Eye-tracking is a Game Changer for VR That Goes Far Beyond Foveated Rendering
Automatic IPD adjustment
Foviated rendering
Active input
Improved Avatar appearance
Data analytics and tracking
Varifocal displays
Will virtual reality become a political tool?
Stanford professor Fred Turner cites a 1922 statement from reporter Walter Lippmann, who noticed how photography was shaping public sentiment during World War I, and how that could be used to manipulate said public. Whoever publishes photographs that frame certain messages hold political persuasion over voters.
The distance between photographs and VR and Augmented Reality platforms is vast. Turner believes the persuasive power of devices like the Oculus Rift can alter the entire landscape of politics.
As the Oculus Rift and other devices come to market, we need to ask what it might mean to not simply see pictures in our heads, but to feel them, to live with and within them, moment by moment.
Social media was supposed to bring us closer together, and in some ways it has. But we don’t all play by the same rules. It’s easy to imagine a populist leader creating a virtual reality akin to North Korea. It’s also easy to foresee corporations building worlds in which only their products and services work.
See the full story here: http://bigthink.com/21st-century-spirituality/will-virtual-reality-become-a-political-tool
Legoland Discovery Center in Somerville debuts virtual reality ride
(051318 Somerville, MA) Charlie Talbot,7, and his father Phil participate in a virtual reality attraction at Legoland Discovery Center in Somerville on Sunday,May 13, 2018. Staff Photo by Nancy Lane
The Somerville location is the first discovery center to get the new attraction, Botsch said. The virtual ride is adapted from a version in the full-sized Legoland theme parks that put VR headsets on roller-coaster riders.
Botsch said kids may be leaving the tactile world of Lego for a few minutes, but the hope is they will walk out inspired to be even more creative with what they build.
See the full story here: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/2018/05/legoland_discovery_center_in_somerville_debuts_virtual_reality_ride
Netflix Original ANON Shows How Powerful Augmented Reality Technology Can Be
Most recently, they’ve released a Netflix original movie called ANON which explores what society looks like dictated by augmented reality (AR).
Without giving too much away, the police in the future have the power and authority to see from your perspective. They can login to your memories and see exactly what you’ve seen. In addition, they are able to pull up any information in their surrounding area with a quick glance of the eyes.
Whether its an immobile object or a human, it provides digital information and descriptions to everything; similar to how the Google Glass was supposed to work. And instead of using any sort of HMD, the AR technology is physically engrained into your brain.
See the full story here: https://www.vrandfun.com/netflix-original-anon-shows-powerful-augmented-reality-technology-can/
The royal wedding augmented reality experience
To celebrate the joyous occasion of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal weddingon May 19, ABC News is bringing iconic symbols of Windsor Castle closer to your home with The Royal Wedding AR Experience – no invitation required.
Available only on the ABC News iOS App, you can take a photo with your very own 3D royal carriage or pose with a 3D queen’s guard.
See the full story here: https://abcnews.go.com/US/royal-wedding-augmented-reality-experience/story?id=55071238
Robinhood rockets to $5.6B valuation
“It’s the only place right now where you can trade crypto, stocks, and options all in one place,” CEO Vlad Tenev said. “For us to construct an experience that feels seamless and natural for customers, that for example want to sell an equity and use the proceeds to buy crypto, seamlessly, that’s been challenging not just from a product and design standpoint, but also infrastructure standpoint. There’s complexity under the hood, and our goal is to make it as seamless as possible in the process and make that complexity go away.”
Robinhood has premium services like Robinhood Gold, where the company can find additional ways to generate revenue that offset the requirements of running a system that allows users to trade stocks for free.
“The political climate is uncertain, it sort of affects everyone, it doesn’t affect us uniquely,” Tenev said. “We’re a crypto business now. Not a lot of people have a ton of clarity on what that’s gonna look like in the future, it’s a new space that’s evolving really rapidly. I think that we’re confident we can adapt and evolve, and we’re operating the business in a responsible way. There’s only so much you can do, but I feel like we’ve done a lot to address any concerns.”
See the full story here: https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/10/robinhood-rockets-to-a-5-6b-valuation-with-a-massive-new-funding-round/?utm_medium=TCnewsletter
Augmented reality startup Blippar is abandoning Silicon Valley after losing 2 key execs and a board member
- One of the UK's best-funded startups, augmented reality firm Blippar, is abandoning Silicon Valley after shutting its third office in the space of two years.
- The startup announced that is closing its Mountain View, California, office in order to focus on making a viable augmented reality platform.
- Blippar has also lost two key executives in the past five months — its US commercial chief and global head of experience strategy. A board member also quit.
- Business Insider reported last year that the firm was struggling financially, had inflated its numbers, and was yet to establish a viable business model — all of which the startup denied.
- In a published statement, Blippar said the closure had not been an "easy decision."
See the full story here: https://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Augmented-reality-startup-Blippar-is-abandoning-12900795.php
Overwatch League, Sansar Add Virtual Reality to Esports
The Overwatch League is taking its players and fans from the two-dimensional to the three-dimensional.
On Wednesday, the league announced a partnership with Sansar, a free social virtual reality platform, to enable its gamers to more intimately interact with fans in virtual spaces.
Sansar says it has partnered with multiple professional teams from the Overwatch League, including the Houston Outlaws and the San Francisco Shock.
Sansar takes this a step further by using three-dimensional technologies to transport fans into the same virtual rooms as players, and can be used for customized streaming spaces for events or intimate meet and greets.
SportTechie Takeaway
With Overwatch’s partnership with Sansar, esports are now flirting for the first time with the three dimensional, taking fans into an even more intimate and interactive experience.
See the full story here: https://www.sporttechie.com/overwatch-league-sansar-add-virtual-reality-esports/