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- The Immersive Wire - 17 March 2021 (news edition)
The Immersive Wire - 17 March 2021 (news edition)
The Immersive Wire - 17 March 2021 (News edition)
NEWS DIGEST EDITIONCurated VR/AR analysis every Wednesday and Sunday
// 17 March 2021
Connect with the Igloo Vision team on LinkedIn.
Facebook indicated that 10,000 people are working on VR/AR in the company. Practically, the numbers tell us very little.
We know that it comprises 15-20% of the internal workforce - but it does not consider contracted companies or agencies hired by Facebook.
We also don't know how the numbers are distributed. Under Facebook Reality Labs are Portal, Oculus, Spark AR, Project Aria - and other secret projects they're building.
But in any case, it highlights something we already knew - that Facebook is investing a lot into its next platform. But I would be curious to see the numbers broken down and expanded upon in the future. Full details on the story here.
SXSW is doing a whole bunch of XR-related work, and it is pretty good!
Murals, cinema, gatherings, panels, talks - SXSW XR has it all.
Not much of a surprise considering how techno-focused it is most years, but it's striking that it is coordinated so well (compared to other XR events anyway). With that coordination comes a smooth-running virtual event.
The key lesson here is that having a consistently-updated hub page works really well - and for (most) people who can't go to SXSW each year, the virtual equivalent is a good shout.
Still, doesn't beat going in person - I remember fondly going in 2017, particularly the dancing in the German hub.
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Other stories
Want to contribute a new story? Send an email to tom (at) virtualperceptions (dot) com.
EmergiSim received $100,000 from the Epic MegaGrant. Congratulations!
HTC unveiled their new trackers and Face Tracker.
Immersive Arcade launched its VR showcase, showing off the best of British immersive.
Disclaimer: I worked on this project as a freelance copywriter.
Leeds Extended Reality Society is doing a webinar on XR in gaming.
media mea (yes, that's how they capitalise their company!) partnered with Darabase to help deliver digital out-of-home advertising.
Oculus only has three people in the App Lab team (but they are ramping it up).
So if you're wondering why approvals are slow, it's because these three have a very stressful work week!
Pico Interactive received $37m in funding, supporting their B2C presence in Asia and Western markets.
RealWear announced that the Mace Group deployed RealWear’s assisted reality wearable computers running voice-enabled Microsoft Teams.
SURREAL Events launched a web-based, 3D virtual environment where audiences can experience fully customisable events.
Taqtile announced a partnership with the California Manufacturers & Technology Association.
XR Diversity Initiative is profiling talent in the industry. Sign the form to be considered (and please support their work!)
XR Nation turned one year old and added ten new members for the quarter. Congratulations!
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That's all for this week! Want to have a chat, let me know about a news story, or talk business? Either reply to this email, or contact tom (at) virtualperceptions (dot) com. Have an excellent day!