Daily Archives: December 19, 2021

The Oculus Quest 2 has undoubtedly been a huge hit as far as virtual reality headsets go, and if you haven't already picked up this device before now then we can't blame you for wanting to get hold of one it's affordable, versatile, easy to set up and a lot of fun to use.

You'll also be wanting to pay as little as possible in return for this VR headset, and that's where we come in. We've scoured the top retailers on the web to bring you the best Oculus Quest 2 deals around at the moment, and there are quite a few to choose between.

Besides getting the headset itself, look out for bundles that include other goodies alongside the main device, such as gift cards, carry cases, or the official Elite Strap (with a more ergonomic fit) they can mean you're getting even more value for your money.

Today's best Oculus Quest 2 deals

Check out our Oculus Quest 2 review and you'll see why it's so important to find the best Oculus Quest 2 deals. It's arguably done more than any other device to push virtual reality towards the mainstream, and a big part of that is to do with its affordable starting price.

The headset isn't exactly cheap, but it is in relation to other VR headsets on the market. At the same time, it's also well built it feels like a quality bit of kit when you put it on, and you'll find you can get through several hours of VR gaming without any real discomfort.

It's also easy to set up, without any need for a PC or external trackers, and that's before we get to the selection of games and apps: there's now more than enough content on the Oculus platform to justify the cost of the headset against many hours of enjoyment.

Part of the appeal of the Oculus Quest 2 is that you don't need anything else to run it besides what you get in the box. Once the headset has been charged up, with the smartphone app and a Wi-Fi connection you can be exploring VR in just a few minutes.

However, you can connect your Oculus Quest 2 to a Windows computer if you want to using the Oculus Link Cable or another high-quality USB-C cable. This enables you to play higher-end titles originally developed for the more powerful Oculus Rift and Rift S.

Thanks to the sensors and trackers built into the Oculus Quest 2, you don't need to set up any external trackers around your room, and you get the controllers included too. These controllers are essential when it comes to marking out a space for using your headset.

A playing space of around two square metres is recommended, though you can play certain games standing still or even sitting down (this will be explained on each game listing). Generally speaking, the more space you've got to play around with, the better.

Read more:

Best Oculus Quest 2 deals 2021: the best prices and bundles on the web - T3

NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the primary growth drivers for the augmented and virtual reality in healthcare market are the growing demand for healthcare services, improved quality of products and services in healthcare, and advantages of augmented and virtual reality in healthcare, according to a senior analyst at Technavio.

The rise in the aging population and the increase in disposable incomes globally are expected to lead to an increase in the adoption of and access to modern healthcare services during the forecast period. There is a dire need for healthcare services and personnel to deal with the rising number of patients effectively. This has led to the advent of mobile applications and systems that deploy augmented and virtual reality in the healthcare industry. The shortage of skilled personnel in the healthcare industry is encouraging the implementation of advanced and upgraded technologies. The growing demand for healthcare services will result in an increase in the adoption of augmented and virtual reality solutions in healthcare. This will help in reducing human effort, achieve operational efficiencies, and improve the overall quality of services.

View FREE Report Samplefor additional highlights on the drivers, trends, and challenges impacting the growth of the

The size of the augmented and virtual reality in healthcare market is expected to grow by USD 4.49 bnfrom 2020 to 2025. The year-over-year growth rate of the market in 2021 is 23.39%.

Market Segment Highlights

Regional Analysis

For more information about the contribution of each segment of the market, View Our Free Sample Report

Notes:

Subscribe to our "Lite Plan" billed annually at USD 3000 that enables you to download 3 reports a year and view 3 reports every month.

Related Reports:

Augmented And Virtual Reality In Healthcare Market Scope

Report Coverage

Details

Page number

120

Base year

2020

Forecast period

2021-2025

Growth momentum & CAGR

Accelerate at a CAGR of 30.44%

Market growth 2021-2025

USD 4.49 billion

Market structure

Fragmented

YoY growth (%)

23.39

Regional analysis

North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America

Performing market contribution

Europe at 34%

Key consumer countries

US, China, UK, Germany, and Japan

Competitive landscape

Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope

Companies profiled

3D Systems Corp., AccuVein Inc., General Electric Co., Intuitive Surgical Inc., Koninklijke Philips NV, Microsoft Corp., Orca Health Inc., Siemens Healthineers AG, Wipro Ltd., and WorldViz Inc.

Market Dynamics

Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period

Customization purview

If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuson emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: http://www.technavio.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/30-44-cagr-in-augmented-and-virtual-reality-in-healthcare-market--3d-systems-corp-and-accuvein-inc-among-key-vendors--technavio-301444902.html

SOURCE Technavio

See the original post here:

30.44% CAGR in Augmented And Virtual Reality in Healthcare Market | 3D Systems Corp. and AccuVein Inc. Among Key Vendors | Technavio - KPVI News 6

Sandwell Collegehas beenundergoing a global project involving students from Paris, London, and Toronto to support young people in refining theirworkplace and career skills.

The high-tech West Midlands college, which is currently the only college of further education within Sandwell, has teamed up with innovative virtual reality (VR) business Bodyswaps to launch the programme.

Students have been using VR to practice their soft skills before they are launched into the world of work, getting the chance to enhance theircompetence prior to even submitting any job applications.

The college currently teaches over 6,000 16-18-year-olds with an additional 2,000 adult learners.

As the name suggests, Bodyswaps have been enabling students to swap bodies in VR to reflect on how they would come across in a real-life interview situation.

The software allows them to hear themselves, evaluatetheir actions and even assesstheir posture and body language so they can make any necessary adjustments and improve theirbehaviour.

Students involved in the programme have expressed an overwhelmingly positive response, with 84% saying they now feel more confident about the prospect of undergoing an interview processin real life.

There are a lot of things students arent taught about at school, commented Ben Haddock, emerging technologies demonstrator at Sandwell College. Things like posture, body language, and eye contact.

Employers expect work-ready job candidates and there is mounting pressure on institutions to make social skills training part of the curriculum. These skills are just the sort of things that Bodyswaps teaches students that they dont currently learn about in the classroom.

Were seeing confident students now going off to interviews and getting the jobs Bridgett Bennet, Sandwell College

Sandwell is no stranger to innovation in 2016, they opened their high-tech marker space and digital innovation hub, Fab Lab, equipped with tech ranging from 3D printers, to VR headsets, to laser cutters.

The college is now looking to build a dedicated Bodyswaps Experience area to enable more students to practice their interview skills inside private training booths.

Working with Sandwell, weve seen first-hand not only great engagement from students but actual improvement in their skills and confidence, said Christophe Mallet, CEO and co-founder of Bodyswaps.

When technology disappears behind its transformative impact, theres no going back to the old ways.

Sandwell College plans to expand their VR soft skills training experience further to make it available to all of their students by the end of 2022.

You might alsolike:How open educational resources can improve virtual learning

Read more from the original source:

Sandwell College training students with virtual reality in global study - Education Technology

According to Boeings chief engineer, Greg Hyslop, American airspace giant will be moving its production to the virtual reality realm within next two years.

Boeings factory of the future will include immersive 3D engineering designs, interactive robots and mechanics scattered worldwide but linked by HoloLens headsets.

Boeing will build and link virtual 3D digital twin replicas of its new aircraft and the production system in order to run simulations.

A digital thread will incorporate all information about the aircraft from the start, including airline requirements, parts specifications and certification documents. Boeing plans to invest $15 billion into its production evolution.

Its about strengthening engineering. We are talking about changing the way we work across the entire company, Hyslop said.

According to chief engineer, over 70% of quality issues at Boeing can be traced back to design issues and dumping aging paper-based practices could be the basis of positive change.

You will get speed, you will get improved quality, better communication, and better responsiveness when issues occur, Hyslop said.

Boeing expects a new aircraft based on the renovated production approach to hit the market in four to five years.

When the quality from the supply base is better, when the airplane build goes together more smoothly, when you minimize rework, the financial performance will follow from that, the engineer added.

Although some critics are suspicious about Boeings potential digital revolution, insiders say it is high time for the company to step up efforts to improve quality and safety after its recent misfortunes.

Earlier this month, the aircraft manufacturer appeared to have recovered its major markets after the 737 MAX crisis, which saw the companys most popular plane universally banned from taking to the skies after two deadly accidents in late 2018 and early 2019. In a big win for the company, China cleared Boeing 737 MAX planes to return to flying, with technical upgrades. The EU did the same earlier this year, while the US, Brazil, Panama and Mexico greenlighted the aircraft in late 2020.

Yet, amid the crisis, many airlines switched to aircraft from Boeings major rival Airbus, with some still uneager to welcome Boeing back. Most recently, Australian national airline Qantas Airways picked Airbus as its preferred supplier to replace its domestic largely Boeing fleet.

Visit link:

Boeing moving its production to the virtual reality realm - eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Edison, NJ (SBWIRE) 12/17/2021 HTF MI introduce new research on Virtual Reality in Gaming covering micro level of analysis by competitors and key business segments. The Virtual Reality in Gaming explores comprehensive study on various segments like opportunities, size, development, innovation, sales and overall growth of major players. The research is carried out on primary and secondary statistics sources and it consists both qualitative and quantitative detailing. Some of the Major Key players profiled in the study are SONY, Microsoft, Nintendo, Linden Labs, Electronic Arts, Facebook, Samsung Electronics, Google, HTC, Virtuix Omni, Leap Motion, Telsa Studios, Qualcomm Incorporated, Lucid VR

Acquire Sample Report + All Related Table and Graphs@: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3743072-virtual-reality-in-gaming-market

On the off chance that you are engaged with the industry or expect to be, at that point this investigation will give you complete perspective. It's crucial you stay up with the latest sectioned by Applications [Private, Commerce & Others], Product Types, [, Adventure Games, Action Games, Racing Games, Role-Playing Games & Others] and some significant parts in the business.For more data or any query mail at sales@htfmarketreport.com

Which market aspects are illuminated in the report?

Executive Summary: It covers a summary of the most vital studies, the Virtual Reality in Gaming market increasing rate, modest circumstances, market trends, drivers and problems as well as macroscopic pointers.

Study Analysis: Covers major companies, vital market segments, the scope of the products offered in the Virtual Reality in Gaming market, the years measured and the study points.

Company Profile: Each Firm well-defined in this segment is screened based on a products, value, SWOT analysis, their ability and other significant features.

Manufacture by region: This Virtual Reality in Gaming report offers data on imports and exports, sales, production and key companies in all studied regional markets

Highlighted of Virtual Reality in Gaming Market Segments and Sub-Segment:

Virtual Reality in Gaming Market by Key Players: SONY, Microsoft, Nintendo, Linden Labs, Electronic Arts, Facebook, Samsung Electronics, Google, HTC, Virtuix Omni, Leap Motion, Telsa Studios, Qualcomm Incorporated, Lucid VR

Virtual Reality in Gaming Market by Types: , Adventure Games, Action Games, Racing Games, Role-Playing Games & Others

Virtual Reality in Gaming Market by End-User/Application: Private, Commerce & Others

Virtual Reality in Gaming Market by Geographical Analysis: North America, US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Russia, Nordic Countries, Benelux, Rest of Europe, Asia, China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Rest of Asia, South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Turkey, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE & Rest of Middle East & Africa

For More Query about the Virtual Reality in Gaming Market Report? Get in touch with us at: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3743072-virtual-reality-in-gaming-market

The study is a source of reliable data on: Market segments and sub-segments, Market trends and dynamics Supply and demand Market size Current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive landscape Technological innovations Value chain and investor analysis.

Interpretative Tools in the Market: The report integrates the entirely examined and evaluated information of the prominent players and their position in the market by methods for various descriptive tools. The methodical tools including SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces analysis, and investment return examination were used while breaking down the development of the key players performing in the market.

Key Growths in the Market: This section of the report incorporates the essential enhancements of the marker that contains assertions, coordinated efforts, R&D, new item dispatch, joint ventures, and associations of leading participants working in the market.

Key Points in the Market: The key features of this Virtual Reality in Gaming market report includes production, production rate, revenue, price, cost, market share, capacity, capacity utilization rate, import/export, supply/demand, and gross margin. Key market dynamics plus market segments and sub-segments are covered.

Basic Questions Answered

*who are the key market players in the Virtual Reality in Gaming Market?*Which are the major regions for dissimilar trades that are expected to eyewitness astonishing growth for the *What are the regional growth trends and the leading revenue-generating regions for the Virtual Reality in Gaming Market?*What are the major Product Type of Virtual Reality in Gaming?*What are the major applications of Virtual Reality in Gaming?*Which Virtual Reality in Gaming technologies will top the market in next 5 years?

Examine Detailed Index of full Research Study at@: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3743072-virtual-reality-in-gaming-market

Table of ContentChapter One: Industry OverviewChapter Two: Major Segmentation (Classification, Application and etc.) AnalysisChapter Three: Production Market AnalysisChapter Four: Sales Market AnalysisChapter Five: Consumption Market AnalysisChapter Six: Production, Sales and Consumption Market Comparison AnalysisChapter Seven: Major Manufacturers Production and Sales Market Comparison AnalysisChapter Eight: Competition Analysis by PlayersChapter Nine: Marketing Channel AnalysisChapter Ten: New Project Investment Feasibility AnalysisChapter Eleven: Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter Twelve: Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers

Buy the Full Research report of Virtual Reality in Gaming Market@: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3743072

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.

Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA 08837Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218sales@htfmarketreport.com

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/virtual-reality-in-gaming-market-is-set-to-fly-high-in-years-to-come-sony-microsoft-leap-motion-1350733.htm

See original here:

Virtual Reality in Gaming Market Is Set to Fly High in Years to Come : SONY, Microsoft, Leap Motion - Digital Journal

A New Zealand-first Augmented Reality (AR) sea monster exhibition, in Dunedin, and Virtual Reality (VR) psychedelic experiences created in Queenstown are surprising and fascinating examples of how AR and VR are leading a global, Covid-accelerated, technology transformation. Bruce Munro takes a real, augmented and virtual look.

Trey Ratcliff was excited to show his friend Sam Wave what he had been working on during lockdown.

"I had just had this rather intense psychedelic experience," Ratcliff, world-renowned travel photographer and immersive mindfulness exponent, says.

"I thought, wow, thats so beautiful. How can I try to recreate that using [computer] code?"

It was the fruit of that labour, birthed at his Queenstown home during the first lockdown of the Covid-19 global pandemic, that Ratcliff shared with Arrowtown-based indie musician, Wave (AKA Sam Mehrtens).

"It was great, but it needed music. I thought, custom music from a true craftsman like Sam would be perfect," Trey recalls.

Wave was equally enthusiastic. Machine Elf was born a collaboration producing visual and audio VR creations that have been viewed by more than 300,000 people seeking calmness or escapism.

It was also during the March, 2020 lockdown that Dunedin graphic artist Max Mollison used the enforced break to continue honing his AR skills. Now, amid growing global recognition, Mollison has brought those skills to bear on a new exhibition at Otago Museum, for which he was given a wide open brief.

"The initial brief was just Make something sea monster-related, but abstract, kind of chrome-effect," Craig Scott, head of the museums exhibitions and creative services, says.

"Go nuts and make something cool," adds museum marketing manager Kate Oktay.

"And he has."

The result is a cutting-edge exhibition, accessed through smart phones, that populates the gallery space with flying sea monsters and other aquatic augmentations.

VR is an artificial, 3-D, digital environment that people can immerse themselves in, often via VR goggles.

AR overlays the real world with digital objects or information, most often viewed on smart phones (although AR glasses are increasingly available).

Highlighting this technological sea change, the 2021 Technology Investment Network (Tin) report, released last month, revealed New Zealands top 200 revenue-earning, high-tech companies recorded $10.4 billion in export revenue despite the disruption of the pandemic. This was a 14.4% increase on the previous year. It means New Zealand technology companies are now the countrys second highest offshore revenue-earning sector.

In fact, that growth appears to be largely because of, not despite, Covid.

It is difficult for most Kiwis to think about what the world was like before the Covid pandemic, but the nations digital future is no longer a conversation about what the future may hold, because it is happening now, since Covid arrived, Pham said.

The VR and AR slice of this burgeoning tech pie is growing much more quickly than the whole.

A new report by global tech market research firm IDC, released in October, predicts the augmented and virtual reality market will grow eight-fold during the next five years.

This year the global VR and AR market is worth $6.56 billion. By the start of 2026, that is expected to be $53.48 billion.

It means AR and VR is the fastest growing category among emerging smart devices, including high-tech wearables and smart home devices.

Much of the growth in virtual and augmented reality is coming from the ever-more immersive online gaming world, of which Dunedin wants to become the hub for a high-flying New Zealand game development sector. The city is already home to the government-backed New Zealand Centre of Digital Excellence (Code). Last week, Code gave nine Dunedin game development studios grants totalling $1.19 million.

But AR and VR is not only about gamers using their phones to capture digital monsters hidden in the real world or wearing goggles to do battle in a zombie-infested wild west.

Sam Wave has been living in and around Queenstown for more than a decade, since completing studies in philosophy and marketing at the University of Otago. He turns his hand to film editing and other creative income-earners while pursuing his music-making passion. It is not easy in a Covid-altered world that can suddenly cancel shows and tours. But it has allowed him to produce his second album Oasis Ballerina and create accompanying digital content in partnership with Trey Ratcliff.

Ratcliff had already pioneered High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography and established the worlds top travel photography blog StuckInCustoms by the time he moved his family from Austin, Texas to Queenstown a couple of years before Wave moved there. His photographic artwork is owned by collectors including US actor Leonardo DiCaprio and New Zealand businessman Michael Hill. A recent foray into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) a digital collision of art and cryptocurrency has earned him an astonishing $6 million in just a few months.

Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that appear the same at different scales, such as snow flakes and trees branching. Abstract fractals can be created by instructing a computer to repeatedly calculate an equation, for which it produces a visual representation.

"Its a fun and somewhat esoteric practice," Ratcliff says.

The video fractals Ratcliff produces are then matched to music by Wave or other musicians; the music then interacting with the images, further changing colours and shapes.

"They are beautifully intertwined."

Dozens of Machine Elfs visual and audio art compositions have been uploaded to YouTube, where they have quickly gained a large and enthusiastic following. They have also been picked up by online wellness company Tripp.

The aim of the pieces is to offer escapism and visual mindfulness, Wave and Ratcliff say.

Feedback from viewers suggests the combination of visual and audio elements in an immersive VR environment helps people take a break from their over-active or anxious thoughts.

"Weve found that if you put people in these visual meditations, these visual fractals, especially with a Virtual Reality headset on, that it really relaxes the mind, almost like a forced meditation," Ratcliff says.

Max Mollison is back in Dunedin, adding an augmented layer of fantasy and facilitation to the city that gave him birth.

Raised in Dunedin, he studied fashion in Wellington after finishing his art-heavy secondary education at Kavanagh College. He then went to Orlando, Florida, to work as an intern at Walt Disney World Resort before more interning, this time for a fashion label in Sydney, Australia.

Mollison came in contact with Otago Museum in 2017, when he made a piece of clothing for a museum exhibition. He then worked for the museum for two years, mostly as a traditional media graphic artist.

He took time off last year, during which he honed AR software skills he had been developing for a couple of years.

"I really enjoyed using it as an extension of fashion design; an adornment, decoration, that people could try on and which a lot more people could access ... They could try this augmented reality look on themselves."

Mollison has an active presence on social media, showcasing the fashion, fonts and AR filters he creates. His more-than-130 posts on video-based social media platform TikTok have garnered him 13,700 followers and 166,700 likes.

Recently, pop star and trans icon Kim Petras, who attended this years MTV Video Music Awards with Paris Hilton, posted a TikTok to promote her new single using an AR filter made by Mollison.

Now back at Otago Museum, he has created Plunge a free attraction to complement the museums latest headline exhibition, Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators, which opened this month.

Visitors, when they enter the Plunge gallery space, scan QR codes enabling them to see a watery world populated with digital 3-D sea monsters, ancient and modern, with scales and flesh of chrome, glass and water, swimming around the transformed room or circling the heads of other patrons. Some QR codes reveal water orbs or grant the power to generate and throw AR bubbles.

A solely-AR exhibition created by a museums in-house design team is a New Zealand first, placing the province and its museum on the crest of the technology wave.

Mollison built the exhibition almost single-handedly using open source, 3-D, computer graphics software Blender and the Spark AR Studio software that works on Facebook and other Meta apps such as Instagram.

A technical difficulty was keeping the file size for each of the exhibitions 10 interactive elements within 4MB.

"Trying to get everything down into one small package is quite hard considering some of these things are quite elaborate," Mollison explains.

The museum is excited about the AR exhibition and its potential, Oktay says.

Museums worldwide are seeing declining numbers of youth and 20-somethings coming through their doors.

"What Max is doing really speaks to that generation and brings a whole fresh ... reason for them to come and engage with institutions and collections like this."

See the article here:

Other realities: The artists augmenting our world - Otago Daily Times

It became clear that things had gone terribly awry on this particular day when I saw that the most moderate option on the desk in front of me involved killing at least five million people.

I could kill up to 45 million if I chose the more comprehensive of the alternatives laid out on three pieces of paper, but it was hard to focus on the details because there were people shouting at me through my earpiece and from the screens in front of me.

I was experiencing what a US president would have to do in the event of a nuclear crisis: make a decision that would end many millions of lives and quite possibly life on the planet with incomplete information and in less than 15 minutes.

In the real world, I was in a meeting room in a Washington hotel, but with virtual reality goggles strapped on. I was sitting behind the presidents desk in the Oval Office. The television news was on and there was a report about Russian troop movements, but the volume was muted and someone was telling me the national security adviser was running late for our meeting.

I tried to shift my focus back to the news but a few seconds later a siren went off and a bald man in a uniform and dark glasses appeared from the door to my left.

Mr President, we have a national emergency, a womans voice said. Please follow the military officer right away.

The bald officer ushered me into a wood-paneled lift which had been concealed behind a wall, and we began our descent.

The VR simulation has been developed by a team from Princeton, American and Hamburg universities, based on extensive research, including interviews with former officials, into what would happen if the US was or believed itself to be under nuclear attack. They have called their project the Nuclear Biscuit, after the small card bearing the presidents launch authorization codes.

Over the past few days, it has been tried out in Washington by nuclear weapons experts and former officials (the researchers would not say whether any serving decision-makers had a go).

You walk into that simulation and come out a changed person, Richard Burt, who was the US chief negotiator in arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union, said after his turn.

Having gone through the full, terrifying, 15 minutes, I can see what he means. I emerged from the lift with my military aide into the underground situation room. Unlike the famous scene in Dr Strangelove, I was not surrounded by advisers. In the real world, it is unlikely that they would be instantly on hand when the alarm sounds.

On this occasion my national security adviser was still stuck in traffic, and the military aide is trained to say nothing. His job is to hold on to the briefcase, the nuclear football, containing the launch plans and biscuit. In the US system, the president has sole command authority. He or she can make the decision without asking for any advice.

As soon as I took a seat, a voice in my headset started to tell me the situation. Early warning sensors had detected the launch of 299 missiles in Russia which were thought, with high confidence, to be heading for the US mainland and most likely, the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos in the north-west. An estimated 2 million Americans would be killed. While this was being explained, another voice this time a secret service officer was telling me helicopters were on the way to evacuate me.

I struggled to understand all the details because the siren was still going on. It took me a few minutes to remember I was the commander-in-chief and could order it to be turned off. It was silenced immediately but I could not be sure I had not missed a vital nuance.

A general from strategic command appeared on one of the screens in front of me and told me I did not have much time to make a decision and to keep an eye on the digital clock on the conference table. It said I had 12 minutes, 44 seconds left.

If you dont make a decision before the clock hits zero, we will lose our entire ICBM force, the general said, in a voice that implied I had already let the nation down.

The silent military aide opened the football and put my three options in front of me. The first was a limited counterforce strike, aimed at Russian ICBM silos and major submarine and bomber bases. That was the version that would kill five to 15 million Russians. Option 2 was a full-scale counterforce with a 10-25 million casualty estimate. Option 3 also targeted war sustaining industries, the Russian leadership and would kill 30-45 million.

In 1979, the world came within minutes of nuclear war because someone had left a training tape simulating a Russian attack in the early warning system monitors. In September 1983, Russian computers erroneously showed incoming US missiles. Armageddon was only averted because the duty officer, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov, went against protocols and decided not to act on the alert because his gut told him it was a glitch.

In the decades since, the technology has been updated but it is theoretically possible early warning systems could be hacked just like other supposedly super-secure networks have in the past.

I asked my aides if a cyber attack was possible and was told it was impossible to know for sure. My national security adviser (who had by then overcome his problems with traffic) recalled there had been something in the daily brief about the early warning network repelling a cyber attack.

I decided to scrap all three options and ordered an attack on Russias remaining arsenal only after the first incoming missiles had landed and it was confirmed to be a real attack. In case I was dead by then, I was advised to delegate launch authority to the vice president.

What happens next was deliberately left unclear. The simulation ends with the military aide displaying the codes necessary to order the launch. The point of the exercise is to underline the mind-numbing impossibility of the choices facing the leader of a nuclear weapons state.

Moritz Ktt, senior researcher at the University of Hamburgs Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy, said the great majority of the participants in the experiment so far had selected one of the three options on the table.

Most people picked an escalatory option and only very few decided not to respond, Ktt said.

People felt they were making decisions under uncertainty, Sharon Weiner, associate professor at the School of International Service at American University, said. They wished they knew more or thought that something wasnt clear, but there was pressure to make a decision anyway.

I think some people pick an option just because they want to be over, she added.

The pressure to take one of the options presented by the Pentagon felt almost overwhelming. At one point an aide asked how I would be able to face my country if I failed to respond. The simulation raises the question of who chooses those options in the first place. In the 15 minutes available, it would be impossible to put all feasible alternatives in front of a president, so whoever whittles them down holds a huge amount of power. All we know is that it is someone from the US military. Diplomats, politicians or ethicists are not part of the process.

In the event of a nuclear alert, it would be too late for any broader reflection just a few minutes of trying to think clearly amid sirens, raised voices and a multitude of unknowns.

The tendency to take mental shortcuts is greater in high stakes situations, Weiner said. People take more risks in crises. Some of the literature says it depends on whether you feel secure personally or in your career. If you feel youre not doing well, you take unnecessary risks.

In my case, I froze in the last few minutes of the countdown, unable to think of anything else to do. I should have tried calling Vladimir Putin perhaps, but it turns out the simulation would have told me he was not available.

Shockingly, the researchers found no evidence that any US president except Jimmy Carter, had taken part in realistic drills to practise potentially world-ending decisions. Other presidents occasionally participated in table-top exercises with aides to discuss options but more often sent surrogates in their place.

In January, the research team will take their experiment to Capitol Hill, with the aim of provoking some contemplation about the realities underlying US nuclear planning.

Hopefully members of Congress will come to experience this and at least see the consequences of the choices theyve made about nuclear weapons issues, Weiner said. They will see everybody in that virtual room is trying to do their job, but its an impossible job.

Follow this link:

15 minutes to save the world: a terrifying VR journey into the nuclear bunker - The Guardian

SOUTH BEND All things gaming are being offered this weekend as the first-ever convention featuring the BendixEsports Arena and LAN center.

The gathering called Pwr Up South Bend involves appearances by gaming personalities and developers, merchants with "gadgets" for video game playing, virtual reality (VR) areas and retro and current cutting-edge gaming for both amateurs and pros.

This evolution of having an esports arena insideCentury Center for such a convention is whatboth Century Center leaders and the local founder of a gaming organization had expected having the ability to draw ingamingenthusiasts fromMichiana andbeyond.

Brian Exner, founder of Power Up GG, says his vision of the convention bringing game developers, players, enthusiasts and merchants together was augmented by the creation of the Century Center gaming facilities.

Exner, who took up video gaming after college and participated in online competition in such games as Rocket League, said it was the tournaments where the people gathered where he said he enjoyed the camaraderie. He said he had vowed to try and bring that feeling to gaming in South Bend with this convention.

"This is a gathering to celebrate the Bendix Arena, but video gaming is so much more than just esports," Exner said. "You build relationships, you learn ways to solve problems, and it also has shown to improve cognitive ability," Exner said prior to the start of the gathering. "My hope for this (convention) is that it shines a light on this community."

Related: South Bend rewired: Bendix Esports Arena draws tournaments and picks up Xfinity as sponsor

For Katrinna Simbaku and Jeriah Richardson, taking part in a South Bend-based gaming convention was enticing.

Both came to the Century Center Friday night from Berrien Springs. They have attended gaming conventions in Atlanta, Grand Rapids and other places, but both said they were happy to hear about one in South Bend and were taking part Friday night in the LAN center.

Just acouple of years after it was first conceived, the new esports arena and LAN center insideCentury Centeris showing its ability to draw ingamingenthusiasts from Michiana andbeyond.

Already serving as the home of esports teams from Bethel University and South Bend Lions FC, the formerBendix Theateralready has hosted several esports tournaments, including one that drew16teams from12differentcolleges anduniversitiesin the Midwesta couple of weeks ago.

The Century Center board's decision to invest $1.5 million into the Bendix Esports Arena "has exceeded expectations," according to Jeff Jarnecke,Century Center'sexecutive director of the citys venues.

Jarnecke said the re-imagining of the Bendix Theater space foresports tourism is only enhanced with such a convention where people come to South Bend for more than just playing the sport.

For example, the Friday night developers' showcase highlighted people designing and creating video games.

Alan Gabbard and Joseph Duke spoke about their creation and development of "Shrine's Legacy," a Super-Nintendo-style action-adventure role-playing game for Windows PC they created and received funding earlier this year through Kickstarter.

Both game designers spoke of the dialogue, planning, graphics and storylines they have worked on, yet both are intent on finishing the game that currently has a demo version for people to try.

"This is just us, trying to make this overly ambitious project," Gabbard said.

Speaking at the duo's first convention about the game, Duke encouraged others to explore video game development. "Do make games," he told the audience. "It's fun and worth it. And it's cool."

The weekend conference continues at noon Sunday at Century Center with a variety of activities. Several well-known speakers will discuss how to make mods and will talk on the history of virtual reality.

Also featured is an invitation-only Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament and open game play in a retro area, VR and in the LAN center.

For information on registration and the convention, go tohttps://pwrupsb.com.

Email South Bend Tribunereporter Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@gannett.com.

The rest is here:

Gamers descend on South Bend for inaugural convention at Century Center - South Bend Tribune

This article was originally published here

Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Dec 17;100(50):e27844. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000027844.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, surgical training has become increasingly challenging due to required social distancing. Therefore, the use of virtual reality (VR)-simulation could be a helpful tool for imparting surgical skills, especially in minimally invasive environments. Visual spatial ability (VSA) might influence the learning curve for laparoscopic surgical skills. However, little is known about the influence of VSA for surgical novices on VR-simulator training regarding the complexity of different tasks over a long-term training period. Our study evaluated prior VSA and VSA development in surgical trainees during VR-simulator training, and its influence on surgical performance in simulator training.

METHODS: In our single-center prospective two-arm randomized trial, VSA was measured with a tube figure test before curriculum training. After 1:1 randomization, the training group (TG) participated in the entire curriculum training consisting of 48 different VR-simulator tasks with varying difficulty over a continuous nine-day training session. The control group (CG) performed two of these tasks on day 1 and 9. Correlation and regression analyses were used to assess the influence of VSA on VR-related surgical skills and to measure procedural abilities.

RESULTS: Sixty students (33 women) were included. Significant improvements in the TG in surgical performance and faster completion times were observed from days 1 to 9 for the scope orientation 30 right-handed (SOR), and cholecystectomy dissection tasks after the structured 9-day training program. After training, the TG with pre-existing low VSA scores achieved performance levels similar to those with pre-existing high VSA scores for the two VR simulator tasks. Significant correlations between VSA and surgical performance on complex laparoscopic camera navigation SOR tasks were found before training.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that that all trainees improved their surgical skills irrespective of previous VSA during structured VR simulator training. An increase in VSA resulted in improvements in surgical performance and training progress, which was more distinct in complex simulator tasks. Further, we demonstrated a positive relationship between VSA and surgical performance of the TG, especially at the beginning of training. Our results identified pre-existing levels of VSA as a predictor of surgical performance.

PMID:34918632 | DOI:10.1097/MD.0000000000027844

See the rest here:

The role of virtual reality simulation in surgical training in the light of COVID-19 pandemic: Visual spatial ability as a predictor for improved...

Meta founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday announced the expansion of his companys collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in India, under which it will train 10 lakh teachers and more than a crore students in virtual and augmented reality over the next three years.

Meta will provide a curriculum on digital safety and online well-being, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) as part of this partnership. These courses will be available online on CBSEs website.

Speaking at the Fuel for India 2021 event, Zuckerberg said that partnership with CBSE was an opportunity to invest in the entrepreneurial spirit and bring some of these tools around the metaverse and training to the education system in the country.

We are investing in other growing areas like education and commerce through Unacademy and Meesho, which are important use cases as we think about the future that we are building. We want to continue to partner in all of these areas as we accelerate the development of the fundamental technologies, the social platforms, and creative tools that are going to be necessary to bring the metaverse to life, Zuckerberg said.

The event was also attended by minister of state (MoS) for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, its India managing director Ajit Mohan, Marne Levine, the Chief Business Officer at Meta, and Akash and Isha Ambani, Directors of Jio Platforms, among others.

In a fireside chat with Mohan, Chandrasekhar said that the government wants to ensure that the internet remained open, safe, and trusted.

We would like the internet to be a force of good and to deliver access, equity and opportunity. But we would also be very careful about ensuring that the internet remains free and open in terms of competitive pressures..it is not dominated by some big corporate, the minister said.

Read the original:

Meta, CBSE expand partnership to train 10 million students in virtual, augmented reality - The Indian Express