[Looker’s product is a “complete data platform that offers data analytics, exploration and insights to every function of a business… The company is powering data-driven cultures at more than 800 industry-leading and innovative companies such as Sony, Amazon, The Economist, Spotify, Sears, Kohler, Etsy, Lyft, Red Bull and Kickstarter.” The blog post below from the company’s website describes the creation of the company’s new data visualization tool that utilizes virtual reality, including some of the interesting challenges and possibilities of the immersive, presence-evoking format (note particularly the discussion starting with “It’s an interesting experiment that raises a lot of questions”).…

[This new VR game raises lots of interesting questions regarding interface design and homuncular flexibility, and the use of presence for social and political advocacy. The story from CNET includes a 0:51 minute video teaser, and more information is available from the Samurai Punk website. –Matthew] The American Dream: A VR game where you have guns for hands Imagine a 1950s world where Mr. and Mrs. Middle America are going about daily life with guns for hands. Forget gun control — this is the American Dream! by Claire Reilly November 5, 2016 The American Dream is built on guns. That’s not…

[The Teomirn HoloLens app looks like an impressive presence-evoking tool for learning to play piano; this story is from UploadVR, where it features two 1:00 minute videos. See also a story (and video) in Next Reality about the related Music Everywhere HoloLens project for teaching piano improvisation. –Matthew] Teomirn Is A HoloLens App That Teaches You To Play The Piano By Jamie Feltham January 30th, 2017 Playing games that also teach you skills is a dream for any lazy person, but it’s still a distant one. Guitar Hero was fun, but it never taught you to play its starring instrument,…

[The evolution of technology to increase media user’s sense of presence continues… The original version of this story from the Daily Mail includes two sidebars, more images, and a related video. The full POV Head Rig press release is available via Newswire. –Matthew] The terrifying mannequin-head camera that could revolutionize VR porn: Device aims to create more ‘intimate emotional attachment’ It has stereoscopic cameras in the eyes and binaural sound microphones Also has multiple cameras across its surface to achieve 4K resolution at 60fps Creators say the POV Head Rig will make virtual reality porn more immersive By Cheyenne Macdonald…

[A recent post here of a story from Haaretz raised provocative questions about the morality of using VR and presence to evoke empathy in users; the story below from The Atlantic describes some important limitations of VR to evoke meaningful empathy beyond situations that involve an immediate physical environment. Read the last three paragraphs for the author’s argument for a technology that’s better for evoking empathy for psychological situations rather than physical ones. –Matthew] [Image: Visitors at MSF’s “Forced From Home” exhibit in DenmarkReuters] It’s Ridiculous to Use Virtual Reality to Empathize With Refugees The technology isn’t the moral game-changer…

[If you’re in or near New York City, you might want to check out this intriguing event that features portrayals of telepresence (we’re studying a wide variety of them in an ongoing research project here by the way). The story below is from Broadway World; see the La MaMa website for more information including images, a video, and descriptions of two more plays in the performance (“Action” and “Simultaneous Transmissions”). And a La MaMa Blogs post features an interview with Jason Trucco, co-director of Hi-Fi / Wi-Fi / Sci-Fi, including his answer to the question “How are you integrating the…