[After a decade of development, Snap has announced a consumer AR glasses product for consumers. This story from Tech Radar includes a rare first-person report: the author describes an experience of “true AR that feels positively science fiction.” Unfortunately, the cost of the Snap Specs and other factors seem likely to limit the prospects for commercial success, but the story’s author, and long-time expert observer of the XR world Skarredghost (Antony Vitillo) in his The Ghost Howls blog, express hope for price reductions as the technology evolves further. For more details see coverage in Wired, which quotes Snap CEO Evan…

[An intriguing trend in South Korea has young people spending time on websites that offer simulated rather than actual shopping and shared work or study breaks. Most of the press coverage of the sites and their appeal is based on this story from the Korea Times; the original version includes four different images, including screenshots of websites and social media posts. For more information, see coverage from Fast Company and an examination of what lessons the sites offer from Li Solutions. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Li Solutions] Gen Z turn to ‘dopamine sites’ for quick comfort Young Koreans find relief in…

[This story from Samsung about the use of its glasses-free 3D Spatial Signage technology as visitors wait in line for the Safari World attraction at the largest theme park in Korea is promotional, but note the many indirect references to visitors’ presence experiences. The original version of the story includes six more images, two of them animated gifs, and a 1:48 minute video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Visitors take photos with the animals on Spatial Signage, turning time spent waiting into part of the overall experience] How Samsung’s Spatial Signage Transforms the Attraction Queue Into an Immersive Safari…

[Although scary, potentially dangerous incidents like the one described in this story from Kotaku are unusual, as one of the commenters on the original version of the story notes, it’s best to not leave lithium batteries including those in VR headsets charging when one is away. More safety advice can be found on the website of energy company ACE Battery. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Frankfort Volunteer Fire Department] Firefighters Investigating Explosion Caused By Meta Quest 3 In Maine Home The Frankfort fire department is warning owners of the ‘VR Goggles’ after footage shows debris flying and dogs in a panic By…

[The impacts of using presence-evoking technologies to recreate loved ones who have died are complex and poorly understood, even more so in the political context discussed in this story from BBC News. See the original version of the story for a second image. Two episodes of the CBS series Matlock recently explored some of the issues surrounding the “grief Bot” phenomenon in a compelling way; you can find (spoiler-filled) descriptions of “The Future is Nigh” and “Day One” on the Hidden Remote website. –Matthew] [Image: “The Special Military Operation has ended” and “Our heroes are coming home,” read the billboards…

[MIT researchers are creating a promising application of presence-evoking technologies that converts complex and difficult-to-interpret two-dimensional data to a “more intuitive and more understandable” three-dimensional version that better matches human perception. The original version of this story includes a 3:36 minute video (which is also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Courtesy of the researchers] Augmented reality system could make medical ultrasounds easier to interpret MIT researchers have designed an ultrasound system that creates a real-time 3D representation of the object being imaged. By Anne Trafton, MIT NewsJune 10, 2026 Interpreting medical ultrasound images is a difficult task, requiring a…

[It’s a shame that war is often the motivation behind advances in presence-evoking technology. This story from United24 Media reports that a Ukrainian company has introduced a software feature that automatically turns two-dimensional building plans into three-dimensional models that can be navigated in virtual reality, allowing soldiers to practice assaults on the actual building. See the link in the last paragraph (or the ISPR Presence News post) to learn more about another company’s related software that lets users train to destroy enemy drones. –Matthew] [Image: A screenshot from Farsight Vision’s Floor Plan feature shows a 3D training environment used to…