[From The Guardian] Experiencing is believing: what virtual reality could mean for ads and brands If Facebook can pull off mass adoption of Oculus Rift, how will it change media and marketing? Mike McGee dares to dream Posted by Mike McGee 28 August 2014 Facebook is hoping to create 1bn users for its virtual reality (VR) acquisition, Oculus. Sounds overly ambitious doesn’t it? But not impossible. After all, Google managed this level of adoption for Android. So let’s assume for a moment that it’s feasible and ask ourselves how mass uptake of VR will affect media and marketing? VR is…

[From RocketNews24, where the story includes the 2:19 minute video (via Vimeo), along with many images from it] Amazing real-time projection mapping technology blurs line between fantasy and reality [Video] Kay August 24, 2014 Projection mapping is a technology we seem to be hearing about quite often these days, and you may have seen it being used at various events or amusement park shows. But the video that we’re sharing with you today makes use of a highly unexpected and unusual surface to create a series of projection mapped images quite unlike anything we’ve seen before. In fact, the technology…

[From GamesIndustry.biz;  Gizmodo’s coverage is headlined “Could Virtual Reality Seem Real Enough To Kill You?”] [Image: From the 14:50 minute YouTube video “Oculus FACEBOOK Rift: The Best and Funniest OR Reactions Ever Compilation”] “We’re very close to having the first death in VR” Cloudhead Games’ Denny Unger warns devs of the responsibility that comes with VR’s immersive power By Matthew Handrahan Fri 22 Aug 2014 The emergence of virtual reality is one of the most exciting trends in contemporary game development. The unparalleled sense of immersion it affords points toward a whole new era of interactive entertainment, but that potential…

[From Motherboard, where the story features two videos and several more images] A New Virtual Reality Tool Brings the Daily Trauma of the Syrian War to Life Written by Christopher Malmo August 23, 2014 The situation for journalism in Syria is grim, and getting worse. With Bashar al-Assad on one side, and a handful of extremist rebel groups like the Islamic State on the other, journalist abductions and intimidation are common, with sometimes sickening results. For a few years now, Syria has been categorized by the Committee to Protect Journalists as the most dangerous country in the world to be…

[From the University of California, San Diego; a 4:39 minute video is available on YouTube] New Virtual Reality Navigation System to Help Diagnose Cognitive Defects August 18, 2014 | By Tiffany Fox Note: This is the first in a three-part series about Qualcomm Institute research projects that have a direct impact on aging. All three projects are funded through the Calit2 Strategic Research Opportunities program. The Qualcomm Institute is the University of California, San Diego division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2). Experts agree that the ability to navigate a neighborhood or built space is one…

[From Business Insider; for more see the Netflix Hack Day 2014 web page] Netflix Paired With The Oculus Rift Headset Could Transform Your Home Into A Movie Theater Steven Tweedie Aug. 20, 2014 Netflix recently unveiled several experimental projects that were created during one of its “Hack Days,” where employees can tinker and dream up new versions of the popular streaming service. One of the coolest projects is called Oculix, and it combines the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset with the Netflix experience.…

[From Gizmag, where the story includes a 27 image picture gallery] Swimarium: The virtual reality swimming pool By Stu Robarts August 13, 2014 If you’ve ever fancied scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef but can’t afford it, this idea from OVA Studio might provide a solution. The Swimarium is a design concept in which LED screens are placed all around a pool to create an immersive virtual swimming experience that would let you dive anywhere in the world.…

[From Motherboard] New Military Jets Are So Powerful, Pilots Must Be Trained in Virtual Reality Written by Jordan Pearson August 11, 2014 The latest generation of US Air Force fighter jets are smarter, stealthier, and more lethal than their predecessors, but they present an unexpected hurdle: The new jets are too powerful to unleash their full potential during training exercises. One general believes that training pilots in virtual reality is the solution. Fifth generation jets like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II boast weaponized high technology like supersonically launched guided missiles and a wealth of sensors that provide full…

[From Forbes, where the story includes two videos; much more information is available at the CEEDs Project web site] [Image: Source] Making Sense of Big Data With Virtual Reality And The Unconscious Mind Federico Guerrini 8/16/2014 A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic, is a well-known quote – often mistakingly attributed to Stalin. Regardless of the author, the sentence is interesting because it can be read in at least two ways: in one, it relates with compassion fatigue, our inability of feeling outrage when the horror surpasses a certain threshold. But it might also be…

[From Journalism.co.uk; see also the BBC’s 3:57 minute video report] Lessons from BBC virtual reality stream at Glasgow Games The BBC Research and Development team shares what lessons were drawn from the first virtual reality sports stream and how they can be used in the future Posted: 8 August 2014 By: Catalina Albeanu A virtual reality live stream was set up at the Commonwealth Games last week to allow viewers outside of the Hydro Arena to experience the gymnastics competition as if they were comfortably seated in the stalls. The BBC Research and Development (R&D) team placed a 360 degree…

[From CNET, where the story includes more images and a 1:04 minute video; more coverage is available from The Creators Project, including this quote from Chris Helson: “When you actually stand there with them floating in front of you, they have a life that you connect to in a very different way than you would with a film or video, or even a 3D film.”] Help Me Obi: Is this the first true 3D video? Art installation Help Me Obi plays projected video that viewers can walk around and watch from any position. by Michelle Starr July 27, 2014 Video…

[From Gizmag, where the story includes an image gallery and a 2:29 minute video; those of us at ISPR 2014 in Vienna had the chance to try out and learn about the Virtualizer from the creators] [Image: The Virtualizer VR rig from Cyberith lets gamers walk, run, jump, crouch, kneel and even sit] Cyberith’s Virtualizer brings running, jumping … and sitting to virtual reality By Colin Jeffrey July 23, 2014 In recent years, we’ve seen a number of virtual reality (VR) devices targeted at bringing more immersive gaming to the home while also adding locomotion to the mix. Joining the…