[I somehow missed this important story from last fall about a project that uses presence to help people experience the microaggressions that result from implicit bias, “quiet, coded moments of racial bias that shape [a black person’s] worldview and sense of justice over time.” The story is from Engadget, where it includes more images. For more information on the project, created through a collaboration with our colleague Jeremy Bailenson, see the 1000 Cut Journey page on the Tribeca Immersive website and coverage in VR World that includes Courtney Cogburn’s TED Talk. For discussions of the broader potential of VR and…

[This is a too-short story about our colleague Andrea Stevenson Won and some of her fascinating and valuable work related to presence. It’s from the Cornell Chronicle, where it includes two more images. For more information see the Virtual Embodiment Lab website and her page on the Cornell website. –Matthew] [Image: Andrea Stevenson Won, assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Cornell University, in the Virtual Embodiment Lab. Credit: Sasha Israel/Provided] Relieving real pain in a virtual world By Jennifer Savran Kelly April 30, 2018 We’ve all enjoyed losing ourselves in a good book, but what if the story…

[The demonstration of Google’s AI-powered virtual assistant Duplex at the Google I/O conference is both extremely impressive and, to many, worrisome. This story from NPR describes some of the concerns about the ethics of such effective presence illusions; for more on the ethics and a 4:25 minute video of the demonstration see coverage in The Verge, and for an expanded discussion that includes practical concerns, see coverage in Motherboard. –Matthew] [Image: Google CEO Sundar Pichai demonstrated new AI technology that can use human-like speech to carry on phone conversations at the Google I/O 2018 Conference on Tuesday in Mountain View,…

[Google’s May 3, 2018 360-degree virtual reality Doodle is another small landmark in the history of presence. This story is from Adweek, where it includes two videos; for in-depth information see coverage in Engadget and Google itself (where the page includes a Making Of… video). The Washington Post elegantly describes the project this way: “Google has melded the future of the past, technologically and narratively, with the future of the now.” –Matthew] Google’s First Virtual Reality Doodle Honors a French Illusionist Director An homage to the ‘father of special effects’ Georges Méliès By Marty Swant May 3, 2018 Google just…

[The headline is just one of the interesting results in this story from Forbes, where the original includes more charts. –Matthew] VR Needs More Social: 77% of Virtual Reality Users Want More Social Engagement John Koetsier April 30, 2018 77% of people who use virtual reality want more social engagement in VR, according to a new survey of 4,217 consumers. And while many of their headsets don’t get regular use, most intend to use their VR headsets more in the future. “Led by Generation Z and Millennials, 77% of respondents who own a VR headset say they are interested in…

[As a rail fan I find this review of a new model train simulator for virtual reality particularly interesting; the more inclusive term “Trainset VR” is also an intriguing presence concept. The review is from UploadVR, where it includes different images and a video trailer; more information including images and a video is available in coverage by Stuff.co.nz. –Matthew] Rolling Line Review: A Delightful Model Railway Simulator By Jamie Feltham May 4th, 2018 Platforms: Rift (Reviewed), Vive Trainset VR is a term I’ve used to describe some of my favorite VR titles. By that, I’m referring to experiences that make…