The Immersive Wire - 29 December 2021 (News edition)

By Tom FfiskeVR/AR and metaverse analysis every Wednesday and Sunday

// 29 December 2021

My sister hooked me on Modern Family, because apparently Italy has more seasons than in the UK. She worked out that she needed to do nine episodes a day before leaving.

Invest to own a part of the future of exercise in the Metaverse

TOP NEWSLand, Land, Land

Ready Player Me announced a Series A funding round of $13m.

• Having followed the company for some time, it is wonderful to see them make seismic strides throughout 2021 and witness their exponential growth.

• The money will go towards expanding their team across the globe, and is supported by notable investors including Taavet+Sten.

• Which partners will it have next? We shall see.

Decentraland announced that it will host four days of catwalks in March 2022.

• Fashion-related virtual items saw a spike in interest and value. With the high brand value of brands like Dolce & Gabanna linked to pixels, it is a low-margin way to make some decent cash. (I am not into fashion myself, so I find the costs to be... extreme even at the best of times).

• As Decentraland handles space within virtual worlds, it makes sense that it will make its own fashion show in the location.

• The show will feature 'catwalk shows and showcases, pop up shops, after parties, and immersive experiences.'

• On how it will contribute to metaverse discussions; I can envision a virtual 'site' to be a place where people go for events, in much the same way that Cannes is in ad land. The location itself then becomes a go-to place for budding professionals to show off their work, as a yearly hub for people anywhere to visit. Perhaps Decentraland's venture will be a precursor.

April Robinson was proposed to

• No wider analysis needed, I just thought this is a lovely way to cap off 2021 🥂

• Congratulations! And as this is the last newsletter of 2021, here's to a bright 2022 to everyone - thank you for your support!

VirZOOM shipped the first commercial VR Exercise solution in 2016. Today, thousands of VZfit members cycle through 10 million miles of roads mapped by Google Streetview, pedal tanks in multiplayer tank battles, fly helicopters in a firefight, fly a winged horse to soar 100s of feet high through a canyon, among many games that get you fit while you explore and play!Invest to join in for as little as $500.

2021 WRAPPED

Steady progression, and a metaversal pivot (cont.)

Got a news story? Let me know at tom (at) immersivewire (dot) com.

• Apple hired a senior AR comms lead from Meta.

• bHaptics announced TactGloves, consumer hand-tracking gloves that work with the Quest 2.

  • The price is impressive as well, as they start at $299.

• Encore announced they're looking for AR creators and music artists to join their program.

• HitMotion: Reloaded has a new demo on App Lab.

• Meta acquired AI. Reverie to work in the Reality Labs section of the company.

  • The company worked on AI capabilities for the US Department of Defence. No word on what exactly the company will work on.

  • Also, Meta has done very well this Christmas as the Quest 2 sold plenty of units.

• Nespresso is experimenting with AR to help address climate change.

• Vuzix announced that they are working with Verizon to use 5G and edge computing technologies with AR for sports and gaming.

• The State of the AR/VR survey is now live, powered by SlashData. The survey is a chance to influence the trends of tomorrow and make an impact on the ecosystem. In return, you could enter prize draws to win new AR/VR gear. AR/VR creators, the spotlight is on you, answer a few questions & win new gear.*

 *This is a sponsored item from SlashData.

Jobs boardNEW - SENIOR COMPUTER SCIENCE and SOFTWARE DEVELOPER (3D, Linear Algebra, C++). We are looking for a unicorn computer scientist from anywhere in the world who can help build the core rendering technology that will serve creators to build custom products in training, marketing, sales, retail and learning in photorealistic, real-time 3D delivered on any device in a browser. Working with our Head of R&D, you will be responsible for creating and implementing new 3D graphics solutions to push the limits of our technology stack. Solid understanding of Real-time 3D libraries (OpenGL, Vulkan), Linear Algebra, C++ and 3D rendering and game engine technologies. To apply, contact info (at) metavrse (dot) com. XR SOFTWARE ENGINEER NETWORKING, Wikitude, a Qualcomm company. Qualcomm is a company of inventors that unlocked 5G ushering in an age of rapid acceleration in connectivity. Under this dynamic umbrella, Wikitude, a Qualcomm company, shapes the future of augmented reality by empowering businesses and developers. We are looking for an experienced XR Software Engineer Networking to drive the architecture, development, and deployment of core parts of our XR toolkit. A successful candidate has extensive experience in multiplayer streaming and can apply it to XR experiences. Do you have a solid technical background, a passion for the XR industry, and enjoy working with engineering teams? Apply hereXR CONTENT DIRECTOR, Pixo VR. The VR marketplace is exploding, and PIXO is leading the way in on-demand generation and adoption in our industry. With our groundbreaking PIXO ApexTM platform, we provide comprehensive, end-to-end VR content, distribution, and management solutions for enterprise. PIXO VR is searching for an XR Content Director to join our team. Reporting to the COO, the Content Director will manage the overall production, procurement and growth strategy for our XR content library. Working with a team of offshore and onshore designers, engineers, artists, marketers, and 3rd party content developers, the Content Director will ensure PIXO is delivering an exceptional content experience to all our end users. Check out further details here. SDK TECHNICAL ENGINEER, Pico Interactive Europe. As SDK Technical Engineer you will be responsible for investigating/troubleshooting issues reported, and collecting/consolidating customer requirements back to the Beijing DevSupport team. Through this role you will be the technical liaison between Pico Interactive Europe customers and Pico product teams to ensure Europe region's commercial success. In Europe, Pico is one of the premier enterprise hardware companies in the rapidly growing VR market. Click here for more.TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER, Pico Interactive Europe. As Technical Project Manager you will be responsible for evaluating improvements to the devices, services, logistics, and operations to continue the high growth business of Pico Interactive Europe. In Europe, Pico is one of the premier enterprise hardware companies in the rapidly growing VR market. The Pico Europe business is responsible for all business opportunities in Europe, Israel, Russian Federation and India. Click here for more. DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER. ArborXR is device management for AR & VR devices. We power some of the largest headset deployments in the world with Fortune 500, ISVs and companies around the world. Looking for someone with experience in the B2B SAAS marketing space who would enjoy working with a fully remote team based in the US, Canada and Europe. Would join a quickly growing marketing team with a hot product that is selling rapidly. Click here for more. WEB-AR DEVELOPER wanted to work with veteran AR agency. Experience in JavaScript, Three.js, A-Frame, and 8th Wall preferred. Ideal candidate thrives working remotely. Includes competitive salary and full benefits. To apply, send resume to [email protected].INTERNSHIP, US. The intern will be primarily focused on developing proficiency in the use and application of tools designed for experiences in VR/AR headsets. GRIP-IE interns will assist the Get Real management team and clients in the design, development, and implementation of features within both internal and partner platforms. Interns will follow industry best practices including continuous improvement through code reviews of existing and new code. GRIP-IE interns will also be responsible for managing communication with software vendors on a variety of topics including bug identification, feature requests, troubleshooting, and documentation materials. Click here for more. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, UK. Here at CIRCUS (an award-winning creative agency, specialists of Virtual Brand Experiences) we're on the lookout for an enthusiastic B2B Business Development Manager on a part-time, remote basis. If this sounds of interest and you love all things virtual, we'd love to tell you more. Click here for more. Display your vacancy in front of thousands of talented VR/AR professionals in just a few clicks. Click here for more info.

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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) immersivewire (dot) com. Have an excellent day!