Experiences
Baba Yaga on Oculus Quest | Oculus
Being an American I don’t hear of many experiences based on Russian folklore, which is a shame since Baba Yaga has always been one of my favorite stories from that part of the world since she was neither a hero or a villain. This reimagining of the folk tale is well worth the price tag, with a cast that knows how to draw you into a good story.
Gaming
New Pokémon Snap arrives on April 30! - YouTube
Nintendo has released a new trailer for the popular and relaxingly fun Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo Switch. This game can make use of the Nintendo Labo VR viewer to immerse players within the world and makes the diverse world of Pokemon feel closer and more magical. Preorders are open and the release date is set for April 30, 2021.
Business
Stocks you can buy to invest in the immersive technology industry today
For those of us who dabble in the stock market, there are opportunities for everyone to add virtual and immersive technology companies into our portfolios. This is a fairly decent list of companies worth considering and a breakdown of their role in the future of these technologies.
Research
Personal identifiability of user tracking data during observation of 360-degree VR video | Scientific Reports
The ability to be anonymous online is something that most of us take as a given, but as we venture further into new technology there are things we should consider about how that technology exposes more information about us than we would want. This paper published in Nature shows how it is possible to deanonymize a user based on their movements while watching a 360 degree Virtual Reality video. This is only a proof of concept, but something to be mindful of before dismissing privacy policy modals on websites and apps.
ARVR research | The State of the AR/VR
Be sure to take this 10 minute survey to help Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality creators find trends and share your challenges in . This is a survey targeted at AR/VR app creators, animator, designers, and content developers, or if you're just starting out with your first project.
Learning
XR Talks: Will Pass-through Video Outshine See-through Optics? - AR Insider
Deep discussion looking at the path Augmented Reality will take with the advances in displays, lenses, and foveated rendering that are just around the corner. This is a part of a series of talks that may have you thinking differently about the future of AR.
Development
VR-All-Art
Making your own Virtual Reality gallery exhibition has never been easier than with VR-All-Art. This is one of the new services I'm excited to play with early next month. They provide a choice of VR venues that you populate with your artwork. It allows control of the lighting, furniture, and other curation features to tailor the ambiance of the gallery space.
One More Thing
Virtual Reality Art Exhibitions At VR-All-Art
The exhibitions in the VR-All-Art gallery are diverse and interesting, ranging from Street Art in Belgrade, classics from Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and contemporary art from Petar Mošić. This is viewable in a web browser on in VR for free.
Commentary
There is a lot of buzz this week about Apple's Augmented Reality glasses announcement and is a sign of the oncoming rush of new gear that will be hitting the market within the next two years. The last issue of Other Realities at the end of 2020 focused on some overlooked gear, but was a small representation of the headsets and other peripherals we can purchase. I'm sure the Apple experience will do it's part in evolving what is possible in AR, but I've never been to hung up on hardware specs. In the right hands a talented storyteller can make hand shadows dance and tell a story more interesting than a million dollar production team.
Though I am looking forward to moving deeper into a shared metaverse that only AR/MR/XR will be able to make possible. Fingers crossed that it's not the one from Daniel Suarez (See Daemon and FreedomTM).
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