WebVR pioneers look to turn Supermedium into the home for fresh and diverse VR experiences.

The creators of VR web framework ‘A-Frame have launched a new fully VR browser called Supermedium. The team behind the product have lots of experience in Web-based VR as they were part of the original Mozilla team behind the WebVR initiative. Now the team is part of the Y Combinator Winter batch with a goal of breathing freshness and diversity into the VR content ecosystem.

The beauty of web-based VR is that content loads fast and has an easier barrier to entry. This allows for quicker experiences for the user and more experimentation opportunities for creators.  A VR Gif, a low fidelity game, a VR journalism page dedicated to Cats And VR, the possibilities are endless. If you want to spend 2 or 20 minutes on those experiences you don't have to worry about installing an app since you can travel just like you would the classic web. 

To start the team is featuring a few dozen curated VR sites. Traditional URL input will be supported later on as more VR sites appear and also adhere to best practices for WebVR. The platform also currently supports both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets.

We witnessed first-hand how slow the Web was to react to the rise of
smartphones and app store ecosystems. We're not going to let that happen again
with VR. We want to ensure the Web is a first-class citizen for VR and for
immersive platforms going forward. For the next big personal computing shifts,
we think we're right on time. - Kevin Ngo, Diego Marcos, Diego Goberna

https://www.supermedium.com/

Darren Aronofsky produced VR Experience lands a massive seven-figure deal at Sundance.

Executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, and Jessica Chastain, who also serves as the narrator and with an original score comes from Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon the minds behind the Stranger Things, Spheres just landed a massive seven-figure deal at Sundance.

VR financing and distribution venture CityLights announced today that it is acquiring Spheres-a virtual reality journey that transports viewers into the deepest pockets of the Universe to bring to life interactive visions of future worlds and explore our oneness with the cosmos. 

The first episode premiered last weekend as part of Sundance’s New Frontier programming  and Spheres will be coming to Oculus Rift this year.

Big news from @sundancefest: SPHERES acquired for seven figures. Huge congrats to Writer/Director @Eliza_McNitt + Exec Producer @DarrenAronofsky! https://t.co/n3xyg6pR4o

— Oculus (@oculus) January 24, 2018

Overwatch League has no women competitors, can we not make this mistake with VR eSports.

This morning I was shocked to find out that Blizzard's ambitious new esports league Overwatch League had absolutely no women competing.  This news came a little late to me and I had to do some research. Personally, I am not a big fan of Overwatch but I had read some recent stats about Overwatch League.

Overwatch League launched recently with over 400,000 views on the first day. It has been reported that Twitch paid 90 million for the streaming rights. A has a quarter of the Twitch fanbase is women and Overwatch has a very diverse player audience, however, none of the 12 teams in Overwatch League have any women on the teams. Seeing that this is a big-time league with both Blizzard and Twitch behind this it is an outright shame to see this happen.

Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon is one of the top Overwatch players in the world and went on to become the first woman ever to play for a team in South Korea’s top league. Blizzard has tried to push both its Overwatch game and community as one of diversity, yet the pro scene’s most accomplished woman player is nowhere to be found in what is Overwatch's biggest moment. 

I don't play Overwatch but I do play VR games and see VR as the future of eSports. If a problem of inclusion and diversity exists in one of the biggest games being streamed on one of the biggest platforms I do not want to see this passed over to VR. 

Dan Fiden, president of Cloud9, the esports organization that sponsors one of the Overwatch League teams said in a statement to Kotaku that organizations need to play a role in making esports more welcoming and less toxic for players who aren’t men. He believes that involves starting from “the beginning.” 

If it's not “the beginning.” of eSports well it is the beginning of VR eSports and this should not be repeated as that ecosystem grows. Esports, more than traditional sports, have a unique opportunity to really diversify the kind of competitors we get to see. 

In the final episode of Defining Moments, host @JeffCanata sits down with @missharvey to talk VR, and @Hot_Bid, @blucasts, @iNcontroLTV, @WillChobra, @nathaniastv, @pancakepow, @ultradavid, @Jump_, @MonteCristo and more share their thoughts on the future of esports, on @hulu pic.twitter.com/wcu6qtI6NC

— ESL (@ESL) January 5, 2018

There are some that are pushing for more diversity in eSports and those heading the pro NBA2K eSports community have made this a core goal.

"Diversity is one of the most exciting parts to us. You know, you have to have some very serious level of athletic prowess to compete in the NBA. There's a different level of prowess with this. So, males, females, 18-year-olds, 27-year-olds, 80-year-olds, you know, that's the cool part about this for us. Everyone can participate, assuming they have the prowess of being able to play the game at that professional level. For us, it expands our video game audience, and I'm assuming that with the NBA it expands their audience as well, so that's one of the biggest, exciting parts of it for us." -2K's SVP of Basketball Operations Jason Argent

As we grow the VR community I want us all to be aware of not making the same mistakes. As VR eSports grow I want it to grow with diversity and inclusion in mind. To do this it will have to start awareness. Oculus has an amazing diversity program and as the future of VR grows I expect a push into eSport diversity.

Putting VR into the hands of more people will help diversify the demographics of users but VR evangelists need to be responsible for helping to shape a better future. Seeing first hand how much work Oculus has put into their diversity program has made me not want to see the VR industry repeat the past mistakes of the gaming world. At OC4 the best Echo Arena players had a chance to show us that VR eSports can be the future. Going forward I just want all of us involved in the growth of VR to show that the world of VR is best through diversity and opportunity. 

I really don't have an answer on how to address the future of diversity in VR eSports but I would like to get the conversation started so the future of VR is as bright as we want it to be. 

Reality Reflection Announces Pre-ICO of New Location-based AR Mobile Game

Reality Reflection, a VC-backed virtual reality(VR) and augmented reality(AR) startup announced on Monday the launch of Pre-ICO on ‘Mossland’, a location-based AR mobile game with decentralized ad platform.

Mossland is involved with virtual real estate. Users can identify nearby real properties, acquire and trade them in the game. Virtual properties in the game can be tradable and liquified through cryptocurrency exchange, so users will put time and effort to increase the value of their properties.

To fund the development of the game, Reality Reflection is embarking on an ICO using Ethereum blockchain technologies. The date of the pre sale for the ICO will be on January 29 with up to 50% bonus.

Mossland adds in-depth gamification on top of the traditional check-in games such as Foursquare. By installing AR objects on properties, it will enhance the users’ gaming experience and motivate users to decorate and boast their properties in addition to basic gameplay of purchasing, protecting and taking over them.

Mossland’s key features include:

• Augmented Reality: Virtual property value is proportionate to the number of check-ins in the properties and the owners will install ‘Accessory’, AR objects in attachment to the virtual properties. Users can attract buyers with this item.
• Tradable Property, Accessory: Properties and Accessories of the Mossland can be traded between users through in-game auction system. Such transactions between the users can be done by using ‘Moss’, which is an in-game currency matched with ‘Moss Coin’, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency secured by blockchain technology.
• Location-based P2P Advertisement: Mossland creates a new advertising platform based on the convergence of real location-based games with AR technology. All Mossland users can create and run advertisement campaign through a simple interface after setting an ad budget.

Pre-ICO information:

• Start date: January 29, 2018 at 00:00 am UTC
• End date: February 11, 2018 at 11:59 pm UTC
• Token Name: Moss Coin
• Token Symbol: MOC
• Platform: Ethereum
• Total issue: 500,000,000 MOC
• Price: 5,000 MOC = 1 ETH
• Distributed by: Ethereum smart contract
• ICO page: moss.land
• White paper link: http://bit.ly/2DxIv3G
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMossland
• Telegram Channel: https://t.me/mossland

Wooram Son, CEO of Reality Reflection, said: “Based on our accumulated experience on 3D digital human character development and an extensive research on VR and AR technology, we released many successful VR titles including a fun rhythm action game ‘Music Inside’ and a futuristic multiplayer sports game ‘Speedball Arena’.”

He added, “With many new VR and AR devices introduced in CES 2018, we believe 2018 will be a great year for VR and AR contents market. That’s why we believe Mossland will be a great hit.”

To learn more about Mossland and its ICO process, please visit moss.land, ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and follow its development on Twitter @TheMossland for all the latest developer updates and news.

WWE and NextVR to partner on bringing the action and drama of pro wrestling to VR.

NextVR, the leader in broadcasting live events in virtual reality, and WWE announced a new partnership to bring fans unique WWE experiences in virtual reality, featuring highlights from select 2018 WWE special events.

The virtual reality experiences will be approximately 10 minutes in length and available for free to fans globally on a new WWE channel within the NextVR app following each event. The content will provide fans with a completely new experience, featuring highlights from WWE’s biggest events including the excitement of the fans, athleticism of WWE’s larger-than-life Superstars, pivotal moments, epic showdowns and surprise appearances, giving them the opportunity to see the action as if they were there live.

“In some ways, it is kind of custom-made for what we do and I think as the technology improves it will get better and better,” said Triple H during a recent tech conference. “Everybody wants to be there live and in person and if its Wrestlemania and you can put a headset on, or whatever that device is at the time, and you can actually put yourself on that front row sitting there experiencing it. That’s a whole different point of view.”

“WWE is amazing in VR, and we know fans are going to love it,” said David Cole, NextVR CEO. “Our patented VR broadcasting pipeline will bring fans ringside with WWE Superstars to experience the electrifying energy and spectacle firsthand.”

“We are always looking to create compelling content across platforms, and we are excited to partner with NextVR to bring our fans closer to the action than ever before," said Michelle Wilson, WWE Chief Revenue & Marketing Officer. “As the technology behind virtual reality continues to evolve, this is a unique opportunity for us to partner with NextVR, a leader in this space, to provide new experiences to our passionate fans around the world."

For each production, NextVR will work alongside WWE’s award-winning TV and production team to position NextVR’s custom virtual reality cameras throughout each event to capture the most immersive views of WWE action.

Fans with a Samsung GearVR headset or Google Daydream View, along with a compatible smartphone, PlayStation VR, or Windows Mixed Reality can download the free NextVR app from the corresponding platform store to access the free highlights.

Bonus: Here is a link to the video that recently won me a WWE championship belt.

About NextVR
NextVR is the world’s best virtual reality platform for delivering live sports and music in VR to fans globally. Launched in 2009, the company has patented technology that delivers an unparalleled VR experience providing fans extraordinary access and profound immersion. NextVR has world-class partnerships with leaders in sports and entertainment including the NBA, NFL, FOX Sports, Live Nation, and the International Champions Cup. NextVR was founded by industry leaders with decades of experience in 3D stereoscopic imaging, compression technology and VR broadcasting. For more information, visit NextVR.com.

About WWE
WWE, a publicly traded company (NYSE: WWE), is an integrated media organization and recognized leader in global entertainment. The company consists of a portfolio of businesses that create and deliver original content 52 weeks a year to a global audience. WWE is committed to family friendly entertainment on its television programming, pay-per-view, digital media and publishing platforms. WWE programming reaches more than 650 million homes worldwide in 20 languages. WWE Network, the first-ever 24/7 over-the-top premium network that includes all live pay-per-views, scheduled programming and a massive video-on-demand library, is currently available in more than 180 countries. 

CES Innovation Award Honoree ‘Black Box VR’ Gym & Virtual eSport Unveils January 9th

Black Box VR, a pioneer in virtual reality fitness, has been named a CES 2018 Innovation Awards Honoree for its innovative resistance-based virtual reality fitness experience. The Black Box VR studio has developed the world’s first fully automated cable resistance machine that integrates virtual reality hardware and original virtual eSport software powered by HTC Vive.

The team confirmed today that the world will get its first chance to test out the upcoming gym system beginning January 9th-12th in Las Vegas during CES on the show floor at the Sands, Halls A-D, Booth #44722. Black Box VR users get an intense, time-dilated, custom workout while immersed in challenging, gamified and competitive virtual reality fitness experiences that redefine eSports into physically active vSports.

“In Black Box you will utilize strength, agility, balance and speed in a larger than life virtual world where we are able to harness the nature that is brought out in video games - dedication, determination, and longevity - and turn it into real, physical workouts that challenge both mind and body," said Preston Lewis, CCO and Co-Founder

Founded by fitness fanatics Ryan DeLuca and Preston Lewis, the Black Box VR team spent years building Bodybuilding.com into the largest online supplement retailer in the world with nearly $500m in annual sales. With the collaboration of many talented individuals, they created some of the world’s most recognized supplement brands, chart-topping fitness mobile applications, were honored for their award-winning health and fitness campaigns, and created the world’s largest online fitness social network with over 3m members while always holding true to the mission of changing people’s lives.

In 2016 Preston and Ryan decided to start their new venture, Black Box VR, with a mission to disrupt the fitness industry once again by creating innovative products and experiences that create lasting change in people’s lives. After trying virtual reality for the first time, Ryan and Preston knew they were experiencing a magically immersive technology that, if paired with resistance training, gaming principles and high intensity cardio, will be the winning combination for people trying to reach their health & fitness goals. Black Box VR is redefining fitness as we know it.

“For nearly two years, our team of veterans from both the fitness industry and the gaming industry have collaborated to harness the groundbreaking power of virtual reality to change the landscape of results-driven exercise and competitive eEports as we know it,” said Ryan DeLuca, CEO and Co-Founder. “We couldn’t be more excited to unveil our product in Las Vegas, and proud to have been honored with a CES Innovation Award.”

The prestigious CES Innovation Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™, the owner and producer of CES 2018, the global gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.

Giroptic launches a new 360 degree video calling service

Just in time for CES2018 Giroptic launches a new 360 degree video calling service compatible with their popular Giroptic iO 360 degree camera. 

Simply connect the camera to your smartphone to trigger the iO360 app, then select “call” to launch a video call in 360 degrees. All your friends and family have to do is click on the link they receive to join the conversation via mobile or desktop web.

Users can take a call in VR mode’ and slide their smartphone into a variety of HMDs including Google Cardboard, Daydream, Homido VR2 among others.

The 360 degree video calling service .is is 100% free and requires only a WiFi or 4G connection.

An iOS app is available and an Android app should be available soon.

The Giroptic iO camera is available now, priced at $199 USD.

catsandvr.com/blog/

HTC VIVE enters CES2018 with new VIVE PRO Upgrade, Wireless VIVE Adaptor, and major upgrade to Viveport

Heading into CES2018 HTC VIVE announced the introduction of Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor.

In addition, the company debuted new improvements to Viveport VR and Vive Video. These improvements promise on VR   users higher resolution, improved audio, greater comfort, wireless freedom and immersive content discovery.

Vive Pro is a new HMD upgrade from Vive, built for VR enthusiasts and enterprise users who want the best display and audio for their VR experiences. Vive Pro includes dual-OLED displays for a crisp picture resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined, a 78% increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD.

“There’s a clear need in the VR market for a premium VR experience with high resolution display, integrated audio and the best components available today in a headset,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM U.S., VIVE. “Vive Pro offers an immediate upgrade for both VR enthusiasts and enterprises that want to utilize the best VR experience.”

More details on Vive Pro availability and price will be made available soon.

Vive Wireless Adaptor

Also unveiled today, the Vive Wireless Adaptor will be the first to market with a truly wireless VR headset integration for both Vive and Vive Pro.

The Vive Wireless Adaptor features Intel’s WiGig technology and offers a premium VR wireless experience that operates in the interference-free 60Ghz band, which means lower latency and better performance. The Vive Wireless Adaptor will ship in Q3 to customers worldwide. 

“Wireless VR has been on nearly every VR user’s wishlist since the technology was unveiled,” said Frank Soqui, General Manager Virtual Reality Group at Intel Corporation. “By collaborating with HTC to commercialize Intel’s WiGig technology, we will guarantee that wireless VR meets the most discerning quality bar for home users and business VR customers.”

“Viveport is moving to a VR first experience model, and with the all-new Viveport VR, we are changing the way consumers discover, experience and acquire VR content,” said Rikard Steiber, president, Viveport.  “Until now, there has not been a shopping and browsing experience that takes advantage of the full functionality of VR. Available in early access today, Viveport VR increases interaction with content and offers developers a preview that showcases the quality of their titles and experiences.”

Earlier this year, Viveport launched the world’s first VR subscription service to provide a whole new way to access the best VR experiences for a great price. With more than 1,000 titles available on Viveport today, and more than 325 available for subscription, Vive is changing the way users browse and discover content through Viveport VR.

Via Vive Blog

Cat dating sim, Purrfect Date set to hit Steam and your cat loving hearts December 15th.

Drawing inspiration from the dating sim genre (Dream Daddy, Hatoful Boyfriend) and the overall unique world of indie games (Undertale, Pony Island), Purrfect Date is a cross between a visual novel, dating sim, and dark British comedy. You, a human, will get to date cats and uncover the secrets of the mysterious Cat Island.

The trailer says this is about love and not bestiality so I am pretty sure it is going to be a fun light-hearted ode to cat friendship. 

Throughout the game’s seven chapters, you’ll adopt the roles of multiple freshly employed research assistants on an island almost entirely populated by cats. Choose your own adventure as you romance talking cats, balance your stats and carry out your research into the dark and questionable history of the Island.

Developed by Bae Team, a duo of Oliver Hindle (aka YouTube’s Oliver Age 24) and Ruby-Mae Roberts, Purrfect Date’s origins are explained in the game’s new release date trailer.

Published by Bossa Studios (I Am Bread, Surgeon Simulator), Purrfect Date mixes dark British comedy influences with (decidedly furry) dating sim mechanics. Throughout the game, the player adopts the role of several freshly employed research assistants on an island almost entirely populated by cats, on a mission to uncover the location’s shady history.

Get ready for hijinks and hairballs by adding Purrfect Date to your Steam wishlist here. For more information, follow the game on YouTube, Twitter,  Facebook and Instagram.

New Micro Machines styled PSVR game Tiny Trax gets update to encourage new players to join in on the fun.

FuturLab has issued a patch for Tiny Trax, the innovative slot car drift racing experience described as ‘Micro Machines meets Scalextrix. Based on user and journalist feedback the team is adjusting the AI to ensure it’s more accessible for newcomers to enjoy. Though the multiplayer aspect of the game is great due to many having the same learning curve, the single player mode came equipped with a pretty hardcore AI in early levels of the PSVR race. 

FuturLab is rolling out the patch today to make difficulty level on the first cup lowered to ensure that new players can achieve a medal more fairly.

The game, from Award-winning Brighton-based studio FuturLab (Velocity 2X), immerses players in stunning virtual worlds surrounded by a variety of epic toy racing tracks, allowing them to control tiny cars from a child’s perspective, and watch them boost around their body, jump overhead and drift around bends.

The game has a robust online multiplayer mode for up to four players, with 12 tracks across three environments. The game already has a growing community and its good to see FuturLab listening closely to continue its growth. Just look at some of these fans of the game.

Tiny Trax is downloadable via the PlayStation Store in the US and Europe 

https://www.futurlab.co.uk/games/tiny-trax

Ahead of Comic Con Disney’s D23 Expo announced Marvel VR for Oculus, A Star Wars AR HEADSET!, and a Star Wars theme park..oh AND reveled the Kingdom Hearts 3 Toy Story Trailer!!!

I consider my self a Disney fan, I love Tron and Darkwing Duck, also since I am a big Star Wars and Marvel fan over the past few years I have to say I have become a bigger Disney fan. All that being said Disney’s D23 Expo was not on my radar and its a damn shame because they just announced some major things for its entertainment empire including big VR and AR news.

 First up is Marvel Powers United VR  being made by Oculus and Sanzaru Games. Though the full lineup details is being held out for Comic Con we do know  The Hulk, Captain Marvel, and Rocket Raccoon are playable. The announcement came during the “Level Up” gaming panel, which also includedDisney reveal of a Star Wars AR headset in development with Lenovo.  The collection of games reveled is called Star Wars: Jedi Challenges, includes holochess  a lightsaber game of course. Check out the reveal video .

No word yet on when the release date for headset will but the website is currently live. 

Speaking about Star Wars, Disney also offered several new details about its Star Wars Galaxy expansion confirming rumors that the company was working on an Westworld-esq set in George Lucas’ universe.

According to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Bob Chapek, the project amounts to almost exactly that. “We are working on our most experiential concept ever,” he told the crowd during a Saturday panel. “It combines a luxury resort with immersion in an authentic environment.”

At D23 today, Disney announced that it's making an augmented reality headset with help from hardware manufacturer Lenovo. It's designed specifically with Star Wars experiences in mind.

And last but not least Disney keyblade dropped a new Kingdom Heart 3 Toy Story trailer for good measure. This is some crazy stuff and Im blown away at what the media empire has in store for the future. I think I may skip E3 next year and focus on D23. 

http://arkittens.com/

Today as we battle for the future of all of the Cait And Doggo memes, check out Cyber Animal, a game about feeding Cyber Animals to save the internet.

Today as we battle for the future of all of the Cat And Dog memes, check out Cyber Animal, a game about feeding Cyber Animals to save the internet. The game came from developer Moodie Younis's obsession with GIPHY. Younis describes GIPHY as a sort of vast catalog of mostly useless and terrible one hit wonder records. He used that inspiration to create a shooter where you are rocketed into cyberspace, and tasked with feeding the ravenous Cyber Animals of Cyberspace with little nuggets of love and whip cream.

Moodie's game encapsulates several elements of why our Internet freedom is important. Not only are Memes an integral part of the game but Moodie used several online Unity tutorials to become a first time VR game developer. He then decided to share his experience and new found knowledge base with the world using Medium.

 https://medium.com/@myounis/cyber-animal-vr-case-study-ada0c9d4b86b

Comcast, Verizon and AT&T want to end net neutrality so they can charge extra fees to control what we see & do online. On July 12, we take the first step to stop them. This is a battle for the Internet's future. A fight not only for the freedom of Cait and Doogo Memes but also a future of knowledge building and sharing. 

https://www.battleforthenet.com/

Moodie is an interior architect turned VR / AR designer and developer based in San Francisco.

http://moodieyounis.com/virtual-reality/

Decentraland looks to be the decentralized VR creators paradise built on the Blockchain we have all been dreaming of since last year.

Gamers spend upwards to 20 hours a week building, gathering, teaming up with other gamers, and fighting over digital good in virtual worlds owned by central organizations like Facebook and Blizzard. As VR grows we see value in Virtual worlds like AltspaceVR pop up but issues still exist like l the imitations of what 'rules' can be modified as well as issues of the ownership of content built by the users.

The lack of a true 'creators paradise' as well as the incentive to invest time and effort creating unique VR experiences has created some of the lack of content issues VR is currently facing. 

Decentraland is looking to tackle the creators paradise head on with its distributed platform for a shared virtual world in which participants can navigate, discover, and interact with other people and entities. Ownership of virtual land is blockchain-based and the land itself is a non-fungible, transferrable, scarce digital asset stored in an Ethereum smart contract that can be acquired by spending an ERC20 token called MANA.

View fullsize

To fund the continued development of the platform a token sale has been announced for August. https://blog.decentraland.org/the-decentraland-token-sale-terms-81861704c086

The platform could very well help to create those Ready Player One ecosystems that VCs are expecting today without understanding the massive leaps VR needs to make. It can also help make the Blockchain more appealing to content creators looking for a new avenues of monetization and discoverability. 

Also I am pretty sure there will be porn on there...and the Decentraland team is aware of how complicated this may be in a decentralized virtual platform as noted in their white paper. This is a discussion I see debated very much in the early stages of the platform.

Example User feedback on the ongoing discussion of Adult Content on the platform.

For many Blockchain and VR are sexy silicon valley buzzwords, for many more they are potentially the backbone of a new ecosystem of trade, information, financial and societal growth just like the Internet was promised to be. Also much like the internet it may still be a new platform for adult content and cat videos. I personally am trying to be the cat king of Decentraland. 

Word.

By the way they are working with Aragon very closely. Pretty sure Aragon will be the reason Ether will be wayyyyy super valuable in the future. You prob should know what they do. https://aragon.one/

Also is you want more tech news from a cat perspective check out my new site ARKittens.com

Dean Takahashi's GamesBeat events are the type of events you want to skip work for. You may get to talk Rick And Morty with John Underkoffler.

Dean Takahashi pretty much said during his panel at the last GamesBeat summit that you are 100% better off skipping a day or two of of work in order to go to one of the events he puts together. He is absolutely right! These events have less of the super networking vibes of the W hotel during GDC and is more of a Socratic critical thinking forum to snap you out of your tech daze. During the event I went to I felt no one was trying to sell me an ideology or a glimpse of the future but just real talk on how did we get to the place in tech we are and share insights on how you too can predict the future. 

At the last event I got to talk to John Underkoffler, a HUGE pioneer in Augmented Interface growth and direction into the future. Don't know the name? Remember the data interface from Minority Report? Well, it's real, John Underkoffler invented it — as a point-and-touch interface called g-speak. 

John Underkoffler led the team that came up with this interface, called the g-speak Spatial Operating Environment. His company, Oblong Industries, was founded to move g-speak into the real world. Oblong is building apps for aerospace, bioinformatics, video editing and more. But the big vision is ubiquity: g-speak on every laptop, every desktop, every microwave oven, TV, dashboard. "It has to be like this," he says. "We all of us every day feel that. We build starting there. We want to change it all."
 
Before founding Oblong, Underkoffler spent 15 years at MIT's Media Laboratory, working in holography, animation and visualization techniques, and building the I/O Bulb and Luminous Room Systems. He also took some time to break down Rick And Morty for my limited mind. 

This year, GamesBeat 2017: Time Machine is parked right on that event horizon:

Early bird registration is open now — just in time for E3 — and the discount is solid: Sign up today and you’ll save 40 percent off the full-price ticket. Register now for GamesBeat 2017 and save $395!

Speakers Include

• Steven Roberts, chairman of ESL, the biggest independent esports tournament company
• Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, creator of Eve Online and VR games such as Eve Valkyrie
• Bernie Stolar, CEO of The Stolar Group and former head at Sony’s U.S. PlayStation business and Sega of America 

At GamesBeat 2017: Time Machine, will dive into the parts of gaming that are driving excitement, triggering powerful growth, and launching the startups that are about to transform the industry.

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Stereolabs is allowing you to use the Vive or Rift you already have as a AR/MR headset.

Cecile Schmollgruber founded STEREOLABS in 2010. As chief executive officer, Cecile has taken her company to a new level: STEREOLABS is today the leading provider of 3D vision systems. 

Stereolabs is a leading provider of depth and motion sensing solutions for autonomous robotics and VR/AR. Before launching the ZED camera, Stereolabs has a long experience in the 3D movie industry working with clients such Cameron-Pace Group of Avatar fame. Now with their ZED depth sensor, Stereolabs provides a means for machines to see depth the way humans do, for applications in autonomous navigation, AR/VR and more.

Instead of a standalone headset, Stereolabs is releasing a mini stereo camera you clip to the front of a Rift or Vive. From there, it scans the environment in front of it in real-time, while also capturing the "background" video for each eye. The only downside is it's tethered, unlike many of the AR/MR headsets making headlines (including the company's own Linq). But in exchange, consumers can try out an incredible mixed reality experience using tech that's available today, rather than waiting years for standalone headsets to get better, and developers can get a head start working on content (they're shipping an SDK for Unity and Unreal). 

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Could DIAMONST be the 1st killer app to showcase Apple's AR Kit? Maybe with funding?

After #AWE2017 we are back to work to solve the last bugs and yes, we will use #ARkit for the iOS version of DIAMONST AR RPG#wwdc2017 pic.twitter.com/RkkvF3bOAX

— ZenkoGames (@_ZenkoGames_) June 6, 2017

Could DIAMONST by Zenko Games be the killer app to showcase Apple's AR Kit?

Diamonst will be a story-driven augmented reality experience that will take place in the real world and is inspired by classics JRPGs like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger as well as the more recent Geolocation hit Pokemon Go. 

On the map of your city you will be able to see the missions and the side quests of the story and when you will be close enough you will be able to visualize the events in 3D Augmented Reality (6 degree of freedom AR).

During the single player campaign, you will meet allies, face enemies and solve the riddles that will lead you to discover the reason why the Diamonst have returned to our planet and everything will happen, for the first time, in our world.

Diamonst will mix gameplay mechanics from various turn-based and card games like Magic, Hearthstone, Yu-gi-oh, Pokémon and Yo-Kai watch.

The game will put a lot of focus on intra team and same element synergies that will allow the player to create intricate combos and strategies.

A first playable demo of Diamonst is currently in development with Unity and Vuforia for Android and iOS and will be soon available for Google Tango, Microsoft Hololens and for the Bridge Headset form Occipital.

The team is currently looking for funding to finish the full game.

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Beast In Show @ AWE 2017 is Beast Pets! Check out this interview with the Mother Of Dragons Vivian Tan.

Beast is a VR platform that brings digital pets to virtual "life" through artificial intelligence and personalities. It is also the winner of the very first CatsAndVR Best Of Cute award which goes to the cutest thing I saw at a particular conference.  Seriously Beast Pets are basically smart pets for VR. The dragons are basically flying puppy-kittens that actually interact like I would expect out of Cat Dragons. I spent a little bit rubbing their lil dragon tummies, playing laser with them, and just overall going into cute overload.

I could go further into this cute thing and say Chief Beast Of Beast Inc is cute as a button but I'm not. I'm going to say she is the mother of Dragons and beasting her way with a product that has the potential to not only be a cute VR experience but also have the ability to touch the lives of those who have disabilities. I believe this company is doing a good job of separating it self from the multitudes of VR gaming startups in the ecosystem.

For one Beast Inc is part of the current Boost VR class and is using that to establish connections and be everywhere.  Beast Inc recently had the chance to showcase their product and brand in partnership with SVVR at Maker Faire and was so very well received they won a blue ribbon. 

I ran into the team at AWE2017 and all I really had to say was AWE! I totally loved the product and suggest CatsAndVR readers be part of the beta. We even secured our readers access to the private beta. Just send an email to Team@BeastPets.com and mention CatsAndVR.com sent ya. 

To be completely transparent I was a tad bit jealousy that Vivan beat me to the VR Pet market but I am ok with it because that market I care about looks to be in the hands of a very sharp individual who cares about the product, the ecosystem, and the true value of pet friendship to others. She has partnered with BoostVC, SVVR, and has assembled a team that also cares about her vision including Kate Hughes who is known for her Holo-Dog project for Hololens. 

All in all I believe in this product and I am V glad there are others out there that believe in the Beast Inc vision. 

Edit: Can't end this with out giving a shout out to Beast Co-Founder Mat Tyndall. Thanks for the demo!

Meta: Making Augmented Reality Fashionable.

At AWE 2017 Meta announced its Meta Workspace, a spatial AR operating environment designed for creativity and collaboration.

The original Meta AR headset was a great proof of concept with a great 40° field of view much like Microsofts Hololens is today. That was three years ago. The feedback the Meta team received from this was that it was good for R&D, good for innovation, good as a glimpse into the future of computing, but not good enough to replace the screens that characterize our lives in technology. 

The teams answer was to tap in some of the most innovative AR minds globally to develop an optical engine that can create a 90° field of view. The Meta team also tapped into the Google Project Tango framework to acquire the expertise of Alan Betran in developing a sensor array capable of dexterous hand interaction.  With over 600 patent claims for the technology, the Meta team now offers us a truer vision of their future of reality. 

I spoke with Meta's evangelist extraordinaire Ryan Pamplin about what its like to be part of an award winning AR company making the term Augmented Reality fashionable. 

Ryan Pamplin: It is an honor, really and truly, the team loves this. The team sleeps, eats, and breathes Meta. Not for the sake of AR, not for the sake of technology but for the sake of a more natural computing experience.  

Check out my interview with Ryan above. 

What is the Meta vision for the future of computing? To shift the paradigm of computing from a small scale flat experience to a visceral reality of interaction and point of view.

The Meta team has stepped their game up with their new operating system which overlays the physical world with your computer's desktop, eliminating the need for a monitor. Meta won an Auggie award for Best In Show at AWE 2017.  

Meta is the precursor to a future that will use VR, AR, voice control, a digital canvas and haptic technology (recreating the sense of touch) all working together to let people create in more natural ways.

Ryan Pamplin had some advice for me to work on AR cats.....well maybe if I had a Meta Cat shirt I might be incentivized. 

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

ARLOOPA's easy to use AR app and their work to help companies like the WWF make them a company to check out at AWE as well as in our Augmented Future

ARLOOPA is brining great AR experiences to the world.  They also provide valuable AR technology jobs to the Armenian people as well as AR content to help them. The company is currently working with brands, creative advertising agencies, museums, schools and cities on cost effective and fun AR experiences.

In May of this year WWF Armenia and ARLOOPA launched “Take a Photo with the Leopard” environmental information campaign in the country to raise public awareness on biodiversity conservation and threatened species. People could take an augmented photo with the Critically Endangered Caucasian leopard with their special ARLOOPA application.

The initiative captured audience’s attention at once. The marker has been scanned more than 4000 times and dozens of photos and videos have been posted on Facebook with special hashtag #LeoAlive in a week.  

Mr. Karen Manvelyan, Director of WWF-Armenia, said: “The use of modern technologies will increase the efficiency of the campaign helping to create a unique connection between man and nature”.

http://arloopa.com/

The application will be presented at AWE exhibition in booth #200 where everyone can feel the presence of leopard and make photos/videos with him. Please come and check out this wonderful company.  ARLOOPA will have the soon be adding a Donate button to assist WWF in fundraising activities.  

The ARLOOPA app is one of the best mobile VR apps that I have seen as far as simplicity and UI. Being able to record GIFs, Videos, take photos and share them makes ARLOOPA a company to watch as we move forward to an Augmented World

augmentedworldexpo.com

Deep Optics will showcase the latest lens technology for visual focus control at AWE 2017

Deep Optics, the inventor and pioneer of proprietary and patent-pending liquid crystal (LC) electronic lens technology, will be unveiling its tunable lens technology for the AR and VR markets at AWE 2017 (booth #437).  The technology will be in action for the first time, with the company offering interactive demos of its customized lenses with leading HMD (head-mounted display) systems.

Deep Optics’ tunable lens transforms any AR/VR optics into an auto-focusing system by enabling the realization of a real dynamic focal plane. This unique technology creates a more vivid, comfortable and immersive 3D experience and alleviates negative side effects usually associated with augmented or virtual reality, such as blurred vision, headaches, or queasiness. Such discomfort is caused in current VR/AR devices, because virtual objects (e.g. holograms) are displayed at different virtual distances from the viewer and the device’s projecting system uses static optics that are unable to synchronize the optical signal with the varying distances.

Deep Optics’ adaptive lens is based on Liquid Crystal, a birefringent material that has a different refractive index for different light polarizations. Liquid Crystal molecules change their orientation under electric voltage. By applying different voltage profiles to a liquid crystal layer, it is possible to control the effective refractive index of different areas of this layer. In order to achieve high precision control over the liquid crystal layer,

Deep Optics has developed a unique Liquid Crystal panel, similar to an LCD, with a very high resolution, transparent electrode grid. This dense electrode grid enables the application of high precision voltage profiles over the liquid crystal layer, without sacrificing transparency, or other optical properties. The result is a single panel that can implement many lens prescriptions, dynamically – positive and negative prescriptions, at a large diopter range and unlimited accuracy (not limited to 0.25D steps). The center of the lens can also be controlled in real-time; it can be positioned anywhere in the panel, and moved across the panel dynamically.

Yariv Haddad, Co-founder and CEO of Deep Optics, said, “We’re excited to demonstrate our AR/VR auto-focus solution at the show. Our tunable lenses dynamically change their focal power and position, allowing us to effectively cover a large field-of-view, a critical requirement from AR/VR HMDs. Visitors will be able to try out the superior augmented reality experience for themselves in different headsets.”

Haddad continued, “Our aim is to continue our partnerships with tier-1 players in the AR/VR market and introduce products powered by our lenses in 2018.”

Yariv Haddad, Deep Optics’s Co-founder and CEO, will be speaking at the AWE Conference on Friday Jun 2 - Room 209/210, 10:30am - 11:00am, on “Foveal Adaptive Optics - Large Aperture Liquid Crystal Lenses”.

http://www.augmentedworldexpo.com/