The Innovation Daily - AR & VR
The Fourth Transformation - How Augmented Reality & Artificial Intelligence Will Change Everything
Robert Scoble and Shel Israel have been researching, writing and speaking about technology’s impact on the near-term future together and separately since 2005. Their latest book is The Fourth Transformation - How Augmented Reality & Artificial Intelligence Will Change Everything.
Ten years from today, the centre of our digital lives will no longer be the smart phone, but device that looks like ordinary eyeglasses: except those glasses will have settings for Virtual and Augmented Reality. What you really see and what is computer generated will be mixed so tightly together, that we won’t really be able to tell what is real and what is illusion.
Instead of touching and sliding on a mobile phone, we will make things happen by moving our eyes or by brainwaves. When we talk with someone or play an online game, we will see that person in the same room with us. We will be able to touch and feel her or him through haptic technology.
We won’t need to search online with words, because there will be a new Visual Web 100 times larger than the current Internet, and we will find things by images, buy things by brands, or just by looking at a logo on the jacket of a passerby. Language will be irrelevant, and a merchant in a developing world will have access to global markets. Purchase today...
Virtual Reality Will Hit the Mass Market in 2017-18 - Retail Trend
Samsung and Facebook's investment in Oculus VR is culminating in the consumer release of the Virtual Reality headset device. At $99 a set, it's not a hugely expensive investment, but its success will be dependent on the quality of the content that will be available through the device. Already, streaming television and movies and gaming platforms are set to be available through Gear, but there's also an opportunity for retailers to use the platform to show off products, or to allow product purchase through games and other content relationships.
Now virtual reality headsets, including Google's Cardboard device, have actually been around for a while. But development of a standard for quality of 3D experiences, as well as refining the comfort of a headset device has moved in leaps and bounds over the past 12 months. There is still a matter of queasiness being reported after extended use of headsets among some users, but for the majority, the immersive experience of virtual reality engagement with content and ideas is compelling. And as the headsets themselves have improved, the likelihood is that we'll see more and more of these wearable headsets in the marketplace. Read more...
Virtual Assistants Expected to Top Virtual Reality in Holiday Sales
Virtual assistants are set to pummel virtual reality headsets in the fight for consumer dollars this holiday season, while smartwatches drive wearable sales. Drones may fly under the radar, though.
Interviews with nearly two dozen analysts indicate high hopes for holiday electronics sales, but estimates of what will be the hit have changed.
Two years after Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) introduced the Echo, a $179.99 hands free speaker with AI-powered virtual assistant Alexa, the virtual home assistant category is poised to beat out virtual reality and possibly a few other high tech competitors, according to the Consumer Technology Association. Read more...
The VR Job Hub: PlayMagic, Csiro & IC Resources
Whether you’re an experienced designer, programmer, engineer, or maybe you’ve just been inspired after reading VRFocus articles – either way, you have stumbled across VRFocus’ VR Job Hub. The jobs listed here are located worldwide, from major game players to humble indie developers – the one thing they all have in common is that they are all jobs in VR. View all jobs...
Visualising UI Solutions for Our Mixed Reality Future
Augmented and Mixed Reality technologies are rapidly evolving, with consumer devices on the horizon. But how will people interact with their new digitally enhanced lives? Designer Ben Frankforter visualises several ideas he’s had to help bring about the arrival of what he calls the “iPhone of mixed reality”.
While virtual and mixed reality experiences are trending right now (we’ve seen a lot of cool examples in movies), I feel that there’s a lack in convergence of practical interaction patterns. We haven’t seen the iPhone of mixed reality yet, so I decided to explore the user experience and interface aesthetics of mixed reality and share my ideas with the community. My goal is to encourage other designers to think and publish ideas on MR interfaces. Read more...
There Is No Mixed Reality!
What? But I thought… Mixed Reality is kind of starting to replace AR one by one for some, for others it′s a third kind besides AR and VR. I thought I′ll add my point of view to the discussion today and you will understand why there is no mixed reality by itself.
In 2016 everybody is big into VR and claims to have known it for many years. Then someone writes down “we do VR” – adding “yeah, yeah, we also do AR and MR” having a nice triplet of buzz words in a row: VR/AR/MR. Microsoft labels HoloLens Mixed Reality and Magic Leap sometimes knocks it up a notch calling theirs cinematic reality. No definition is carved in stone or can claim the throne. In the end I also don′t care about names, but the result. Read more...
Social VR Takes Major Step as Oculus Rooms and Parties Arrive on Gear VR
Ever since Oculus was acquired by Facebook in 2014 the industry has wondered how exactly the Silicon Valley titan’s massive social media influence would shape its new acquisition. Since the $2.4 billion dollar deal was struck there have been a small handful of social VR appetizers (Oculus Social) and convention hall tech demonstrations. Now, however, Facebook and Oculus are taking their most significant step in the race to interconnected VR experiences.
A new update to the Gear VR version of Oculus Home is enabling two brand new features that will allow VR users to connect with one another like never before. The first is Oculus Parties — a VR chat experience for you and your friends. According to the official Oculus blog, “Oculus Parties lets you and up to three friends join a voice call from anywhere in VR. Parties ensure that no matter where you go on the platform, you can always communicate with your friends.” Read more...
Ex-Twitter CEO Invests in $5.8M, CEO Expects Haptics To Be Widespread In 2-3 Years
A virtual reality startup that is trying to simulate “lifelike touch” just raised a $5.8 million seed investment round that includes participation from former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo.
Seattle-based AxonVR today announced the funding, which was led by China-based NetEase and Dawn Patrol Ventures. In addition to Costolo, who was CEO of Twitter from 2010 to 2015, other investors in the round include The Virtual Reality Company, Keeler Investment Group, Digital Kitchen founder Paul Matthaeus, and Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering Jon Snoddy. Read more...
How VR Can Conquer The Music World in 2017
Of all the verticals people are talking about in virtual reality, music is easily one of the most exciting — and the most frustrating. While there were predictions that VR music videos would dominate in 2016, the industry was generally slow to adopt the technology, and great content was scarce. As 2017 approaches, however, it seems that music is finally catching up, and the next year will see much broader adoption. There are four major areas where VR could change the game in the music world, from the traditional to the more forward-thinking. Read more...
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Anthony J James was awarded LinkedIn's 'Agency Publisher of the Year' for Asia Pacific. Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this post maybe try one of these as well - see all posts.