Relax! — It’s Only April 1998 in the Metaverse

Meet Lenovo at our Immerse Global Summit in Miami Beach on Dec 5-7

Relax! — It’s Only April 1998 in the Metaverse

By Jason McGuigan, Head of Commercial Virtual Reality, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group 

Hey, see any headlines like these? The Metaverse is a Trillion-Dollar Boondoggle in the Making! Or No One Is In The Metaverse. Or Working In The Metaverse is Going to Suck. 

Don’t let the schadenfreude for big tech, volatility of crypto currencies, or other negative news today fool you. The Metaverse is well under construction and the extended reality (XR) technologies being deployed today are demonstrating real value.

I was doing web work in the early days of the Internet, and I remember the same terabytes worth of shade currently thrown at the Metaverse being thrown at the newly emerging network that today surpasses all estimates of what the “Information Superhighway” could be.

If you didn’t recall the headlines then, maybe you’ll know them now because they’ve become famous as failures in prognostication. Internet? Bah! and Internet ‘May Just Be a Passing Fad as Millions Give Up On It’ are just some of the best examples of the bad analysis from two decades ago.

Let’s review. The first website was introduced in the world in August 1991. There are nearly two billion websites today. That’s a pretty good run rate!

Now let’s compare the Internet and the Metaverse. We don’t have a simple ‘Metaverse was switched on’ date because we’re still so early on, so we’ll have to use a proxy. I think March 2016 will serve. That’s when the Oculus Rift started shipping to customers, and that’s when people could readily start using virtual reality (VR) in their own homes.

So, we’re at seven years and eight months after the birth of the Metaverse. Compared to the history of the Internet, we’re really only at about April 1998 in the Metaverse. I looked back and not a lot of exciting things happened around that time. But there were a few things of note relative to the computing industry.

AOL raised its monthly internet access fees to $21.95 per month.

Google filed for incorporation in California. 

Meanwhile, Facebook wasn’t founded for another six years, and Instagram, Netflix, Twitter, Uber and Zoom were not yet even a glimmer in the eyes of innovators and investors.

In 1998 on the Internet, we could pretty much only do email, visit a few good news websites and maybe buy something from Amazon because it just started selling things other than books.

So anytime anyone doubts this Metaverse future of ours I’d like to remind them of that it took a long time for the Internet to grow. It took time to engineer and construct it, even longer to monetize, and yet longer still for iteration upon iteration of innovation to occur before the Internet became the global backbone of how we work, learn and connect. 

In the cases of the Internet and Metaverse, I can’t help but be reminded of Amara's Law. We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run. In the short term, the market is underwhelmed by XR technologies because most people just haven’t experienced the power of the technology and they can’t foresee the impact. 

The XR industry and the Metaverse we’re building has come far already but there is still so much to be done. This is all moving forward. Technology is resilient and reliable in its growth. Today, workers are wearing augmented (AR) smart glasses to assist workflows and achieve near-zero error rates. With VR, businesses are experiencing up to 4X faster training on soft skills compared to classroom training and 275% more confidence in applying skills acquired through immersive learning. In addition, VR training can reduce the risk of injury at the workplace by up to 43%., These are real results today. 

When these work applications are networked into a persistent digital world with high fidelity remote presence experiences as well as gaming, live entertainment, and education, amazing things will happen. New Fortune 500 companies will be born, new pop idols will explode into the space, and a few kids who grew up playing Minecraft and Roblox will be the next billionaire Metaverse entrepreneurs. 

Bet against the Metaverse if you want. But I’ve seen this story before — so I’m excited to see where it’s going. 

PWC, VR Soft Skills Training Efficacy Study, 2020

Enterprise Apps Today, 80+ Virtual Reality Statistics, May 2022

Post originally appeared on Lenovo’s StoryHub

ImagineAR Partners with Learfield/SIDEARM Sports to Deliver Premiere Interactive Collegiate Mobile Augmented Reality Fan Experiences

Imagine AR Inc., an Augmented Reality Company that enables sports teams, businesses and enterprises to create their own AR mobile campaigns, is excited to partner with sidearm Sports, the nation’s leading digital fan engagement platform and a LEARFIELD company, to deliver immersive college football AR experiences starting in January 2023.

“We are delighted to expand our product integrations with ImagineAR as we aim to continually provide fresh and innovative experiences for college athletics fans,” says Jeff Rubin, President and Founder of SIDEARM Sports. “This partnership with ImagineAR is a great step forward in enhancing the fan experience while offering a terrific sponsorship activation opportunity for corporate partners.”

SIDEARM Sports provides the industry-leading software and technology that powers websites, mobile applications, CTV, live stats, video streaming and more for over 1,500 partners.

AT&T to Keynote at Immerse Global Summit in Miami Beach, Florida 2022

Immerse Global Summit Miami will take place at the Fontainebleau from December 5-7, 2022 and welcomes AT&T as the Presenting Sponsor Keynote alongside other global tech leaders.

Palo Alto, CA, November 15, 2022 - The VR/AR Association (VRARA) announced today that AT&T will deliver the keynote as the Presenting Sponsor at Immerse Global Summit taking place in Miami Beach, Florida December 5-7, 2022.

Immersive technologies are proving to be an increasingly important part of nearly every company’s digital strategy, from training the workforce in virtual reality, to augmented reality entertainment, gaming and advertising. As a result, next-gen connected devices and the bandwidth they require are putting more demands on mobile networks than ever before. 

“The merging of our physical and digital worlds through immersive experiences is only possible with connectivity solutions like AT&T 5G and Fiber.  As the immersive technology ecosystem evolves, AT&T will lead the way, transforming how the world works, lives and plays, connecting businesses and our customers to greater possibilities,” says Andrew Bennett, AVP, Mass Market 5G Products at AT&T and keynote speaker.

Immerse Global Summit is expected to draw over 1,000 attendees to the Fontainebleau Hotel, the venue for the conference which will feature over 200 thought-leaders in the XR, metaverse, blockchain and connectivity ecosystem, including those from AT&T, Meta, Lenovo, Qualcomm, Magic Leap, Sony, Unity Technologies, Amazon, Boeing, General Motors, University of Miami, Agora, and emerging companies Rooom, Immersal, Emteq Labs, Aequilibrium, AMPD, Leai Inc., Departure Lounge and many more. 

Miami is one of the high growth technology cities in the US. Demand for technology jobs are rising, and Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties were among the top markets for the growth of tech job postings during the first six months of 2022, according to the Dice Tech Job Report, an analysis that looks at hiring trends by location, employers, role and skills.

“We are thrilled to welcome AT&T to the keynote stage at Immerse Global Summit in Miami.  The importance of high-speed and reliable data transfer connectivity has never been more important than what we’re seeing in the new digital ecosystem of industries in the metaverse, blockchain, web3, virtual and augmented reality, digital fashion, digital humans, enterprise, and more, says Nathan Pettyjohn, Founder & President of the VR/AR Association who hosts the Immerse Global Summit.   

“Business leaders across every vertical should attend this event and learn how immersive technologies are transforming their business. Many of the world’s most respected companies and thought leaders will be at Immerse Global Summit, in a setting curated to deliver inspiration, and allow attendees to network with game-changing business connections,” says Kris Kolo, Global Executive Director of the VR/AR Association, who hosts Immerse Global Summit. 

The Immerse Global Summit will feature dynamic keynotes, industry tracks, demos, exhibits, networking, and amazing VIP events. It will showcase the best that the industry has to offer.

Tickets are now on sale for the event. Get tickets to Immerse Global Summit here.

To learn more about the VR/AR Association see www.thevrara.com 

Contact: 

Nathan Pettyjohn

President, Immerse Global Summit and VRARA

nathan@thevrara.com 

Kris Kolo

Global Executive Director, VR/AR Association (VRARA)

Kris@thevrara.com 

About the VR/AR Association

Owned and produced by The VR/AR Association (VRARA), Immerse Global Summit is one of the most innovative technology conference series in the world, and has hosted over 70,000 attendees over the past two years at its virtual events and in-person conferences in Europe and North America, with a commitment to facilitating innovation and creativity through a cross-pollination of enterprise and consumer technology showcases combined with business growth strategy. The conferences bring together a mix of the most talented business leaders, developers, creative designers, and product managers from around the world.

The VR/AR Association is an international organization designed to foster collaboration between innovative companies and people in the VR, AR, metaverse and blockchain ecosystem that accelerates growth, fosters research and education, helps develop industry standards, connects member organizations and promotes the services of member companies.

Sport venues AR solutions - meet Immersal at IGS Miami on Dec 5-7

Mobile network operators or sports venue or entertainment companies are looking for end-to-end solutions for their XR development. Immersal has just recently launched an AR solution for Horse race tracks - including navigation to their seats at the stand, additional real-time statistics and information concerning the races and individual horses or different 3D entertainment.

See the video about the Immersal Horse Racing Track’s AR solution here.

The Immersal team is happy to tell you more about this and other vertical solutions available at Immerse Global Summit 2022 in Miami on Dec 5-7

The Estonian Miracle: E-Estonia and the Future of Digital Infrastructure

Post originally appearing on nyu.edu by Mathis Bitton..

Web3, or the promise of a decentralized internet powered by blockchain technology, is reshaping entire industries. But these cutting-edge developments have barely affected the public sector. While companies experiment at the frontier, local and national governments continue to use outdated software, with no political will to renovate the country’s digital infrastructure as we renovate its physical infrastructure. Apart from exceptions like Miami’s Francis Suarez, few local leaders are willing to embrace burgeoning technologies. The result? A sclerotic public sector that does not capture the value that private innovation can bring to cities and nations.

Outside of the US, one government stands out in its pioneering integration of new technologies: Estonia. The country, which regained independence after the Soviet collapse of 1991, had to rebuild its economy from the ground up. At the time, the country’s infrastructure consisted of dysfunctional remnants of the Soviet era. Most Estonians did not have a phone line or access to public services, particularly in the countryside. More problematic still, the country’s small size and lack of infrastructure made it difficult to compete in conventional markets. No matter the industry, companies preferred to work in more developed economies in Western and Central Europe, trapping Estonia in a perpetual cycle of under-development.

To escape this situation, then-Prime Minister Mart Laar made a risky bet: to turn Estonia into a leader of the digital age. At the time, the internet seemed like a great equalizer. Unlike real-world industries, which required extensive infrastructure and advantaged larger countries, the burgeoning internet economy allowed Estonia to compete on an even playing field. Thirty years later, Estonia has become a digital powerhouse, integrating technologies like digital ID, blockchain-enabled voting, and decentralized data storage into its government’s day-to-day operations. For cities and countries looking to harness the potential of new technologies, the Estonian case represents a model to emulate. Let’s dive in.

Understanding the Digital Revolution

Estonia’s digitization efforts began with the “Tiigrihüpe,” or Tiger Leap program. Led by future President Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the program focused on two projects. First, the government invested heavily in network infrastructure via public-private partnerships. Second, schools across the country received computers and support to launch large-scale digital education initiatives. By 1997, 97% of Estonian schools had an internet connection, and most Estonian banks offered online account management services. Ilves, a technologist, understood that education and infrastructure were pre-conditions for the digital revolution. With the right human capital and extensive resources in place, the country was ready to be transformed by the end of the 1990s. The next revolution revolved around five pillars.

Digital Identity: All Estonians have a state-issued digital identity. This electronic identity system, called eID, is the cornerstone of the country’s e-state. e-ID and its ecosystem are part of people’s daily transactions in the public and private sectors. People use their e-IDs to pay bills, vote online, sign contracts, shop, access their health information, and much more. Estonians can use their e-ID via state-issued identity or ID-card, using Mobile-ID on their smartphones or the application Smart-ID.

Digital Governance: Estonia’s governance rests on three technologies. First, Internet voting (i-Voting) allows voters to cast their ballots from any internet-connected computer anywhere in the world. Second, the e-File is the heart of the Estonian judicial system; it provides data to the country’s court information system and the information systems of the police, jails, prosecutors, and criminal case management. Third, the Government Cloud supports the modernization and renewal of existing information systems, partnering with the private sector to embrace opportunities offered by new technologies as soon as they become available. As a result, 99 percent of public services are available online 24 hours a day, and Estonia saves over 1400 years of working time annually thanks to its digital governance infrastructure.

Digital Healthcare: Anyone in Estonia who has visited a doctor has an online Electronic Health Record (e-Health Record) record that can be tracked. The e-Health Record integrates data from Estonia’s different healthcare providers to create a common record that every patient can access online. Functioning like a centralized, national database, the e-Health Record retrieves data as necessary from various institutions, which may be using different systems, and presents it in a standard format via the e-Patient portal. Identified by the electronic ID-card, the health information is kept completely secure and, at the same time, accessible to authorized individuals. The use of blockchain technology ensures data integrity and mitigates internal threats to the data.

Digital Business Infrastructure: With the highest number of unicorns per capita, Estonia consistently ranks as one of the most open economies in the world. The digital solutions offered to businesses — digital signatures, electronic tax claims, and the availability of public records online — provide transparency and efficiency. In particular, Estonia’s e-Business Register is an advanced tool that allows entrepreneurs to register a new business online in just minutes without going to a notary or some other official. Since 2011, most companies have been established online using the e‑Business Register; the time associated with the registration process has fallen from five days to a couple of hours.

Cybersecurity: Estonia has designed its blockchain ecosystem (KSI) to ensure that networks, systems, and data are secure, decentralized, and 100% private. The government has also partnered with private companies specializing in data sharing to ensure that its digital services are interoperable and protected by state-of-the-art cryptography. The country has also established “data embassies” abroad to ensure that citizens’ data would remain attack-proof if government servers were hacked.

A Blueprint for Adventurous Statesmen

Estonia’s uncompromising bet on digital infrastructure has paid off. Once a desolate post-Soviet economy searching for vitality, the country has become a global leader. Thanks to its efficient government, it attracts top engineers and operates at the frontier of web3. This story should be a source of inspiration for local and national leaders. If a small country of 1.3 million inhabitants and no pre-existing resources can succeed, so should larger cities with established advantages. From Estonia’s bet on education to its creative use of digital ID, the country’s trajectory represents a blueprint to be followed. But the Estonian miracle also shows the importance of statesmanship and risk-taking. Without leaders like Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who bet on early-stage technologies when no one else would, Estonia would not be where it is today. This lesson applies to the United States: without bold, adventurous politicians willing to embrace experimentation, the future of the internet will continue to be written by the private sector alone. 

Time Magazine Best Inventions of 2022: Magic Leap 2

Post originally appearing on time.com by Chad De Guzman.

Come meet with Magic Leap at our Immerse Global Summit in Miami on Dec 5-7!

Magic Leap sees a big future for augmented reality (AR) in workplaces. With this new headset, which can overlay 3D images and text on a user’s surroundings, the company is focused on the needs of employers in healthcare, manufacturing, retail and other sectors. Home improvement giant Lowe’s has begun outfitting workers with Magic Leap 2 so they can see what a store shelf should look like, and then tweak displays. Manufacturers are using it to speed up training of technicians on factory floors. Fifty percent smaller than its predecessor, the headset offers the biggest field of view of any AR device yet. New “dynamic dimming” technology creates an immersive work environment by blocking distracting light. That could help a surgeon focus during a long procedure—Magic Leap’s open developer platform lets customers create custom AR solutions to suit their needs.

Dan McConnell of Booz Allen, Paul Cummings of Unity, and Kevin O'Donovan appointed as Co-Chairs for VRARA's Industrial Metaverse and Digital Twin Committee

We are thrilled to have the following industry experts lead our Industrial Metaverse and Digital Twin Committee, which serves as a resource to promote the use of digital twins enabling the industrial metaverse and the opportunities and challenges for the ecosystem. The committee will enable the sharing of best practices and information as well as curate industry relevant case studies.

Dan McConnell - Chief Technologist, Booz Allen Hamilton
Kevin O'Donovan - Technology Evangelist - Energy Sector Expert
Dr. Paul Cummings - Chief Architect Unity Technologies

Come to Miami Beach on Dec 5-7 for our Immerse Global Summit to see them speak!

VRARA Committees meet weekly online, check schedule and join here

Meet Aequilibrium at the Immerse Global Summit in Miami, December 5 to 7

Aequilibrium is participating at the Immerse Global Summit in Miami and the AEQers are looking forward to meeting you there.

Aequilibrium is a consulting company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. We are considered one of the top digital agencies in Canada, focused on digital transformation and innovation for financial services. Winner of multiple VancouverUX awards for digital product design, Aequilibrium provides consulting (cloud, enterprise architecture, digital and product strategy) and implementation services (UI/UX design, full-stack development, DevOps, and QA) to help progressive companies with strategy, experience, and technology to be more resilient, differentiate, and thrive.

Aequilibrium acts as a trusted advisor to help clients accelerate their speed to market and reduce their risk with the delivery of complex enterprise projects, involving omnichannel experiences for web, mobile, and XR. 

Aequilibrium is a house to multi-disciplinary teams of designers, engineers, and strategists. We use the perfect balance of technology and digital experience design to solve business problems. Our expert software developers, UX designers, cloud strategists, and automation engineers can modernize, optimize, or completely transform digital operations.

As a trusted partner to banking, retail, and healthcare organizations, we solve complex problems in digital ecosystems. We are known for speed, agility, and expertise. We accelerate project delivery and drive faster outcomes with zero compromises on quality. We adapt to the unique needs of our clients and tailor each solution to their needs.

We offer an array of services to help businesses thrive in the invincible digitized world and drive business growth because Aequilibrium crafts remarkable experiences by blending innovation, business strategy, technology, project management and governance. 

Visit the Aequilibrium booth at the Immerse Global Summit in Miami on December 5-7 and chat directly with us to share your perspectives or learn more about our mission, vision, capabilities, and offerings.

The Meta Quest Pro: A hands-on review from an XR veteran

SynergyXR's CTO and in-house gadget wiz Sune Wolff takes the latest VR headset through the ropes for an exhaustive review.

A lot of mystery, guesswork, leaks, and opinions always surround new and important hardware releases – especially from a big player like Meta. This is especially true for a device like the all-new Meta Quest Pro, which many hoped would deliver more and finally bring true innovation to the XR space.

Meta recently revealed the new Meta Quest Pro at this year’s Meta Connect event, and we of course pre-ordered one right away. Upon arrival and after a speedy unboxing, our CTO Sune Wolff took the device through the ropes for an exhaustive test. He looked at things like build quality, comfort level, screen resolution, battery life, and much more. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this hands-on review of the newest exciting XR device on the growing VR headset market.

Build quality
The device is very well-built and has a heavy, premium feel to it. The weight might worry some new users, but you can read more about this in the “Comfort” section. The controllers are a completely new design, are heavier than the previous versions, and have a quality feel to them. I absolutely love the added heaviness, but a few of my colleagues found them to be too heavy, so this might just be a personal preference at play here. Lastly, even the small connectors for the wrist straps are made of metal (vs plastic) and ooze quality.

Comfort
Compared to the Quest 2, the Quest Pro rests on your forehead and not on your nose, allowing you to wear it without tightening it a great deal (and avoiding red VR face). This means it stays comfortable for longer than other VR headsets.

There is a soft sturdy padding on the headrest on your forehead as well as on the back of head. This gives it a comfortable fit and makes it easy to wipe off. The spring mechanic inside the head strap lets you adjust the headset quickly and easily. It is a bit heavier than the Quest 2 (722g vs 503g) but thanks to the front/back weight distribution, it does not feel heavier.


Screen
The new “Pancake” lenses make for an amazing viewing experience. The narrow focal point and slightly blurred image created by traditional “Fresnel” lenses are gone, and the user is left with a very pleasing viewing experience. It is also much easier to adjust the headset, since you do not need to find that single sweet spot where the image is clear (i.e. the whole screen is clear). It also allows you to look around on the screen to explore the virtual world in a more natural way instead of having to move your entire head to look around maintaining that sharp image focal point. I really like this feature.

The image quality is sharp and clear, making it much more usable for things like reading text. However, the screen resolution is still comparable to the Quest 2. This means that the slight flickering (aliasing) of, for instance, the edges of UI elements that we experienced on the Quest 2 is unfortunately still an issue.

A new, and much-welcomed feature is that you now can adjust how far away from your eyes the lenses are placed. Users wearing glasses – like yours truly – can adjust the Quest Pro lenses further away from the eyes allowing them to easily keep using their glasses while wearing the headset. For a more immersive experience, users can choose to move the lenses closer to their eyes to get a better field-of-view coverage.

Speaking of field-of-view and peripheral vision – the design of the Quest Pro, unfortunately, allows for a lot of light bleeding since your entire peripheral view is not covered. Using the light blockers that come with the devices helps a bit, but especially the area below your eyes is wide open. Since you tend to look around with your eyes and not your entire head (due to being able to focus on the entire screen) you often see your real surroundings when looking down which really breaks the immersive feeling of VR – maybe the extra-large light blockers will help here?

Battery
Meta reports that the Quest Pro has an estimated battery life of 1-2 hours when using all the new sensors and features – and significantly longer when these are not used. This has been highly criticized in the XR community for being way too short compared to the 3-4 hours for the Quest 2. The reality is, for many use cases, you tend to use the headset for shorter stints, after which you can easily leave the headset and controllers in the new charging dock to keep them topped up.

While testing the device and writing this review, I found the short battery life to be a non-issue. I generally used the headset to test certain features and then leave it in the charging dock while writing up parts of the review. After testing out several different apps, including SynergyXR, Meta Horizon Workrooms and Wooorld for approximately an hour total, the headset still had 65% battery remaining – definitely enough to support normal VR use cases.

Where the battery might fall short, however, is for the proposed mixed-reality use cases. Meta suggests using color passthrough and spatial anchors, allowing users to use the Quest Pro away from the office for use cases in the real world. This is especially true for things like remote maintenance of a production line which is usually reserved for mixed-reality devices like the HoloLens 2. The fact that you might only be able to squeeze out 1-2 hours battery time in scenarios like this and the dependency of the charging dock to extend that battery life is a real hinderance in using the Quest Pro for such use cases.

Color passthrough
Speaking of the new color passthrough capabilities – it is definitely better than what was offered on the Quest 2 – but not amazing in any way, shape, or form. The image quality is rather low resolution and has a very grainy texture to it. When looking at surroundings further away the quality is ok, and there is no denying that the image stitching technology is impressive. But when objects or persons or even the user’s own hands come into the field of view, there is a lot of warping and distortion of the passthrough around the objects.

In my opinion, this is far from ready to compete with current mixed-reality devices like the HoloLens 2 for use cases where the physical surroundings are of the main importance, and virtual objects are just an overlay – e.g., doing maintenance on a production line while accessing virtual user manuals.

Price
Another area that has seen a lot of heated discussions is the price, which is set at $1,499 USD. The Quest Pro is a premium device and comparing it to the Quest 2 ($499), which Meta currently sells at a loss, is not really fair or even relevant in my opinion. A more accurate and direct comparison would be the Pico 4 Enterprise that is priced at $899 – which is very competitively priced! I would love to get my hands on this device to compare it with the Quest Pro.

Another device you can fairly compare to the Quest Pro is the HTC Vive Focus 3, which is priced at $1300 + $250 for eye tracker + $100 for face tracker = $1650 total. Again, the price point of the Quest Pro seems to be on point.

Finally, if you want to compare it to other high-end XR devices like the HoloLens 2 ($3500) and MagicLeap 2 ($3300), the price of $1500 is reasonable. But as mentioned above, I do not see the Quest Pro as a direct competitor to these MR devices – they simply serve different purposes at this point in time.

Eye and facial tracking
I used Meta Horizon Workrooms to test out the eye and facial expression tracking capabilities of the Quest Pro. The full integration of facial and eye tracking with the Meta avatar system makes for some very expressive avatars. This will definitely support better avatar-to-avatar interaction and will help break down the barrier of communicating and collaborating in VR.

The drawing and writing experience in Workrooms is similar to what is offered on the Quest 2, even though the new drawing tip for the Pro controller increases the level of control and realism a bit.

Workrooms is really well executed, but apart from the more expressive avatars, it is not significantly improved over the Quest 2 experience.

Overall assessment
For an XR enthusiast like myself, it is always exciting when new hardware hits the market. There will always be the discussion whether this is an incremental improvement or more radical innovation, and voices in the XR community will always be left wanting more. I feel a lot of unfair and even irrelevant comparisons with the Quest 2 are being made, as I have also made clear throughout this review.

What I feel is missing from the discussion is the future potential of the Quest Pro. For example, when the Quest 2 was launched, there was no hand-tracking supported. This was later added through software updates. The fact that the Quest Pro has a faster system-on-chip (SOC) in the XR2+ and even has dedicated SOC in each controller will allow for some really interesting future feature expansions.

One thing that is missing to support the enterprise tag of the Quest Pro is Meta Quest for Business, which Meta has assured will be made available next year. This will allow enterprises to use the device without a Meta account, and even allowing IT departments to manage the device through mobile device management (MDM) tools like Intune. Once Meta Quest for Business launches, Meta can finally deliver the complete enterprise package, which in its current form fails to deliver.

There is no denying that the Quest Pro is a great device for enthusiasts, prosumers, and larger enterprises wanting a durable, quality device with future proof sensors and features. I cannot wait to start working with the device and see what we at SynergyXR and the XR community at large can develop for this exciting new device. But for now, most users will probably be content with what the Quest 2 has to offer.

Media Contact: Corey Morris, co@synergyxr.com.

Monetizing 5G with Immersive AR applications. Learn more at our Immerse Global Summit in Miami with immersal

Modern telcos and mobile network operators do not want to be just data pipes - they want to create new business for themselves through the opportunities that 5G brings. They want to own the subscribers and the data, and the advertisement opportunities. They want to build their own ecosystems. Immersive AR applications and platforms to create those, are a way to do it. Immersal visual positioning and spatial mapping technology allows telcos to build their own immersive AR apps and include them in their own apps. AR and spatial applications are at the core of the MNO's value proposition to their ecosystem.

Read more about these solutions here.

And have a chat with the Immersal team at Immerse Global Summit 2022 in Miami on Dec 5-7!

The ThinkReality VRX and the Road to Mixed Reality in the Enterprise Metaverse. Learn more at our Immerse Global Summit in Miami with Lenovo!

Meet Lenovo at our Immerse Global Summit in Miami Beach on Dec 5-7

By
Vishal Shah, GM of XR and Metaverse, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group
Jason McGuigan, Head of Commercial Virtual Reality, Lenovo Intelligent Devices Group

If you’re not in the Extended Reality (XR) industry, terms can be a little confusing. XR includes augmented reality (AR), 3D digital overlays on transparent lenses to view real-world environments, and virtual reality (VR), immersive 3D experience in opaque headsets. AR and VR are converging into mixed reality (MR), the merging of a real-world and digital environments, almost like toggling between AR and VR. Today, it very much looks like MR is the future, and the future is bright!

The new Lenovo ThinkReality VRX is an advanced all-in-one VR headset engineered for the enterprise. The immersive, lightweight, slim profile six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) VR device is powered by the Snapdragon® XR2+ Gen 1 platform and provides full-color, high-resolution pass-through capabilities for MR applications from two front-facing cameras acting as the computer vision for the wearer. See below for key technical specifications.

Let’s focus on how full color pass-through enhances the user experience in many ways and is just the beginning for MR.

First, pass-through enables the users of the ThinkReality VRX to continuously work with the headset on and seamlessly move from immersive use cases like 3D content consumption and collaboration to interacting with real-word surroundings to do normal activities, like for example, speak with a colleague next to you, work on a PC, or even just have a drink of water.

This makes for an overall safer and more enjoyable VR experience in enterprise scenarios. Taking a headset on and off dozens of times a day is just a drag and disrupts productivity.

More important than just convenience to workers, we also envision workers wearing the ThinkReality VRX will use applications to move between VR and AR experiences to get things done. For example, working on a 3D model or digital twin of a jet engine while immersed in VR then moving to pass-through to see the actual same jet engine on an aircraft but with digital overlays, such as annotations or AI-prompted instructions. This enables scenarios where workers are getting some of the best of VR and AR to complete tasks while viewing 3D data and interacting with each other. Such experiences are going to greatly enhance collaboration, productivity and innovation in the Enterprise Metaverse – digital environments where work gets done.

We are really going to see a whole new level of productivity when workers can effortlessly move across different kinds of digital realities to learn, design and collaborate. However, MR applications are still very new. We are very excited to see how developers will take these capabilities and create solutions.

To that end, the ThinkReality VRX is the world’s first VR headset to implement support for Snapdragon Spaces. This means developers will be able to create experiences on VR headsets that are much more like AR on optical see-through devices like our ThinkReality A3 AR glasses. This will offer developers portability between AR, VR and MR to create solutions regardless of the device form factor.

While we are confident MR is the future of enterprise XR, we are just as sure AR and VR headsets will remain much needed for a long time to come. Most AR use cases in a work environment require transparent lenses for situational awareness in potentially hazardous environments like a factory floor or construction site. At the same time, high-resolution passthrough is an additional expense not every VR user will opt for, for example in educational settings and other primarily content-consuming scenarios.

The promise and potential for the Metaverse is years away from being fully realized, nevertheless enterprises deploying XR solutions today are seeing real ROI from increased productivity. Lenovo ThinkReality will stay focused on building better onramps to the Enterprise Metaverse, so customers have everything they need to scale into the new realities of business.

ThinkReality VRX Key Specs

Post originally appeared on Lenovo’s StoryHub

Perfect Corp. Celebrates a Significant Milestone With its Public Listing on the New York Stock Exchange

To our incredible network of brand partners and friends,

Perfect Corp. is excited to officially announce our public listing on the New York Stock Exchange as PERF. We are excited to share some special highlights from listing day on October 31st when our CEO and Founder, Alice Chang, had the immense honor of ringing the opening bell!

This accomplishment would not have been possible without the continued support of our dedicated brand partners who have collaborated with us over the years to push the envelope of AI and AR tech innovations. Together, we have propelled the beauty and fashion industries forward, establishing a next generation consumer shopping experience unlike any other.

We thank you for being part of this journey, and look forward to continuing to work together as we enter this promising next chapter with PERF listed on the New York Stock Exchange!

Andrew Stapp of NYU appointed as Co-Chair of VR/AR Association Education Committee

We are thrilled to have Andrew Stapp help lead our VRARA Education Committee. Join our weekly Online Meets, check schedule here.

Andrew is an extended reality software engineer and educator in NYU's Immersive Technology Lab. For over seven years, he has worked at the forefront of interactive software blending art, design, and computer science together creating immersive XR solutions for all industries. He has extensive experience working hand in hand both in public and private sectors educating and training all levels of XR technology. Andrew has also designed and developed a wide range of applications including educational augmented reality apps, multi-user VR training simulations, and web-based art exhibits.

“Within my University, I am continually watching the positive reactions and impacts XR technology has on both students and faculty alike. I believe XR can be a transformative tool in the way we educate, train, and inspire hope in building a more equitable future for all. I am excited to join my co-chairs and fellow thought leaders in VRARA’s Education Committee as we push the industry and culture forward.”

— Andrew Stapp

ImagineAR Announces NFL's Baltimore Ravens Launching Premier Interactive Mobile Augmented Reality Fan Experiences

Imagine AR Inc. (CSE: IP) (OTCQB: IPNFF) ("ImagineAR" or "Company"), an Augmented Reality Company that enables sports teams, businesses and enterprises to create their own AR mobile campaigns, is excited to announce the premiere of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens immersive fan experiences fully integrated into their mobile app in "Ravens in Reality". Fans around the world can share in the celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the team's Super Bowl XLVII Championship with a Virtual Ravens 2012 Championship Ring, Super Bowl Trophy and exclusive highlight video.

Kevin Rochlitz, Chief Sales Officer of the Baltimore Ravens, stated, "Fans around the world can join the team to commemorate our Super Bowl Championship win in 2012 using our mobile app to experience the 3D championship ring and the Lombardi trophy. These AR experiences will launch simultaneously with our in-stadium celebration at our home game this Sunday, October 23rd."

Dave Lang, Director of Digital Strategy & Innovation for the Baltimore Ravens, said, "We are excited to launch these immersive experiences for our fans in our stadium and around the world to commemorate a truly special moment in our team's history. We look forward to expanding our offering of interactive opportunities regularly throughout the rest of the season to continue to bring more unique digital experiences to the Ravens Flock."

AR Creators can now monetize their skills better with Omnia

Omnia (former Aequilibrium Inc.) is building the next generation marketplace for Augmented Reality (AR) Creators looking for jobs in the space, while lowering the barriers of entry for mid-size companies looking to use the tech in their operations.

It turns out 77% of companies are still unsure of the benefits of AR, and have to go through a lengthy process of learning, finding, developing and deploying AR Content on their own or via a partner. With Omnia we can leverage our AR Creators community specialized in your niche while also offering tools from our AR partners. AR Creators keep 100% of their earnings and can soon take advantage of our unique Web3 monetization schemes to give them access to even more clients.

Interested in learning more? Check us out, or register today for free here: https://www.theomnia.io/sign-up

AR | VR Companies to watch out for in 2022

The Boiler Room, a proud VRARA member, was named in the Analytics Insights publication as one of the AR \VR companies to watch in 2022.

Click here to view the publication.

Real Metaverse Project Builds XR onto the Real World

Psychic VR Lab Co., Ltd. has announced the ‘Real Metaverse Project’. Utilizing the STYLY platform, the Real Metaverse Project will allow people all over the world to create and view XR content mapped to a real world space. To celebrate the launch, METADIMENSIONS, the world’s first project making XR space tradable as NFTs, is now live in Japan. METADIMENSIONS will officially open at the world famous “Shibuya Scramble”, and will act as an XR extension to the “Shibuya Scramble Crossing”, historically known as the birthplace of Japanese culture.

Until now, AR experiences have typically been generated by scanning AR markers (e.g. QR Codes) for positioning, but STYLY will now support a new tracking technology which adopts urban landscapes to position without QR codes or other markers. This means that, for example, when looking for AR content at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, an AR work that fits the Shibuya Scramble Crossing will automatically appear. Since tracking technology detecting landscapes presents greater accuracy in real-world placement than using markers, it will be possible to design AR that fits the city better, such as placing items on top of buildings or overlaying content on billboards.

Are you interested in creating your own Layers? A new function has been added to STYLY that allows for anyone to transform urban spaces. Utilizing the ARCore Geospatial API from Google, the Lightship ARFK provided by Niantic and Immersal (coming soon), both indoor and outdoor spaces can be overlaid with XR works. Six cities are currently enabled (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Kyoto), with more to come soon. Using the STYLY app, anyone can add color and a splash of digital life to their favorite real world locations - available for all to see!

Templates for cities across the globe, and detailed instructions on how to bring your ideas to life, can be found* at: https://styly.cc/manual/xr-urban-spaces-starter-guide

PeakActivity Joins the Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association

October 2022 - PeakActivity, a digital acceleration and technology services company, has joined the Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association (VRARA) through the Central Florida Chapter. 

PeakActivity has been providing strategic roadmaps, innovation workshops, and expert guidance with the utilization of spatial computing hardware and software, as well as the development of machine learning systems, to improve operational efficiencies for our clients for years. The augmented and virtual reality market was valued at 2B+ in 2021 and is expected to reach 139B+ by 2029. PeakActivity is addressing the growing demand for innovative solutions to create unique customer experiences and products for its prospect and client base.

“As a member of the VRARA, PeakActivity has committed itself to the future development of human-centered experiences through emerging technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality. As a member, we look forward to instilling thought leadership in the greater virtual and augmented reality trends in every industry, from retail to industrial,” says Rob Petrosino, Head of Innovation of PeakActivity. “This membership, paired with our Unity and Magic Leap partnerships, will provide meaningful advancement for our teams, clients, and partners. We are excited to be part of an organization guided by some of the world’s virtual and augmented reality leaders.”

PeakActivity’s involvement with the organization supports the desire to foster and engage the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) community, continue to drive world-changing technologies forward, and enable our partners and clients to grow their businesses.

The VRARA global community presents an excellent opportunity for PeakActivity and its clients.

“We’re delighted to welcome PeakActivity to the VRARA, a recognized technology solutions organization, bringing experience with the implementation of VR and AR technologies in the educational and eCommerce industries,” said John Cunningham, Chapter President of the VRARA Central Florida Chapter. “We look forward to supporting their efforts through our forum, publications, training, and networking opportunities.”

About PeakActivity
PeakActivity is a digital acceleration and technology services company that enables progress for businesses at every point of their digital journey through modernization, optimization, innovation, and engineering services. For more information, contact hello@peakactivity.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.