[This story from MedCity News is about how surgeons are using presence-evoking immersive media to improve patient outcomes, along with other benefits. The story highlights two important points that apply across many presence applications: the value of providing users with a spectrum of presence-evoking technologies – in this case from images and video to 3D models and virtual reality, and the importance of not just inventing better technologies but putting them into “regular, practical, and effective use” by developing collaborative systems that make the technologies widely available and train people in how to use them effectively. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Mikalai…

[A new patent granted to the prominent semiconductor design company Arm incorporates ultrasound in virtual and augmented reality headsets to minimize motion sickness by stimulating the wearer’s vestibular system. The details are well-summarized in the story below from Road to VR, followed by additional details in excerpts from VR.org. –Matthew] [Image: Lars Chittka and Axel Brockmann / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5). The three semicircular canals are the target. Source: VR.org] Arm Patents Method to Reduce XR Motion Sickness Using Ultrasound By Scott HaydenAugust 24, 2026 A newly granted patent from Arm describes a head-mounted system that analyzes motion in…

[As reported in this story from Memeburn, millions of people are misperceiving the role of technology during their use of TikTok, with potentially dangerous consequences. And as the author notes, the phenomenon is not limited to that platform. See the original story for four more images. For information about a related presence phenomenon, see the 404 Media story “Subtlefakes: Slightly Altered Nonconsensual AI Images Are Taking Over X.” –Matthew] AI Deepfake MCs Are Fooling Millions on TikTok With Fake News AI-generated presenters are flooding TikTok with fabricated news clips, and roughly 60% of TikTok videos now involve some AI element.…

[The use of AI to create simulated versions of human actors who have died continues to raise concern and controversy. This story from IndieWire, about the appearance of the late Val Kilmer as lead actor in a new film, describes how the process might be carried out the ‘right’ way, both in terms of technical efforts and the involvement and consent of the actor and their estate. The original version of this story includes the extended trailer for the new film (it’s also on YouTube); more details follow below in excerpts from a June 2026 story in Vanity Fair.…

[Presence-evoking virtual reality, especially with the addition of scents that correspond to the sights and sounds it provides to users, can bring isolated users some of the cognitive and emotional benefits of being in natural outdoors environments. As this story from Texas A&M University (and also available via Phys.org) notes, those users include not just the extreme case of astronauts. Others who may benefit include sailors (such as those currently on the USS Abraham Lincoln), office workers, those with limited mobility, etc. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Texas A&M Engineering] VR supports research into spaceflight-related mental health The Texas A&M study used…

[Travelers at Miami International Airport now have AI-powered holographic humans that can answer their questions, as reported in this story from the Miami Herald (the original version of the story includes three different images). For more details see a press release from the Airport and a 2:12 minute video news report from CBS19. In related developments, Metro Airport News reports that LaGuardia Airport in New York is using Proto telepresence technology to provide “a fully interactive AI hologram designed specifically for guest service and wayfinding. The ambassador, named Bridget, is a life-size, hyper-realistic figure capable of engaging travelers in natural,…