[Presence can evoked by simple, low-bandwidth cues too; this story is from Yahoo! Tech (where it includes two other images). See also coverage of the related Pillow Talk product in ISPR Presence News. –Matthew]

The love of your life can hear your heartbeat in real time with smart wedding band

Kyle Wiggers
August 4, 2016

There’s something irrefutably intangible about a phone conversation — especially with a loved one. Sure, voice and video chat is good in a pinch, but there’s no replacement for more palpable signs of affection like, say, a warm embrace. Transmitting that sort of physicality over the internet is, needless to say, a tall order, but it’s nonetheless one that wearable company Touch is attempting to fill with the HB Ring, a “smart wedding band” that transmits the rhythm of your partner’s heartbeat in real time.… read more. “HR Rings let partners feel each other’s heartbeats in real time”

[This post from the blog of Grammy nominated DJ/producer Morgan Page (also available via OSSIC) provides an insider’s view of the current status and potential future of VR and presence in nearly all aspects of music: consumption, performance, collaboration and sharing, and learning and teaching; it features 11 videos that illustrate the author’s points. Btw, DAW is an acronym for Digital Audio Workstation. –Matthew]

Beyond the DAW – How VR Will Change Everything

July 27, 2016

After spending two weeks with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets, it’s clear that virtual reality will completely reshape the human experience. These devices transport you to another world. They will usher in an alternate reality, adding a new perspective to everything in modern life, and a physical interaction to every experience. Gaming will lead the charge, as well as cinematic narratives, but what about music?… read more. “How VR and presence will change everything for music”

[The Dark Ride Project is using modern presence-evoking technologies to preserve presence experiences evoked in the haunted house amusement rides of the past. This story is from TechnoBuffalo, where it includes more images and two videos; a press release is available from Hypergrid Business; and more details and 360 videos are available on the Project’s Indigogo page. –Matthew]

Interview: Using VR to preserve the last remaining haunted house amusement rides

By Jacob Kleinman
August 21, 2016

Joel Zika is on a mission to preserve the last remaining haunted house amusement park rides before they disappear and he’s using virtual reality to do it.

There are less than 18 working rides left in the world (12 of them in the U.S.) by his count. Zika’s already filmed six using a specially designed 360-degree camera rig, but he needs some help from the crowd-funding community to finish the job.… read more. “The Dark Ride Project uses VR to preserve the last remaining haunted house amusement rides”

[A stand-alone, open source mixed reality headset from Intel and Microsoft is likely to speed the adoption of effective presence-evoking technology. This story is from MIT Technology Review, where it includes an additional image; a 7:35 minute video of the demo is on YouTube, and for more on Intel’s larger vision “for a fully connected world,” see coverage in PC Magazine. –Matthew]

[Image: Depth sensors on the headset allow you to interact with things in a virtual world using your hands and fingers, or objects you are holding.]

Intel and Microsoft Are Teaming Up to Make Virtual Reality Ubiquitous

A new headset design from Intel brings your hands into virtual spaces.

by Tom Simonite
August 16, 2016

The companies that brought the world the PC boom have a plan to trigger a similar explosion in virtual-reality hardware.

Intel and Microsoft announced Tuesday that they are working together to help computer manufacturers get into the business of making stand-alone VR headsets.… read more. “Project Alloy: Intel and Microsoft team up to make VR ubiquitous”

[Neuromarketing using virtual and mixed reality is an important example of the promise and peril of presence; this story is from Motherboard, where the original includes three more images. –Matthew]

How Companies Will Use VR and Read Your Brainwaves to Sell You More Stuff

By David Silverberg, Contributor
August 17, 2016

I’m passing through the front foyer of a major Chinese bank. I careen through well-lit hallways and teller booths, before sliding by some signage written in Cantonese. It’s as if I’m there, minus the tellers, customers, and sounds of a bustling financial institution.

But the thing is, I’m not actually in China, or in a bank, although it almost feels as though I am. I’m using the Microsoft HoloLens to see a visual representation of this branch’s layout, as designed by Toronto branding and design agency Shikatani Lacroix.… read more. “How companies will use VR and read your brainwaves to sell you more stuff”