[There are still significant practical and technical issues to resolve, but this story from IEEE Spectrum explains why virtual reality will increasingly provide rich social presence experiences superior to today’s commonly used video conferencing systems (e.g., Zoom). See the original story for a second image. –Matthew] [Image: Virtual meeting on the Engage platform. Credit: Immersive VR Education] Forget Video Conferencing—Host Your Next Meeting in VR Recent advances have made VR the superior technology for conferences and meetings, some experts claim By Edd Gent 13 April 2020 With workers confined to their homes by the coronavirus pandemic, video conferencing is providing…

[While Zoom and other video conferencing tools provide social presence during the pandemic, stationary webcams and drone footage let us leave our homes and experience the now mostly-empty spaces of the world. This short story from Washington, D.C.’s WTOP highlights some of the “virtual escapes” that have become more popular in these strange days (the original version includes a brief audio news report). For more examples that include photos and videos see: As world quarantines, webcams and satellites quietly watch (AccuWeather) What the world looks like on lockdown: Webcams at popular tourist spots (OZY) Visit the Grand Canyon, Eiffel Tower…

[Another activity now only available in mediated form is yoga classes; this first person story from SFGate describes the (presence) experience it offers. See the original story for six more images and a video, and see a story in The Spaces for a picture and link filled “peek inside some of the world’s most striking yoga studios” offering virtual classes.  –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Madeline Wells] I tried virtual yoga. Here’s why it may be better than the real thing By Madeline Wells, SFGATE March 21, 2020 A few months ago, I finally caved into purchasing a membership at a small…

[The tragedy of the Coronavirus pandemic is accelerating some of the major changes in how people live, work and play that many who design, create and study presence-evoking technologies have predicted and propelled. This link-filled story from The Guardian focuses on some of these changes in the arts and culture sector. See the original story for two more images and a video. –Matthew] [Image: A view of an online gallery from Art Basel. Credit: Art Basel] ‘Beginning of a new era’: How culture went virtual in the face of crisis The rise of Covid-19 has forced cultural institutions to explore…

[ABC’s Good Morning America reports on how a California teen used TikTok to share her home celebration of her high school prom and then expanded the idea to a public virtual prom event. See the original story for four different pictures and five videos. For more information see a (pay walled) story in the San Francisco Chronicle and these related stories: Teen Vogue creates virtual prom for students staying home (Adweek) How high schoolers are planning online prom parties amid Coronavirus (Time) Ellen DeGeneres is asking high-school students to share photos of their prom outfits to make up for their…

[Virtual reality and presence are playing an important role in helping the medical community fight the pandemic, as reported in this story from TechRepublic (where the original includes a 7:24 minute video); for more on the Oxford Medical Simulation system see coverage in The Guardian, and for more on how immersive technology companies are helping, see a story in Forbes. –Matthew] [Image: Two doctors talk with a patient in this animated training image. Credit: Oxford Medical Simulation] 17,000 doctors and nurses training for COVID-19 pandemic using VR technology By Todd R. Weiss in Innovation April 2, 2020 Oxford Medical Simulation…