ISPR Presence News

Monthly Archives: August 2015

Call: GUR Tool Design Jam: Designing Tools for Games User Research (at CHI PLAY 2015)

CALL FOR PARTICIPATION

GUR Tool Design Jam: Designing Tools for Games User Research
In conjunction with CHI PLAY 2015 in London (http://chiplay.org/)

Website: http://gurtools.wordpress.com/

IMPORTANT DATES:
August 30, 2015: Submissions deadline
September 4, 2015: Acceptance notification
October 4, 2015: Workshop

This one-day workshop explores the vast spectrum of tools used and created by current game user researchers and provides a platform of discussion for advancing the development of such tools. This workshop will facilitate intersections from user researchers with diverse epistemologies, as well as from both academia and the industry, in an interactive Design Jam activity to collaboratively design future-proof GUR tools. The immediate outcome of the workshop is twofold: to collectively establish state-of-the-art tool design guidelines, and to archive the papers and discussions, which will extend the conversations and relationships beyond the workshop. Moreover, the long-term outcome will be the start of a community that focuses on creating better tools to aid the study of player experiences.… read more. “Call: GUR Tool Design Jam: Designing Tools for Games User Research (at CHI PLAY 2015)”

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Lightpack expands viewing screen with ambient colors to increase immersiveness

[Following on Philips’ Hue system, Lightpack extends the colors of a TV or monitor screen into the viewing room; they can even be used together to amplify the immersive effect (as in this video on YouTube). This story is from Ozy; see an earlier post on ISPR Presence News for more on Hue. -Matthew]

Lightpack

TV Backlighting for Better Bingeing

By Vignesh Ramachandran
August 13, 2015

We pay a lot of attention to what’s on our TVs, but probably not to what’s going on behind them. Why should we when we already have access to the likes of high-quality sound, curved screens and other high-tech options? Well, there’s yet another new TV technology designed to dramatically enhance your next Game of Thrones viewing.

Lightpack is an ambient lighting system that you install behind your TV or monitor that lights up the wall with the same colors pictured on the screen.… read more. “Lightpack expands viewing screen with ambient colors to increase immersiveness”

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A touring VR-only film festival becomes a reality

[A touring film festival just for the high-presence VR format; this is from the New York Times ArtsBeat blog, where it includes 2 more images. –Matthew]

"Colosse" VR film screenshot

[Image: A scene from “Colosse,” a film in which the narrative is driven by where viewers direct their gazes. Credit: Joseph Chen]

A Virtual Reality Film Festival Becomes a Reality

By Mekado Murphy
August 5, 2015

Would you like to be in a movie? How about inside a movie? A new film festival focused solely on virtual reality projects will give audiences that opportunity. The inaugural Kaleidoscope VR Film Festival, announced by organizers on Wednesday, will go on a 10-city tour and will feature a variety of virtual reality films by independent filmmakers. It will start Aug. 22 in Portland, Ore., and move on to San Francisco and Los Angeles, among other cities. It comes to New York on Oct.… read more. “A touring VR-only film festival becomes a reality”

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Stanford researchers unveil light-field VR headset that reduces eye fatigue, nausea

[It’s amazing how quickly presence-evoking technology is evolving; this new design for headsets has the potential to allow longer and more “natural and comfortable” sessions; the story is from Stanford News, where it includes a 1:42 minute video; more details and images are available from the Stanford Computational Imaging Group. –Matthew]

Stanford's light field HMD

Stanford researchers unveil virtual reality headset that reduces eye fatigue, nausea

Assistant Professor Gordon Wetzstein’s new Stanford Computational Imaging Group has developed a light-field stereoscope that creates a dramatically more natural virtual reality experience than what is present in today’s leading headsets.

By Vignesh Ramachandran
Stanford Report, August 3, 2015

Try on any virtual reality headset and within a few minutes the sense of wonder might wear off and leave you with a headache or a topsy-turvy stomach.

Computational imaging experts say that’s because current virtual reality headsets don’t simulate natural 3D images.… read more. “Stanford researchers unveil light-field VR headset that reduces eye fatigue, nausea”

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Call: British Society of Aesthetics Conference on Fictional Characters

[A (free) ‘deep dive’ into philosophical issues of reality/fiction. -Matthew]

British Society of Aesthetics Conference on Fictional Characters
University of Southampton, 15th and 16th December 2015

http://bsafictionalcharacters.weebly.com/

Fictional characters have received unprecedented philosophical attention in last few years including the publication of the following monographs: Thomasson’s (1999) Fiction and Metaphysics, Priest’s (2005) Towards Non-Being, Azzuoni’s (2010) Talking About Nothing, Crane’s (2013) The Objects of Thought, Everett’s (2013) The Nonexistent, and the long awaited release of Kripke’s (2013) Reference and Existence. Despite the progress made by the above authors, there is still no consensus as to the best approach to the problem of fictional characters. The proposed conference, by bringing together some of those working in detail on the topic, seeks to highlight where there is agreement and what needs to be done to address the remaining problems.… read more. “Call: British Society of Aesthetics Conference on Fictional Characters”

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VR is latest presence-evoking tech to let luxury house hunters preview purchases

[In the market for a luxury home but no time to visit candidate properties? Just ‘go there’ via VR! The concluding quote in this story from L.A. Biz provides nice perspective: we’ve moved from “grainy black and white photo[s]” to color photos, video, drones, and now virtual reality. See coverage in The Los Angeles Times for a video. -Matthew]

Matthew Hood using VR at Sothebys

[Image: Real-estate agent Matthew Hood has brought VR to Sotheby’s International Realty […] to market luxury homes. Credit: Annlee Ellingson]

Virtual reality makes house hunters feel at home

Aug 12, 2015
Annlee Ellingson, Staff Writer L.A. Biz

I’m standing in front of a luxurious Tuscan-style mansion overlooking Zuma Beach in Malibu. A tiered stone fountain splashes before me as alder wood doors open to reveal a palatial two-story foyer with twin winding staircases, a wrought-iron chandelier and French limestone floors.

As I explore the 10,000-square-foot home, I tour a lavish living room with a cozy fireplace and ocean views; a warm wine cellar; a spacious kitchen; a plush bedroom; and a sunny outdoor patio overlooking a turquoise infinity pool, lush verdant yard and the Pacific Ocean.… read more. “VR is latest presence-evoking tech to let luxury house hunters preview purchases”

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Call: 17th Australasian User Interface Conference (AUIC 2016)

Call-for-Papers for AUIC 2016

17th Australasian User Interface Conference
2nd – 5th of February 2016
Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, Australia

http://auic2016.massey.ac.nz/

Overview

The Australasian User Interface Conference (AUIC) is the forum for user interface researchers and practitioners at the Australasian Computer Science Week (ACSW 2016). AUIC provides an opportunity for workers in the areas of HCI, CSCW, and pervasive computing to meet with colleagues and with others in the broader computer science community.

We will be publishing via the ACM conference publication series for the first time, which will ensure good visibility of published papers.

Important Dates

Paper submission: 14 September 2015
Author notification: 12 October 2015
Camera-ready/Registration: 26th October 2015
Conference dates: 2nd-5th February 2016

Scope and Topics

We welcome original full papers no longer than 10 pages or short papers no longer than 4 pages describing research or innovative practice, and demonstrations.… read more. “Call: 17th Australasian User Interface Conference (AUIC 2016)”

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8i debuts 3D Video file format based on light field tech for rich, realistic interaction

[It’s early days, but will 3D video for virtual reality bypass the uncanny valley problems of CGI? Will we create, edit and share films in 8i’s (or a related) format? Will it eventually be possible to use it in real-time? This story is from The Next Web, where it features several images and videos; much more information and samples are available on the 8i website. –Matthew]

8i 3D video graphic

8i debuts 3D Video file format based on light field tech for rich, realistic interaction

by Jackie Dove
August 5, 2015

8i, a startup based in New Zealand, has unveiled a new 3D Video format based on light field technology. Its mission is to offer a more realistic take on virtual reality and augmented reality, particularly in its portrayal of humans.

3D Video is an alternative to computer graphics in that it converts multiple digital videos to light field format and reconstructs the streams as volumetric 3D video.… read more. “8i debuts 3D Video file format based on light field tech for rich, realistic interaction”

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Call: Game Studies Special Issue: “WAR/GAME”

Call For Papers – Game Studies Special Issue: “WAR/GAME”
by Guest Editors – Pötzsch & Hammond

Video games are an important sector of the global entertainment industry and AAA titles often have budgets and audiences similar to those of major Hollywood productions. Many of the commercially most successful games are war-themed titles that play out in what are framed as authentic real-world settings inspired by historical events. Parallel to this development, significant changes have occurred in the way Western industrialized nations wage actual wars. It has been argued that postmodern war increasingly resembles a videogame and that this form of mediatization fundamentally changes how wars are justified, perceived, experienced, and waged. This, and other postulated connections between war games and actual wars merit critical scholarly attention and scrutiny.

This special issue of Game Studies interrogates the relations between games and war.… read more. “Call: Game Studies Special Issue: “WAR/GAME””

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SpaceVR to let us be astronauts from home

[This project, especially the ‘down the road’ possibilities such as being able to join astronauts on space walks in real-time – has exciting potential. The story is from The Verge, where it features a different image and a 4:39 minute video. –Matthew]

SpaceVR graphic

SpaceVR launches a Kickstarter to make virtual reality movies in space

Orbit the Earth from your couch

By Sean O’Kane
on August 10, 2015

If you want to go to space, you either need a Donald Trump-sized fortune or the kind of patience only the Dalai Lama can relate to. A new company called SpaceVR wants to change all that, and if it’s successful you’ll just need $10 and a VR headset to orbit the Earth.

The company launched a Kickstarter today to make this happen. The plan is to send a tiny 12-camera rig that shoots three-dimensional, 360-degree video to the International Space Station aboard a resupply mission in December.… read more. “SpaceVR to let us be astronauts from home”

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