[As a rail fan I find this review of a new model train simulator for virtual reality particularly interesting; the more inclusive term “Trainset VR” is also an intriguing presence concept. The review is from UploadVR, where it includes different images and a video trailer; more information including images and a video is available in coverage by Stuff.co.nz. –Matthew] Rolling Line Review: A Delightful Model Railway Simulator By Jamie Feltham May 4th, 2018 Platforms: Rift (Reviewed), Vive Trainset VR is a term I’ve used to describe some of my favorite VR titles. By that, I’m referring to experiences that make…

[This opinion column from Aeon is from late 2016 but it’s still extremely relevant to a key debate about the effects and ethics of presence. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: PhotoAlto/Ale Ventura/Getty] Murder in virtual reality should be illegal Angela Buckingham is a writer living in Berlin. She writes about power, moral choice, self-deception, bravery and cowardice. Her most recent work, The Colonel, is a play inspired by the events surrounding the Dreyfus Affair in 1890s France. November 2016 You start by picking up the knife, or reaching for the neck of a broken-off bottle. Then comes the lunge and wrestle, the…

[A new Facebook feature will create navigable 3D virtual reproductions of places where our memorable experiences occurred. Interestingly, the limitations of the reproductions (a “pointillism effect”) apparently create both the “sense of presence in a place… [and] a sense of memory.” This first-person report on Facebook’s demo at the F8 conference is from Engadget, where it includes more images. See CNET for a 2:14 minute video. –Matthew] Facebook’s AI-created virtual memories are magically haunting Wandering through pointillistic art felt like being in a dream. Nicole Lee May 1, 2018 Ever since Facebook bought Oculus, it’s been investing in virtual reality in a…

[This story from Nature describes the nascent use of virtual and augmented reality, and the presence experiences they produce, for scientific research. See the last paragraph for a succinct summary. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: The Project Twins] Virtual-reality applications give science a new dimension Virtual- and augmented-reality tools allow researchers to view and share data as never before. But so far, they remain largely the tools of early adopters. David Matthews 30 April 2018 As I put on a virtual-reality (VR) headset, the outside world disappears. A cell fills my visual field, and as I crane my neck, I can see…

[There are some intriguing developments in presence-evoking technologies from Apple; this highly cited story is from CNET, where the original includes a 1:35 minute video and two large image galleries. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: TECHSPOT] Apple’s working on a powerful, wireless headset for both AR, VR The headset, which would straddle the two technologies and tap into Apple’s own chips, is slated for 2020. It’s the biggest sign of Apple’s interest in virtual reality. By Shara Tibken April 27, 2018 Apple CEO Tim Cook has nothing but praise for augmented reality, saying it’s a technology that’s potentially as important as the…

[This news release from Queen’s University describes what could be an important advance in evoking social presence. Follow the links near the end for more information, images and a video. –Matthew] News Release – Move over Tupac! Life-size holograms set to revolutionize videoconferencing Professor Roel Vertegaal’s new light field displays effectively simulate teleportation Monday, April 23, 2018 KINGSTON – A Queen’s University researcher will soon unveil TeleHuman 2 – the world’s first truly holographic videoconferencing system. TeleHuman2 allows people in different locations to appear before one another in life-size 3D – as if they were in the same room. “People…