[Here is a vivid and ultimately sad reminder that (in this case social) presence has a long history; the story is from Atlas Obscura and features more images. –Matthew] [Image: A close-up of the Euphonia. The Euphonia’s face was impressively realistic but was reported to look very unsettling while in motion. (Photo: Public Domain)] Text-To-Speech in 1846 Involved a Talking Robotic Head With Ringlets Meet the Euphonia, a machine that boasted the ability to replicate human speech. by Addison Nugent March 09, 2016 On a summer day in 1846 at London’s grand Egyptian Hall, Joseph Faber unveiled one of the…

[BigScreen and other technologies like it may be the future of presence – shared virtual social experiences with “just as many possibilities as the real world”; the story from Upload includes more pictures. –Matthew] ‘BigScreen’ Lets You Share and Use Your Entire PC Desktop Inside VR by David Jagneaux March 11th, 2016 I was sitting on a couch in a comfortable and decadent penthouse-style apartment overlooking a beautiful city landscape at night time. The horizon was peppered with lights and buildings in the distance. In front of me was a floating flatscreen monitor, hovering at an angle below my neck,…

[This story suggests another likely-to-be-popular use of VR and presence, one reminiscent of the Lonesome Gal radio show from more than six decades ago. The story from RocketNews24 includes many more pictures.—Matthew] VR visit to Japanese swimsuit model’s apartment provides joy for dateless men on Valentine’s Day Ai Shinozaki, one of Japan’s hardest-working models, extends some VR hospitality. Casey Baseel Feb 15, 2016 Ai Shinozaki could probably make a comfortable living doing nothing more than smiling for the camera, seeing as how she covers the three Bs of the Japanese modeling world: baby-faced, busty, and (frequently) bikini-clad. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old Tokyo…

[This article from The Guardian highlights the challenges and potential of using emerging technologies to deepen our experience of presence in the performing arts. –Matthew] [Image: Stuck in the Middle With You, a new virtual reality dance production commissioned by Acmi and Sydney Dance Company. Photograph: Wendell Levi Teodoro] Audience takes centre stage in pioneering virtual reality dance film Acmi join forces with Sydney Dance Company for an immersive film that combines choreography with virtual reality, allowing the audience to view the production from all angles Jana Perkovic Monday 7 March 2016 How do you capture a stage show on…

[This story presents a vivid example of how presence experiences can be intense and impactful. It’s from VICE’s Munchies channel, where it includes additional images and related links. More coverage is available from NPR and The Huffington Post UK, the latter authored by the executive director of iAnimal. The interactive 7:13 minute video is available via the link in the story below and on YouTube. By the way, this story makes me glad I’m a vegetarian. –Matthew] This Virtual Reality Slaughterhouse Could Turn You Vegetarian By Charles Parkinson March 8, 2016 Bleeding animal carcasses, piglets torn from their mothers, and…

[This press release from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz describes a new article proposing a code of conduct for the use of VR, prompted by its potential to evoke presence – the article includes this passage: “Some of the risks and ethical concerns that we have already encountered in the early days of the internet will reappear, though with the added psychological impact enabled by embodiment and a strong sense of presence.” I’ve written, in Cheryl Bracken and Paul Skalski’s book “Telepresence in Everyday Life,” about the need for an even broader set of ethical guidelines for presence. –Matthew] First code…