[An inexpensive and increasingly common presence technology helps save a life; the story is from the Miami Herald, where it features a 4:02 video and several more images. –Matthew] [Image: Dr. John F. Rhodes, left, looks towards Dr. Redmond P. Burke, center, as he holds the Google Cardboard virtual reality device and explains its use in the cutting-edge medical procedure with Dr. Juan Cuarlos Muniz, right. On Tuesday, December 22, 2015 doctors at Nicklaus Children Hospital and the Lexcen family held a press conference on life-saving heart surgery performed on Teegan Lexcen at Nicklaus using a new procedure, virtual reality…

[The term isn’t used, but there are lots of presence-related observations in this story about a new interactive, non-linear, 360 degree animated video story with a Christmas theme, designed to be viewed with smartphones or tablets, or with Google Cardboard. The story is from The Verge, where it features the 4:14 minute video and several more images. –Matthew] Rear Window at Christmas: Behind Google’s new interactive animated short A team-up with the creators of Wallace and Gromit is the latest step for Google’s Spotlight Stories By Adi Robertson on December 22, 2015 The scene is a snowy apartment building out…

[Since most of us won’t be taking the in–person tour, here’s a way to experience the White House decorated for the holidays; the story is from iDigitalTimes Australia and features the 5:17 minute 360 degree video. –Matthew] [Image: From Engadget] Google Provides Virtual Reality Video Tour Of The White House By Ken Salcedo Mon, 12/21/2015 Google managed to get in the White House and was able to capture 360-degree videos showing some of the Presidential home’s rooms and corridors. Users will be able to watch the five-minute video on YouTube, or they can even experience it on the company’s Cardboard…

[Among Dr. Furness’ interesting observations are the comparison of VR to Star Trek’s Vulcan “mind meld”; the story is from NPR. –Matthew] [Image: Dr. Thomas Furness (left) in one of the labs stretched throughout a nondescript house in Seattle that’s home to his RATLab. Gil Aegerter/KUOW] Grandfather Of VR: The Virtual Can Show The Beauty Of The Real December 17, 2015 Jamala Henderson Thomas Furness is known as the pioneer who stood at the inception of what we know today as virtual reality. He often gets called the “grandfather of virtual reality”: he started with work on interfaces of fighter…

[This intriguing art installation was designed explicitly to evoke presence; the story is from The Creators Project blog, where it includes more pictures and a 3:51 minute video. You can experience the Infinity Room at Houston’s Day for Night Festival through Sunday (December 20). –Matthew] An Artist Put Infinity in a Room in Istanbul By Kevin Holmes — Sep 15 2015 Representing the infinite is, in its very nature, problematic. But that hasn’t stopped it from making an appearance in art, time and again. LA-based Turkish artist Refik Anadol tackles the concept in his installation Infinity Room, an immersive room…

[The health and fitness applications of VR and presence continue to evolve; this story from The Verge describes some of the design challenges; see the original for more images and a 2:40 minute video. –Matthew] Exercising in virtual reality with the VirZoom motion controller Gaming meets SoulCycle By Nick Statt on December 16, 2015 Video games and exercise don’t play well together. Sure, there’s the eight-year-old Wii Fit, drumming with the new Rock Band, and a slew of dedicated exercise games using Microsoft’s Kinect and featuring fitness trainers you’ve never heard of. But video games are more often a sedentary…

[The description of the product in this Kickstarter campaign (which has now met its funding goal) says, “Quite simply, Pillow Talk enables two people to experience each other’s presence”; the story is from Mashable, where it includes more images and a 1:39 minute video; see the campaign’s website for much more information including a longer video. –Matthew] Pillow Talk sends your long-distance partner the sound of your heartbeat Alicia Marie Tan December 1, 2015 Pillow talk is an important part of a relationship. It’s the intimate conversations you have with your partner between the sheets, snuggling and staring into each…

[Two more contexts for presence experiences – music production and hoverboard riding – are described in this post from The Creators Blog, which features more images and three videos. –Matthew] Now You Can Make Beats in Virtual Reality By DJ Pangburn — Dec 8 2015 In virtual reality, there is a great emphasis on visuals and haptic feedback. But apart from some established musicians like Jack White and The Who dabbling in VR, or the multisensory experience of Soundself, there’s been precious little done as far as exploiting the possibilities of sound in virtual reality. Amsterdam-based creative coder and motion…

[This very unusual product design brings together concepts of telepresence after death and telepresence and sexuality; designer Mark Sturkenboom’s website says it allows a widow to “have an intimate night with her sweetheart again.” The story is from Dose, where it features more images; more coverage, including in Mashable, appeared earlier this year. –Matthew] Do You Know Anyone Who Could Use This Sex Toy? Its Unique Function is Both Sad and Odd Posted Nov 24, by Brandon Siewert Losing any loved one is a heartbreaking experience, but for someone who loses their lifelong spouse, it can be particularly devastating.…

[This thoughtful piece from The Verge reminds us of some of the complex ethical issues that we’ll have to confront as VR and presence become more common; here’s a key line: “If VR can reveal truth, it can also make lies more vivid.” –Matthew] How do you turn North Korea’s unreal facade into virtual reality? Unfiltered access to a filtered experience By Adi Robertson December 10, 2015 When The New York Times released virtual reality mini-documentary The Displaced, its creators talked about the medium’s capacity to convey the unfiltered truth of a scene. It’s not that audiences no longer have…

[This application of presence in health care could be extremely valuable; the story is from Boston Magazine, and a 0:31 minute interactive video is available on YouTube. –Matthew] Tufts Medical Center Is Bringing Virtual Reality to Patient Care Patients will be able to get a 360-degree preview before a medical procedure. By Dana Guth | Hub Health | December 7, 2015 Patients often suffer a great deal of anxiety in the moments leading up to a procedure. But what if an individual could scope out the ER, meet her surgeon, and feel out her surroundings months before an appointment?…

[Following the recent research suggesting that 3D faces evoke more emotion comes this evidence for the power of 3D to improve memory; the story is from Popular Science, where it includes a 1:50 minute video. –Matthew] [Image: Three-dimensional video games could make your memory better right there (the hippocampus)] Three-Dimensional Video Games Could Make Your Memory Better Adding to the pile of conflicting video game research By Dave Gershgorn December 8, 2015 Video games and science have a sordid past. They make you smarter, dumber, fat, skinny, relaxed, aggressive, and now, new research adds improved memory to that list.…