[As another school year begins new technology developments suggest that realistic, interactive, artificially intelligent digital teachers may transform the traditional classroom experience. This story from Newsroom describes a new advance in digital teacher technologies in New Zealand; the original version includes an additional image, and for more information see the Vector press release, which includes a 2:00 minute video that features student reactions to both the digital and real teacher. –Matthew] [Image: Students trialling digital teacher Will say he’s just like a human. Photo: Supplied] World-first digital teacher in NZ schools August 23, 2018 Farah Hancock Kiwi students will be…

[This story on Labor Day in the United States describes how the power of vivid early photographs of working children directly looking at the camera (and therefore the viewer) helped change public perceptions and end child labor in the U.S. As noted in the last paragraph, today other media including virtual reality (and the sense of presence it evokes) are also being used to show and combat social injustices. The interesting story is from The Washington Post, where the original includes eight more images (follow the link at the end for over five thousand more) as well as links to…

[The airlines are finding interesting applications of presence-evoking technology. This story from MRO (“Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul”) Network is about new immersive tech Emirates Airlines is adopting for seat booking and other previews of the inside of its planes (more details, images and a 1 minute video are available from Emirates). APEX (“Airline Passenger Experience Association”) has a related story about a passenger survey supporting the addition of VR-based experiences in airlines’ airport pre-flight lounges. –Matthew] Virtual Reality Informs Passengers Booking Airline Seats Emirates helps make seat selection a more accurate experience for its passengers via an immersive, 3D, online process…

[This story from VentureBeat is about valuable applications of aerial telepresence; more details are on the Cape website and in coverage in Aviation Today, which includes this: “The U.S. government launched the [drone integration pilot program] because drones are a quickly expanding industry. Civilians and companies alike are embracing them and finding new uses every day. [Cape CEO] Rittler is confident that we’re on the cusp of a broader integration into the fabric of society. ‘I really think we’re at that point, kind of like when the smartphone first came out, everybody said ‘This will never be used in enterprise,’ he…

[The creators of a new Cinematic VR film are testing the limits and learning best production practices for transitioning the VR medium from short-form demos and games to long-form engaging narratives. This story is from Variety, where the original includes more images. –Matthew] Venice: Secret Location’s ‘The Great C’ Takes an Ambitious Stab at Long-Form VR By Janko Roettgers August 28, 2018 When the Venice Film Festival opens its doors this week, audiences will once again get to see a number of virtual reality (VR) titles. And anyone who has followed VR might notice a trend: Cinematic VR, as non-gaming…

[As the fall semester begins it’s a good time to read about how The University of North Carolina System is using VR and presence to “promote and facilitate college access” across all of its campuses. It notes their plans for the use of chatbots and expansion to all colleges in the state. Most of the press coverage is drawn from this more detailed press release from UNC. –Matthew] [Image: This still shot from a new virtual reality video compiled by the UNC System shows a class at N.C. State University. Source: News & Record.] UNC SYSTEM LAUNCHES FIRST-IN-NATION VIRTUAL REALITY…