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- The Immersive Wire - 19 May 2021 (News edition)
The Immersive Wire - 19 May 2021 (News edition)
The Immersive Wire - 19 May 2021 (News edition)
NEWS DIGEST EDITIONCurated VR/AR analysis every Wednesday and Sunday
// 19 May 2021
Wow, that last Maze Runner was boring. I'm pretty sure the cardboard in the background had better character development.
Let's talk about Google's AR-related announcements.
, the company delivered a virtual presentation which felt slightly off. Michael Peña had the comedic nous of a plank, and the added applause track had a hall-like echo... while the small gathering was outside. Still, the people stuck around for the announcements, such as:
There have been 200 million AR-related searches on the platform since it was launched, and they showed off some athletes in AR as well.
Live View AR has been updated on Google Maps to provide street labels, landmarks, and indoor directions in places like airports and malls. A blessing, considering how many families get lost in transit hubs.
Google has a massive advantage with their mapping tools. By building on their already-established dominance in the mapping space, adding contextual information with immersive tech is a natural step to maintain their lead. But rather than deliver new services which help users, the company is content with building out their core features by helping them more and more. Over time, we can see more monetisable opportunities appear from the company. It is an under-monetised area of their portfolio, and I can see them profile certain AR elements for the highest advertorial bidder. But for now, they are content with building out their consumer software with no indications on AR hardware.
What do you think of Google's AR work?
Contribute to the discussion
Laying out the plans of the future in between many, many, many secret projects. Photo credit: Google.
Over the years at Igloo Vision, we've worked with universities around the world. And in our latest white paper, we explore learnings from our first ever education client, University of Brighton, and how its Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine has made use of Igloo immersive technology.
Other stories
Want to contribute a new story? Send an email to tom (at) virtualperceptions (dot) com.
EXCLUSIVE: Avatour, the remote collaboration platform for site meetings, announced their secured seed round, worth $2.9m. The site will be updated with more details later today.
For context, the Avatour platform combines real-world 360-degree capture, real-time communication, and optional VR/AR technology to immerse remote users.
1Spatial announced that it has been granted a UK Patent for Modification and Validation of Spatial Data.
ABIResearch launched an immersive collaboration competitor report. In summary:
Market Leaders: Virbela, VRtuoso, Spatial, Walkabout Workplace;
Top Implementers: Virbela, Walkabout Workplace, Teamflow, Spatial;
Top Innovators: VRtuoso, Spatial, MeetinVR, Virbela, The Wild.
Agora announced with HTC that they are only real-time engagement solution in their newly launched Independent Software Vendors Program.
Bionik announced two VR accessories, the Mantis VR audio system and Face Pad, launching this summer.
Cover Drive Cricket is a VR cricket game launching on the Oculus Quest.
Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Nreal, because of a clash with its trademark.
Extended Collection is a curated library of links to the immersive web, and they just updated their website.
Facebook announced its Oculus update v29, which lets iOS users show off their gameplay. Also, Hugo Barra is leaving the company after four years.
Facecake worked with Sephora to launch AR try-on functionality from Anastasia Beverly Hills’ new Brow App.
Immerse partnered with Bodyswaps to help deliver immersive training experiences.
Microsoft still has plans to release a consumer version of their headset.
Nextech AR announced their intention to acquire Threedy.ai for $9.5m.
Spatial announced the beta launch of its new interactive web app.
Stanford XR is delivering an XR conference on 22 May, called Redefine Reality.
ThirdEye announced the creation of the ThirdEye Investment Fund to further the growth of immersive companies.
VR Education announced with HTC that their VIVE Sessions platform will be included in the software bundle of the HTC’s new headset.
HTC also announced a partnership with HP to roll out “VIVE Sessions” on new HP ProBook laptops sold inside China.
Walmart announced their intention to acquire Zeekit, which lets people virtually try on clothes.
Finally, if you need an experienced PR or communications professional to help with your VR/AR project, drop me a line and let's see how we can work together.
Jobs board3D ARTIST: Futurus is looking for a 3D Artist who has experience with the 3D model pipeline, is a creative problem solver, and can produce mobile-optimized VR-ready art assets for an immersive experience.
MID-SENIOR FRONT END DEVELOPER (JavaScript, WebGL), UK. Continue the development of Fixie's first-of-a-kind architectural 3D printing platform by integrating extended reality presentation authoring tools.
JUNIOR-MIDWEIGHT WEB DEVELOPER (C#, .NET Core), UK. Looking for a web developer looking to work in immersive-related technologies.
Want to profile your role in front of thousands of talented VR/AR professionals for as little as £20/$28? Craft your job advert and pay in just a few minutes. Terms and conditions apply.
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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!