[Drawing on a longer July 2021 article in The New York Times, this story from DIYPhotography describes a popular location in rural China that recreates a “bygone gentle village atmosphere” that only some of its visitors realize is staged. The author notes that the main issue is transparency – “If I go to a place and take photographs I want to know that what I’m witnessing is either real or staged” – but that “Perhaps we are all guilty of this to a degree, nothing is as it seems, and we are all perhaps a little too intent on capturing the…

[This very short DesignTAXI story describes a prototype controller designed to enhance presence (note the last sentence). The original includes more images and a three-minute Microsoft Research video (also available via YouTube) and for more information see the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) 2021 paper and 7:51 minute video presentation. –Matthew] Microsoft Showcases VR Controller That Adapts To Let You ‘Touch’ Items In Games By Ell Ko 13 October 2021 Microsoft Research has just developed an innovative new virtual reality (VR) controller that changes shape according to how it’s being held and used. Described as a…

[We’ve posted many stories over the years about attempts to add the sense of smell to mediated experiences and enhance presence. Although lacking some important details about how the technology works, Hypnos Virtual describes an ambitious and intriguing “scentscape” (similar to a soundscape) that would accompany a variety of mediated and nonmediated experiences. The description here is from CE Pro magazine and for more information including images, videos and charts, see a press release via PR Newswire, the company’s website (particularly the “learn more” page) and its Wefunder investment offering. –Matthew] Hypnos Virtual Looks to Infuse VR Experience with Personalized…

[Even without the introduction, this story from Slate is a long read, but it’s on the timely and under-reported topic of presence and children and includes extensive links to other stories and resources as well as interesting anecdotes and insightful quotes from experts. See the original story for the unabridged version. –Matthew] If Social Media Can Be Unsafe for Kids, What Happens in VR? Mark Zuckerberg recently predicted that Facebook will be a “metaverse company” in five years. What does that mean for kids? By Catherine Buni October 11, 2021 [snip] While it’s unclear whether Zuckerberg’s five-year metaverse prediction will…

[Last night (October 10, 2021) the CBS newsmagazine 60 Minutes aired a 14 minute report on the quickly evolving technology of deepfakes and its implications. The report and a transcript are available at the first link in the article below, which is a 60 Minutes Overtime extra feature on the topic that includes a separate 4:36 minute video. For an example of the “cat and mouse game” between those working to detect and generate convincing deepfakes see Discover magazine’s story “How to Spot Synthetic Faces Online – the Clue is in the Eyes.” –Matthew] [Image: An example of a deepfake…

[In this Forbes story “a CEO of SalesChoice, a high tech AI software company passionate about ethical AI practices” raises many of the fascinating issues and questions suggested by technologies that create the experience of seeing, hearing and interacting with loved ones and others after they have died. The story covers lots of ground using examples and a personal writing style; visit the original version for the odd but interesting and relevant experience of listening to an AI voice ‘read’ it; for more on this topic see the article “Telepresence after Death” in Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments. –Matthew] [Image:…

[Defense News reports on the US Army’s development of, and plans for, an ambitious presence-evoking training system; see the original story for a second image. See also a 2018 ISPR Presence News post. –Matthew] [Image: Soldiers use the Integrated Visual Augmentation System to train with the Squad Immersive Virtual Trainer. Credit: U.S. Army] US Army makes headway on Synthetic Training Environment By Adam Stone September 30 ARLINGTON, Va. — The first iteration of the Army’s virtual training environment is in the hands of some troops, giving an early glimpse of the tool’s promise to reshape the way soldiers prepare for…