Category Archives: Virtual Reality

July 21, 2017 1:10 PM BySam Coley Parade @samlcoley More by Sam

Virtual reality (VR) pro Filip Baba swears that a great VR experience is just like jumping into your favorite sci-fi novel.

Its what you used to read about in sci-fi books or watched on Star Trek. Its pretty close, Baba says.

A self-taught expert, Baba is the CEO and founder of the virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) agencyAnyworld, which creates VR and AR experiences for clients like real estate companies and artists.

Recently, Baba and Anyworld worked with R&B singer, Tangina Stone, on her latest music video. The virtual reality music video, called the Anxious 360 Experience, debuted at her album launch party in New York City.

Baba talked with Parade on how he created the VR music video, why people are fascinated by VR and what the future holds for the industry.

What was it like creating a virtual reality music video for Tangina Stone?

It was a really fun experience. The whole screenplay and story was all hers. It was about Tangina dealing with anxiety. So, we tried to put the user in the type of anxiety shed be feeling. We sat down with her and got her creative vision, and then we went ahead and technologically did it. We did all the 3-D environments and screenplayed the whole thing. She came up with the concept on that, so she had a lot of fun doing it, as well.

Tell us about the scenes of the music video and how you created those.

In the beginning, you see [a sign post that says] Canton and Brooklyn. Since the whole beginning scene is VR and 360, it forces you to look away. But [when] you look back, that spot isnt the sign post anymoreits actually a burning tree. The burning tree symbolizes the odd one out of the whole forest, and under it is an old TV playing a 2-D version of the music video. Then, theres a glitch effect. We use that to glitch into another scene. In VR, it takes you by surprise. Then in the second scene, youre in a room and it starts to grow big around you. You start to feel smaller, which is a lot more pronounced when youre in VR. All of a sudden, you start flying up. We very slowly start lifting the person up, and it gives you the sensation of flying, and youre getting pulled out of this room. The third and last scene is a mental ward. Around you are whiskey bottles, which is one of her things shes dealt withalcoholism. All of a sudden, the display breaks. When youre in VR, it seems like the glass shards are coming at your face. Then, you look down and the floor falls under you. Youre floating in darkness, and you see the room above you just fading away. It was a bit of a trip to create.

How would you say VR has grown through the years, and where do you see it going in the future?

The hardware has definitely gotten a lot more polished. Now, a lot of the mobile [devices] are becoming more affordable. Most of our smartphones can be used as VR headsets. Its all getting more mainstream. Now, its up to the content creators to create content and distribute it. I believe that in the futurenow, we have 2-D screens, monitors, phonesthings are going to meld and be more augmented. More and more consumers are going to demand these experiences. I think it will become as common as how people go to the movies or watch TV at home.

Why do you think theres a growing appeal for virtual realityexperiences?

When you try some good VR, its what you used to read about in sci-fi books or watched in Star Trek. Its pretty close, I would say. Im a gamer. I used to play classic PC games, but I play some VR games now. Theyre competitive, too. They get you up on your feet. Youre actually movingits got that Wii appeal. If you get someone in a VR experience, you could take full control over what theyre going to experience.

In what ways do you think virtual reality could be used in other forms of entertainment, like movies and TV?

Its already happening. I know some movies have VR experience booths. I dont think thats going to be the main thing. Itll probably start with artists and specific genres. Maybe the horror genreI can totally see them capitalizing on something like that. Events are going to play a large role. People love installations at events, and a VR installation gets a lot of attention. Sometimes at Anyworld, well do a tradeshow and people respond positively. They love coming up and trying something.

Do you have any other projects coming up?

Were starting to teach AR classes with the new Apple AR kit thats coming out. We also do things with real estate, so were going to have some AR and VR solutions for real estate coming soon. I think [AR] is going to be even bigger than VR is right now.

Read this article:

Virtual Reality Expert Filip Baba Shares His Newest Project and How VR is Changing Entertainment - Parade

AUSTIN (KXAN) With all the talk of virtual reality these days, you might have been wondering what all the fuss is about.

Downtown Austins technology startup accelerator Capital Factory wants to make it easier for Austinites to find out for themselves.

Virtual reality, or VR, is really an experience-it-to-believe-it technology; thats why Capital Factory recently opened its VR lab to the public. What started in December as a place for developers to test out ideas is now available for anyone to come in and try out various virtual reality applications.

The lab is set up with several different VR headsets and controllers, with monitors so others can watch whats happening. Users can shoot free throws, use a bow and arrow to defend their castle against invaders, and prepare virtual meals.

But the space is for more than just games.

A popular VR experience in the lab is using Google Earth to take virtual tours of anywhere in the world. The camera moves with your head movements and the controllers zoom down to street-level to explore.

Entrepreneurs are working to harness the technology to apply it to a wide range of industries and professions, including medicine and education.

The latter is where Kate Peilers interests lie. She set out to answer one question: How do you make books more interactive?

I was always a tactile and visual learner, Peiler, the founder and CEO of the educational technology company DisruptED, said.

Shes developing a series of books for pre-K and kindergartners that use augmented reality and virtual reality to engage kids.

I realized, oh my gosh, this is how visual learners like me can dive into a book, she said.

In the augmented reality, or AR, version, readers open up a physical book, then use the camera on their smartphones or tablets to enhance the pictures in real-time. Whats flat on the page turns into 3-D animations.

In the VR version, users are transported into the story and can look around as narration explains whats happening. So its bringing that story to life, Peiler said.

Shes developing several educational books, including one about shapes, one about letters, and one about colors.

Peiler got help developing her project at Capital Factorys VR lab.

Theres no excuse not to try VR, Brance Hudzietz, Capital Factorys ambassador or emerging technologies.

We noticed that in Austin theres this huge appetite for virtual reality, both on the entrepreneur side and the consumer side, Hudzietz said. But there wasnt this centralized place for it.

The VR lab, which now anyone can try out, is just the start of the companys investment in the new technology. Capital Factory conference rooms are now equipped with VR capabilities, Hudzietz said.

You can be showing off the innovations that are happening in healthcare and VR, he said. If its an education event, an edtech event, you can be showing off really interesting educational VR experiences as well.

They get it, Peiler said.

Shes working on a pilot to test out her book series with families and others in the tech space; thats thanks to the VR lab and the connections it brings, too. Without it, she said, she wouldnt be ready.

It would take me a lot longer, she said, and I just no I couldnt. I tried.

If youd like to try out the VR lab, you can take a tour of Capital Factory Tuesday through Thursday at 4 p.m. and play around in the lab for about an hour afterwards, or email cr@capitalfactory.com to set up an appointment to check it out.

View post:

Virtual reality lab offers Austinites a chance to try out new tech ... - KXAN.com

Almost 90 years ago, in October 1927, the art of storytelling took a dramatic turn when the first talking picture or sound film was released to audiences around the world. The Jazz Singer was a smash hit, earning more than $2.6 million as it captivated audiences with its Vitaphone technology, the eras leading sound-on-disc system that would forever change the standard for in-theater experiences. Within just a year, filmmakers encouraged by the success of The Jazz Singer were already developing ways to advance in-theater audio beyond the use of discs and turntables and began migrating to sound-on-film. Regardless, the new multi-media era had been launched. The introduction of sound on top of moving pictures took people to a new dimension.

Fast-forward to today and the art of storytelling in our modern, more virtual world is once again about to be disrupted by another seminal advancement in sound. Its the use of 3D audio to immerse people more deeply into virtual environments, taking them to a reality thats, well, much more real.

Binaural 3D audio is inherently more authentic to our ears than two-dimensional stereo. It is sound thats designed to replicate the way we hear spatially, leveraging how humans consume auditory information in our natural environment. 3D audio engages the listener by offering a spatial bearing that enables them to sense where they are relative to the noises around them. In a 3D soundscape, the origins of sounds can perceptibly move about the listener, locating the listener as if they were standing in a real life environment.

By inserting 3D audio, new spatial information is introduced to the virtual experience, enabling audiences to sense things happening behind them, or elsewhere in their virtual environment, completely independent of their eyes. Just imagine yourself at a museum, standing in front of a massive painting that despite being a two dimensional work of art has amazing depth and allure. Visually, it draws you in and creates a sense of rapture. Now fold 3D audio into the experience with carefully crafted sound that wraps itself around you and pulls you closer. Characters in the painting sneak up from behind and encourage you to look deeper. Meanwhile, others call for your attention on the right, and then on the left. Suddenly, youre a part of whats happening on the seemingly flat canvas. Manipulating this type of audible sensory perception has the potential to completely reshape the entire virtual experience.

While the creative industry has been exploring 3D audio for some time, these efforts have been difficult, expensive and time-consuming to engineer since its production requires a mannequin head equipped with microphones shaped like the human ear. Not exactly the type of stuff you have laying around in the garage.

However, a group of five companies called The BINCI Consortium short for binaural tools for the creative industries are working collaboratively to develop an integrated software and hardware solution that can be used by professional audio content creators and artists to ease the production, post-production and distribution of 3D audio content.As an active member of The BINCI consortium, I share the organizations vision that everybody will soon be able to create and listen to binaural audio with off-the- shelf devices and headphones. The Consortium, which includes my company, Antenna International, as well as Eurecat, HEAD acoustics GmbH, 3D Sound Labs and Voodoopop, aims to develop a solution that can support a variety of professional applications in the creative industries, such as music, video games, virtual reality and augmented reality.The new tools will cut production costs tremendously and therefore revolutionize the industry as well as all virtual experiences.

Virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality experiences as we know them today are still flat unless the audio sound doesnt create a similar three-dimensional reality as the visual effects do. Reflecting back to how Vitaphone technology changed the in-theater experience nearly a century ago, todays virtual experiences havent yet met the modern equivalent of The Jazz Singer but its coming soon.

BINCIs experimental production pilots are scheduled to be carried out over the next year in cultural and heritage sites that include Fondaci Joan Mir (Barcelona, Spain), Opra Garnier (Paris, France), and Alte Pinakothek BStGS (Munich, Germany). These pilots, also known as The BINCI Project, will offer visitors the worlds first encounter with 3D audio-guide productions and usher in a new era of immersive storytelling.

In the meantime, others in the VR, music, film and gaming industries are also attempting to drive 3Daudio forward. For example, Microsofts new Xbox One X supports 3D audio content and the headphone manufacturer Plantronics has developed 3D audio gaming headsets. And San Diego-based Comhear Inc., has recently developed a sound projection system that can deliver 3D audio without the use of headphones.

In less than five years, 3D spatial audio is expected to revolutionize our standard for multimedia listening. Similar to how high-definition television has enhanced the everyday viewing experience, binaural 3D sound is expected to reshape our listening experience and redefine the production of music, movies, radio, and television programming and yes, VR, AR and mixed reality content as well.

Theres currently no blueprint for piecing together the storytelling thats best suited for this new type of virtual medium. As far as content goes, there is consensus about only one thing: in a virtual world, its all about storydoing, not storytelling.

Eva Wesemann is the Director of Creative Strategy for Antenna International, a provider of technology, content, and managed services to the worlds artistic, historic, and cultural institutions. She is also an active member of the BINCI Consortium.

Here is the original post:

Why 3D audio is the next big step for virtual reality - VentureBeat

Photo Credit: Aleksandra Suzi / Shutterstock

Albert Skip Rizzo is director for Medical Virtual Reality at the University of Southern California-Institute for Creative Technologies. Hes also known as a pioneer in the therapeutic use of virtual reality, using VR to treat PTSD, depression, addiction, anxiety disorders, pain, autism, sexual assault trauma, and fears of everything from public speaking to spiders.

Sound familiar? There are plenty of reports that psychedelics can treat a variety of these ailments, too.

So what makes VR different? Rizzo cautions that VR and psychedelics are very different: Its sort of really inaccurate to compare VR with the psychedelic experience. You wouldnt compare watching a movie to a psychedelic experience.

Yet there are similarities, especially in the therapeutic framework: Set and setting are so, so important, says Marcela Ot'alora, principal investigator for phase two clinical trials in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Otalora points out that when somebody says "this particular therapy saved my life," its the therapist who was able to support him or her through the process.

When it comes to treating PTSD, Rizzos work revolves around VR-based exposure therapy. VR has the capacity to create simulated worlds that allow a person to suspend disbelief, and put them into a manufactured scenario much like they experienced when the traumatic event occurred. A patient describes the traumatic experience to a clinician who can also control the VR worldthink changing time of day, or adding gunfire or a helicopter to a war scenarioand who also sees the experience on a screen while the patient is wearing a VR headset.

The VR environment is created by someone else, and the user experience is created intentionally to be emotionally evocative and stimulating, in order to help them review what they went through, and hopefully move past it. Were trying to activate anxiety in a safe place, so the fear of these stimuli extinguishes. So the therapist has to constantly monitor the patient to make sure theyre engaging with Iraq or Afghanistan or sexual trauma in a way that is healthy, not over the top, and not too provocative for them.

With, for example, MDMA for PTSD, the patient is taking a drug. Someone with PTSD, the trauma is there all the time. It might come up in a different way than you imagine. But it comes up, says Otalora. Therefore theres no need with MDMA psychotherapy to evoke the trauma.

In an MDMA psychotherapy session, the therapists work in a controlled, therapeutic environment, but trust that MDMA will bring up what needs to happen in that moment, so that the patient can then work towards healing themselves. The therapist is supportive, with no judgment, and fosters a place where the patient can experience and fully process the emotions of the experience.

Reliving the experience this way, in both VR and MDMA-assisted therapy, with a trained and ethical medical professional, can be incredibly therapeutic, especially over time. The same kinds of clinical skills and techniques can be applied in both types of therapies, Rizzo says.

And that is precisely the similarity: Altered states therapies, regardless of whether VR induced or drug induced, are reliant upon that trained medical professional.

And just as you wouldnt counsel your friend who has been through a rape or war trauma to go to a rave and take MDMA, Rizzo says VR should be respected the same way, and used therapeutically in a therapeutic environment with trained clinicians.

Im not so keen on self-help, and just having them self-diagnose and download some software, he says, pointing to the age-old saying, He who defends himself in court has a fool for a client and a fool for a lawyer, and notes, Self-treating is the same. Someone who self-treats, he says, is at risk.

Rizzo thinks the VR headset will be like a toaster: Every home will have one, but it wont be used every day. But he thinks it shouldnt be used to self-diagnose or treat mental health or any other medical issue.

As with psychedelics for therapeutic use, Its important, whenever youre doing therapy, someone has to be well trained, and know why they are doing it, and how to preserve the safety and integrity of the patient, he says.

Both stress that a well-trained clinician is able to handle different issues that come up.

With VR, its an emotionally evocative technology, and yes it can work for good because of that. Were doing a study now that mimics the locations where sexual assault is happening in the military. It is emotionally wrenching when people go in and navigate these spaces. I cant imagine that going in without a guide that this is gonna heal you from your rape.

Rizzo stresses the importance of safety protocols that are well defined in MDMA therapy as it works its way through the drug approval process.

But Rizzo sees the quest to self-treat as being potentially problematic in the unregulated world of VR. In some forms, fear of public speaking is a diagnosed thing. Most people have that until they do it a few times and practice. But there are a number of different companies selling different kinds of fear-of-public-speaking VR software.

Now that has happened, but no one is squawking about it. But once you start accepting things like that, it becomes, oh its just fear of flying, or oh its just fear of heights.

Yet with psychedelics, he points out, no one would say, "Oh, youre afraid? Why dont you go to a rave and try MDMA and see if that helps you?"

The power in these therapeutic experiences, whether VR or psychedelics, he says, is that with the right support, with an ethical clinician, and highly supervised and well-trained people, you can heal.

We need to make sure its ethically applied, he says, so as to protect both the safety of a person and their mental health.

And both psychedelic therapy research and VR therapy have rigorous screening processes that are requisite, as not every therapy is right for every person. For example, evidence suggests that a female who gets motion sickness and is ovulating is probably not a suitable candidate for VR therapy at that time. VR side effects may include temporary nausea, ocular strain, sleepiness, and disorientation. With MDMA, someone with a heart or liver condition probably wouldnt qualify for the therapy, and a side effect might include tightness in the jaw. And of course, there are therapists who dont support VR therapy or psychedelic therapies.

Another way VR differs from treatments like MDMA, for example, is that theres currently no oversight like the FDA and the DEA in research and use of pharmaceutical drugs or psychedelic therapy. That could change, says Rizzo, if software companies make ridiculous claims, and VR is looked at as a medical device.

A more pressing challenge to VR therapy, though, is that many people still dont know about it.

I think were a couple years away from common, mainstream use. However, there are hundreds of therapists around the world using it now, and there are companies like Virtually Better or Psious, that make exclusive VR software to treat fears and other pathologies for clinicians.

In addition to exposure therapy, like with PTSD, VR can also be used to distract the patient, such as when they are going through a painful procedure. While its not so effective for chronic painyou cant wear a headset all day, but, Maybe you can teach things in the VR context that are easier to teach in VR that can help with chronic pain.

VR can also motivateusing the game-based content to motivate people to do cognitive or rehabilitative activities. And VR lets clinicians measure progress and test ability as the patient evolves.

While Rizzo works to promote guidelines for the safe and ethical use of therapeutic virtual reality, Ot'alora is looking forward to starting phase three of the MDMA for PTSD clinical trial, and to multiplying their positive results across the country. We hope to start that in spring of 2018. That will be our last phase, and if all works well, we can apply for MDMA to become a prescription medication.

Valerie Vande Panne is an independent journalist whose work has appeared in theBoston Globe Sunday Magazine, Columbia Journalism Review, The Guardian, Politico, and many other publications.

View original post here:

The Therapeutic Value of Virtual Reality - AlterNet

7/21/2017 10:31AM Recommended for you Why McCain's Health News Has Stunned the Capital 7/21/2017 6:00AM Opinion Journal: Jeff Sessions Wants Your Property 7/20/2017 12:59PM Opinion Journal: Will ObamaCare Collapse? 7/20/2017 1:07PM Opinion Journal: TrumpCare Was a Time Bomb 7/20/2017 12:57PM Trump to GOP: Don't Leave Town Without Health-Care Plan 7/19/2017 2:11PM Opinion Journal: The GOP's Health-Care Options 7/20/2017 1:02PM O.J. Simpson Is Granted Parole 7/20/2017 5:48PM Trump Country Believes Trump Fights for Them 7/19/2017 12:01AM Big Sur Road Closures Test Businesses and Locals 7/21/2017 8:30AM Tour de France: The 6,000 Calorie Challenge 7/20/2017 10:22AM GOP, Democrats Differ on Outlook for Health Overhaul 7/18/2017 1:47PM Why McCain's Health News Has Stunned the Capital 7/21/2017 6:00AM

Sen. John McCain's heroism during the Vietnam War, his longtime service as a lawmaker and his reputation for straight talk on tough issues help explain why the news that he had a brain tumor hit Washington so hard, says WSJ's Gerald F. Seib. Photo: AP

On the iPhones 10th birthday, former Apple executives Scott Forstall, Tony Fadell and Greg Christie recount the arduous process of turning Steve Jobss vision into one of the best-selling products ever made.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Thursday he has no plans to leave the Justice Department despite President Donald Trumps comment in a recent interview that he wouldn't have appointed Mr. Sessions if he knew he would recuse himself from probes into the 2016 election. Photo: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

Watch the film trailer for "Dunkirk," starring Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, and Mark Rylance. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Sen. Lindsey Graham said he spoke with Sen. John McCain after the Arizona senator was diagnosed with a type of brain cancer known as a glioblastoma. Photo: Reuters

The Kalashnikov rifle, or AK-47, is one of the most abundant firearms ever made. But the company behind the iconic weapon is fighting its own battles. WSJ's Niki Blasina reports. Photo: Niki Blasina/The Wall Street Journal

The 2017 Tour de France features nearly 50 first-time riders. The Wall Street Journal spoke to three of them about their highs, lows and hopes for the finish in Paris. Photo: George Downs/The Wall Street Journal

The dating app's popularity is stimulating interest in its parent company's stock.

Originally posted here:

Christopher Nolan's 'Dunkirk': 'Virtual Reality Without the Headset' - Wall Street Journal (blog) (subscription)

Grindr is being used in New York to encourage people to access sexual health prevention services. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty Images

Almost half the worlds population is online and billions of young people use social media. So why doesnt more sex education happen across these channels? The first Global Advisory Board for Sexual Health and Wellbeing brings together a group of individuals who are using innovative ways to reach more people with information about sex and relationships. Here are some of the projects theyve been working on:

In 2015, Antn Castellanos Usigli, a male nurse working in New York, started working in an HIV/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) prevention clinic at a hospital in Brooklyn. The goal was to increase the number of at-risk patients that came into the clinic for sexual health prevention services. Initially, the clinic tried outreach in clubs and bars in Brooklyn, but not a single client came in through this approach.

Usigli thought about using Grindr, a dating app for gay men, to raise awareness of HIV. He set up a profile as a male nurse to tell at-risk patients about the services offered at the clinic. He then developed a script for healthcare professionals to use.

The success rate has been astonishingly high. In the first month of using the app in this way, more than 20 new at-risk patients came to the clinic for a variety of preventative services, such as sexual health counselling, HIV/STI testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In little over a year, more than 100 new at-risk patients came into the clinic. Some of those tested positive for HIV and Usigli was able to link them to medical care. Others tested positive for STIs and Usigli was able to treat them.

In India, there are high levels of domestic violence , mostly against women. Both women and men refuse to report such crimes to the police. There is also reluctance in society to acknowledge it as a problem.

In June 2017, Love Matters, a website providing information on relationships, sex and love, produced Indias first virtual reality immersive experience on physical, sexual or psychological harm by a current or former partner or spouse. The film, Kya Yahi Pyar Hai? (Is this love?), uses VR to narrate a powerful story and connect with young people.

The film was shown in pop-up VR booths in pubs, restaurants and metro stations in Delhi for 10 days. The results have been overwhelming. In Delhi central station alone, more than 500 people per day went out of their way to sit in the booths and watch the video. Now, people from across the world are looking to screen the film. It will be shown across different locations in India through partnerships with colleges, universities, restaurants and film clubs.

After graduating from Tbilisi State Medical University with a medical degree, Gvantsa Khizanishvili started working with Planned Parenthood, a not-for-profit organisation that provides sexual healthcare in the US and globally, in Georgia.

Through her work, she found that there were no state-supported sex education programmes in many eastern European and central Asian countries, including Georgia. There was also no information targeted at young people health service providers were not equipped with the skills to meet young peoples needs for information, counselling and confidentiality of services.

To address this, Khizanishvili has developed IntiMate, the first comprehensive youth sexual and reproductive health and rights app in Georgia. The aim is to provide comprehensive sexual health education, raise awareness about the different methods of contraception and sexual health and wellbeing among young people. The app launched in July 2017 and will use social and digital media to provide sex education to young people in Georgia.

Two thousand women aged 15-24 are infected with HIV every week in South Africa, however most of the HIV prevention campaigns are aimed at men.

During her senior years at medical school in rural clinics, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, a GP with an interest in sexual health and relationships, realised that young people did not have access to comprehensive information on sexuality.

She uses her significant social media following to deliver sex education. She also developed a 12-part series called Sex State of the Nation on SoundCloud. The series launched in 2016 and reached a wide audience: the vlog on vaginal health has been viewed more than 5,000 times and the one on safe oral sex more than 4,500 times. Her weekly column in the Sunday Times ZA continues to be in the top five most read articles online with a reach of more than 300,000 people.

Sofia Gruskin is the chairperson of the global advisory board for sexual health and wellbeing. She is a professor at the University of Southern California.

Join the Healthcare Professionals Network to read more pieces like this. And follow us on Twitter (@GdnHealthcare) to keep up with the latest healthcare news and views.

If youre looking for a healthcare job or need to recruit staff, visit Guardian Jobs.

Continued here:

Grindr, virtual reality and vlogging: new ways to talk about sexual health - The Guardian

Free Webinar | August 16th

Find out how to optimize your website to give your customers experiences that will have the biggest ROI for your business. Register Now

For the past several years weve been told that the age of virtual reality is upon us. Tech companies have introduced new hardware and updated systems to much fanfare, but so far have not been able to turn widespread interest into practice.

Virtual reality, and now augmented reality, are often seen as novelties: cool to play with in a store or at that one tech-obsessed friends house, but most of us are not putting on clunky headsets or Googles cardboard system and walking out the door.

However, its finally looking like the VR and AR industries are on the cusp of going mainstream, as industries start to figure out how to implement transformative technology in the user experience. These 10 industries are pioneering ways to integrate VR and AR tech and offer customers more opportunities to explore products and services.

Looking for a new home or apartment can feel like taking on a second job. Between endlessly checking listing updates to taking time to visit every open house on the market, buying (or renting) a new place can be a daunting and tiresome task.

But what if you could experience all that a house has to offer without leaving your home? Real estate companies are toying with VR solutions that offer prospective buyers the chance to walk through a property and survey every room, hallway, nook and cranny without actually leaving their own homes.

Related:Real Estate, Movies, Retail: VR Is Exploding. The Opportunities for Entrepreneurs Are Huge.

Going to zoos gives people the opportunity to experience wildlife up close, albeit behind a sturdy partition. However, zoo trips often spark more questions than they answer. Most zoo experiences consist of visitors wandering from exhibit to exhibit and reading about the species on small placards and in outdated pamphlets.

Guru is an app that is seeking to redefine the zoo experience by bringing the animals and their habitats to (virtual) life. The app allows users to choose customized audio experiences that share facts about specific animals, as well as behind-the-scenes videos and augmented-reality portals into the actual habitats and lifestyles of animals in the wild.

Related:12 Amazing Uses ofVirtual Reality

Every millennial woman remembers the first time she saw Cher Horowitzs closet in Clueless -- it was a magical moment. The idea of being able to test clothes and match outfits without actually having to try them on resonated with an entire generation.

Now, over 20 years since Clueless sparked an obsession, Chers closet, or at least the idea behind it, has become reality. Gap recently unveiled a VR solution that enables customers to digitally try on pieces within its collection. Other retailers are bringing VR headsets into stores to allow visitors to feel as though theyre sitting in the front row at the designers latest fashion-week presentation.

Related:Virtual RealityIs About to Change Your Business

The internet has made the world a smaller place. Thanks to programs like Google Earth, people can walk pathways in Santorini one minute and find themselves at a busy Sydney intersection the next. More travel organizations are tapping into consumers love for virtual exploration.

Expedia recently announced a new VR-based initiative that will allow travelers to step inside hotel-room listings before making their destination decisions.

Related:Why This Restaurant Chain Has Started Using VR to Train Employees

The world of medicine is exploring several avenues and uses for VR to help doctors and patients. Some doctors are now wearingVR headsets in the operating room to give medical students a more in-depth look at the surgical procedures.

Additionally, hospitals are experimenting with VR as a means of making patients feel more comfortable. For example, VisitU, an emerging Dutch company, has created virtual glasses to give children at hospitals the chance to experience life at home or in the classroom, even though they are bedridden.

Related:VRcade: Be the First to Open One in Your Town

Since Hollywoods inception, film studios and production companies have been searching for new ways to make their projects more engaging and lifelike. Now, with virtual technology, film studios have the opportunity to transform the viewing experience from passive to participatory.

Companies like Within are gaining the attention and support of major studios because their technology creates fully immersive viewer experiences that, until recently, Hollywood could only dream of.

Related:Google: 180-Degree Video Is the Future of VR

Many people have a hard time self-motivating when it comes to fitness. It can also be difficult to carve out the time to travel to a gym or fitness studio to take a class. Thanks to emerging VR programs, those wanting to get in shape no longer have to sacrifice their time.

Startups like Icaros are creating fitness solutions that take the boredom out of getting fit. These systems allow users to feel as though theyre actually climbing a rock wall or boxing an opponent, when in fact they havent left their living rooms.

Historically, the automotive industry has needed a physical shopping experience to stay afloat. Before people are willing to make huge investments in new vehicles, they usually want to test the car out for themselves. For this reason, the automotive industry has struggled to find ways to connect with younger generations. Not only are millennials and Gen Zers supporters of the ride-sharing economy; theyre also digitally driven shoppers.

Now, automobile makers like Ford are introducing VR experiences intended to give shoppers a real sense of a cars interior and create a strong enough virtual experience to encourage them to visit a dealership and test drive the real thing.

Deep Patel is the author of A Paperboy's Fable: The 11 Principles of Success. The book was dubbed the #1 best business book in 2016 by Success Magazine and named the best book for entrepreneurs in 2016 by Entrepreneur Magazine.

See the original post:

8 Industries Being Disrupted by Virtual Reality - Entrepreneur

For the record, this also is new to us.

That's not a set up for lower expectations. It's just that plenty of us in news don't have technical brains, but we're getting our geek on for future's sake.

Let me explain: Early this year, our executive editor, Autumn Phillips, got wind of a partnership between Eastern Iowa Community Colleges and a California-based company called EON Reality. Dubbed the Innovation Academy, the digital-tech experts at EON came to Davenport to teach college students how to develop content and tools for the up-and-coming world of virtual reality and augmented reality.

Phillips contacted EICC Chancellor Don Doucette to see if there was room in the partnership for us.

"I've been interested in VR (virtual reality) for a long time," she said. "I wondered how to use this local partnership as a learning experience for the newsroom.

"Don enthusiastically made things happen. Lee Enterprises put up the R&D money we needed for the partnership."

Phillips then asked for newsroom volunteers people who wanted to learn something about virtual reality. Why not?

I had one experience with virtual reality, and I loved it. About a year ago, the Baseball Hall of Fame ("We Are Baseball") trailers showed up in the parking lot at Modern Woodmen Park, and I went down and plopped into a swivel chair and strapped the virtual-reality gear to my head. It was a cool experience, even for someone who can take or leave baseball.

The virtual technology put you right there in the dugout, on the field, behind the plate.

The only downer was the turning in my seat, combined with the subtly unstable camera shots, made me feel woozy. I since have learned that 360-degree viewing makes many people nauseous.

But technology has come a long way.

"If you look at the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 7S, you can see there is much better stability," said Aubrey Jimenez, training coordinator at the Innovation Academy. "Smartphone makers are infinitely aware of what's coming for this technology."

So, what's in it for Quad-City Times readers?

In March, at the first meeting of our little volunteer group -- publisher Deb Anselm, photographer Andy Abeyta, assistant city editor Liz Boardman, Phillips and myself -- we came up with a plan. We asked ourselves: What story could we tell that would best benefit from this 360-degree technology that virtually brings you all along with us?

My mind instantly went to the starting line of the Bix. In the moments leading up to the firing of the starter pistol, the air on Brady Street feels like the air during a lightning storm. As thousands of voices turn into a white-noise hum, goosebumps pop onto your skin in fleshy anticipation.

We decided the Quad-City Times Bix 7 would be the perfect launching pad for our first virtual-reality project. But we wanted to do more than shoot immersive images; we wanted to tell a story. So, we agreed we would find a runner and tell the runner's story.

A standout sprinter at Sherrard High School, Nolte went to Western Illinois University on a track scholarship. Now 31, Nolte is married and the mother of two young girls, working full-time. She started training months ago to run the entirety of the Bix for the first time.

She regards running a treat a way to do something for herself. For those of us who regard running as something to do in an emergency, Nolte's drive is impressive, especially since distance isn't her thing.

The Innovation Academy students followed Nolte on her last Bix at 6 training run.

"We're going to be violating your personal space," Jimenez warned as several students aimed their cell phones and a video camera at Nolte. "We need some close shots."

On Bix 7 race day, we'll have VR professionals from EON Reality Sports filming the event. Nolte will remain in the spotlight from the starting line to the finish line of the Bix, and the thousands of runners and Bix spectators will serve as extras in the 360-degree virtual story that follows.

Our efforts will culminate in a virtual-reality app, called QCT VR. Once the VR experience is ready, we'll provide a link in the weeks following Bix, so everyone can download the free app and follow Nolte's story while reliving the 2017 race. All you need is a smartphone and a set of Google Cardboard glasses. If you want to make sure you don't miss it, sign up for our Bix 7 e-newsletter atqctimes.com/email/We'll send a link to your email.

If you want to learn more about virtual reality or this project, stop by the Quad-City Times booth at the Bix 7 packet pickup on Thursday evening from 5-9 p.m. or Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. atRiverCenter South Hall at 136 East Third Street, Davenport. Or visit the Quad-City Times tent in the newspaper parking lot during the race after-party on Saturday.

See the article here:

Quad-City Times to present Bix 7 in virtual reality - Quad City Times

On July 29, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet for a friendly match at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. This time,El Clsico the name given to any match between the Spanish rivals, which have met more than 200 times will make its virtual reality debut.

NextVR, a VR publishing startup focused on live sports and events, is planning a full production of El Clsico. This includes streaming a pregame show, all of the on-field action, a VR version of Marc Anthonys halftime show and a postgame wrapup. NextVR will set up 11 fixed VR cameras and 12 roving cameras around the stadium, with a production team of 35 people manning the entire effort. On the broadcast, veteran MLS sportscaster Mark Rogondino will call the play-by-play, and former soccer players Mnica Gonzlez and Heath Pearce will serve as analysts.

Everything youd expect from a traditional broadcast, you will see in our own broadcast, said Josh Earl, NextVRs head of sports.This includes mini-features NextVR will shoot in the days leading up to the game, during the traditional El Clsico celebrity and alumni games, VIP parties in Miami, both teams practices the night before and the fan fest, which will then be rolled into the live coverage.

NextVRs livestream will be available inside its app, which is only available on the Oculus store for Samsung Gear VR device owners and the Google Play Store for Google Daydream owners. That means no 360-degree video version of the livestream will be available anywhere.

While El Clsico is the main event, NextVR will also produce three-minute highlights packages of the eight other games in the International Champions Cup, which features other top-tier European teams such as Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.

NextVRs plans for El Clsico come as the VR publishing startup, which has raised $115 million from investors including Comcast Ventures, Time Warner Investments and entertainment executive Peter Guber,looks to bring more live sports to VR. Last fall, the company partnered with the NBA to stream one regular-season game for free within its VR app. In total, 26 full games were broadcast by NextVR, featuring a production level similar to what the company is planning for El Clsico.

When we started several years ago, wed put the camera down and stream out an experience that would be similar to if you were sitting courtside at the game, said Earl. That was great as a first step for VR, but we also learned that even in VR, fans want all the bells and whistles that come with a traditional broadcast thats why we brought in our own announcers and produced our own segments.

The commitment level is high for NextVR, but as other publishers have seen, true VR lacks an audience. Earl declined to say what sort of viewership last seasons NBA games received on NextVRs app.

Because of the nature of our stereoscopic true VR, [NextVRs content] cant be put on a 360 player on a traditional phone or computer, Earl said. Were new and we know were not up there with TV, but the biggest thing were looking for is growth and we continue to see that.

Image courtesy of LaLigaTicketsOnline.com

See the original post here:

Big-time sports are coming to virtual reality - Digiday

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Virtual Reality content creators talk about the promises and reality of this emerging platform.

Follow KTLA Tech Reporter Rich DeMuro onFacebookorTwitterfor cool apps, tech tricks & tips!

Virtual Reality holds big promises, but so far the new technology has been slow to catch on. Recently, Ihosted a panel on Virtual Realitywith three content creators to find out why.

It was held at thePalm Springs Short Fest, the largest short film festival in North America.

Sasha Samochina works at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She's using VR to put everyday people into space - with images captured by NASA equipment.

"Imade a 360where you are floating in between the planet and rings and you see the spacecraft diving between the rings," explained Samochina. She says NASA imagery is particularly useful for anyone who wants to create VR content since other creators are free to use much of the content the space agency collects.

"I do think its one of the best things to do with VR right now because thats what people want to do... is float in space," quipped Simoceana.

Ian Forester is a co-founder of a virtual reality studioVR Playhouse. They've created immersive experiences for clients including Jack in the Box and Fashion Week. He says the industry and technology are still in its infancy.

"It's still settling," explained Forester.

He says the equipment to create and consume VR content is still evolving. This could make consumers hesitant to buy the gear necessary to experience it at home.

"If youre looking for that one VR thing that youre going to get and its going to be like the phone you have for 3 years, that doesnt exist yet," said Forester.

VR Playhouse recentlylaunched training classesso their team of creative experts can help others learn how to work with this emerging medium. The workshops range from $275 - $900.

James Kaelan, a director at another VR Studio calledWEVR, seemed excited about the prospects for everyday people.

"Youre going to be able to edit the world around you, in a very powerful way. Who knows what its going to turn into, but its going to be crazy," explainedKaelan. He believes the medium will have profound impacts not only on the way we consume content but on society as a whole.

He believes the medium will have profound impacts not only on the way we consume content but on society as a whole and envisions a day when VR editing software is as easy to use as Instagram.

If you want to try a very basic form of VR, look no further than the YouTube app on your phone. Justsearch for a 360 videolike, then move your phone around as you watch. Kick the experience up a notch by buying a cheap VR headset for your phone - you can find one such asGoogle Cardboardfor as little as $15.

Visit link:

A look at the future of virtual reality | FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV ... - fox4kc.com