[This story from The Creators Project describes an interesting example of presence being used to preserve and reproduce the experience of a place, in this case a temporary art installation; the original story includes lots of pictures. –Matthew] ‘Donald Dump’ Artist Hanksy Brings Street Art into Virtual Reality Andrew Nunes Oct 26 2016 Once known as a parodist street artist who riffed on Banksy tags through the goofy addition of Tom Hanks’ head, the anonymous Hanksy has begun to branch out to bigger and better things. This past weekend the artist put on Surplus Candy VR, a New York show…

[As the Boiler Room CEO/founder notes in this story from Magnetic Magazine, presence technologies are poised to bring music fans closer to performers and performances, “to what it’s like being at a sweaty rave or an amazing concert half-way across the world.” The story includes two videos; for more information see the press release available via BusinessWire. –Matthew] [Image: Source: Pitchfork] Boiler Room and the emerging worlds of VR in electronic music Electronic music fans can now get closer than ever to the live streaming action Akhil Kalepu October 27, 2016 The international music broadcaster is bringing their live streaming…

[One of the most important applications of presence is bringing people together via technology to increase the likelihood of understanding; the project described in this story from the New York Times (where it features an additional image), is a good example. This work reminds me of Sam Keen’s book and documentary “Faces of the Enemy” and his more recent “The Art of Enemy Making.” –Matthew] [Image: Jiabao Li experiencing the virtual reality project “The Enemy” in Cambridge, Mass. Credit: Kayana Szymczak for The New York Times.] Meeting ‘the Other’ Face to Face By Randy Kennedy October 26, 2016 CAMBRIDGE, Mass.…

[Technology that connects strangers using social presence has the potential to widen horizons and enrich lives; this story is from the Austin American Statesman, where it includes more images and two videos. See also a 2015 ISPR Presence News post about the use of this technology by the UN. –Matthew] [Image: A virtual portal housed inside a shipping container allows visitors at St. Edward’s University to communicating by videoconference with people all over the world. In this photo, Tony Chavez (left), who works at the university and was on the committee for the project with Shared Studios, speaks to Mona…

[It’s still early days of course, but the ability to create AI-driven reproductions of well-known TV characters, or living or deceased private individuals, raises all kinds of possibilities and ethical concerns. In addition to the link to a detailed related story about Eugenia Kuyda’s creation of a chatbot of her best friend after he died, the original version of this story from The Verge includes a different image and a 1:45 minute video. –Matthew] [Image: Source: PSFK] Researchers resurrected Joey from Friends as a video chatbot No one told you life was gonna be this way by Casey Newton Oct…

[Presence scholars have emphasized virtual reality over augmented reality, but projects like the one described in this story from The Creators Project point to the potential of AR to evoke a meaningful altered perception of a place. See the original story for many more images. –Matthew] How Augmented Reality Is Fighting Cultural Erasure in East Harlem Beverly Bryan — Oct 23 2016 Culture and history are vital, though often invisible, parts of any community, but the Mi Querido Barrio (My Beloved Community) augmented reality tour, presented by New York City’s Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), showcases the many…

[Here’s a depressing example of the all-too-timely dark side of presence; it’s from Medium, where the story includes two screenshots from the QuiVr game. –Matthew] [Image: Source: The Verge] My First Virtual Reality Groping October 20, 2016 Jordan Belamire Last week I was groped in virtual reality — did you know that could happen? I didn’t, but now I’m all the wiser.…

[Aside from the further expansion of VR presence experiences, it’s interesting that the NBA learned that it had to incorporate elements of traditional broadcasting into its 360-degree live broadcasts to maintain viewer attention and interest. This story is from Fortune. –Matthew] Here’s How the NBA Is Stepping Up Its Virtual Reality Game by Jonathan Vanian October 20, 2016 The NBA is getting more serious with virtual reality. NBA Digital, a joint venture between Turner Sports and the NBA that manages the league’s online properties, said that it will broadcast one basketball game a week that viewers can watch in 360…

[Inception VR looks like another promising step toward the widespread adoption of presence-evoking VR experiences; the story from Digital Trends includes different images and a 2:34 minute interactive video. –Matthew] This Company Wants to be the Netflix of Virtual Reality By Andy Boxall October 19, 2016 When you want to watch some great streaming video, where do you go? Netflix, perhaps? Amazon Video? There are fantastic original shows from both these titans. Now, what if you’d like a similar, quality video experience for your virtual reality headset? Sure, there are many apps out there that pull together some great, and…

[This is an interesting demonstration of presence and its potential; the story from Engadget includes a second picture, and more information about ALPS’ development and application of haptic technology is available from the company’s website. –Matthew] How about a nice hot cup of virtual tea? Haptics combined with heating and cooling elements deliver the feeling (if not the taste) of a cup of tea. Mat Smith 10.05.16 Electronics company ALPS tests (and manufactures) all kinds of things. But its virtual cup, made possible by haptic technology and heat transmission, is the electronics manufacturer at its weird best.…

[Halloween is a great context for refining intense presence experiences; this story is from IGN, where it includes more images and a 1:16 minute video. More details are available from The Washington Times, and the attraction’s website. –Matthew] The Repository: Universal Orlando’s New VR Horror Experience Scared Us Silly New theme park attraction proves VR isn’t just for videogames anymore. By Matt Cabral 7 October 2016 Spend a day at Universal Orlando’s two connected theme parks and you’ll likely be asked to don a pair of plastic 3D glasses. Whether going toe-to-tentacle with Doctor Octopus in The Amazing Adventures of…

[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.…