[An extremely positive use, and the limitations, of presence are described in this story from CNET, where the original includes a 3:52 minute video and a photo gallery. –Matthew]   [Image: A grandmother in Iztapalapa, Mexico, used a Samsung Gear VR to spend the afternoon with relatives in the US she hasn’t seen in almost two decades. Credit: Family Reunions Project] VR’s new mission: Reunite immigrants with family back home The Family Reunions Project uses 360-degree videos and VR headsets to reunite families separated by borders they cannot cross –except in virtual reality. by Laura Martínez July 27, 2017 Marleny,…

[The “Magic Bench” is another intriguing presence-evoking technology from Disney Research; this story is from New Atlas, where it includes the 3:39 minute video that is also available along with more information via the links at the bottom of the story. –Matthew] Disney’s Magic Bench makes augmented reality a group activity Michael Irving July 26, 2017 Some day, even stopping for a rest on a bench at Disneyland might be an attraction in itself. You could find yourself seated beside a grumpy frog or a snoring elephant, thanks to a mixed reality prototype Disney Research calls the Magic Bench. Designed…

[This widely-cited story from The Daily Mail highlights part of a new Lancet Commission report regarding the use of several technologies, including those designed to evoke different types of presence, for the treatment of dementia patients. For more information see The Lancet as well as a related story, “Assisted living tries virtual reality to help seniors with dementia,” in The Journal Times. –Matthew] [Image: Source: The Daily Mail] Robots could soon care for dementia patients but experts warn it’s ‘not a replacement for human contact’ Tech advancements mean gadgets and apps are already being introduced But there may be some…

[Here’s a short, middle-of-summer presence story from People, where the original includes more images and a 1:05 minute video. See the Madame Tussauds Hollywood website for more. –Matthew] Kylie Jenner Says She ‘Fooled Her Whole Family’ During FaceTime Call with Her $350,000 Wax Figure By Karen Mizoguchi Posted On July 19, 2017 Kylie Jenner put one over on her famous family during a recent prank call with a little help from her newly-created Madame Tussauds wax figure. “I made her FaceTime my whole family … fooled everyone,” the Life of Kylie star, 19, shared on Instagram Tuesday, along with a…

[The use of virtual reality (and presence) recently gave a team of doctors the insights they needed to save the lives of conjoined twins; the story is from The Washington Post, where it includes more images and a 3:12 minute video, and more details are available from the University of Minnesota. –Matthew] How doctors used virtual reality to save the lives of conjoined twin sisters By Peter Holley July 23, 2017 During an 18-year career in medicine, Daniel Saltzman — the chief of pediatric surgery at University of Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital — has grown accustomed to looking at X-rays…

[This story from India’s MiD DAY (where it includes other pictures) describes an effort to use presence for education and social change on a vital topic. The goal and power of the approach is described in coverage from The Pioneer: “By integrating technology creatively in the work [the creators] do, they aim to connect more with the young target audience by enabling them to get a realistic immersive experience of what is intimate partner violence.” And coverage in DNA: “You might have figured out where Manoj’s initial transgressions lead, without us elaborating—but it is only the immediacy of the 360 degree experience that…

[I look forward to multiple field trips to the new presence-experience attraction VR World described in this story from Metro US; the original story includes a 16-image photo gallery and two videos. –Matthew] Giant virtual reality arcade VR World opens in Midtown With 50 stations and all the latest equipment, VR World finally gets the future of virtual reality gaming and movies in your hands. By Eva Kis Published: July 15, 2017 | Updated: July 17, 2017 Hold onto your controllers, NYC — a huge new virtual reality arcade called VR World just landed in Manhattan. “You can walk in…

[This story from CBS News details the ongoing evolution of simulator technologies used to train members of law enforcement; in addition to 360 degree immersive virtual environments, the simulators can create a more realistic “fear response” via “an electronic impulse device which can be used to deliver a mild shock to the trainee.” The original story includes a second image and a video. –Matthew] [Image: Monmouth County’s VirTra V-300 simulator in action. The simulator gives officers a 300-degree view using five different screens. Courtesy Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.] Virtual reality helps reinvent law enforcement training By Tyler Lewis, CBS NEWS…

[As this story from The Verge notes (in the second-to-last paragraph), “The goal of immersive entertainment is to bring people into fictional worlds and situations; to give them agency and presence in a way that blurs the line between fiction and reality,” and “Disney is all-in on the concept, no matter the medium.” The company’s latest project is a vivid example. See the original story for two more pictures. –Matthew] Disney wants to build a Westworld for Star Wars fans A luxury space hotel in a galaxy far, far away by Bryan Bishop Jul 16, 2017 This weekend at its…

[Even without the startling prediction that “by the year 2021, there will be more Alexa-like digital assistants on the planet than humans” the responses to and uses of Amazon’s product described in this story from The New York Times are fascinating examples of medium-as-social-actor presence. It also contains interesting analyses of the reasons for these responses. The original version of the story includes more images. –Matthew] [Image: By Sergio Baradat] ‘Alexa, Where Have You Been All My Life?’ Siri is so five years ago: How a sleek, smooth-talking cylinder from Amazon stole our hearts, bamboozled our spouses and enchanted our…

[The new film Dunkirk in full IMAX format promises to create compelling presence experiences. This short story from The Verge includes the 4 minute “Behind the Frame” featurette. A detailed story in the Los Angeles Times includes this: “[A]s Nolan sees it, ‘Dunkirk’ is not a war movie per se but rather a kind of Hitchcockian suspense thriller, and his goal for the picture, which he filmed almost entirely in IMAX, is to create an immersive white-knuckle ride that puts the viewer in the shoes of soldiers fighting for survival. ‘We’re trying to create an experience that I talk about…

[This story from Stanford Medicine is about the powerful benefits of using data from brain scans to create presence experiences for neurology patients and surgeons. –Matthew] [Image: The virtual reality system is helping train residents, assist surgeons in planning upcoming operations and educate patients. It also helps surgeons in the operating room, guiding them in a three-dimensional space. Credit: Paul Sakuma] Virtual reality system helps surgeons, reassures patients Stanford Medicine is using a new software system that combines imaging from MRIs, CT scans and angiograms to create a three-dimensional model that physicians and patients can see and manipulate — just…