[New occlusion and 3D mapping features of the augmented reality game Pokémon Go will make the appearance of and interaction with its virtual characters more realistic, and others will adapt the game for home-play during the pandemic. Details are in this story from The Verge, where the original includes a different image and a 1:18 minute video (also available via YouTube); for more information and a vivid animated gif see the Pokémon Go website. –Matthew] Niantic adds ‘reality blending’ to Pokémon Go to make your virtual pals even more realistic A new AR feature to make pokémon more believably blend…

[Our desire, especially in times of great stress, for simulated versions of real, familiar environments where we can experience spatial and social presence is the focus of this story from The Wall Street Journal, where the original includes a second image. –Matthew] [Image: WeTransfer employees tend to use the simulated office for casual meetings and social catch-ups. Important meetings still take place in Google Hangouts. Credit: Achtung Mcgarrybowen/Isobar for Wetransfer] EXPERIENCE REPORT Miss Your Office? Some Companies Are Building Virtual Replicas Demand for simulated office space may grow as more employers embrace remote work By Katie Deighton May 27, 2020…

[While many sports are on hold because of the pandemic, auto racing has translated well to the virtual realm, with professional drivers switching to impressively realistic “at home” digital competition. But as this story from IGN makes clear, that has created both familiar and new opportunities for drama. For more details about the impostor plot reported by IGN, see the-race.com (where the coverage includes a link to a video clip from the Twitch feed of driver Stoffel Vandoorne). You can watch the full 1:49:15 video of “Round 5 Race LIVE! ABB Formula E Race At Home Challenge In Support Of…

[This story from Tech Xplore describes a new invention that creates the illusion of different tastes, along with examples of previous unsuccessful attempts to create effective taste and smell illusions. See the original story for a 0:32 minute video (also available via YouTube), and for more details see coverage in Gizmodo and follow the links at the end of the story below.–Matthew] [Image: Explanatory graphic screenshot from “[CHI2020] Norimaki Synthesizer: Taste Display Using Ion Electrophoresis in Five Gels” via YouTube] Digital device serves up a taste of virtual food By Peter Grad, Tech Xplore May 25, 2020 We’re used to…

[NASA is recruiting for an eight-month simulation experience, as reported by Space.com; see the original story for more pictures, videos and links. –Matthew] [Image: The social isolation experiment facility at the the Institute for Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia. Credit: ESA] Love isolation? NASA wants you to spend 8 months locked in a Russian lab Want to see what a trip to Mars might be like? By Chelsea Gohd May 20, 2020 Do you thrive in social isolation? NASA is looking for people to spend 8 months locked in a Russian lab for a new experiment. When humans return to…

[The pandemic is hastening Facebook’s development of presence-evoking technologies designed to enhance remote work in the years ahead, as demonstrated in a new, very short video featured and discussed in this story from The Verge. The story notes that “Facebook and Oculus’ joint work on hand tracking, more realistic avatars, spatial audio, and more powerful wireless technology illustrate how seriously the company is committed to the idea of virtual presence and making it as powerful as possible.” It also reports on how Facebook is moving toward remote work for its own employees. For more information see coverage in Upload and…

[A first-person report on the latest iteration of Spatial holographic virtual reality experiences has new importance with our unexpected reliance on 2D video meeting systems like Zoom. This story is from VentureBeat and for more details see a second story from the same publication (which explicitly praises the “sense of collective presence” of Spatial VR and provides information on free access) and a 2018 post in ISPR Presence News. –Matthew] Holographic VR meetings just became real, whether you’re ready or not Jeremy Horwitz May 20, 2020 I’m not often at a loss for words, but as I re-entered the real…

[The New York Times has compiled short stories from people who have lost a loved one during the pandemic about their experiences of mourning. Many of the stories highlight the abilities, and limitations, of media technology to overcome physical isolation from other people at an extremely difficult time. Warning: Reading these stories may evoke intense emotions; they did for me. See the original version for two more images, and a related story, “A 24-Hour Virtual Vigil Will Mourn Americans Who Have Died Of Coronavirus,” from Gothamist (that event is scheduled for today, Wednesday May 20, 2020). –Matthew] [Image: A family…

[As the need to stay physically apart during the pandemic continues to motivate more uses of presence-evoking technologies, a Texas courtroom is conducting what is said to be the first jury trial via videoconferencing. The story below from Reuters provides some key details; Law.com reports on what happened during the jury selection process; the NBC station in Dallas-Fort Worth has a 1:56 minute news report; and the ABA Journal considers more of the challenges related to presence, including this: “Video can be distancing and distorting. As courts come to grips with virtual hearings, they will need to consider how framing,…

[The new realistic robot dolphin in this report from Radio New Zealand clearly evokes medium-as-social-actor presence, with volunteers who swim with it believing it’s a real dolphin until being told the truth. The story describes a myriad of practical applications of the technology along with the creators’ plans to develop robots for other marine species. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Katie Todd] Robotic dolphin causing stir in aquariums while solving ethical dilemma 11 May 2020 Katie Todd, Reporter As Chinese zoos and aquariums grapple with new bans on wildlife trade, a New Zealand tech entrepreneur is seeing unexpected interest in her latest…

[This story from the New Statesman about the nature of personal identity and the importance of embodiment considers timeless philosophical issues against the backdrop of the pandemic. While not using the term, it raises thought-provoking questions about mediated (i.e., tele-) presence. For example, as technology improves, to what extent will it be possible and necessary to create actual or simulated embodiment in mediated presence experiences? –Matthew] What the pandemic tells us about personal identity We have become more used to seeing others through screens and software, but we are embodied beings and digital communication can feel lacking. What effect will…

[The New York Public Library is offering a (free) “immersive experience” that recreates the familiar sounds of the city that are temporarily absent because of the Coronavirus pandemic. This story is from the Library‘s website, where you can listen to the eight tracks. –Matthew] Missing Sounds of New York: An Auditory Love Letter to New Yorkers By NYPL Staff May 1, 2020 The New York we know and love is one click away: cabs honking, pigeons cooing, bike messengers whizzing by, strangers gossiping, the hum of a local library. Anywhere you are can now become the city—all you need is…