[This personal story from VentureBeat is a reminder that despite the current limitations of technology, presence experiences have great potential to improve individual lives. See the original version for a second image. –Matthew] How I discovered the therapeutic power of VR — by accident David Waltenbaugh July 26, 2018 Ask anyone that has experienced a true, high-production virtual reality experience and nearly all can remember our “first time.” The immersive nature of the technology tends to evoke such a visceral response that it often remains with us long after our dive into the virtual realm. Most people I’ve spoken with…

[The press release below from davidbowie.com previews new AR- and VR-based versions of the “David Bowie Is” touring exhibit. They’ll follow several other applications of technology to create presence experiences related to Bowie, including the “Augmented Reality: David Bowie in Three Dimensions” feature by The New York Times, a “2.5-minute train journey through the world of David Bowie” from NS and the Groninger Museum, the “Heroes” dance sequence for 360-degree Gear VR and Microsoft HoloLens from Sundance 2017, and a VR version of the Bowie musical “Lazarus” (see more material by searching for “Bowie” on the V&A Museum website. –Matthew] David…

[As a cyclist with poor vision even with corrective glasses, I’m particularly interested in this post about using presence to reduce accidents by increasing driver-cyclist empathy. A report in Australia’s Nyngan Observer about how the government there is using VR to reduce accidents with quad bikes on farms led me to the short story below from Campaign that describes a Ford program that uses VR to give motorists the experience of bicyclists and vice versa. For much more information including videos, see Ford’s Share the Road website and the Ford Europe blog. For a recent published study on this topic,…

[This story from Hyperallergic explores current dating sims, “a sub-genre of video games which center around the user forming and maintaining romantic relationships with digital partners through the use of VR/AR and (for now) rudimentary AI” and considers some of their positive and negative implications. Designers and scholars need to consider the implications since the (presence-evoking) technologies are evolving quickly. Note that the author plans a follow-up report on gender roles and sexual preferences in the sims. The original version of the story below includes four additional images. –Matthew] [Image: Screenshot of the game VR Kanogo. Credit: The author for…

[This first person report and evaluation of a new mixed reality art exhibit in New York City from TechRadar describes both the promise and current limitations of presence-evoking technologies. See the original story for six additional images and a 2:59 minute behind-the-scenes video. For more information see Microsoft’s coverage, the exhibit’s website (which features a nice interactive rippling water illusion), a 2:04 minute video report from CNET, and another first person report from Engadget. –Matthew] Microsoft HoloLens and Times Square prove an odd mix for an underwater AR exhibit Tourists’ first introduction to augmented reality may underwhelm By Michael Hicks…

[Here’s a new and surprising use of presence-evoking technology for summer fun. The story is from Digital Trends, where it includes a 1:06 minute video. More information from coverage in Gearbrain follows below and see the Ballast website for more on VRSlide and the company’s larger vision for underwater applications of VR and presence. –Matthew] World’s first VR-augmented waterslide is totally unnecessary, but also amazing Luke Dormehl July 18, 2018 Let’s face it: We live in a pretty jaded society. In such a “been there, seen that” environment, the promise of a regular ole’ waterpark wouldn’t be enough to prompt…