[You can have some Christmas presence (sorry!) at TGI Fridays in the UK this year; will this become a trend? The story is from The Daily Mirror, where it features many more images and a 1:14 minute video. The unscientific poll at the end of the story currently has 75% indicating support for the idea. The VR promotion follows last year’s “Mistletoe drones” – see CNET for details. –Matthew] Fancy dinner in Lapland? Customers at TGI Fridays offered ‘virtual reality’ trips to festive wonderland You won’t even have to get on a plane to experience the true magic of Christmas…

[Evoking presence, in this case for an important educational simulation, doesn’t require highly sophisticated technology. Most of the media coverage of this draws on the Ford press release below; there’s also a 2:13 minute video on YouTube and International Business Times has a first person report and a 3:12 minute video. –Matthew] Unique Ford Suit Helps Teach Young People the Dangerous Effects of Driving Under the Influence of Illegal Drugs DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 20, 2015 – Ford Motor Company has created a unique suit to dramatically teach young people about the dangers of driving under the influence of illegal drugs.…

[Impacto isn’t just about boxing – it’s “a prototype for future gaming or telepresence interfaces “; the story from MIT Technology Review includes a different picture and a 0:30 minute video. If nothing else, read the succinct summary in the last sentence below. –Matthew] [Image: eTeknix] Get a Virtual-Reality Punch, Feel Real Impact Researchers in Germany have developed technology for an armband that lets you feel impact from virtual interactions. By John Pavlus on November 11, 2015 Imagine playing a virtual-reality boxing game, complete with a menacing opponent aiming a haymaker at your head. You get your gloves up in…

[This looks like a very immersive, presence-evoking installation; the post from The Creators Project blog includes a larger gif, many more images, and the video. –Matthew] [Image: GIF via, images courtesy the artist] Take a Mind-Bending Plane Ride That Never Leaves the Ground By Beckett Mufson — Nov 5 2015 File into the airplane. Find your seat. Buckle up. Instead of engines revving and cabin pressure falling, an array of LEDs sets the metal tube ablaze with light. Welcome to PlayMid’s (Playmodes + MID) new installation, Porta Estel·lar: the only destination is the psychedelic corners of your mind.…

[An early step toward the Holodeck? This is from Gizmodo, where you’ll find more pictures and a 3:45 minute video. See the HaptoClone website for more detailed information. –Matthew] The Haptic Tech That Could Let You Touch The Person You’re Skyping With Alissa Walker 8/12/15 I was skeptical. Two cubes sat side-by-side, looking like stripped-down 3D printers. I sat in front of one as instructed, and reached my hand inside, toward a floating disembodied finger. Just at the moment I knew I’d stab through the illusion, I had the ultimate “E.T. phone home” moment—I swear I could feel the other…

[This story from the Los Angeles Times is an interesting consideration of the possibilities for VR and presence in live theater. The original story includes the 5:02 “Circle of Life” in 360° video. –Matthew] [Image: Jelany Remy as Simba in the Broadway musical “The Lion King.” (Joan Marcus / Associated Press)] Can virtual reality revolutionize live theater? Broadway’s ‘Lion King’ experiment Steven Zeitchik November 18, 2015 Since the dawning of the new age of virtual reality all the way back in, you know, 2014, the form has been beset by a major question: Can it revolutionize live theater? After all,…

[This first person report considers the emotional implications of presence in the context of sexuality; it’s from Motherboard, where it includes the 0:58 minute trailer for the film “I Am You” and an additional image. For more about the VR film, see coverage in CBC News. –Matthew] Is an Affair in Virtual Reality Still Cheating? Written by Zoltan Istvan November 19, 2015 I hadn’t touched another woman in an intimate way since before getting married six years ago. Then, in the most peculiar circumstances, I was doing it. I was caressing a young woman’s hands. I remember thinking as I…

[Another potentially valuable application of telepresence technology; this is from ZDNet, where the story includes another image. For more on Professor Fischer’s work, see his University of Utah webpage. –Matthew] Telepresence robots to beam psychologists into schools Researchers in Utah are experimenting with robots to solve a pressing problem: There aren’t enough pediatric psychologists to go around. By Greg Nichols for Robotics | November 4, 2015 Researchers in Utah are using an inexpensive robotic platform to help teachers in rural areas implement programs for children with special needs. It’s another example of the early adoption of telepresence robots by educators…

[Could presence ‘save’ the music industry? This is from The Memo, where the original story includes the Björk and Muse videos and a screenshot from the U2 video; I’ve corrected several typos. –Matthew] VR: Let Björk serenade you on a beach & help save the music industry Shaking up the music industry: How personal, immersive performances could empower indie filmmakers, musicians and artists. By Kitty Knowles 18 November 2015 Björk stands on a near-black Icelandic beach, unfolding her arms out towards you. She looks you in the eye, warbling her way over delicate notes. Waves crash behind her, and her…

[A cultural activity that relies on imagination moves into virtual reality (someone ought to conduct a comparative study, now or as the VR versions evolve); the story is from Forbes. –Matthew] Dungeons & Dragons Debuts In Virtual Reality Via AltspaceVR David M. Ewalt, Contributor Author, Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It (Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.) Nov 16, 2015 The classic pen-and-paper fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons is making a big leap off the tabletop into the high tech-world of virtual reality.…

[It’s clear that the mainstreaming of VR will bring lots of ethical challenges, largely because of its ability to evoke presence. This is from The New York Times (see the related post on November 11. –Matthew] The Tricky Terrain of Virtual Reality Margaret Sullivan, The Public Editor November 14, 2015 The arrival of a small cardboard box with last Sunday’s Times represented, in its unobtrusive way, a collision of cultures. Here was a piece of cutting-edge journalism — promising virtual reality, no less — arriving the old-fashioned way, hand delivered with the print newspaper. The box itself (when assembled, it…

[This could be a huge step forward in augmented reality. The story is from E&T and for more information see the Dispelix website. –Matthew] New display seamlessly integrates with smartglasses 11 November 2015 By Jack Loughran A transparent display that can be integrated into an eyeglass lense has been developed by Finnish researchers. The display allows for smartphone technology to be incorporated into eyewear in a more seamless fashion than devices such as Google Glass. Unlike Google Glass, which projects an image onto an external prism to display information to users, the new technology is integrated directly into the lense…