Executive summary
Welcome to your weekly briefing on the metaverse and spatial computing. Here are your snippets to sound smarter in meetings this week:
Top story: Meta has launched Meta Glasses (more below).
Demo day: We are hosting an XR demo day on 9 July, in London. Come participate, and submit your demo to show the audience.
Other stories: King's College London researchers, working with the University of Konstanz, used a VRbehavioural test to show that the visual environment zebrafish are raised in alters the shape and activity of retinal neurons, affecting their later behaviour (more below)
The sun is a deadly lazor.
Top story
Meta has launched Meta Glasses.
What is it? These are its first smart glasses line without Ray-Ban or Oakley branding, offering three new styles (Adventurer, Fury, and a Kylie Jenner edition) starting at $300.
What’s the significance? It goes beyond the branded lines, which implies that Meta is exploring if its own brand and tech alone are enough to carry it. Will it? Maybe.
This week’s stories
Fever has launched Titanic: A Voyage Through Time, a VR experience at the Galleries in Bristol developed with Titanic exhibition specialists Musealia, running until the end of August.
King's College London researchers, working with the University of Konstanz, used a VRbehavioural test to show that the visual environment zebrafish are raised in alters the shape and activity of retinal neurons, affecting their later behaviour.
Meadowview Care Home in Penketh, Warrington, has introduced Recreo VR headsets to offer residents immersive experiences as part of its wellbeing activities.
The Smithsonian American Women's History Museum has launched Unhidden Heroines, an augmented reality experience on the National Mall pairing five historically overlooked women with nearby monuments to men, designed by Goodby, Silverstein and Partners and running until 31 December.
Usdaw, a shop worker's union, has warned that public filming of retail staff on smart glasses, such as those used by former TV presenter Michael Barrymore, is an "increasing problem" that breaches data protection law and risks serious harm to shop workers' wellbeing.
Virtuix has launched Omni One for Quest, a "Made for Meta" certified omni-directional treadmill that lets players walk, run, crouch, and jump in 360 degrees within the Meta Quest ecosystem, with support for a growing library of compatible Quest games.
Note: The Immersive Wire is run by Tom Ffiske, who also works at Accenture. The contents of the newsletter should not be regarded as Accenture’s views.
All spelling mistakes are deliberate, actually.
