[From C1, the Condition One blog; view a 3:57 minute interactive video demo and download ‘showcase’ apps here] Announcing Zero Point: The first 3D 360 movie for virtual reality November 13, 2013 We’re excited to announce that we are in development with Zero Point, the first movie shot in 3D, 360 degree video optimized for the Oculus Rift head mounted display. In the film, we follow the pioneers of virtual reality; the researchers and developers creating an entirely new digital dimension. From combat training simulations at the Department of Defense, to research labs at Stanford, to indie game developers and…

[An American Heart Association press release; follow the link for additional audio and video materials] ‘Virtual reality hands’ may help stroke survivors recover hand function Study Highlights: Scientists used brain-computer interface technology to help stroke survivors use their minds to power “virtual reality hands” to help regain the use of their arms and hands. The technology offers hope of recovery to stroke survivors and others who have lost mobility and control of their arms and hands. DALLAS, Nov. 17, 2013 — “Virtual reality hands” — controlled by stroke survivors’ thoughts — could help them recover use of their hands and…

[From Forbes] The New Matterport 3D Camera Could Change Reality As You Know It 11/17/2013 Elise Ackerman, Contributor A few weeks ago I slipped on an Oculus Rift headset and visited the future of virtual reality. In a millisecond, I was transported from a drab office park in Mountain View, CA to the middle of a showcase home in Portola Valley, CA  that had been rendered as a life-size model by the Matterport 3D Camera. It was the closest I’m likely to get to teleportation. The details of my immediate surroundings were completely replaced by the virtual world. Using a…

[From Slate’s Future Tense blog, where the post includes the two video clips mentioned] [Image: A telepresence robot in The Good Wife. Still from The Good Wife copyright CBS.] More Proof That The Good Wife Is the Best Technology Show on TV By Torie Bosch Robots don’t usually show up on TV unless it’s to ruin civilization—or unless the show is set hundreds of years in the future. And they’re usually sophisticated machines (Futurama’s Bender’s taste in booze notwithstanding). But on CBS last night, a robot took a bold roll forward—into a door. In the fifth-season premiere of The Good…

[From Singularity Hub] Second Life Founder, Philip Rosedale, Is Quietly Creating a Next-Generation Virtual World Written By: Jason Dorrier Posted: 11/12/13 In Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, humanity escapes a gritty dystopia by donning VR goggles and entering a virtual world called OASIS. Back here in a comparatively rosy 2013, we don’t have a fully immersive virtual experience—yet. But virtual reality is undergoing a renaissance. And while Oculus develops a consumer-ready virtual reality headset, Second Life creator, Philip Rosedale, and his latest startup, High Fidelity, are hard at work constructing a next-generation global virtual world.…

[From BuzzFeed; a 1:56 minute promotional video (NSFW) is available on MediaFire; apologies for the self-promotion but for more on this topic see the journal Human Technology] It Finally Happened: There Is An Oculus Rift Sex Simulator Welcome to 2013. NSFW video inside. Over the weekend, in Tokyo, the group VR Japan hosted an Oculus Rift Game Jam. These events, which are common in countries where developers have access to early versions of the headworn virtual reality display, are occasions for creative thinking about ways to apply the Oculus to generate immersive new gaming experiences. In that spirit, someone at…