[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…

[This example of “Slow TV” has particular appeal to me as a railroad enthusiast, though I think the commercial breaks will likely break viewers’ sense of presence. Three stories on the topic are below, the first from the Las Vegas Review Journal. –Matthew] Want to watch a 5-hour train ride? Because you can with slow TV By Christopher Lawrence Las Vegas Review-Journal November 10, 2015 Much like prime-time game shows and singing contests, U.S. television is copying yet another curious European phenomenon: slow TV. Spurred by the success that Norwegian public broadcasting has had airing everything from 12 hours of…

[This seems like an important step in VR’s history; the story is from The Boston Globe, and a related take on the New York Times’ rollout is available from Fortune. For more details and instructions see the Times. –Matthew] [Image: Forbes] A dazzling virtual reality rollout from New York Times By Amanda Katz Globe Staff November 10, 2015 On Saturday morning I did something unusual for someone who subscribes to The New York Times online: I texted a couple of print subscribers and begged them to check the bag on their doorstep. I was looking for a print-subscriber freebie, a…

[This new camera and production system offers the promise of what Lytro calls “true live-action presence in VR” (in Mashable); the story below is from Wired, where it includes more images. A 3:43 minute video introducing Lytro’s Immerge is available on Vimeo; and see a story about Uncorporeal’s related technology in ISPR Presence News. –Matthew] Lytro Immerge: Groundbreaking Camera Will Let You Move Around in VR Video Tim Moynihan 11.05.15 Ever since Lytro burst onto the scene with its first light-field camera three years ago, it’s done things very differently. The company’s imaging technology has always been groundbreaking: They make…

[The overall message from this new consumer study is that there’s great interest in trying and purchasing presence-evoking VR technology for a variety of activities (though apparently not communication/social VR); there are also some concerns (see the last paragraph). The story is from Fast Company, where it features more (full-size) infographics. –Matthew] What Americans Really Think About Virtual Reality A new consumer study finds that minorities are more interested in VR, and Oculus is not No. 1. By Daniel Terdiman November 6, 2015 Minorities are more likely than whites to be passionate about virtual reality. And despite the attention paid…