[Here’s another (fun) example of VR moving toward becoming mainstream; the story is from Mashable, where it includes three different images; more details are available in a press release at /Film. –Matthew] [Image: Source: /Film] ‘The Simpsons’ celebrates 600th episode with virtual reality short By Adario Strange October 17, 2016 Not everyone is convinced that virtual reality is the future, but at least one beloved institution, The Simpsons, has hopped onto the VR train. In celebration of the series’ 600th episode, the show decided to offer its opening couch scene in VR using Google Cardboard, and the result is incredible.…

[The use of virtual reality (and presence) to evaluate job applicants as described in this story from Wired raises lots of important questions. The original story includes two more images, and more information is available from Lloyds Banking Group. –Matthew] [Image: This is an example of a virtual world in which the Lloyds graduates will be tested. Credit: Lloyds Banking Group] Your next interview could be in VR: Lloyds trials virtual tests for candidates Lloyds Banking Group is launching a scheme that uses VR headsets to put job applicants to the test in virtual situations By Victoria Woollaston 7 October…

[While Sony’s PlayStation VR debuts today (here‘s a review), another VR platform is in the works, as described in this story from Venture Beat; the original version includes two videos and two other images. A press release is available via Business Wire. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Modal VR] Nolan Bushnell’s Modal VR launches next-generation virtual reality platform for enterprises Dean Takahashi October 12, 2016 Nolan Bushnell, the cofounder of Atari and father of modern video games, is back with a new startup creating a virtual reality platform for enterprises. Modal VR enables companies to set up virtual reality experiences that are…

[Cliff Nass would have loved the work described in this PC Magazine story about cultural differences in social responses to robots. The original story includes more images. –Matthew] When Taking Robots Global, One Size Does Not Fit All Even robots can get lost in translation. PCMag talks to Dr. Selma Sabanovic about the challenges of taking them global. By Sophia Stuart October 2, 2016 Whether it’s robots that dance, robot coworkers, sociable trash cans, or therapeutic devices, Dr. Selma Sabanovic from Indiana University has seen it all. Dr. Sabanovic, an associate professor at the university’s School of Informatics and Computing,…

[This story from TechCrunch suggests interesting research questions about how different strategies and techniques can increase presence in a format part way between symbolic text and photo-realistic audio-video. The story includes a 1:30 minute video.–Matthew] Digital comics startup Madefire launches its first virtual reality app Posted October 10, 2016 by Anthony Ha When digital comics startup Madefire announced its latest funding round a few days ago, co-founder and CEO Ben Wolstenholme said the company was getting ready to move into virtual and augmented reality. He lived up to that promise in very short order, launching a preview app for Samsung’s…

[This story from The Wall Street Journal considers the prospects for videoconferencing via virtual reality and concludes with the question of whether mass adoption would decrease or increase face-to-face meetings. See the original story for several more images and a detailed infographic. –Matthew] [Image: Developers are working on virtual-reality systems that one day could replace videoconferencing as a common tool for business meetings. Photo: iStockphoto/Getty Images] Virtual Reality Takes On the Videoconference If meetings are held in virtual reality with avatars, will people feel more connected? By Cat Zakrzewski Sept. 18, 2016 Get ready for your next conference call—in virtual…