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Good morning!
This week AR pioneer Dr. Helen Papagiannis (author of Augmented Human) shows us how XR can help us travel in a time of isolation, NY Times explores the rise of Gen Z Zoom culture (including Zoom memes), and Facial recognition companies are claiming to be a safer alternative to fingerprint scanning (of course, the fingerprint people are pushing back).
In Industry News, Adweek asks marketing experts how to pivot planned experiential marketing projects (perhaps there's something to learn from esports events), TechCrunch gives us a list of location-based VR venues that are temporarily closing their doors, and HTC hosts the first-ever full VR replacement for a major industry event.
Stay safe.
- Justin |
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| MUST-READS |
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| We Live in Zoom Now |
"We finally figured out what the Z stands for in Gen Z."
Zoom - already a staple in the virtual meeting space (and a handy alternative when Hangouts craps out) - has done nothing but soar during the pandemic. Last Sunday, 600k people downloaded the app, and Zoom's valuation has risen to $29B - above major airlines.
It's not just remote employees that are living on app - Gen Zers are using it to chat with friends, students are going on Zoom blind dates, and parents are orchestrating a Zoom recess. The app has already ingrained itself into meme culture... and life as we knew it. The NY Times explores why Zoom has become the de facto meeting space - and not so much Skype or Hangouts.
9 min read
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| Facial Recognition Companies See the Coronavirus as a Business Opportunity |
In the time of crisis, certain technologies are turning out to be invaluable for remote connection and passing the time, such as conferencing software (see above) and streaming services. Facial recognition and iris scanning are now being touted as more hygienic replacements for fingerprint scanners as officials look to curb physical contact.
Police in India are directing businesses to use facial recognition or ID cards in lieu of fingerprint authentication, and the NYPD is pausing fingerprint entries. Russia is already using facial recognition to track people leaving quarantine.
4 min read |
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| COMMUNITY NEWS |
| Let's have lunch together. Starting Friday, March 27 at 1PM, RLab will host virtual Lunch & Learn events featuring guest speakers, demos, tutorials, and Q&As on a range of topics - from virtual production, collaboration, and training tools, to resources for XR companies and startups navigating uncertain times. Sign up here to get the link for our first gathering on March 27, and tell us who you'd like to hear from and what you'd like to learn from these events. |
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| EVENTS & CLASSES |
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UPCOMING CLASSES AT RLAB
Due to unknowns surrounding COVID-19 and restrictions on in-person gatherings, all upcoming in-person Master Classes and Intensives at RLab are on hold until further notice, and registration to these classes is closed. We will reschedule the classes as soon as possible, and are in the process of converting some workshops into remote course offerings, so stay tuned!
In the meantime, check out our online courses, created by RLab in partnership with Emeritus and NYU Tandon School of Engineering.
Online Course: UX Design & Strategy for Emerging Technologies
Starts March 25
This 2-month online course gives product designers and managers a solid understanding of considerations for a new era of interfaces and UX. Provided in partnership with Emeritus and NYU Tandon. Register Here
Online Course: UX Design Principles for AR & VR
Starts May 19
This 2-month online course gives UX designers an understanding of how to design UX for AR & VR technologies. Provided in partnership with Emeritus and NYU Tandon. Register Here
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Webinar: Ace Your Remote Pitch
March 24, 11AM-12PM
Join the Data Future Lab for a free webinar with GK Training on how to polish your remote pitch to potential investors and customers. Startups can also volunteer to pitch on the webinar and get feedback. Register Here
Online Event: Speculative Design + Social Dreaming
March 26, 2:30PM-4:30PM
A salon meets design sprint meets game design jam with special guests that include a mixture of storytellers, futurists, game designers, systems thinkers, hackers, and makers. Register Here
Online Event: XR Immersive Enterprise 2020
May 5-6
A look at how virtual, augmented & mixed reality are transforming training, collaboration, design, manufacturing and marketing across industry. New fully online format. Discount code: 5107RLAB100. Register Here
Online Event: AWE USA
May 26-29
Wherever you are, you’ll still be able to experience the highlight of the AR/VR calendar, with 200+ speakers, 200+ sponsors/exhibitors, and the annual Auggie Awards. Register Here
Event: Symposium & Hackathon for VR/AR in Healthcare
June 25-28 @ Boston
Clinicians, scientists, designers, developers and other experts form interdisciplinary teams to build amazing prototypes, learn about VR/AR/XR, and experience interactive lessons on how to create it. Apply Here
OPPORTUNITIES & JOBS
Opportunity: NYC Media Lab & ASCAP Challenge
Deadline: April 3
11-week summer prototyping program seeking university teams to explore how emerging and spatial tech might unlock new ways to compose and experience music. Apply Here
Competition: Games for Change Student Challenge
Deadline: April 17
All middle and high school students nationwide can enter their original social impact games for the chance to win awesome prizes and national recognition.
Learn More
Opportunity: ITP Camp
Deadline: May 15
4 week crash course/playground for non-student makers, artists, musicians, programmers, fabricators, and creatives of all sorts. Apply Here |
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INDUSTRY NEWS
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| How Are Experiential Marketing Agencies Grappling With Coronavirus? |
Live events - industry conferences, tech summits, festivals - the world over have been cancelled, postponed, or taken virtual. In the ad industry, experiential marketing projects have been indefinitely postponed. Adweek spoke to industry experts to get a sense of how agencies are pivoting their planned physical events - and how the COVID-19 crisis will change contingency planning in the future.
"Agencies and clients will have to think beyond [live streaming] if they want to achieve an emotional connection with consumers on par with an IRL event." One agency said they may adapt learnings taken from esports events.
3 min read |
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| Virtual Reality Scales Back Its Real World Presence |
Despite the promise of VR as a virtual meeting tool in the time of social distancing, the industry has taken a hit with the indefinite closure of VR arcades across the country - a popular and resilient use case for the tech.
The Void and Sandbox VR announced that they will close all of its US locations; Two Bit Circus also closed temporarily; and Dreamscape is temporarily closing its location in the US and in Dubai.
2 min read |
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| HTC Holds Virtual Media Event, Sends Coronavirus Balloons Into Crowd for Selfies |
HTC's Virtual Vive Ecosystem Conference was the first complete VR replacement for a major industry event. During HTC China president Alvin Graylin's speech, we got a glimpse of how crowd interaction might work during a virtual event (though, VentureBeat does note that Graylin's treatment of the situation was rather "glib" and "tone deaf"):
"After discussing the impact of the coronavirus on HTC's staff, he released virtual coronavirus particles into the audience.... At that point, balloon-like 3D models of coronavirus particles appeared behind Graylin, and began moving into the crowd.... As he spoke, each member of the audience was covered in a protective outfit.... If the prospect of having virtual presenters shock attendees with random virus releases wasn't unsettling enough, Graylin went further, asking the audience to take a photo to memorialize the moment."
3 min read |
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