[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…

[This very short story from Blocks and Files describes the latest attempt to translate the 2D interface for computer file storage to a more intuitive (and presence-evoking) 3D system. Follow the links in the story for more information; see many more videos on the company’s Vimeo page; and for even more information visit the Saganworks website. –Matthew] [Image: Screenshot from “Introduction to Saganworks” video. Source: Vimeo] Saganworks creates virtual reality rooms for storing files and folders By Chris Mellor May 12, 2020 Saganworks, a US startup, aims to revitalise file:folder user interfaces with virtual reality rooms that create a memory…

[This story from the Los Angeles Times is an interesting first-person report on the current status of virtual reality and the nature of its value during the pandemic and more generally. It’s just one of several recent, sometimes-contradictory articles about the status and prospects for the technology; for example: Is virtual reality missing its moment? (TechSpot) This should be V.R.’s moment. Why is it still so niche? (The New York Times) Stop saying virtual reality is dying (Forbes) Coronavirus could be catalyst to reinvigorate virtual reality headsets (CNBC) Why virtual reality will be a must-have for our socially distanced future…

[The pandemic has spurred presence-related innovations in many sectors; this story from The Guardian describes a very large interactive live concert event in a realistic digital replica of Helsinki, Finland and includes speculation on the future of virtual travel. Note the concluding comment from an expert: “The role of VR will increase… The tourism industry may need to consider hybrid experiences – a combination of real and virtual – in the future. And, after this forced isolation, people will be more open for virtual experience as an alternative way of socialising and enjoying life. It might be accepted as the…

[This news in this short story from Variety may portend a world where it’ll be little noticed that the ranks of elite, popular, admired and influential cultural personalities include both real and technology-generated people. See the original story for a second image; for more on the human clients CAA represents see Wikipedia, and for more on Miquela see an ISPR Presence News post from December 2019. –Matthew] Miquela, the Uncanny CGI Virtual Influencer, Signs With CAA (EXCLUSIVE) By Todd Spangle May 6, 2020 Here’s some real news about a fake (or, at least, unreal) star: Miquela, the digital avatar and…

[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…