9 O'CLOCK NEWS | March 2024

H E L L O !

Welcome to our latest monthly roundup, where we deliver the freshest technology and culture insights from our team straight to your inbox.

This month, we're marvelling over Netflix's super cool Hologauze activation at SXSW and filling you in on the latest updates from the world of spatial computing - from Meta's new Interaction SDK to the future of retail on the Vision Pro.

Let's dive in.

01. ARE HOLOGRAMS* THE COOLEST OLD KIDS ON THE BLOCK?

Hologram imitations have been seen before, but the tech has come on in leaps and bounds and we’ve noticed a rise in jaw-dropping activations recently.

Unveiled earlier this week at SXSW, Netflix’s activation to promote new series 3 Body Problem is the latest visual feat to grab our attention. We suspect they used Hologauze to create the illusion - a technology that allows you to project holographic imagery onto a coated transparent gauze, scattering the light to create a stunning 3D image seemingly suspended in mid-air. As far as we know, the technique was first publicly showcased in 2016 to reincarnate Bowie for Lady Gaga’s Grammy tribute performance. A similar approach was used to launch the new Meta Quest game Asgard’s Wrath 2 last year, stealing the show at The Game Awards by taking over the night sky.

A true hologram - ie a 3D image floating freely in the air and visible from all angles - isn’t actually possible to create right now due to a number of physical and optical limitations with current technology. But that’s why Hologauze is so damn cool - it creates the perfect holographic illusion. Shareable by nature, these activations are a social media dream, with videos shot from the smartphones of awe-filled passersby arguably more impressive than any polished promo video. As we move into an era where immersive content becomes ever more integrated into our day-to-day lives, we’re pinning this OOH trend as one to watch this year.

*or the closest we can get to them with current technology

02 STOCKX MAKES SHOPPING SPATIAL WITH THE VISION PRO?

Online resale marketplace, StockX has unveiled a new spatial shopping experience on Apple’s mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro.

The immersive sneaker showcase turns online shopping 3D, with users able to place models of products onto a virtual shelf in their room, using the Vision Pro’s eye tracking and hand gestures to get a closer look from all angles - as if it were really right there in front of them.

In a statement, Greg Schwartz, StockX’s president and chief operating officer, said: "Nothing replaces the feeling of picking a sneaker off the shelf and holding it in your hands, but this new experience comes very close.” Could this be the start of the shopping spatial revolution? Maybe - but currently the experience feels a bit like an early demo.We’re intrigued to see how they build it out further and which retailers will follow suit, upgrading their 2D online product range into a fully dimensional showcase to authentically replicate the in-store experience at home. Fashion and homeware brands in particular should take note.

03 LATEST META UPDATES PUSH MULTIMODAL INTERFACES FOR XR

Meta’s Interaction SDK (software developer kit) update makes hand-tracking even more robust and intuitive for developers creating apps for Meta’s Quest headsets.

The kit provides pre-built components and systems - including a long-awaited multimodal input so users can combine free-hand gestures and a controller at the same time - as well as streamlining the implementation of hand-based interactions in VR experiences. In the past, many amazing experiences have been let down due to the way the interactions were designed and the fact that creators had to come up with new interactions in every game. By implementing these interactions, the new SDK will save precious developer time - which can instead be poured into making XR experiences as fun as possible.

This new update adds to the growing trend we’ve been seeing for controller-free interfaces in extended realities, with Apple’s Vision Pro also sitting heavily on this side of the fence. It’s an exciting shift - one which will mean that interactions can become more embodied, natural and intuitive for users, plus they won’t need to worry about relearning interactions between apps that use the SDK. This will help take experiences with intricate gestures - like those seen in Piano Vision, Hand Physics Lab or Cubism - to the next level, opening up so many opportunities for brands.

04. THE QUEST FOR ACCURATE REPRESENTATION IN GEN AI CONTINUES?

AI image generators are starting to produce images that aim to represent the multifaceted diversity of human identities - but things still aren’t quite right.

While the output quality of Gen AI has improved rapidly over the past year, accurate representation remains a sticking point. Upon release, text-to-image models were a breeding ground for reinforcing problematic stereotypes, reflecting societal biases with cisnormative, heteronormative, and predominantly white (or worse - blatantly racist) depictions. A Bloomberg analysis of AI-generated images found that image sets generated for every high-paying job were dominated by subjects with lighter skin tones, while subjects with darker skin tones were more commonly generated by prompts like “fast-food worker” and “social worker.” The only job categories dominated by images of women were “housekeeper” and “cashier”.?

Now, it seems that AI image generators are starting to course correct, being built for a diverse world - but seemingly at the expense of historical inaccuracy. Google was recently forced to take their Gemini AI tool offline after it repeatedly generated historical misrepresentations, with blunders including racially diverse Nazis and female US presidents leaving people tittering on social media.

So, when will Gen AI crack the code of fully accurate representation? While we’re waiting for the latest models to find the solution - and as a whole new can of worms is potentially opened with the imminent release of OpenAI’s video generator tool, Sora - it’s important to keep in mind that we, the users, are the ones who should keep a critical eye out for representation in our generative art.

05. GLASSES GIANT ESSILOR-LUXOTTICA EYEING UP TECH SHIFT

The world’s biggest eyewear manufacturer, whose brands include Ray-Ban and Oakley, has plans to be the leader in smart glasses - continuing the trend for companies blending sleek hardware with cutting-edge software to meet the growing demand for smart wearable devices.

EssilorLuxottica’s strategic pivot to go beyond traditional eyewear production will see them integrating advanced technologies into their products, which could include augmented reality, health monitoring and connectivity. The company has already started experimenting, with the latest wearable collaboration from Ray-Bans and Meta due to launch this year, allowing users to capture and stream content and use an AI-integrated assistant.?

Form factor has always been a key issue that tech giants need to overcome as they attempt to crack the mass adoption of head mounted displays. EssilorLuxottica’s converse approach is an interesting one, dialling up the tech on a pair of glasses that already score high on the wearability scale versus trying to streamline a tech-packed headset to make it more socially and stylishly acceptable. Last year we shared some thoughts about when smart glasses will successfully become everyday eyewear - could that cultural moment be upon us? With a range of brands and styles to play with, we reckon the manufacturer could be on to a winner, with a suitable style for every consumer. What will be key is seeing whether the integrated tech and experiences any future smart glasses offer can live up to expectations.

06. UNIT9 NAMED AD AGE PRODUCTION COMPANY STANDOUT 2024

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been named Production Company Standout 2024 on Ad Age’s prestigious A List! Always an honour. Forever grateful to our incredible brand and agency partners who make our award-winning work possible <3?

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THANKS FOR READING! SEE YOU NEXT TIME :)