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Good Morning!
The 2020s are looming, and with Apple and Facebook's AR glasses scheduled for release within the next five years, it seems we're finally entering the spatial computing phase we first glimpsed with Jaron Lanier decades ago. Kicking off this week's collection is a blog from engineer Steve Cheney, which addresses a vital but little-talked-about component of AR glasses: the localization of high-throughput wireless with tech like Ultra Wideband. This excellent dive is followed by Next Reality's feature on shattering the VR vs. AR illusion, and a comprehensive and fascinating look at gastronomic VR experiences from Bloomberg. Don't miss the Michael Abrash Oculus speech roundup further down!
Here at RLab, we're getting ready for the next wave of interfaces that the 2020s will bring at this weekend's sold-out UX design for AR/VR intensive with Roland Dubois and Sam Brewton. Our course catalog continues to grow to meet the demand for professional development in this emerging space – if you don't see what you're looking for, you can take a quick survey to tell us what you want to learn.
Enjoy the newsletter!
- Justin
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FOR THE MEDIA
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On the Internet's Next Act |
Former electrical engineer and programmer Steve Cheney believes our phone screens will become the equivalent of camcorders thanks to advancements in smart glasses tech, and he goes over the how in his latest blog. Cheney isn't here to list the usual rundown of emerging tech - in fact, he thinks 5G is "largely a mirage," and the real innovation in wireless is at the "localization and perception" levels.
The tech that will enable the secure transmission of data from your phone to your smart glasses will be Ultra Wideband - a little-known radio technology that has been built into the latest iPhone.
10 min read
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The Future of Augmented Reality — What to Expect This Year & in 2020 |
AR's storyline isn't tidy. This year we've seen high-profile startups like Meta, Blippar, and most recently Daqri crash and burn. Others like Microsoft and Magic Leap have enough cash-for-fuel to find a foothold in the industry, despite being early to the party. Who knows what will come out of Apple and Facebook in the coming years.
So where does everything converge into the neat reality of an augmented future? Next Reality author Adario Strange starts simple... with the end of the AR vs. VR comparisons: Strange believes we should take baby steps with each, since both inevitably lead to "interactive everything." This Pocket-lint podcast echoes a similar sentiment.
5 min read |
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Virtual Reality Is the Latest Dinner Party Trick |
Those who've eaten in a dining-in-the-dark concept restaurant understand that an absence of sight can lead to a completely different perspective on food. It comes as little surprise then that eating food in different virtual environments changes your perception of taste.
At the FoodHack conference in Gwangju, in South Korea, Bloomberg author Richard Morgan was lucky to try out Aerobanquets RMX, a five-course meal served while you're immersed in abstract VR worlds. The experience was transformative, according to Morgan, food consultant Harry Parr, and Brooklyn Museum's director of visitor experience Sara Devin.
8 min read
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Why Paid VR Content Is Already Dead |
Samuel Huber, founder at XR monetization platform Admix, has spoken to many XR content creators, and while they're passionate about the medium, their business plans almost invariably fall under "I'll publish it on Steam for $X." Huber says that few developers actually pull this off; his advice is to publish free, monetize later. Paid, Huber asserts, is a barrier to virality and scalability. To assert his point, he points to a page in the history of app downloads:
4 min read
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EVENTS & CLASSES |
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UPCOMING CLASSES AT RLAB
Online Course: UX Design and Strategy for Emerging Technologies
Start Date: September 30
Location: Online
This online course will provide executives who oversee product development with a solid understanding of the considerations for the new era of interfaces and UX. Register Here
Intensive: Shaders in Unity
Date: October 5, 10AM-7PM
Location: RLab
This 1-day master class covers the basics of writing a shader program, with a deep dive into using the power of the GPU to solve mathematics tasks as you write your own particle system from scratch. Register Here
Master Class: XR for Healthcare
Date: October 25-26, 10AM-7PM
Location: RLab
Explore innovations and opportunities for immersive tech in healthcare and learn how to apply your skillset as a game or interactive developer to work in this field in this 2-day master class. Register Here |
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Event: NextG Inspire
September 23, 5PM-8M @ Samsung 837
Be inspired by the capabilities of 5G through expert-led workshops, and partake in thought leadership discussions. Register Here
Class: Unity Platform - Intermediate
September 23-26, 3PM-6PM @ CUNY-on-the-Concourse
Expand your Unity know-how with this intermediate level course. Note: the free course "Introduction to Unity Platform" is a prerequisite. Register Here
Event: AWE Nite NYC Meetup
September 24, 6PM-10PM @ RLab
Monthly meetup featuring AR talks and demos. Register Here
Event: Oculus Connect
September 25-26 @ San Jose, CA
Annual conference bringing together developers, creators, and more to push the AR/VR industry forward. Learn More
Event: NYC Media Lab Annual Summit
September 26, 8:30AM-5PM @ New York City College of Technology, Brooklyn
XR continues to be a big theme at NYC Media Lab's Annual Summit. Register Here
Event: Emerging Technologies Colloquium in Augmented and Virtual Reality
September 27, 10AM-53PM @ Columbia University
Industry thought leaders share advancements in extended reality, including virtual & augmented reality, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. Register Here
Class: Intro to Augmented Reality Storytelling with Spark AR Studio
September 27, 1PM-5PM @ Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY
Get started with producing a simple augmented reality experience for Facebook or Instagram. Register Here
Event: Animation Nights NY Best of Fest
October 5-6 @ Seaport District, NYC
Annual festival and conference featuring screenings, exhibits, an XR showcase, and industry events. Register Here
Event: NextG Build
October 7-9 @ Verizon 5G Labs
Invite-only workshop to test the power of 5G live, and transform your application into a 5G-enabled solution. Request an Invitation
Class: Introduction to Unity Platform
October 7-10, 3PM-6PM @ CUNY-on-the-Concourse
A free introduction to Unity's interface, asset store and customization features. Register Here
Event: AWE EU
October 17-18 @ Munich Germany
AWE returns to Europe for the fourth year. Don't miss the world's leading spatial computing (AR/VR/MR) event series. Register Here
Event: VR and Healthcare Showcase
October 23 @ RLab
Showcase for investors and practitioners organized by VR Voice. Register Here
Class: Introduction to 2D Game Development
October 21-24, 3PM-6PM @ CUNY-on-the-Concourse
Get up and running with the Unity game engine, focusing specifically on working independently with its suite of 2D features. Register Here
Class: Unity Platform - Advanced
December 9-12, 3PM-6PM @ CUNY-on-the-Concourse
Sharpen your Unity skills with this hands-on course. Note: the course "Unity Platform - Intermediate" is a prerequisite for this course. Register Here
Class: Introduction to 3D Game Development
December 16-19, 3PM-6PM @ CUNY-on-the-Concourse
Build a third-person 3D game from the ground up utilizing Unity's suite of 3D game features. Register Here
OPPORTUNITIES & JOBS
Opportunity: Sundance New Frontier Story Lab
Deadline: October 1
Storytellers, artists, and creative technologists can now apply for the Sundance Institute's 2020 New Frontier Story Lab. Learn More
Opportunity: ERA Winter '20 Accelerator
Deadline: October 28
Companies selected to participate in the four-month program will receive a $100,000 investment. Learn More |
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INDUSTRY NEWS
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