[Immersive theater, where the audience can interact with the performers, moved into virtual reality before Coronavirus, but this story from CNET describes how it has expanded and may portend a post-pandemic “virtual world of communication that we’ll all be living in more.” See the original story for three different images, a 3:09 minute video trailer, and a 14 minute audio interview with the author. For more coverage see the author’s November 2019 story on this topic and coverage in Upload VR, Forbes and The Los Angeles Times (requires subscription), and for more details and videos see the Tender Claws website.…

[Airbnb is offering some of its Experiences (“one-of-a-kind activities hosted by experts”) online and writer David Pogue spent a weekend sampling the growing selection of them to see how well they “replicate experiencing another place or culture.” He reports entertainingly on his experiences and conclusions in this story from The New York Times; see the original version for four short videos, and for more see a similar story in The Washington Post. –Matthew] I Spent a Weekend Bingeing Airbnb’s Virtual Experiences. Was it Worth It? While the rest of the country was binge-watching, David Pogue went binge-experiencing, cramming seven virtual…

[This story from NPR describes a new television series that revolves around the idea of presence after death along with other presence experiences in the near-future. I haven’t seen it yet but it sounds like an excellent presence portrayal – “full of thoughtful questions and challenging ideas — even about the meaning of life itself and of death itself.” The original story includes a six minute audio version and a different picture. For more information see coverage in Engadget and the Amazon Prime Upload website. –Matthew] Inventive New Comedy ‘Upload’ Explores (Virtual) Life After Death May 1, 2020 David Bianculli…

[This story from Singularity Hub describes Virtual Market 4, underway in VRChat until May 10, 2020 and expected to be “the largest social VR gathering ever.” While current technology limits the presence experience it provides, it may represent an important step toward the Metaverse of science fiction. See the original story for three more pictures. –Matthew] The World’s Biggest Social Virtual Reality Gathering Is Happening Right Now By Aaron Frank April 30, 2020 It’s one of the most under-appreciated science fiction films of the past decade, but Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (also the most…

[This story from Wired explores some of the psychological and physical benefits of exercising via virtual reality, many of which are based on the experience of presence. See the original version for a second image. For more on the Supernatural VR fitness platform see coverage in CNET and the Within website. –Matthew] Naked and Unafraid to Exercise in Virtual Reality Get over yourself and try VR workouts already. It’s private, liberating, and doesn’t require gym shorts. Jesse Damiani April 30, 2020 I can without bashfulness say that I have logged hundreds of hours on Beat Saber as naked as the…

[The quest for a practical way to evoke effective haptic sensations to enhance presence in virtual reality continues; this story from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University describes a creative new design. See the original story for a 2:04 minute video (also available via YouTube), and for more details follow the link in the story to read the CHI 2020 paper and watch a 12:20 minute video presentation made for that conference on YouTube. For information about other “new sensing and interface technologies that foster powerful and delightful interactions between human and computers” see the website of…

[At a time when many of us are stuck inside our homes, this story from The Washington Post cites research to explain how experiences of mediated nature including in video games and virtual reality have many of the same psychological and physiological benefits as nonmediated nature; though not discussed explicitly, the important role of presence is clear. See the original story for two more pictures. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: The Washington Post; iStock] Can virtual nature be a good substitute for the great outdoors? The science says yes. By Lewis Gordon, a video game and culture writer whose work has appeared…

[Two recent stories by the same author in Forbes describe the value and limitations of mediated social presence. The story below focuses on a new study of eye gaze in nonmediated and two mediated contexts. The second, “How To Be Social Without People,” focuses on a study of strategies involving nonmediated and mediated experiences that people use to feel “more socially included and connected”; here’s an excerpt: “[T]he authors created a new measure they called the ‘Social Fuel Tank.’ They told study participants that they could fill this tank with different types of ‘fuel.’ These social strategies could mean all…

[With a little imagination and selective use of technology, a family can go on a virtual campout even during stay-at-home restrictions, as described in this story from Outside Online. In related news, many Scouting organizations are holding virtual campouts that incorporate a variety of activities that take advantage of presence-evoking technology; for details see an example in the Austin American-Statesman and coverage of more ways Scouts are continuing their activities together while at home in Scouting Magazine. –Matthew] Throw Your Kids a Quarantine Campout Set up a tent, turn off your screens, and enjoy some family bonding—without leaving home Krista…

[The pandemic is changing many aspects of life and culture; this opinion piece in Artnet argues that presence-evoking technologies are the key to making significant, needed changes in how we engage with art after the pandemic ends. See the original version for three more pictures. –Matthew] [Image: Cao Fei’s The Eternal Wave (2020). Credit: Still courtesy of the artist and Acute Art.] In the Changed World After Lockdown, We Will Need Smarter New Ways to Interact With Art. I Believe Virtual Reality Is the Answer Acute Art’s artistic director explores how VR might offer an alternative mode of art-making and…

[Zoom and other video conferencing platforms are an invaluable communication tool now more than ever and provide a relatively high level of presence to users, but they are also exhausting. This thoughtful analysis from The Convivial Society examines some of the presence-related and other reasons. For more on this topic see stories from the BBC, Wall Street Journal (by our colleague Jeremy Bailenson; requires subscription), and Fast Company. For an analysis of media alternatives based on bandwidth and immediacy see a post in the IDDblog from the Center for Teaching and Learning at DePaul University.–Matthew] A Theory of Zoom Fatigue…

[The 4:20 minute film in this story from dezeen explores how virtual reality is the latest and most advanced technology for creating social and spatial presence (though the term isn’t used). The original story includes seven different images and the film is also available via YouTube. The video and more images and information are available on the Space Popular website. –Matthew] Swapping video calls for VR will change our homes forever says Space Popular Amy Frearson 20 April 2020 This movie [available in the original story] by Space Popular explores how virtual reality could become as widespread as the video…