[The author of this PC Gamer story interviews philosopher James Tartaglia in addressing some provocative questions raised by the continuing evolution of virtual reality and its ability to evoke presence. See the original story for four more images. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Yagi Studio, Getty Images] Gamer beware, ultra-realistic VR is a philosophical minefield for humanity Should VR become ultra-realistic? We asked a philosopher. By Jacob Fox September 10, 2021 Virtual reality has come on leaps and bounds over the past few years. Whether we’re talking about the capabilities of the VR tech itself, its price, or the VR games now…

[The telepresencestage.org website describes and provides free resources from “Collaborative Solutions for the Performing Arts: A Telepresence Stage,” a project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Excerpts from the website’s pages are below; see the site for more details and images. –Matthew] Collaborative Solutions for the Performing Arts: A Telepresence Stage OVERVIEW: In our safe distancing times, this research is developing effective and affordable techniques to connect theatre and dance performers from their separate homes and place them within virtual sets online to create, rehearse and perform together as if on a real stage. The website provides…

[In this depressing story about the perils of presence, MIT Technology Review reports on the latest developments in the evolution of pornographic deepfake technology. –Matthew] [Image: Animated gif by Pedro Nekoi] A horrifying new AI app swaps women into porn videos with a click Deepfake researchers have long feared the day this would arrive. By Karen Hao September 13, 2021 The website is eye-catching for its simplicity. Against a white backdrop, a giant blue button invites visitors to upload a picture of a face. Below the button, four AI-generated faces allow you to test the service. Above it, the tag…

[The Detroit Bureau reports on the recent demonstration of Mercedes-Benz’ AVTR concept car that features technology designed to evoke multiple forms of presence. See the company’s press release and vehicle profile web page for more information, images and videos. –Matthew] [Image: Source: PC Magazine] Powered by Thought; Mercedes Reveals Update of Vision AVTR Concept Show car explores the use of brain-computer interface applications in cars. By Paul A. Eisenstein, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief September 07, 2021 When the first navigation systems came to market, motorists had to manually type in a destination. Now, they simply have to speak and, in most…

[A new virtual reality experience tells the story of Genelle Guzman-McMillan, who survived 27 hours trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001; in this interview from the Oculus Blog the creators describe how they used the technology to create both spatial and social presence, what they’ve learned about storytelling with VR, and how the medium is uniquely suited to preserving historical events. The original blog post includes four more images and a trailer (also available via YouTube). For more about the survivor stories of Ms. Guzman-McMillan and others, see “In the shadow of the…

[In this interview from the Columbia University Climate School, educator and StudioTEKA design firm principal Vanessa Keith describes her vision for the use of virtual reality and presence to help bring awareness and innovative solutions to the serious challenges of climate change. See the original story for two more pictures. –Matthew] [Image: An image of an NYC alley at night from the virtual reality world “2100.” Credit: StudioTEKA] Can Virtual Reality Save the Planet? By Kristen French August 18, 2021 On Aug. 9, the U.N. released a dire climate report, the first since 2018, that warned of accelerated warming of…