Reality Reflection Announces Pre-ICO of New Location-based AR Mobile Game

Reality Reflection, a VC-backed virtual reality(VR) and augmented reality(AR) startup announced on Monday the launch of Pre-ICO on ‘Mossland’, a location-based AR mobile game with decentralized ad platform.

Mossland is involved with virtual real estate. Users can identify nearby real properties, acquire and trade them in the game. Virtual properties in the game can be tradable and liquified through cryptocurrency exchange, so users will put time and effort to increase the value of their properties.

To fund the development of the game, Reality Reflection is embarking on an ICO using Ethereum blockchain technologies. The date of the pre sale for the ICO will be on January 29 with up to 50% bonus.

Mossland adds in-depth gamification on top of the traditional check-in games such as Foursquare. By installing AR objects on properties, it will enhance the users’ gaming experience and motivate users to decorate and boast their properties in addition to basic gameplay of purchasing, protecting and taking over them.

Mossland’s key features include:

• Augmented Reality: Virtual property value is proportionate to the number of check-ins in the properties and the owners will install ‘Accessory’, AR objects in attachment to the virtual properties. Users can attract buyers with this item.
• Tradable Property, Accessory: Properties and Accessories of the Mossland can be traded between users through in-game auction system. Such transactions between the users can be done by using ‘Moss’, which is an in-game currency matched with ‘Moss Coin’, an Ethereum-based cryptocurrency secured by blockchain technology.
• Location-based P2P Advertisement: Mossland creates a new advertising platform based on the convergence of real location-based games with AR technology. All Mossland users can create and run advertisement campaign through a simple interface after setting an ad budget.

Pre-ICO information:

• Start date: January 29, 2018 at 00:00 am UTC
• End date: February 11, 2018 at 11:59 pm UTC
• Token Name: Moss Coin
• Token Symbol: MOC
• Platform: Ethereum
• Total issue: 500,000,000 MOC
• Price: 5,000 MOC = 1 ETH
• Distributed by: Ethereum smart contract
• ICO page: moss.land
• White paper link: http://bit.ly/2DxIv3G
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMossland
• Telegram Channel: https://t.me/mossland

Wooram Son, CEO of Reality Reflection, said: “Based on our accumulated experience on 3D digital human character development and an extensive research on VR and AR technology, we released many successful VR titles including a fun rhythm action game ‘Music Inside’ and a futuristic multiplayer sports game ‘Speedball Arena’.”

He added, “With many new VR and AR devices introduced in CES 2018, we believe 2018 will be a great year for VR and AR contents market. That’s why we believe Mossland will be a great hit.”

To learn more about Mossland and its ICO process, please visit moss.land, ‘Like’ it on Facebook, and follow its development on Twitter @TheMossland for all the latest developer updates and news.

Tonight TheWaveVR and Ash Koosha challenge the boundaries of music and take on tyranny with the power of VR.

London-based electronic musician Ash Koosha will perform in the US for the first time via virtual reality in TheWaveVR. Originally from Iran, Koosha is currently hindered by Trump’s travel ban, which targets people from majority-Muslim countries and bars them from entering the United States.  In Ash's 2016 Ted Talk from Oslo he challenged where is the boundary of what is just a sound, and what is actually music. Is there even such a boundary? Tonight TheWaveVR accepts that challange
 

Our real-time 3D visual controls. @AshKoosha will be controlling the entire environment, in addition to the music.

AKTUAL 8.16 7PM PT pic.twitter.com/l6uLe0Fre4

— THΞWAVΞVR (@TheWaveVR) August 15, 2017

Ash Koosha, who had been imprisoned and blacklisted by his home country for making rock music and films, lives in asylum in London, where he produces what RollingStone calls, “uncompromising, dizzying and dense” electronic music. RollingStone named him “An Artist You Need To Know,” last February, upon the release of last year's I AKA I on Ninja Tune.

Unfortunately, Ash had to cancel his supporting tour due to “extreme vetting” of his visa. Earlier this year, he had to cancel yet another tour due to Trump’s travel ban, and has yet to set foot in the US, where he seeks to promote his music.

In January, he issued a statement on the travel ban, writing, “All of my ambitions, contributions and efforts were reduced to bureaucratic paperwork that left me feeling betrayed and burdened because of my ‘place of birth’."

Ash's wave will bring his audio visual show, AKTUAL, to the US, where users will be transported inside his mind to watch him perform his music and conduct dynamic visual forms using TheWaveVR's revamped performance tools.
 

http://thewavevr.com/

AWARD-WINNING MECH COMBAT VIRTUAL REALITY GAME ARCHANGEL AVAILABLE NOW ACROSS ALL PREMIUM VR PLATFORMS FOR NEW PRICE OF $29.99

Following a two-week exclusive debut on PlayStation®VR, Skydance Interactive has now made its award-winning first person shooter Archangel available for purchase across all premium VR platforms, including HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Starting today Archangel is available for the new price of $29.99, including on PlayStation®VR.

“Now that Archangel is available on all major VR platforms, we invite gamers everywhere to fulfill their fantasies of piloting a giant mech and lead the charge for freedom on behalf of their friends and fellow countrymen,” said Peter Akemann, President of Skydance Interactive. “The response from our first two weeks on PSVR has been very encouraging and we are thrilled that today, Vive and Rift owners too can join the resistance and become the Archangel!”

Archangel is now available for purchase for Windows PC on the Oculus storefront and on Steam as a digital download. The game is also available to download on PlayStation Network.

  Download for Oculus: https://www.oculus.com/experiences/rift/1236704876366734/

  Download via Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/553880/Archangel/

· Download for PSVR: https://store.playstation.com/#!/en-us/games/archangel/cid=UP2533-CUSA08450_00-ARCHANGELVR00001

Within the week Archangel will also debut in new international territories on PlayStation®VR, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, and Turkey.

Set in a post-apocalyptic America during the year 2089, players will assume the role of Gabby or Gabriel Walker, codename “Guardian,” who is selected by the United States Free Forces to lead the resistance against the tyrannical corporation HUMNX, a private conglomerate that governs what is left of our ravaged nation. Using the Oculus Touch or HTC Vive controllers, players enter the cockpit of a six-story high war machine and use strategy and skill to fire upon enemies with a wide array of high-powered weapons, protect allies from onslaught, and lead their squadmates into a high-stakes VR battle.

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/

HP’S VR STRATEGY PAVES THE WAY FOR COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS FOR VR.

HP’S VR STRATEGY PAVES THE WAY FOR COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS FOR VR.

8/1/2017 - LOS ANGELES - “76% of virtual reality applications are geared towards video games” explains Xavier Garcia, VP for HP Z Workstations. And on Monday, HP announced a set of products as part of a broader strategy to diversify the VR landscape with offerings geared towards businesses. The two most noteworthy: A wireless VR workstation - The HP Z VR Backpack, and 13 Immersion centers slated to open globally.

THE BACK PACK - Solving Untethering

The backpack addresses a major hurdle for higher end VR developers - an untethered experience allowing full freedom of movement without sacrificing computing power. Partnering with giants like Intel, NVIDIA and VIVE (the major hardware giants in the space) HP hopes to solve the tethering problem by strapping the user with the workstation. Other solutions which include streaming the signal from the workstation to the headset (TP Cast for example) or offering an all inclusive headset (such as the GEAR VR or HTC Vive’s unreleased 3 DOF heasets)

Speaking with HP reps, it was clear that at the very highest end of the market, the mild inconvenience of carrying the workstation would be the only downside to giving enterprise clients a best in class VR experience. Streaming solutions as of yet, have resolution hiccups and are limited in multi-user experiences. All inclusive headsets such as Samsung Gear VR, are too underpowered when compared to high end workstations.

When demoed - the backpack itself felt super light weight (approximately 10 lbs), pretty quiet and didn’t overheat. I didn’t get a chance to demo it for longer than 15 minutes so the jury’s still out on how it performs over long periods but from what I could see and feel, It was a far superior experience to being tethered to a traditional workstation. It’s also built to be rugged - withstanding the demands of military and law enforcement training requirements. Lastly the pack can be charged with a docking station, and since I didn’t get a chance to test it for long periods of time I’m uncertain of how much power you’ll get with the pack.

The backpack will start at $3299 and will be available in September.

THE IMMERSION CENTERS

The second announcement addresses another hurdle - a crisis of imagination. The immersion centers hope to allow commercial clients to see VR applications applied to their businesses. Whether that be virtual showrooms, design and product prototyping or training applications.

This could go both ways - if the demos and applications are well thought out and targeted, it could help push commercial VR adoption. But, if the demos fall short it may turn off businesses from considering VR technology. I’m optimistic for the former, and applaud HP for making the investment. VR’s commercial adoption hinges on companies and business leaders finding value and use cases in the technology. Showcasing commercial applications, if done right, could help decision makers find these use cases.

While VR hasn’t yet become an integral part of industry or business in the same way the internet, smartphones or PC’s have, the big hardware manufactures think its adoption as another tool is around the corner. Hopefully, with manufacturers shifting their priorities towards businesses, we’ll be moving a little closer to that breakout moment.

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Dean Takahashi's GamesBeat events are the type of events you want to skip work for. You may get to talk Rick And Morty with John Underkoffler.

Dean Takahashi pretty much said during his panel at the last GamesBeat summit that you are 100% better off skipping a day or two of of work in order to go to one of the events he puts together. He is absolutely right! These events have less of the super networking vibes of the W hotel during GDC and is more of a Socratic critical thinking forum to snap you out of your tech daze. During the event I went to I felt no one was trying to sell me an ideology or a glimpse of the future but just real talk on how did we get to the place in tech we are and share insights on how you too can predict the future. 

At the last event I got to talk to John Underkoffler, a HUGE pioneer in Augmented Interface growth and direction into the future. Don't know the name? Remember the data interface from Minority Report? Well, it's real, John Underkoffler invented it — as a point-and-touch interface called g-speak. 

John Underkoffler led the team that came up with this interface, called the g-speak Spatial Operating Environment. His company, Oblong Industries, was founded to move g-speak into the real world. Oblong is building apps for aerospace, bioinformatics, video editing and more. But the big vision is ubiquity: g-speak on every laptop, every desktop, every microwave oven, TV, dashboard. "It has to be like this," he says. "We all of us every day feel that. We build starting there. We want to change it all."
 
Before founding Oblong, Underkoffler spent 15 years at MIT's Media Laboratory, working in holography, animation and visualization techniques, and building the I/O Bulb and Luminous Room Systems. He also took some time to break down Rick And Morty for my limited mind. 

This year, GamesBeat 2017: Time Machine is parked right on that event horizon:

Early bird registration is open now — just in time for E3 — and the discount is solid: Sign up today and you’ll save 40 percent off the full-price ticket. Register now for GamesBeat 2017 and save $395!

Speakers Include

• Steven Roberts, chairman of ESL, the biggest independent esports tournament company
• Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games, creator of Eve Online and VR games such as Eve Valkyrie
• Bernie Stolar, CEO of The Stolar Group and former head at Sony’s U.S. PlayStation business and Sega of America 

At GamesBeat 2017: Time Machine, will dive into the parts of gaming that are driving excitement, triggering powerful growth, and launching the startups that are about to transform the industry.

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Stereolabs is allowing you to use the Vive or Rift you already have as a AR/MR headset.

Cecile Schmollgruber founded STEREOLABS in 2010. As chief executive officer, Cecile has taken her company to a new level: STEREOLABS is today the leading provider of 3D vision systems. 

Stereolabs is a leading provider of depth and motion sensing solutions for autonomous robotics and VR/AR. Before launching the ZED camera, Stereolabs has a long experience in the 3D movie industry working with clients such Cameron-Pace Group of Avatar fame. Now with their ZED depth sensor, Stereolabs provides a means for machines to see depth the way humans do, for applications in autonomous navigation, AR/VR and more.

Instead of a standalone headset, Stereolabs is releasing a mini stereo camera you clip to the front of a Rift or Vive. From there, it scans the environment in front of it in real-time, while also capturing the "background" video for each eye. The only downside is it's tethered, unlike many of the AR/MR headsets making headlines (including the company's own Linq). But in exchange, consumers can try out an incredible mixed reality experience using tech that's available today, rather than waiting years for standalone headsets to get better, and developers can get a head start working on content (they're shipping an SDK for Unity and Unreal). 

www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Women In Tech Spotlight: Emily Olman (Hopscotch Interactive and VR/AR Association)

Emily Olman is the founder of Hopscotch Interactive, a marketing and media services company for promoting extraordinary spaces. They create custom marketing solutions with Matterport 3D Photography, 360°, and VR. Hopscotch Interactive was recently nominated as Matterport Service Partner of the Year from over 1000 MSP's for the inaugural "Matty Awards". To see a list of all of the nominees, winners, and some stunning examples of 3D photography visit the Matty Awards homepage here.

Emily is also the San Francisco Chapter Co-President of the VR/AR Association (VRARA), the global association for the Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality industry with local chapters in major cities, connecting leading solution providers with brands and customers. VRARA works with each member company to promote their solutions and services and puts on high-level VR/AR events in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

You can join Hopscotch Interactive and the VR/AR Association SF Chapter on Wednesday, June 14 (6pm-10pm) at The Flight Deck in Oakland for an exciting program on Lightfield Technology & Volumetric VR featuring speakers from: Lytro, Visby, and Lightfield Labs and Hopscotch Interactive. The fun continues with demos, giveaways, VIP networking, and Exit Reality in action with their mobile VR truck!

And, 360° Filmmaker Kevin Kunze of Kunze Productions will be giving away 100 cardboard viewers to lucky attendees. Use code SPEAKER5 for $5 off tickets. Reserve your VIP ticket here. 

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/

Could DIAMONST be the 1st killer app to showcase Apple's AR Kit? Maybe with funding?

After #AWE2017 we are back to work to solve the last bugs and yes, we will use #ARkit for the iOS version of DIAMONST AR RPG#wwdc2017 pic.twitter.com/RkkvF3bOAX

— ZenkoGames (@_ZenkoGames_) June 6, 2017

Could DIAMONST by Zenko Games be the killer app to showcase Apple's AR Kit?

Diamonst will be a story-driven augmented reality experience that will take place in the real world and is inspired by classics JRPGs like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger as well as the more recent Geolocation hit Pokemon Go. 

On the map of your city you will be able to see the missions and the side quests of the story and when you will be close enough you will be able to visualize the events in 3D Augmented Reality (6 degree of freedom AR).

During the single player campaign, you will meet allies, face enemies and solve the riddles that will lead you to discover the reason why the Diamonst have returned to our planet and everything will happen, for the first time, in our world.

Diamonst will mix gameplay mechanics from various turn-based and card games like Magic, Hearthstone, Yu-gi-oh, Pokémon and Yo-Kai watch.

The game will put a lot of focus on intra team and same element synergies that will allow the player to create intricate combos and strategies.

A first playable demo of Diamonst is currently in development with Unity and Vuforia for Android and iOS and will be soon available for Google Tango, Microsoft Hololens and for the Bridge Headset form Occipital.

The team is currently looking for funding to finish the full game.

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/

A River Resurrection Part One

In 2014, identifying the huge potential in VR, Mike Rothenberg decided to build the world's first startup accelerator focused on VR companies, and named it The River Accelerator Program. The program founded by Mike Rothenberg has evolved to now be part of a bigger vision called River Ecosystem.

Oh and yes it is THAT Mike Rothenberg, the one who earlier this year was described by many a media outlet as a VR Great Gatsby, a person with a Wolf of Wall Street personality, a man steering his VC fund Rothenberg Ventures like it was the Titanic. Come to think of if I think tech media really has a thing for Leonardo Dicaprio films.

Well perhaps those things about Mike are true, I don't know the guy personally but I can say he sure has some Steph Curry like attributes to him. First one up is vision. Just take a look at some of the companies Rothenberg Ventures has helped in some sort of fiduciary capacity. I mean come on this is just in the VR/AR space. I know the word ecosystem gets tossed around a lot but really how do you describe what the River/Rothenberg team were trying to pull together before a lot of news came out about a lot of alleged things.  We still have no true answers on those allegations so I can really only do one thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERm_WNxGs1U

River, Rothenberg, Frontier Tech, or whatever the team was using as its main identity for the past few months continued pushing for a goal of a true VR/AR future of growth not a constant stream of fads. In fact Mike threw a small intimate post AWE 2017 event in which he spoke about his vision of a VR/AR ecosystem and a future of content creators not just tech evangelists. Check that video at the top of the page. Robert Scoble was in attendance and you know if Scoble is jumping on the bandwagon the team must be doing something right at this time. That was a joke Scoble, lets grab a drink sometime. 

Oh back to Steph Curry, one of the biggest things about Steph Curry is his ability to understand the value of the players around him and maximize their potential. Just look at how Javale Mcgee is playing this year. Just look at how KD seems just happy to be able to work like a teammate with Steph. This brings me to the point of the people River has on the squad. VR/AR evangelist and all around good person Dulce Baerga was brought on to be the CEO of River Studios. That is that a major free agent acquisition for River Ecosystems that brings a lot of passion to the court. Dulce is a #WomenInVR #WomenInTech #PERSONINVR #PERSONINTECH to look out for as she helps grow the ecosystem. Check her talking about the future of River Studios including a new version of Quarteback Snap. QB Snap was one of the first if not the first football game for the HTC Vive.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/482210/Quarterback_SNAP/

Just like the Golden State Warriors, the River Ecosystem team has a solid lineup including Nick Canifax, Skye Jordan, and many more. Skye was on site and Dulce made sure to point out the value Skye is brining to the table with the events element of the River Eco equation. 

Check out just some of the interesting events and programs River Ecosystem have done in the last few months. 

All in all there has been a lot of negative press thrown at Rothenberg and by proxy the River team. I however am not getting paid to write negative press, in fact I am not getting paid for positive press either. I am however willing to give a team who is trying to grow VR/AR and actually understand what ecosystem means a chance. River may not be dead in the water. What that means exactly is for another day, thats why this is called A River Resurrection Part One. The Future Iz Meow!

http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/ 

https://riverecosystem.com

The hey I got food poisoning and could not make it to Augmented World Expo today. Here is a list of the fun things going on.

AWE (Augmented World Expo), the largest and longest running conference and expo dedicated to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), officially opened its exhibition doors today to kick off the biggest event in the event’s 8-year history. With a record-breaking 212 exhibitors, 350 speakers, 300 journalists, 5,000 attendees and a mind-blowing 100,000-square-feet expo, AWE 2017 this year is showcasing the most cutting-edge AR and VR exhibits and demonstrations ever gathered in a single location.
 
Announcements today include innovations in entertainment, gaming and cinema, smart wearables, sensing toys, robotics and consumer electronics, cloud, enterprise and business technologies, human-computer interaction solutions, automotive, and high-performance APIs.
 
In addition, AWE is announcing AWEx, its strategy to partner with passionate experts and influencers around the world to further the growing worldwide demand for AR- and VR-centric events. The expansion takes AWE from the U.S., Europe and China to explore local candidates including Mexico City, Lisbon, Adelaide, Rome, Dubai and Tel Aviv.
 
“The growth of the industry is accelerating, and we are facing demand to bring AWE to multiple cities around the world,” explained AWE founder, Ori Inbar. “That’s why we are proud to announce AWEx. This program will support independent organizers who are passionate about our mission to address humanity’s growing pains, such as overpopulation, globalization challenges and inequality.  AR + VR can help drive economic growth, democratize access to knowledge and health, and increase empathy with sustainability.”
Highlights of today’s remarkable announcements include:
 
CieAR is unveiling its new AR film platform which enables a unique and immersive film
experience in real space and time with life-sized 3D virtual characters. www.ciear.ca.
 
Massless is unveiling the Massless Pen, a  high  accuracy,  responsive  and  intuitive  interface  device  that  enables designers  and  engineers  to  build,  edit,  manipulate,  review  and  collaborate  on  3D  models. www.massless.io
 
Deep Optics is unveiling and showing interactive demos of its tunable lens technology for the AR and VR markets. www.deepoptics.com.
 
Digibit is showcasing the world’s first wearable gaming system that transforms your body into a mobile gaming controller. https://mydigibit.com/kickstarter/
 
Epson is introducing two new Moverio® products – the Epson Moverio BT-350 augmented reality (AR) smart glasses optimized for multi-user “fleet” environments, and the Epson Moverio Pro BT-2200 smart headset for industrial applications. https://epson.com
 
Livemap is unveiling the 3rd pre-serial prototype of its motorcycle smart helmet with HUD based on AR technology. Ride a bike like a fighter pilot! https://livemap.info/
 
Arloopa is showcasing its ““Take a Photo with the Leopard” environmental information campaign to  raise  public  awareness  on biodiversity  conservation and threatened species. http://arloopa.com/
 
AnotherWorld VR is previewing KOBOLD, a new kind of creative fiction that blurs the line between cinema and VR gaming. http://anotherworldvr.com
 
Augmania is announcing the launch of its latest release, an out of the box DIY augmented reality authoring tool and its innovative web AR viewer. www.augmania.com.
 
Arvizio is demonstrating its Mixed Reality Studio Suite, a mixed reality platform that extends HoloLens capabilities as a full-fledged collaboration and conferencing tool. https://www.arvizio.io
 
Catchoom, global innovator in AR and image recognition software solutions is debuting the full suite of its new Visual Shopping solutions. catchoom.com/.
 
EcoCarrier is launching PizzAR, a cost efficient way to promote wares and services through AR on the top surface of a Pizza Box. www.ara2z.com
 
Fraunhofer IGD is presenting VisionLib, an AR one-size-fits-all library tracking system designed specifically for enterprise. https://www.igd.fraunhofer.de/en
 
HDBT is showcasing HDBaseT, a one-cable solution for Virtual Reality, supporting high-def audio, video, USB, controls, Ethernet and power over a single cable. www.hdbaset.org/
 
ICAROS is demonstrating its Active AR product, a fitness device and a game controller that allows users to control their flight path with nothing but their movements. http://www.icaros.net
 
IdentiToy is demonstrating its “machine interface over a display surface” technology, a touch-less, optical triangulation interface completely independent of human touch. http://www.identitoy.com
 
InsiderNavigation is revealing its indoor augmented reality navigation 1.0 tool to enable recording, localization and navigation within buildings. http://insidernavigation.com
 
Joinpad is demoing its remote video streaming and collaboration tool that lets on-field technicians share data and receive support from a remote expert. www.joinpad.net.
 
Kodak is showing off its PIXPR0 Orbit360 4K VR Camera - a minimalist approach to an all-in-one 360° VR camera utilizing two fixed focus lenses in a futuristic body. www.kodakpixpro.com.
 
Kopin is unveiling a reference design with Goertek for a new lightweight, super high-res, OLED-powered head-mounted display. www.kopin.com
 
LC-Tec Displays AB and SKUGGA Technology AB are demonstrating prototypes of the next generation automatically dimmable sunglasses. www.lc-tec.se
 
ManoMotion is releasing a SDK that provides developers and content creators with the tools and know-how to incorporate hand gestures into VR, AR, MR and IoT products and applications. http://manomotion.com/
 
Meta is unveiling the Meta Workspace, its spatial AR operating environment designed for creativity and collaboration . https://www.metavision.com
 
Wikitude, with Lenovo New Vision, is announcing a collaboration to develop an Augmented human (AH) Cloud. https://www.wikitude.com
 
Moback is demonstrating Perplexigon, a new multiplayer VR physics building game recently released on Steam’s Early Access program and now available for purchase. http://perplexigon.com
 
Optinvent is debuting its new Ora-X smart headphones, blending audio and display for an unprecedented wearable entertainment experience. http://www.optinvent.com
 
Quantum Interface is introducing its groundbreaking, truly hands-free User Interface (UI) controls for headworn displays for industrial and enterprise applications. http://quantuminterface.com
 
Re’Flekt is unveiling the first platform to support simultaneous direct publication and model-based tracking for the Microsoft Hololens. https://www.re-flekt.com
 
Resonai will demonstrate Resonai Search, a visual search engine for VR/AR content. http://www.resonai.com
 
Scope AR is introducing significant updates to its live support video calling platform, Remote AR, making it the first remote assistance software to enable markerless tracking. http://www.scopear.com .
 
Soap Collective is debuting Atlas: Prologue, an interactive sci-fi adventure short highlighting episodic content and debuting on Oculus Rift + Touch. http://www.thesoapcollective.com
 
Stereolabs is announcing ZED Mini, a pass-through stereo camera accessory that gives VR developers a head-start on making mixed reality content. https://www.stereolabs.com
 
The Future Group is demonstrating its next-generation platform for creating immersive IMR, AR and VR content for TV production, mobile gaming and commercial solutions. https://www.futureuniverse.com
 
Tractica has released a new white paper assessing key use cases for augmented reality in smartphones and tablets, as well as new capabilities for smart glasses. https://www.tractica.com
 
twnkls is showcasing new mobile AR applications and solutions. http://twnkls.com
 
uSens is showing off its new, industry-first single-camera/dual-lens combined inside-out 6DOF (degrees of freedom) head-tracking and 26DOF hand-tracking technology. https://www.usens.com  
 
VividWorks is demonstrating its VividPlatform4, a Cloud-based 3D visual sales solution delivering photorealistic and user-friendly visualizations on-device and in-store. http://vividworks.com
 
Wrnch is demonstrating BodySLAM, a human pose estimation engine, enabling anyone with a smartphone to capture human motion. https://wrnch.com
 
Zappar is showcasing Zapbox, which does for mixed reality what Google Cardboard did for Virtual Reality. www.zappar.com
 
Zenko Games is unveiling its first gaming title, Diamonst Augmented Reality RPG, based on geolocalized narrative arcs, strategic gameplay and virtual pet features. http://zenkogames.com  
 
To see AWE 2017’s full agenda of more than 300 speakers, visit http://www.augmentedworldexpo.com/agenda.
 
More about Augmented World Expo
AWE (Augmented World Expo) is the largest AR+VR conference and expo showcasing technologies which are augmenting our human capabilities, turning ordinary experiences into the extraordinary and empowering people to be better at anything they do in work and life: Superpowers to the People. AWE USA 2017 will feature more than 300 speakers and 250 exhibitors leading the charge in augmented and virtual reality. 

Deep Optics will showcase the latest lens technology for visual focus control at AWE 2017

Deep Optics, the inventor and pioneer of proprietary and patent-pending liquid crystal (LC) electronic lens technology, will be unveiling its tunable lens technology for the AR and VR markets at AWE 2017 (booth #437).  The technology will be in action for the first time, with the company offering interactive demos of its customized lenses with leading HMD (head-mounted display) systems.

Deep Optics’ tunable lens transforms any AR/VR optics into an auto-focusing system by enabling the realization of a real dynamic focal plane. This unique technology creates a more vivid, comfortable and immersive 3D experience and alleviates negative side effects usually associated with augmented or virtual reality, such as blurred vision, headaches, or queasiness. Such discomfort is caused in current VR/AR devices, because virtual objects (e.g. holograms) are displayed at different virtual distances from the viewer and the device’s projecting system uses static optics that are unable to synchronize the optical signal with the varying distances.

Deep Optics’ adaptive lens is based on Liquid Crystal, a birefringent material that has a different refractive index for different light polarizations. Liquid Crystal molecules change their orientation under electric voltage. By applying different voltage profiles to a liquid crystal layer, it is possible to control the effective refractive index of different areas of this layer. In order to achieve high precision control over the liquid crystal layer,

Deep Optics has developed a unique Liquid Crystal panel, similar to an LCD, with a very high resolution, transparent electrode grid. This dense electrode grid enables the application of high precision voltage profiles over the liquid crystal layer, without sacrificing transparency, or other optical properties. The result is a single panel that can implement many lens prescriptions, dynamically – positive and negative prescriptions, at a large diopter range and unlimited accuracy (not limited to 0.25D steps). The center of the lens can also be controlled in real-time; it can be positioned anywhere in the panel, and moved across the panel dynamically.

Yariv Haddad, Co-founder and CEO of Deep Optics, said, “We’re excited to demonstrate our AR/VR auto-focus solution at the show. Our tunable lenses dynamically change their focal power and position, allowing us to effectively cover a large field-of-view, a critical requirement from AR/VR HMDs. Visitors will be able to try out the superior augmented reality experience for themselves in different headsets.”

Haddad continued, “Our aim is to continue our partnerships with tier-1 players in the AR/VR market and introduce products powered by our lenses in 2018.”

Yariv Haddad, Deep Optics’s Co-founder and CEO, will be speaking at the AWE Conference on Friday Jun 2 - Room 209/210, 10:30am - 11:00am, on “Foveal Adaptive Optics - Large Aperture Liquid Crystal Lenses”.

http://www.augmentedworldexpo.com/

CatsAndVR.com Visits Magik Gallery

Have you ever looked at the word IMAGE? The word image breaks down to I MAGE as in I the MAGICIAN create a reality for the world to see. On Saturday May 20th Nick Ochoa and his Magik Gallery crew presented a reality that consisted of his vision of a possible definition of VIRTUAL REALITY. 

Nick Ochoa-Founder Of Magik Gallery-" Virtual Reality is more that a gaming platform, more than a 360° Video distribution platform, VR is a canvas and what you can create is very vast and infinite. 

Magik Gallery brought together some of the most innovative artists and admired immersive creators in virtual and augmented reality art for an exposition featuring a collection of painted worlds, invisible sculptures, immersive illustrations and interactive narratives. The event was not just put together to evangelize VR but to open up people to the creative potential VR truly has. 

Everyone who attended the event looked inspired. I for one always felt that introducing someone to Tilt Brush for the first time brings them back to the first time they used crayons as a child. You could feel that childlike wonderment in the air that night. 

Nick Ochoa-Founder Of Magik Gallery- "What we noticed is that people have a greater appreciation and understanding of the technology when they are introduced to it through a beautiful piece of content. 

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http://magikgallery.com/

The event featured the immersive Quill illustrations of Liz Edwards, the Tilt Brush dimension gateways of Steve Teeps, the AR visions of SUTU, and much much more.

The event was well attended by a gallery of guests of VR newbies, artists appreciating other artists, and industry heavy hitters like Head Of VR and AR at UNITY Tony Parisi.

Also mad props to Oculus and Naomi from the Medium team out there showing mad love in support of the event. I am already looking forward to checking out the next Magik Gallery event. Please make sure to check out the event video I shot for the event, its at the top of the page :). I was very inspired by the event to really put together something that captured the MAGIK of the event....so mote it be.

http://magikgallery.com/

This Saturday Magik Gallery will curate some of the most innovative art in VR and AR at its SF event.

Virtual reality has changed how we create. From games and movies, to experiences and tools—we’re just beginning to see what’s possible. But what happens when you take traditional artistic methods and transfer them to VR? This Saturday Magik Gallery will bring together some of the most innovative artists and admired immersive creators in virtual and augmented reality art for an exposition featuring a collection of painted worlds, invisible sculptures, immersive illustrations and interactive narratives.

The event features artists such as Oakland, CA very own Tilt Brush Artist In Residence Steve Teeps who has worked with prominent artists like Flying Lotus and Future. The event is sponsored by Oculus and will have some amazing artists like Liz Edwards showcasing their amazing work using Oculus Quill.

http://magikgallery.com/

If you are in the Bay Area and a fan of VR and AR or just a fan of art and creative expression come and check out Magik Gallery this Saturday. Check out the website for more info and to RSVP. http://magikgallery.com/

http://magikgallery.com/

Star Wars HoloChess inspired Augmented Reality Game HOLOGRID: MONSTER BATTLE now has a VR version launching for Gear VR and a tournament to celebrate May the 4th.

Award-winning independent game studio HappyGiant and Tippett Studio today announced their ground-breaking augmented reality game HoloGrid: Monster Battle has made the transition to virtual reality, and is coming out on the next-generation Samsung Gear VR. In celebration of the upcoming “Star Wars Day” (May the Fourth), the game is now available for download on the Gear VR website and App, and will be available at a limited-time discounted price of $2.99 USD (regularly $4.99 USD).

In addition, HappyGiant will mark the occasion with a three-day HoloGrid virtual “tournament”, in which participating players have a chance to win prizes such as t-shirts and vintage prints signed by famed VFX artist Phil Tippett. Beginning at 12:01 AM EST, May 4, and ending Midnight EST Sunday, May 7, players who accumulate the most multiplayer match victories will be placed into a pool to receive prizes. Contestants must fill out the tournament form HERE.

Launched in December as a physical goods mobile AR game, HoloGrid: Monster Battle VR is one of the first Gear VR games to incorporate the use of the platform’s new GearVR Controller and add Oculus Gear VR Avatar support with VOIP so players can talk to their opponents during games. The tactical strategy game, which combines elements of board games, collectible card games, and digital games, has been reimagined for VR and set inside a deep space game arena.

Built in Unity, the title has added a new single-player AI mode and supports multiplayer matches. With gameplay similar to that of games like HearthStone or Magic: The Gathering, HoloGrid: Monster Battle isthe first augmented and virtual reality cross-platform game . VR players will be able to challenge players of the AR mobile version and vice versa.

Inspired by the Star Wars HoloChess scene, created by Phil Tippett for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope forty years ago, and then recreated for 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens,HoloGrid: Monster Battle brings the monsters of Tippett to life for the first time in a game. Captured through a process known as photogrammetry, where actual hand-crafted 3D models are filmed from all angles and then used to build digital models used in the game, the creatures literally roar to life and into the digital game.

“It’s been a dream come true to work with Phil Tippett, who inspired myself and so many others,” said HappyGiant CEO and Creative Director Michael Levine. “AR and VR tech has given us a whole new playground in which we can interact and create our own vision and worlds that previously only existed in fiction. We can’t wait to see what people think of HoloGrid in VR!”

HoloGrid: Monster Battle VR is available today on the Gear VR site and app for $2.99 USD (regular price $4.99). The mobile AR version is available for iOS and Android on both Amazon and the HappyGiantwebsite for $24.99 USD. Next gen AR and VR platforms, including but not limited to Microsoft HoloLensand Google Tango are also being explored.

For additional information, please visit www.hologridmonsterbattle.com .

With little fanfare the Pokémon Company launches Pokémon Duel into app stores and into our hearts.

The Pokémon Company International announced today that Pokémon Duel is now available for download at no charge on the App Store and on Google Play. With much less fanfare than the Augmented Reality hit Pokemon Go we get a new Pokemon mobile game. 

Pokémon Duel is an exciting mobile strategy game in which fans deploy digital Pokémon figures and battle based on strategic moves to reach a goal in the opponent’s territory. Pokémon Duel gameplay details follow:

By strategically assembling their team of six Pokémon, each with its own strengths and a set number of steps it can take, players can take different routes to rush toward the goal or block the opponent’s Pokémon from advancing.

When two Pokémon from opposing teams meet, a battle commences, and the players spin each Pokémon’s Data Disk to see which Attack each Pokémon will use.

In addition to moving Pokémon and battling, players will also be able to use a plate at the start of their turn. These plates have various effects, including swapping positions of Pokémon in play and giving their Pokémon various battle enhancements for that turn.
The player who reaches their goal first wins the duel.

Players can duel against real opponents at any time by tapping League Match on the Home screen. They will then be automatically matched, according to skill, with other players around the world.  A variety of items, including Pokémon figures, can be earned through Time Boosters that are unlocked with every League victory. Winning League matches also increases the player’s rating and provides a chance to get different Pokémon figures as they compete in higher-level leagues.

More plates and Boosters can be purchased at the Shop within the app. Materials collected from purchased Boosters can be traded for desired Pokémon. In-game currency known as Gems can be purchased at the Shop or earned in several ways, such as by playing Pokémon Duel daily and clearing missions.

REVEALiO looks to bring augmented reality emotional experiences to greeting cards.

At XTech 2016 Ori Inbar co founder of AugmentedReality.org made a statement on stage that AR is alive and well today in our pockets and in our hands. Ori said this in relation to the adoption of VR and AR, he also was letting us know that we already have AR available to us via our smart devices. 

Everyone from graffiti artists to Nintendo have been trying to figure out how we can incorporate Augmented Reality into our mobile device lifestyle. One company has caught my eye as well as my heart with their mix of familiarity and family as a use case. Enter REVEALiO

Tradition meets technology with these new hybrid greeting cards, announcements, and invitations. REVEALiO cards utilize mobile augmented reality technology. After creating a personalized card within the app, users are able to  “attach” a personal video message and virtual call-to-action buttons to the printed card. The cards are then printed and delivered as part of the REVEALiO service. 

Wife and Husband Dynamic Duo Michelle Calloway and Jerry Bowden are looking to disrupt the greeting card industry and offer an emotional experience rather than just a decorated piece of paper. "People are craving connection, and a personalized, physical card that plays video could shorten the emotional distance between a soldier overseas and his sweetheart, for example, or a grandmother and grandchild" said Michelle during a recent session at The Batchery, a bay area tech space and incubator. 

I have been able to use several VR HMD's and have tried some amazing Augment Reality but I look at REVEALiO as an experience that may be just as emotionally compelling for some. Recently Mothers Day came and went and I would have used REVEALiO if I had known about it before, I know my Moms eyes would have lit up not only at the novelty but also at the connection and care. We live in a web of digital information bombardment but people still enjoy physical items. REVEALiO could be a way of bringing real emotional gifting to a cyber world. There are quite a few applications I see for REVEALiO and wish the team the best. Check out more on REVEALiO: http://revealio.com/

CATS AND VR

XTECH 2016 showed me that with VR and AR here, BRain is still the most innovative.

Virtual Reality is in the here and now(even if we are in the palm pilot era) and AR is right around the corner. It seems like there seems to be a conference or meetup every week that is VR related. Well Xtech 2016 had VR but it was not a conference showcasing the cool experience of the now but rather how VR as well as other technologies will redefine how we learn, grow, challenge, and understand the workings our brain on a conscious and unconscious level. 

Tim Ferriss, author of the 4 hour Work Week was the Day 1 Keynote speaker and really helped to highlight why this such a important time in technological development in relation to human development. His story from being born premature to now pushing his mind and body to become the  Batman (peak human state) is an inspiration. Check out the video below.

My back ground as a former video game journalist makes me lean towards that type of content and I found a rather interesting VR brain training simulator on the XTech expo floor.

Read About Cerevum VR brain training: http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/cerevrum

Though the event was not geared towards gaming, VR has created such an exciting spark for technology that Playstation had a presence there and showcased Playstation VR. In fact I was in awe by who sat in front of me during the conference.

XTech 2016 surprised me as it had a Ted Talk vibe that spoke to many people from various worlds not just the people in attendance. 

NY Jets Player and mental health advocate Brandon Marshall spoke about how technology can not only create a better athlete but also help those who suffer from depression and other mental illnesses. http://project375.org/

From to raising money to raising awareness XTECH 2016 did not focus on what technology is now but what it could be and possibly will be in relation to who we are. The important thing about the conference was that it focused on the fact that as much as we go forward in technology the human brain is still the most powerful computer.

Cats And VR

New Pokemon Go Details and Video!

Travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon with Pokémon GO for iPhone and Android devices! With Pokémon GO, you'll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO will use real locations to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon.

The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. Now the real world will be the setting!

Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore cities and towns around where you live and even around the globe to capture as many Pokémon as you can. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you're near a Pokémon. Once you've encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone's touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away! Also look for PokéStops located at interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments, where you can collect more Poké Balls and other items.

In Pokémon GO, you will gain levels as a Trainer, and at higher levels you will be able to catch more powerful Pokémon to complete your Pokédex. You'll also have access to more powerful items, such as Great Balls, to give you a better shot at catching Pokémon. Keep exploring and encountering Pokémon to raise your level!

There are other ways to add Pokémon to your roster, too. If you catch the same species of Pokémon enough times, you'll get the opportunity to evolve one of them. And as you explore, you may find Pokémon Eggs at PokéStops, which will hatch after you've walked a certain distance. When they hatch, you may find Pokémon you've never seen before!

Some wild Pokémon will appear only in certain places near where you live or around the world. For example, some Water-type Pokémon may appear only near lakes and oceans. If you're away from home, be sure to stay alert for Pokémon you wouldn't normally encounter!

At a certain point in the game, you'll be asked to join one of three teams. Once you join a team, you'll gain the ability to assign Pokémon you've caught to empty Gym locations or to a location where a team member has placed one of his or her Pokémon. Like PokéStops, Gyms can be found at real locations in the world. Each player can place only one Pokémon at a particular Gym, so you're encouraged to work with others on the team to build up a strong defense.

If a Gym is already claimed by another team, you can challenge that Gym using your own Pokémon. Using the Pokémon you've caught, engage in battle with the defending Pokémon at the Gym to claim control.

A wide variety of challenges are available that highlight many different categories, such as catching Pokémon and exploration. By completing these challenges, you'll unlock achievement medals that will appear in your player profile. Try your best to unlock as many medals as you can!

A portable device called the Pokémon GO Plus will enable Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game even while they’re not looking at their smartphones. The device connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies the player about events in the game—such as the appearance of a Pokémon nearby—using an LED and vibration. In addition, players can catch Pokémon or perform other simple actions by pressing the button on the device. Pokémon GO Plus will be available soon. Check back for more details.