[From NDTV; a summary and the full report are available from Pew Research]

[Image: Source]

Ultrafast Internet to Open New Possibilities Like ‘Telepresence’: Experts

Agence France-Presse, October 10, 2014

Superfast Internet connections are likely open up new kinds of communication such as “telepresence” and improve services such as remote health care, a survey of experts showed Thursday.

The ultrafast connections, expected to be widely deployed in the coming years, can open up a range of possibilities by delivering “immersive” experiences and virtual reality, according to the experts polled by the Pew Research Center and Elon University.

“People’s basic interactions and their ability to ‘be together’ and collaborate will change in the age of vivid telepresence – enabling people to instantly ‘meet face-to-face’ in cyberspace with no travel necessary,” the report said.

Additionally, the report said that “augmented reality will extend people’s sense and understanding of their real-life surroundings and virtual reality will make some spaces, such as gaming worlds and other simulated environments, even more compelling places to hang out.”… read more. “Future of telepresence seen in new survey of experts”

[From PSFK, where the story includes several more pictures and a 3:46 minute video]

Try On Phone-Synced, Effects-Heavy Mask Just in Time for Halloween

These tricking and treating items work hand-in-hand (or eye-in-socket) with your mobile to create cringe-worthy FX

By Leo Lutero on October 10, 2014

The Digital Dudz mask line offers an easy-to-use smartphone insert that lets your phone save a rather run-of-the-mill monster mask. By downloading the free Digital Dudz app, you can play video loops of restless eyeballs, throbbing hearts or pulsating wounds and use these as the highlight of your spooky get-up.

The mind behind this clever idea belongs to Mark Rober who is also a NASA scientist. He helped build the rover now exploring Mars but in his free time, he creates clever costumes. A Youtube video featuring one of his costume creations kickstarted his Digital Dudz brand.… read more. “Halloween illusions: Phone-synced masks and body morphsuits”

[From ExtremeTech, where the story includes more images]

Virtual reality, the death of morality, and the perils of making the virtual ever more real

By Sebastian Anthony on October 10, 2014

As the technology that underpins virtual reality develops and the experiences become increasingly more real, I’ve been pondering a particularly morbid thought: When will we have the first VR-induced death? Will a realistic rocket launcher blast in Team Fortress 2 or VR version of Silent Hill give you a heart attack? Will watching the chase sequence in Casino Royale in full VR 3D pump enough adrenaline into your system that your heart beat becomes arrhythmic, eventually leading to death? Will a a VR experience be so realistic that you get so swept up in the moment that you run into a wall or jump out a window?

I’ve always been fascinated by the interrelationship of real and virtual worlds, and how technological advancement has brought them steadily closer and closer together until it can be very hard to discern the virtual from the real.… read more. “The perils of making the virtual ever more real”

[From Re/code, where the story includes two videos]

Google Set to Lead Huge Investment in Magic Leap and Its “Cinematic Reality”

October 13, 2014
By Liz Gannes and Peter Kafka

Google and other investors are planning a huge investment in Magic Leap, a secretive but boastful company building hardware and software it says will deliver “cinematic reality.”

Sources say Google is leading what could be a $500 million funding round for the Florida-based company; Andreessen Horowitz may be one of the other investors in the consortium. Magic Leap already announced $50 million in funding earlier this year.

Google, Andreessen Horowitz and Magic Leap reps declined to comment.

Aside from a few cryptic interviews and press releases, Magic Leap has kept a low profile until recently, but it has drawn increasing interest from Hollywood and Silicon Valley. CEO Rony Abovitz, who previously co-founded a surgical robotics company that sold for $1.65 billion, has said the company is working on “what we believe will be the most natural and human-friendly wearable computing interface in the world,” but has kept it mostly behind wraps.… read more. “Google/Magic Leap’s 3D “Cinematic Reality” to replace VR, AR?”

[From WVAS FM, where the post includes another picture and a 4:55 minute video]

Domesticated Robots And The Art Of Being Human

September 29, 2014
By Tania Lombrozo

In the 1960s — well before Spike Jonze’s Samantha — MIT computer scientist Joseph Weizenbaum introduced the world to Eliza, a psychotherapist (of sorts) who interacted with people through a text interface. She’s still around today.

In preparing this post, I asked her what makes us human. “Are such questions on your mind often?” she replied.

Eliza is a computer program — one of the first “chat bots” and an example of early artificial intelligence. While today’s natural language processors are far more sophisticated, Eliza was an achievement in her day; having a conversation with her can be surprisingly intimate, personal, humorous and uncanny. She’s no replacement for a human psychotherapist, of course, but she succeeds in teaching us something about ourselves.… read more. “Roboticist/artist Alexander Reben explores human relationships with machines”