam Englebardt, High Fidelity board member and Head of Strategic Partnerships at Galaxy Digital, told Reuters:
“Virtual reality may be the first killer app for blockchain. It’s a global phenomenon that fundamentally requires a trustless consensus mechanism for currency, property and identity.”
See the full story here: https://cryptoslate.com/high-fidelity-to-create-new-virtual-world-on-eos-blockchain/
Something Bigger Than Toy Story Land Is Coming to Disney Parks Today
The new 11-acre Toy Story-themed expansion opened this morning at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. Disney World's least visited park can use the boost, but it's not the only thing being introduced at the entertainment giant's theme parks today. The new Play Disney Parks mobile app makes its debut this morning, giving guests at Disneyland and Disney World a new way to enhance their time at the two U.S. resorts.
Families as well as individual players can fire up the app to engage in themed augmented reality games playable in the queue areas of certain attractions. Strolling through the park can unlock achievements and other virtual goodies. Folks can also earn points playing Disney trivia. There's even a curated playlist of theme park music that's available. Toy Story Land is going to be a big asset to the only Disney park worldwide to experience a downtick in attendance in 2017, but don't dismiss the long-term potential of today's mobile app debutante.
See the full story here: https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/06/30/something-bigger-than-toy-story-land-is-coming-to.aspx
Augmented Reality Meets Revenue Reality
As a starting point, only about a third (32%) of consumers have tried mobile AR, according to the Virtual Reality Monitor, a survey of 1,200 U.S. adults conducted by Thrive Analytics for ARtillry Intelligence, which wrote the survey questions.
Of those who user AR, most (64%) would pay 99 cents or more for apps, with 14% saying they would pay more than $5. However, many of those would be in-app purchases rather than paying upfront for an AR app. For example, they may not pay for an app but would pay for items within a game.
Those who have not yet used augmented reality have a different view, with more than a third (38%) unwilling to pay any amount of money for mobile AR apps and 29% willing to pay $1 or more. That group also has a number (32%) of people who would be willing to consider in-app purchases after downloading a free AR app.
See the full story here: https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/321491/augmented-reality-meets-revenue-reality.html
FOUR WAYS CITIES CAN USE AUGMENTED REALITY GAMES LIKE POKÉMON GO TO BOLSTER CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
[The Knight Foundation] partnered with Niantic to explore how Pokémon GO might enhance or augment existing efforts to support vibrant public life.
- Adapt games for local events. Cities should adapt AR platforms to amplify local strengths and better reflect civic needs. For example, cities can layer walking tours, scavenger hunts and other activities on top of the game, adding value for existing players and integrating play with local campaigns.
- Invite player networks (not just individuals). Pokémon GO players of all ages often arrived to events in groups and with existing social media networks poised for discussion. Recruiting is also easier through player and fan networks, and cities can help by tapping network leaders, beyond the usual open invitations.
- Focus digital activity near inviting and accessible physical spaces. Players often want to interact, but bringing people from different backgrounds and walks of life happens more easily when cities position play near inviting physical spaces with seating and food.
- Bring local culture to online platforms. Players can be connected to global cultures through AR platforms like the Pokémon universe. At the same time, games can engage players with local culture, from murals to local history. In a digital age, cities should increasingly invest in technology innovations that shape how we discover local culture.
See the full story here: https://knightfoundation.org/articles/four-ways-cities-can-use-augmented-reality-games-to-bolster-civic-engagement
and the full report here: https://playfulcity.net/go/pokemon-report/download-report/ (select "download and cite")
Netflix’s Kiss Me First has an unusually personal take on gamer culture
Ready Player One is the most egregious example of a mainstream story homogenizing gamer culture, but it’s hardly alone. The gaming industry generated $108.4 billion in 2017, and the Entertainment Software Association’s 2016 annual report showed that 41 percent of regular gamers are women, and that the average player age is 35 for men or 44 for women. But most gamers are still depicted as being cut from the same mold: smart kids and young men who are obsessed with science fiction, fantasy, comics, and the internet, and don’t like leaving the house. They don’t have many real-world friends, and they play games because they’re good at them, which makes them feel special.
Watch the trailer for Netflix’s Kiss Me First, and you might think the show, which was originally broadcast in the U.K. in April, was a queer, female-driven remake of Ready Player One. It shares some of the sleek virtual-world look of Spielberg’s film, right down to the elfin player avatars. But they’re actually about as different as two pieces of entertainment about players of a popular VR game can be. In Kiss Me First, the writers’ only reference to nerd culture comes from the protagonist, Leila (Tallulah Haddon), who names her character in the game Azana Shadowfax, after Gandalf’s horse in Lord of the Rings. When she discovers a hidden pocket of Azana, it has nothing to do with her significant game skills, or a need to protect the virtual world from some outside existential threat. She just finds a community of very lonely people in need of help.
See the full story here: https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/29/17518760/netflix-kiss-me-first-gamer-culture-virtual-reality-ready-player-one-matrix
Disney Partners With Cisco for Its StudioLAB
Disney has struck a partnership with Cisco to collaborate on technology for the media company’s new StudioLAB unit, both companies announced at Cisco’s XR On the Bay event in San Jose, Calif., Tuesday.
Cisco’s engineers will work hand-in-hand with StudioLAB employees on security, collaboration and data delivery, said Cico SVP, CTO and chief architect David Ward in an interview with Variety. “We get to work with their imagineers. We get to work with their creatives.”
Disney officially announced the launch of its StudioLAB in March. The 3,500-square-foot facility, which is housed on the Disney studio lot in Burbank, Calif., is meant to use emerging technologies to create new entertainment experiences.
“We are very pleased to welcome Cisco as a StudioLAB Innovation Partner, as we combine the best of Silicon Valley and Hollywood to help our storytellers tell their very best stories,” Disney Studios technology innovation group VP Benjamin Havey said in a statement. “Through this partnership, we can push the boundaries of how content can be created and consumed.”
One of the areas that the two companies will work together on is increasing the use of collaboration software in the creative process. Cisco also aims to help Disney further increase its security as it works with facilities around the world. And finally, Cisco is looking to help Disney optimize some of its infrastructure to help deliver production assets from studio sets to the cloud.
See the full story here: https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/disney-cisco-studiolab-1202858236/
High Fidelity Raises $35M Series D Financing to Further Develop Social Platform & Blockchain Tech
High Fidelity, the social VR platform founded by Second Life founder Philip Rosedale, today announced it’s successfully closed a $35 million Series D financing round. The company says it’s using the funds to continue development on its global infrastructure for VR experiences, to accelerate hiring, and to open a new office in Seattle.
The latest funding round continues the company’s emphasis on blockchain technology, which High Fidelity CEO and co-founder Philip Rosedale says will be required for the future of a large-scale, decentralized VR metaverse.
Galaxy Digital will guide us capably in adopting that technology and creating the right partnerships with the larger blockchain ecosystem, for example the EOS blockchain where we are currently beta testing integration.”
High Fidelity already maintains its own cryptocurrency for in-game purchases called High Fidelity Coin (HFC), something the company calls a high-speed stablecoin which isn’tmeant for speculators looking to hold for profit.
High Fidelity’s also maintains a Digital Asset Registry (DAR), which is also based on the blockchain. DAR is said to provide “indisputable proof of identity and ownership and strong protection against content forgery,” and is used when trading goods on The High Fidelity Marketplace—the platform’s digital marketplace for everything from clothes to avatars, as well as scripts and applications.