Augmented Reality (AR)

A solid variety of tools & apps

On 04/07/2015, in Adobe, Apple, art, Augmented Reality (AR), creativity, digital storytelling, education technology, geography / geology, Microsoft, storytelling, tools, Uncategorized, vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, workplace, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

Augmented Reality can be a reality in your art classroom — from theartofed.com

Excerpt:

Last fall, I attended a technology conference where I went to a session on augmented reality technology (AR) and how it can be used in the classroom. I was blown away by the possibilities of this tech concept and its ability to modify our students’ current reality into a compelling, virtual experience of interactive information.

AR in your Art Classroom
There are dozens of AR apps, programs and resources out there that can help encourage curiosity and inspire critical thinking and intense creativity in your students. Here are a few augmented reality options that you can start infusing into your art curriculum.

Aurasma

ARPhoto#2

Jaunt VR wants to (virtually) change the way we travel — from cntraveler.com
Gaming is just the beginning. The real future of virtual reality lies in hacking the global travel experience.

52 of the best apps for your classroom in 2015 — from list.ly by Terry Heick

Adobe’s Slate is a [new] visual storytelling app for the iPad — from techcrunch.com; also an article at CampusTechnology.com on this app

The top 50 apps for creative minds — from theguardian.com
Our pick of the best tablet and smartphone tools to enable you to make video, music, art and more

[Microsoft’s] Sway is now collaborative—create and edit together with others! — from blogs.office.com by the Sway Team

Excerpt:

When we announced Sway, we knew that people would want to work on standout class projects, eye-catching business reports, engaging vacation recaps, or more, together—it’s the way things are done now, right? But Sway up until now has been a tool for individual authors to create polished content in a new and interactive way to share with their audiences. However, we know you’ve asked for shared editing in Sway in our feedback channels (such as UserVoice), and that Office has delivered real-time editing and collaboration features for years, allowing people to work together to share their collective ideas. On top of that, we can’t tell you how many times that we on the Sway team have said to each other, “I wish I could work on this Sway with you!” So now we’re rolling out co-authoring in Sway!

Microsoft debuts Office Lens, a document-scanning app for iOS and Android — from techcrunch.com by Sarah Perez

Excerpt:

Microsoft [on 4/2/15] launched Office Lens, a mobile document scanner app that works with OneNote, for iOS and Android smartphones. The app, which allows users to snap photos of paper documents, receipts, business cards, menus, whiteboards, sticky notes and more, was first launched a year ago as an application designed only for Windows Phone devices.

5 free (or low cost) tools for Flipped Learning— from Campus Technology’s April/May 2015 edition

Doceri
Explain Everything
Office Mix
Screencast-O-Matic
Verso

AppStudio for ArcGIS — with thanks to Dr. Jason Van Horn (Associate Professor Geology, Geography & Env Studies at Calvin College) for this resource
Your mobile mapping apps, built in a snap

Excerpt:

AppStudio for ArcGIS is a groundbreaking tool in the GIS app revolution. It lets you convert your maps into beautiful, consumer-friendly mobile apps ready for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, and publish them using your own brand to all popular app stores – no developer skills required.

Moodle Mobile 2 is coming: updated look and feel of the application, transition to Ionic Framework — from moodlenews.com

Excerpt:

A few weeks ago Juan Leyva introduced a demo site for Moodlers to check out the 2nd version of Moodle Mobile the ever improving official mobile application for the learning management system. The major changes include a shift to Ionic framework which will greatly enhance the developers’ ability to focus on new features development.

Some of the best storytelling apps for elementary students — from educatorstechnology.com

Excerpt:

The apps below are particularly useful for elementary students but they can also be used with other age groups. Elementary teachers often complain about the paucity of apps that are kids appropriate compared with apps for other age groups. So we thought it would be useful to create a section in this blog devoted entirely to apps specifically curated for elementary teachers. After we have covered math and writing apps, today’s post features some very good iPad storytelling apps to use with young kids. You can use these apps to help kids develop a wide range of basic literacy skills that include: writing, reading and speaking.

5 great writing apps for elementary students — from educatorstechnology.com

Excerpt:

The selection we curated for you today contains some useful iPad apps to use with elementary students to help them with their writing. Some the things your kids will get to learn from these apps include: learning how to write letters, learning phonics and spelling, composing syllables by combining vowels and consonants, and several other basic literacy skills. Some of these apps also include tracking features which allow teachers and parents to keep updated about the progress of their kids.

Addendum on 4/8/15:

An entirely reimagined way to work is here! — from blogs.adobe.com
Excerpt:
[On April 6th] Adobe made available Adobe Document Cloud with all-new Acrobat DC – and, in so doing, offers people and organizations worldwide a better and more efficient way to work.

Addendum on 4/9/15:

Apple releases update to OS X, introduces new Photos app — from talkingnewmedia.com by D.B. Hebbard

Addendums on 4/13:15:

Six ways to make movies on a smartphone — from quib.ly by Laura Celada
Excerpt:

Have you tried using mobile devices to make movies? Film-making is such a great way for your children to express themselves and nurture their creativity and imagination. We’ve selected the most powerful apps and programs that can even the least techy kids become creative moviemakers.
None of these require any special equipment, just a tablet or a smartphone. Children can take videos, edit their work and make professional quality movies on the go. Check out the list below and bring out the Spielberg in them. Maybe next year you and your little thinker might be walking down the red carpet…
.
Nice for Every Device: 15 Tech-Agnostic Tools — from edsurge.com
Posting included tools for:
Student Response Systems
Student Collaboration Activities
English Language Arts/Social Studies
Math/Science
80 Twitter Tools for Almost Everything — from hongkiat.com

The future of documentation? Heads up to Technical Communicators, Trainers, User Experience Designers, & similar positions

On 03/26/2015, in 21st century, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), corporate universities / corporate training, digital learning, emerging technologies, professional development, training / L&D, user experience (UX), workplace, by Daniel Christian

Madcap and Metaio team up for augmented reality documentation — from blog.metaio.com by Jack Dashwood

Excerpt:

Documentation is a huge industry and with humanity’s continuing pursuit of technology, it’s not slowing down. Instead, documentation methods are growing and diversifying into mediums beyond the traditional paper manual.

…

Madcap’s newest update, Madcap Flare 11, has taken documentation even further. By leveraging Metaio’s Augmented Reality technology, Flare is now able to export documentation with Augmented Reality content. In a world of increasingly complex and abstract concepts, Augmented Reality provides much needed simplicity, with intuitive 3D models, live video, and dynamic linking between static printed content and digital information.

A video of Audi’s Augmented Reality Manual, back from August 2013:

From DSC:
Also…what affordances might this present for educators, instructional designers, and the like?

Microsoft’s Productivity Future Vision – some sharp innovations here!

On 02/27/2015, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, 3D, A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), business, collaboration, communications, convergence, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, distance education, education technology, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, future, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interaction design, interactivity, interface design, internet, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, machine-to-machine communications, Microsoft, mobile learning, multimedia, Near Field Communication (NFC), new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, participation, platforms, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, programming, second screen apps, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, technologies for your home, technology (general), telecommunications, telepresence, trends, TVs, ubiquitous learning, user experience (UX), user interface design, using teams, vendors, videoconferencing, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, web-based collaboration, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Example snapshots from
Microsoft’s Productivity Future Vision

6 solid items regarding virtual reality and augmented reality

On 02/16/2015, in Augmented Reality (AR), education technology, emerging technologies, future, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, interactivity, user experience (UX), user interface design, virtual field trips, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, by Daniel Christian

Designing the Future of Augmented Reality: slides from PechaKucha

Excerpted slides:

Also see:

Excerpt from 40ideas.com

How will Augmented Reality extend human capacity and human imagination? The 40 Ideas That Will Change Reality documents the inventions, concepts, and opportunities that will forever change the way we experience reality. Eight of the 40 Ideas from the upcoming book are highlighted above.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality: what’s the difference? — from augmentedstories.com by Helen Papagiannis

Excerpt:

AR and VR are often confused with each other, and used interchangeably in the media, but they are significantly different. Let’s break it down:

Augmented Reality (AR): real, physical world
Virtual Reality (VR): computer generated environment, artificial world

Reality Has Changed. Microsoft’s HoloLens and what you need to know about the next wave of Augmented Reality — from augmentedstories.com by Helen Papagiannis

Excerpt:

HoloLens appears to use a Virtual Retinal Display (VRD).

So, what’s VRD, you ask?

VRD mirrors how the human eye works. The back of the eye receives light and converts it into signals for your brain. Images are projected directly onto the retina with the back of the eye used as a screen effectively.

The result is a more true-to-life image than the ‘ghostly transparent superimposed representation’ (as Gizmodo reporter Sean Hollister describes) we’ve seen with AR eyewear before. Hollister details his experience of Microsoft’s prototype as “standing in a room filled with objects. Posters covering the walls. And yet somehow—without blocking my vision—the HoloLens was making those objects almost totally invisible.” He states, “Some of the very shiniest things in the room—the silver handle of a pitcher, if I recall correctly—managed to reflect enough light into my eyes to penetrate the illusion.”

Microsoft’s HoloLens

Also see:

An addendum on 2/17/15 — with thanks to Mr. Steven Chevalia for this resource which deals with immersive experiences:

Oculus Connect Videos & Presentations Online [oculus.com]

On 11/11/2014, in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), digital audio, digital storytelling, digital video, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, interactivity, interface design, media/film, trends, user experience (UX), vendors, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, wearables, by Daniel Christian

Oculus Connect Videos and Presentations Online — from oculus.com

Excerpt:

All the keynotes, panels, and developer sessions from Connect are now available to watch online. The slides from each session are also available for download from the Connect site under the “Schedule” section. Complete list of the keynotes, panels, and developer sessions from Connect:

Keynotes:

Brendan Iribe and Nate Mitchell — Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe and VP of Product Nate Mitchell officially open Connect with their Keynote discussing Oculus, the Gear VR, and the newest prototype: Crescent Bay.
Michael Abrash — Oculus Chief Scientist Michael Abrash discusses perception in virtual reality, the future of VR, and what that means for developers.
John Carmack — Oculus CTO John Carmack discusses the Gear VR and shares development stories at Oculus Connect.

.

Keynote Panel:

The Future of VR

.

Developer Sessions:

Introduction to Audio in VR – Video and Presentation
Getting Started with Gear VR – Video and Presentation
Mastering the Oculus SDK – Video and Presentation
Integrating the Oculus Rift into Unreal Engine 4 – Video and Presentation
Film and Storytelling in VR – Video and Presentation
Learning from Lucky’s Tale – Video and Presentation
The Human Visual System and the Rift – Video and Presentation
The Value of VR for Professional Applications – Video and Presentation
Developing VR Experiences with the Oculus Rift – Video and Presentation
Elevating Your VR – Video and Presentation
Building the First Rift Development Kit – Video and Presentation
360-degree Filmmaking in VR – Video and Presentation

Related items:

The “Oculus Platform” Marketplace For Virtual Reality App Launches This Fall — from techcrunch.com by Josh Constine
Oculus Reveals Its New “Crescent Bay” Prototype With 360-Degree Head Tracking And Headphones — from techcrunch.com by Josh Constine

Google leads $542 million funding of mysterious AR firm Magic Leap [Kastrenakes & Popper]

On 10/22/2014, in A/V -- audio/visual, Augmented Reality (AR), education technology, educational games / serious games, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, future, Google, innovation, love of learning, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Google leads $542 million funding of mysterious augmented reality firm Magic Leap — from theverge.com by Jacob Kastrenakes and Ben Popper

Excerpt:

Google is leading a huge $542 million round of funding for the secretive startup Magic Leap, which is said to be working on augmented reality glasses that can create digital objects that appear to exist in the world around you. Though little is known about what Magic Leap is working on, Google is placing a big bet on it: in addition to the funding, Android and Chrome leader Sundar Pichai will join Magic Leap’s board, as will Google’s corporate development vice-president Don Harrison. The funding is also coming directly from Google itself — not from an investment arm like Google Ventures — all suggesting this is a strategic move to align the two companies and eventually partner when the tech is more mature down the road.

.

Magic Leap also says that it may “positively transform the process of education.”

.

Also see:

‘World of Comenius’ demonstrates powerful educational interaction w/ Leap Motion & Oculus Rift — from roadtovr.com by Paul James and Tomas “Frooxius” Mariancik

Excerpt:

We recently covered a (at that point unnamed) VR project by developer Tomáš “Frooxius” Marian?ík, the mind behind the stunning ‘Sightline’ VR series of demos. The project fused Leap Motion skeletal hand tracking with Oculus Rift DK2 positional tracking to produce an impressively intuitive VR interface. Now, a new video of the interface shows impressive progress. We catch up with Tomáš to find out some more about this mysterious VR project.

Enter the ‘World of Comenius’
The virtual reality resurgence that is currently underway, necessarily and predictably concentrates on bringing people new ways to consume and experience media and games. This is where virtual reality has the best chance of breaking through as a viable technology, one that will appeal to consumers worldwide. But virtual reality’s greatest impact, at least in terms of historical worth to society, could and probably will come in the form of non-entertainment based fields.

Also see:

Oculus Rift Virtual-Reality System Weighed by Higher Ed. Institutions — from blogs.edweek.org by Benjamin Herold

The amazing ways new tech shapes storytelling — from stuff.tv by Stephen Graves

Excerpt:

From the moment some singer-poet livened up his verse performances with a musical instrument, technology has changed entertainment. The printing press, theatrical lighting, the cinema, radio, cinematic sound – they’ve all either impacted on existing storytelling forms, or created whole new ones.

In recent years, the arrival of digital formats and non-linear editing changed TV. Existing TV formats like drama benefited from the same level of technical polish as films; and at the same time, the ability to shoot and edit large amounts of footage quickly and cheaply created a whole new form of storytelling – reality TV.

…

Streaming media’s one thing – but the biggest tech leap in years is, of course, your smartphone. Texting during films may infuriate but whipping your phone out in the cinema may become an integral part of the story: the 2013 film App used a second-screen app to display extra layers of narrative, synced to the film’s soundtrack. There are books that use second-screen apps: last year’s Night Film lets you scan tags in the physical book to unlock extra content, including mocked-up websites and trailers.

Also see:

Niantic Labs’ John Hanke: alternate reality games are the future of storytelling — from stuff.tv by Stephen Graves
The brains behind Google Earth and location-based game Ingress talks augmented reality, wearable tech and ARGs

What if we were to combine “If This Then That” with iBeacons/sensors?

On 10/08/2014, in 21st century, active learning, Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), convergence, corporate universities / corporate training, creativity, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital storytelling, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, intelligent tutoring, interaction design, interactivity, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, machine-to-machine communications, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multimedia, participation, project-based learning, second screen apps, smart classrooms, teaching & learning, technology (general), tools, training / L&D, ubiquitous learning, usability, user experience (UX), user interface design, vendors, wearables, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
I’m thinking out loud again…

What if were were to be able to take the “If This Then That (IFTTT)” concept/capabilities and combine it with sensor-based technologies? It seems to me that we’re at the very embryonic stages of some very powerful learning scenarios, scenarios that are packed with learning potential, engagement, intrigue, interactivity, and opportunities for participation.

For example, what would happen if you went to one corner of the room, causing an app on your mobile device to launch and bring up a particular video to review? Then, after the viewing of the video, a brief quiz appears after that to check your understanding of the video’s main points. Then, once you’ve submitted the quiz — and it’s been received by system ABC — this triggers an unexpected learning event for you.

Combining the physical with the digital…

Establishing IFTTT-based learning playlists…

Building learning channels…learning triggers…learning actions…

Setting a schedule of things to do for a set of iBeacons over a period of time (and being able to save that schedule of events for “next time”).

Hmmm…there’s a lot of potential here!

Now throw augmented reality, wearables, and intelligent tutoring into the equation! Whew!

We need to be watching out for how machine-to-machine (M2M) communications can be leveraged in the classrooms and training programs across the globe.

One last thought here…
How are we changing our curricula to prepare students to leverage the power of the Internet of Things (IoT)?

Reflections on “Beacons at the museum: Pacific Science Center to roll out location-based Mixby app next month” [Bishop]

On 09/03/2014, in 21st century, active learning, art, attention, Augmented Reality (AR), blended learning, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital storytelling, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, ideas, innovation, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interactivity, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning spaces, lifelong learning, machine-to-machine communications, mobile learning, multimedia, Near Field Communication (NFC), participation, platforms, real-world assignments, teaching & learning, technology (general), training / L&D, trends, ubiquitous learning, user experience (UX), workplace, by Daniel Christian

Beacons at the museum: Pacific Science Center to roll out location-based Mixby app next month — from geekwire.com by Todd Bishop

Excerpt:

Seattle’s Pacific Science Center has scheduled an Oct. 4 public launch for a new system that uses Bluetooth-enabled beacons and the Mixby smartphone app to offer new experiences to museum guests — presenting them with different features and content depending on where they’re standing at any given moment.

Also see:

Pacific Science Center to Debut New Digital Experience — from pacificsciencecenter.org

From DSC:
The use of location-based apps & associated technologies (machine-to-machine (M2M) communications) should be part of all ed tech planning from here on out — and also applicable to the corporate world and training programs therein.

Not only applicable to museums, but also to art galleries, classrooms, learning spaces, campus tours, and more. Such apps could be used on plant floors in training-related programs as well.

Now mix augmented reality in with location-based technology. Come up to a piece of artwork, and a variety of apps could be launched to really bring that piece to life! Some serious engagement.

Digital storytelling. The connection of the physical world with the digital world. Digital learning. Physical learning. A new form of blended/hybrid learning. Active learning. Participation.

Addendum on 9/4/14 — also see:

Aerohive Networks Delivers World’s First iBeacon™ and AltBeacon™ – Enabled Enterprise Wi-Fi Access Points
New Partnership with Radius Networks Delivers IoT Solution to Provide Advanced Insights and Mobile Experience Personalization

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aerohive Networks® (NYSE:HIVE), a leader in controller-less Wi-Fi and cloud-managed mobile networking for the enterprise market today announced that it is partnering with Radius Networks, a market leader in proximity services and proximity beacons with iBeacon™ and AltBeacon™ technology, to offer retailers, educators and healthcare providers a cloud-managed Wi-Fi infrastructure enabled with proximity beacons. Together, Aerohive and Radius Networks provide complementary cloud platforms for helping these organizations meet the demands of today’s increasingly connected customers who are seeking more personalized student education, patient care and shopper experiences.

Also:

Building Proximity Applications with iBeacon — from shop.oreilly.com
Pinpoint Location Services with Bluetooth Low Energy
By Matthew Gast
Publisher: O’Reilly Media
May 2014

Does Studying Fine Art = Unemployment? Introducing LinkedIn’s Field of Study Explorer [Hwang]

On 08/14/2014, in art, Augmented Reality (AR), biology, business, career development, chemistry, computer science, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, design, drama/theater, engineering, entrepreneurship, geography / geology, higher education, history, instructional design, interaction design, interface design, K-12 related, leadership, liberal arts, library / librarians, marketing/social marketing, marketplaces, mathematics, MBA, media/film, music, new media literacies, organizational change, photography, political science, professional development, programming, psychology, publishing, reinvent, staying relevant, student-related, tools, user interface design, web design and production, workplace, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

Does Studying Fine Art = Unemployment? Introducing LinkedIn’s Field of Study Explorer — from LinkedIn.com by Kathy Hwang

Excerpt:

[On July 28, 2014], we are pleased to announce a new product – Field of Study Explorer – designed to help students like Candice explore the wide range of careers LinkedIn members have pursued based on what they studied in school.

So let’s explore the validity of this assumption: studying fine art = unemployment by looking at the careers of members who studied Fine & Studio Arts at Universities around the world. Are they all starving artists who live in their parents’ basements?

Also see:

The New Rankings? — from insidehighered.com by Charlie Tyson

Excerpt:

Who majored in Slovak language and literature? At least 14 IBM employees, according to LinkedIn.

Late last month LinkedIn unveiled a “field of study explorer.” Enter a field of study – even one as obscure in the U.S. as Slovak – and you’ll see which companies Slovak majors on LinkedIn work for, which fields they work in and where they went to college. You can also search by college, by industry and by location. You can winnow down, if you desire, to find the employee who majored in Slovak at the Open University and worked in Britain after graduation.

Ideas for libraries & other learning spaces [Christian]

On 06/29/2014, in Apple, Augmented Reality (AR), Daniel S. Christian, education technology, ideas, library / librarians, machine-to-machine communications, by Daniel Christian

Augmented Reality: 32 resources about using it in education [Greller]

On 06/01/2014, in Augmented Reality (AR), digital learning, education, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, Google, ideas, innovation, teaching & learning, by Daniel Christian

Augmented Reality: 32 resources about using it in education — from mediaspecialistsguide.blogspot.com by Julie Greller

Excerpt:

According to Webster’s Dictionary, augmented reality is “an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device (as a smartphone camera); also : the technology used to create augmented reality.” Think of it as a type of virtual reality, using the computer to copy your world. You are probably familiar with a tool created by Google which falls into this category: Google Glass. Although augmented reality has existed for a long time, we as teachers are only now grasping how to use it in the classroom. Let’s take a look below.

MIT Technology Review’s “10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2014”

On 05/14/2014, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, Augmented Reality (AR), biology, collaboration, data related items, emerging technologies, engineering, mobile technologies, research, robotics, technology (general), by Daniel Christian

10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2014 — from MIT Technology Review

Also see:

MIT Lists its 10 Breakthrough Technologies for 2014 – Part 1 — from WFS.org

4 items re: immersive experiences, virtual reality & augmented reality

On 04/07/2014, in Augmented Reality (AR), education technology, ideas, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, by Daniel Christian

Mark Zuckerberg talks about the purchase of Oculus VR

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

But this is just the start. After games, we’re going to make Oculus a platform for many other experiences. Imagine enjoying a court side seat at a game, studying in a classroom of students and teachers all over the world or consulting with a doctor face-to-face — just by putting on goggles in your home.

This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.

These are just some of the potential uses. By working with developers and partners across the industry, together we can build many more. One day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people.

Virtual reality was once the dream of science fiction. But the internet was also once a dream, and so were computers and smartphones. The future is coming and we have a chance to build it together. I can’t wait to start working with the whole team at Oculus to bring this future to the world, and to unlock new worlds for all of us.

If you like immersion, you’ll love this reality — from nytimes.com by Farhad Manjoo

Excerpt:

Virtual reality is coming, and you’re going to jump into it.

That’s because virtual reality is the natural extension of every major technology we use today — of movies, TV, videoconferencing, the smartphone and the web. It is the ultra-immersive version of all these things, and we’ll use it exactly the same ways — to communicate, to learn, and to entertain ourselves and escape.

…

The only question is when.

Oculus Rift just put Facebook in the movie business — from variety.com by Andrew Wallenstein

Excerpt:

The surprise $2 billion acquisition of virtual-reality headset maker Oculus Rift by a social network company might seem to have nothing to do with movie theaters or films. But in the long term, this kind of technology is going to have a place in the entertainment business. It’s just a matter of time.

While Cinemacon-ites grapple with how best to keep people coming to movie theaters, Oculus Rift will be part of the first wave of innovation capable of bringing an incredible visual environment to people wherever they choose. But this probably won’t require people congregating in theaters for an optimal experience the way 3D does.

Virtual reality is thought of primarily as a vehicle for gaming, but there are applications in the works that utilize the technology for storytelling. There’s already a production company, Condition One, out with a trailer for a documentary, “Zero Point” (see video above), about VR, told through VR. Media companies are just starting to get their hands on how to use VR, which to date has been for marketing stunts like one HBO did at SXSW for “Game of Thrones.” One developer even recreated the apartment from “Seinfeld.”

An Oculus Rift hack that lets you draw in 3-D — from wired.com by Joseph Flaherty

Excerpt:

Facebook’s $2 billion acquisition of Oculus Rift has reopened conversation about the potential of virtual reality, but a key question remains: How will we actually interact with these worlds? Minecraft creator Markus Persson noted that while these tools can enable amazing experiences, moving around and creating in them is far from a solved problem.

A group of Royal College of Art students–Guillaume Couche, Daniela Paredes Fuentes, Pierre Paslier, and Oluwaseyi Sosanya–has developed a tool called GravitySketch that starts tracing an outline of how these systems could work as creative tools.

Gravity – 3D Sketching from GravitySketch on Vimeo.

Addendum later on 4/8/14:

Surgical Theater, LLC launches Surgical Navigation Advanced Platform – augmented reality in the operating room — from broadwayworld.com
SurgicalTheater.net/products-services/collaborative-theater
Utilizes flight simulator technology to connect remote SRPs, allowing surgeons in different locations to “step into” the patient’s virtual model, to tele-mentor and work together on the patient’s case, jointly performing a virtual surgery and jointly making critical decisions before entering the operating room.

Learning Ecosystems

A solid variety of tools & apps

Aurasma

The future of documentation? Heads up to Technical Communicators, Trainers, User Experience Designers, & similar positions

6 solid items regarding virtual reality and augmented reality

Oculus Connect Videos & Presentations Online [oculus.com]

Google leads $542 million funding of mysterious AR firm Magic Leap [Kastrenakes & Popper]

‘World of Comenius’ demonstrates powerful educational interaction w/ Leap Motion & Oculus Rift [James & Mariancik]

The amazing ways new tech shapes storytelling [Graves]

Ideas for libraries & other learning spaces [Christian]

Augmented Reality: 32 resources about using it in education [Greller]

4 items re: immersive experiences, virtual reality & augmented reality

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