[Creating virtual assistants that can evoke effective medium-as-social-actor presence currently requires a lot of  manual work by ‘conversational designers,’ but a new system will help automate the process, as described in this ZDNet story. See the original version for a second image and a 1:03 minute video. –Matthew] Nuance’s Project Pathfinder uses AI to build smarter virtual assistants Companies with large amounts of live chat and call centre transcripts should be able to replace laborious conversation-design processes with Nuance’s upcoming automated tool. By Charles McLellan for Product Central February 6, 2019 Conversational AI specialist Nuance has announced a new project…

[According to The Hollywood Reporter, a classic presence-evoking technology is set to be the basis of a new live action film (!).  –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Fisher-Price via Getty Images] View-Master Movie In the Works at MGM and Mattel Films (Exclusive) The deal signifies the latest toy marked for development as part of Mattel’s new push into screen entertainment. February 27, 2019 By Borys Kit MGM and Mattel are partnering up to develop a live-action feature film based on the toy entertainment company’s classic View-Master toy line. Mattel Films, the feature arm launched late last year by the El Segundo-based toymaker,…

[Especially with everything going on in the political sphere today I think it’s wonderful that an organization is using presence to encourage people to recognize their unconscious biases and increase empathy and sensitivity in their interactions with others. The CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion’s Check Your Blind Spots mobile exhibit is on a 100 city tour around the U.S., making stops at campuses and workplaces. The story below from CNET is from the recent stop at CES (the Consumer Electronics Show); a story from the Wake Forest University stop is available in the Old Gold & Black student paper;…

[Instead of “staging” an empty home with actual furnishings to make it more appealing to potential buyers, why not just alter photos of the empty spaces to create the illusion of a furnished home? The Houston Chronicle reports that the trend is on the rise, but also raising interesting ethical issues regarding its potential for deception. See the original story for five more images. If it’s not already widespread, I assume the next evolution of virtual staging will involve interactive photo-realistic versions of the staged spaces experienced via VR and AR. –Matthew] [Image: Emily Walling, a TK Images virtual stager…

[Our colleague Andrea Stevenson Won is one of the authors of a new study on the potential roles of VR in learning, as described in this story from the Cornell Chronicle (where the original version includes an additional picture). –Matthew] [Image: Jack Madden, doctoral candidate in the field of astronomy, watches as Andrea Stevenson Won, assistant professor of communication and director of the Virtual Embodiment Lab, uses a virtual reality simulator.] Study probes effect of virtual reality on learning By Linda B. Glaser February 5, 2019 Picture yourself in a virtual reality simulator, atop the spinning Earth, the moon and…

[CNET has comprehensive coverage of Microsoft’s new Hololens 2 and where it fits in the evolution of technology that creates mixed reality presence illusions; the overview story below includes links to the other coverage along with 3 extended videos and several more images. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: James Martin/CNET] HoloLens 2 announced for $3,500, available to preorder now, ships later this year Here’s everything you need to know about Microsoft’s next-generation mixed reality headsets. By Ian Sherr, Scott Stein February 25, 2019 Comfort, better visuals, easier to use with your hands. That’s the takeaway from HoloLens 2, Microsoft’s follow-up to the…

[Here’s an amusing story from the Daily Mail about a viral DIY presence challenge; the original version includes more examples and a 0:54 minute video, and another 0:58 minute video is available on YouTube. –Matthew] [Image: Source: New York Post] Viral challenge sees people using plastic bottles and toilet seats to pretend they are travelling on a plane and looking out the window ‘Fake plane ride’ challenge sees people using random objects to create illusion People use detergent bottles, teapots and toilet seats to mimic aircraft windows Thousands of hilarious clips began circulating online during the Lunar New Year By…