Oculus launches VR for Good Program.

Virtual reality has unlimited potential for gaming and entertainment, but it’s also a powerful way to drive important social change. Filmmakers everywhere see this and are pushing the boundaries of cinematic VR to tell stories with an impact. There’s also a large community of nonprofit organizations eager to embrace VR as a tool to raise awareness for causes in need of a voice.

Today Oculus kicked off a new initiative today called VR for Good by launching two pilot VR film programs to inspire the next generation of VR creators – starting with high school students, rising VR filmmakers, and nonprofit organizations.

The first program, the 360 Filmmakers Challenge, partners nine San Francisco Bay Area high schools with professional filmmakers to create 3-5 minute 360 films about their communities. Students will receive everything they need to create 360 videos for VR, including a Samsung Gear VR, a Galaxy S6, Ricoh Theta S 360 cameras, access to editing software, and VR film mentors.

The second program, 360 Bootcamp for Nonprofits, kicks off this summer and teams up 10 rising filmmakers with 10 nonprofits to bring a variety of social missions to life through unique 360 videos designed for VR. Teams will start their filmmaking journey at a two-day bootcamp at Facebook HQ, July 26-27. Oculus will supply the film teams with everything they need to create professional 360 videos, including Nokia OZO cameras, post production support, travel budget, and one-on-one mentorship with industry veterans. The first videos will be showcased at Sundance 2017.

Nonprofits can nominate their organizations and filmmakers can apply to be part of the program on May 30.

Information provided by the Oculus Blog

Check out Cats And VR's 360° Videos here: http://www.catsandvr.com/360/

Play Nintendo Wii games in VR...or support devs making games inspired by them. The power is in your hands!

Using the Gamecube and Wii emulator Dolphin VR you can play Zelda and Mario in VR!

Before you can run applications (like Dolphin VR) outside Oculus Home, you need to have Unknown Sources enabled. In the Oculus app window, click on the cog > Settings > General > Unknown Sources.You will need to rip your GameCube or Wii games to your hard-drive or USB stick, because most optical drives can't read them directly. Not all games work. Some work almost perfectly, and some are unplayable. Some games have Hide Object Codes and AR Cheat Codes to make them work better in VR, which you can find by right clicking a game in your game list in dolphin and choosing properties, then going to those tabs.Don't forget to set your Graphics, VR, and Controller options you can learn more Via Oculus Forums. 

or.......you can play some of the really awesome games developed recently for VR that is inspired by gaming classics. In fact I would recommend you going out and getting the games below and experience something new that a lot of work was put into. I mean as much as I like older games and it is cool to see them in a new light, there has been lots of time energy put into some really fresh new experiences for VR and really deserve some time. If you are currently using an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive it is a good chance you have a few extra money dollars around to support the people inspired by those Gamecube and Wii classics to make games. That being said I really want to play some wrestling games in VR and DolphinVR may be the only way for now. So I suggest buying new VR titles as well as checking out what DolphinVR has to offer.

So I heard you like Mario...check out Lucky's Tale.

So I heard you like The Legend Of Zelda...check out Chronos

Chronos is an atmospheric RPG that chronicles a hero's lifelong quest to save their homeland from a great evil.  Grow wiser, stronger and more powerful as you explore the depths of the mysterious labyrinth. But beware, the labyrinth takes a heavy toll - each time your hero dies, they lose a year of their life!

So I heard you like Mario Kart...check out VR Karts.

Here's the launch trailer for VR Karts on the Oculus Rift. Available to buy now on the Oculus Store, priced at $14.99 !

Cats And VR

Starbreeze partners with Acer in development of StarVR.

Acer Inc. formed a partnership with Starbreeze AB to provide support for their StarVR Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Display . The two companies aim to cooperate on the design, manufacturing, promotion, marketing and sales of the StarVR HMD to the entertainment market.

This is part of a big push for Starbreeze during the legendary Cannes Film Festival currently taking place. Starbreeze  premiered its first cinematic VR experience “Cockatoo Spritz” directed by Stephane Barbato in Cannes during the first week of the festival. The company has also been working on a VR experience for John Wick, which wasn’t ready in time for a Cannes demo.

“Since our launch in June 2015, we have had an amazing start with StarVR. By partnering with Acer we shift gears yet again to firmly position us as the leader in top-end VR experiences. Acer is an excellent, experienced and prominent hardware partner that will accelerate us in realizing and producing a high-definition, high-fidelity VR headset,” said Bo Andersson Klint, Starbreeze CEO. “We’ve been working with a clear roadmap for our VR strategy from day one, and are now about to realize one of the first major collaborations we set out to achieve. The future for StarVR is now set and extremely exciting.”

"Acer is thrilled to join forces with Starbreeze in bringing the StarVR head-mounted display to the market,” said Jason Chen, Acer Corporate President and CEO. “We are devoting R&D resources across multiple aspects of the VR ecosystem for a coherent and high-quality experience, while just last month Acer announced powerful desktops and notebooks fully-ready for StarVR. Starbreeze and Acer share the same goal of delivering best-in-class VR applications, and we look forward to unlocking new VR possibilities together with this partnership. ”

Starbreeze launched StarVR with a VR-experience at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2015 by the acquisition of French company Infinite Eye. 

Cats And VR

VUZE Camera officially launches it's Pre-Orders, I have been excited for months!

HumanEyes Technologies, a leader in photographic 3D, computer vision and lenticular graphic arts, has announced new technical capabilities and started taking orders of VUZE, the groundbreaking 3D 360° VR camera and software studio that captures and renders 3D and 2D VR content in near real-time and with a super easy interface and a click of one button. Priced at  $799, VUZE is less than 3% of the cost of the Facebook Surround 360 ($30,000) and less than 2% of the cost of the NOKIA OZO ($60,000), bringing immersive content creation to the masses.

Available at www.vuze.camera for $799, the pre-order bundle includes the VUZE Camera and software studio, VR headset, purposely engineered ‘selfie stick’ and tripod, stylish carrying case and a newly designed handle for alternative ways to hold the device. Pre-orders begin May 12, 2016 with shipping in the fall of 2016. While people need to register a pre-order to secure this price and guarantee their place among the first to receive VUZE, no payments will be taken until shipping.

As an early adopter I have already pre-ordered mine and you can read about my excitement here. http://www.catsandvr.com/blog/2016/4/13/so-i-pre-ordered-a-vuze-camera

You get not only a camera, but also access to a total 360° filmmaking package. One of the things that excites me the most is the VUZE editing suite. Currently 360° video editing is not the most efficient and I am excited that VUZE is solving for this issue. 

VUZE is built on its own technology architecture and can be controlled by a dedicated iOS and Android app. Eight full HD cameras simultaneously capture images, videos and sound to facilitate full stereophonic and 360° 3D spherical content.

Each camera uses lenses that capture 120 0 horizontal FOV and 180 0 vertical FOV that together generate 4K 360 VR content. Since the VUZE camera can easily generate #d and 2D content, it is like having two cameras in one. Its 8 FHD cameras deliver one of the highest quality 2D content experiences on the market and greatly reduce the effects of flare and peripheral distortion associated with ultra-wide fisheye lenses.

The camera’s battery and removable SD card allows for up to one hour of video capture and internal processing and compression capabilities produce H.264 HD video files for editing. Featuring a stylish, ergonomic design, the VUZE camera is available in red, yellow, black and blue.  Pre- Order Here http://vuze.camera/

Cats And VR

Kingspray's VR Graffiti Simulator is going to be DOPE!

One of my favorite video games of all time is Jet Set Radio, as a kid I loved running around the city escaping the law and painting the town red...and yellow, green, blue, and purple (rip prince)

I once tried to pitch SEGA to do Jet Set for Kinect as I felt it was a perfect platform for virtual graffiti. Well I hope the Kingspray team were also inspired by Jet Set Radio because when I saw their promo video I immediately thought of that game. I want to put on a SubPac unit, blast some Company Flow, and jump into a VR world of Graf. 

 HTC Vive seems to currently be the platform of choice for Virtual Art with Tilt Brush already being a killer app and now Kingspray Graffiti Simulator VR. One of the most important elements of VR for me is the new levels of expression that exists. I am excited to see what newbs and legends do with this app. How long until a Banksy or Invader creates a dope VR piece? How long until we give disabled children the chance to create inspirational graf pieces?

Check out the promo video for Kingspray Graffiti Simulator and check out some of the dope pieces already created by the beta community. After that, see what real world piece in San Francisco is inspiring me. 

According to the official Kingspray site: "It’s currently still in development, we plan on releasing a closed beta early next week (16th May) for the HTC Vive VR. Once we have ironed out any remaining issues it will be available on the Steam store. We will be posting this out once it’s available"

Here's a quick run through how some of the features work. The game will be available via SteamVR next week. We will be posting another update when its dropped. Music: Anitek Song: Distance Album: ShiHo Support: https://anitek.bandcamp.com

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Cats And VR

Now we can play all our childhood Virtual Boy favorites on Google Cardboard!

Yesterday reddit user The-King-of-Spain, posted in /r/games a method he’d developed for playing Virtual Boy games on the Google Cardboard. 

Prerequisites:
Android Phone
Google Cardboard or Gear VR
Retroarch for Android

Here is The-King-of-Spain's description

" After about 30 minutes of play time, I'm not experiencing any of the Virtual Boy's trademark motion sickness. There's also something to be said for playing the games in grayscale instead of the headache-inducing red. It's pretty cool to see Virtual Boy games in their full stereoscopic glory, but the added depth doesn't seem to add much value gameplay-wise.
In the grand scheme of things, this is the cheapest way to play Virtual Boy games in 3D"

Information courtesy of Reddit.

Cats And VR

The highly anticipated and loved by everyone Ghostbusters remake to get VR tie-in. I ain't afraid of no trolls.

What can I say about the anticipation for the  new Ghostbusters film that director Paul Feig has not said already. The trailer for the new film has received some fairly negative feedback.

My opinion is,  hey give the movie a break and wait till it actually comes out first before dousing it with hate, I mean look how well Michael Bay's TMNT film came out.  But forget about the movies, we are here to talk about VR and looks like there will be a Ghostbusters VR tie in. I may be more excited for a Ghostbusters VR experience than the new movie. I am not knocking the upcoming film at all but I have been dying to play a good Ghostbuster video game for years. One can only hope that there will be Ectoplasm thrown onto participants to create total immersion. 

In advance of the July 15, 2016 release of Ghostbusters, Sony Pictures, Madame Tussauds New York, Ghost Corps and THE VOID have teamed up to bring Ghostbusters to VIRTUAL REALITY! Scheduled to open to the public on July 1, 2016, the VR experience will launch exclusively as part of the Ghostbusters Experience at Madame Tussauds New York in their legendary Times Square attraction. 

In Ghostbusters: Dimension, developed by THE VOID in collaboration with Ivan Reitman, Paul Feig and Sony Pictures, audiences will experience what it is like to be a Ghostbuster, tracking and trapping a supernatural foe through a New York apartment complex in an environment that combines physical props and sets, real-time interactive effects, and virtual reality technology designed by THE VOID.

"Ghostbusters has an incredible, passionate fan following, and now VR technology allows the fans to become a Ghostbuster themselves within Madame Tussauds New York. The technology is breathtaking, the experience is thrilling, and what better way is there to use VR, than to let audiences inhabit the stories they love," said Ghostbusters creator Ivan Reitman.

"Who wouldn't want to answer the call, suit up as a Ghostbuster, and blast their way through a ghost-infested New York apartment with a proton pack?" said Jake Zim, senior VP of digital marketing at Sony Pictures. "We expect this experience will draw fans of all ages to Madame Tussauds and generate a lot of buzz around the release of our new Ghostbusters film this summer."

"Our new collaboration with Sony Pictures and THE VOID has paved the way to delivering an unforgettable experience for our visitors," said Eric Fluet, Head of Marketing and Sales for Madame Tussauds New York. "We believe the Ghostbusters Experience and Ghostbusters: Dimension will propel Madame Tussauds New York into a new era of immersive entertainment."

"Ghostbusters is an amazing property that has kept fans enthralled for decades, so as we roll out immersive VR experiences around the world, we're thrilled to have Sony Pictures on board as our first studio collaboration, working with us to develop a truly memorable experience that will have fans talking for years to come," said Ken Bretschneider, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at THE VOID.

"We are thrilled to work with Madame Tussauds and THE VOID to bring our iconic franchise to life in the heart of New York City.  Fans of Ghostbusters will have the opportunity to take a walk through an immersive environment with iconic scenes from the film, and bust ghosts using cutting edge virtual reality technology," said Mark Caplan, Senior Vice President, Sony Pictures Consumer Products.

Cats And VR. 

That one time I fought Luke Rockhold and did not die or How SilVRThread videos ROCK!

"Can I jump straight to the MMA", these were my words after trying SilVRThread's Skiing training demo. Don't get me wrong the Skiing demo was super exhilarating and in the real world the first time I went skiing was one of the most "real" experiences I ever had. SilVRThread captured this more that any extreme sports VR video I have experienced yet. That experience was great, the VR experience now that was mind blowing.

Considering CEO Tai Crosby's background in photography I expected a level of quality but the delivery surpassed expectation. I started out in a MMA octagon with an overlaid ad for UFC 199: Rockhold vs. Weidman 2 and I thought that was an excellent use of ad placement. Then the fighter I was training with entered the cage. LUKE ROCKHOLD, UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMP! WTF!

I am really glad Tai warned me whatever I did DON'T punch back. Immediately I felt comfortable in the training environment and bobbed and weaved at a cardio pace that made me feel this was the real deal Evander Holyfield. I even checked a few kicks while being aware that this is just a demo. Legitimately I saw elements of Luke Rockhold's standup game that I did not see in watching his fights. In fact, when I went home I looked into Luke Rockhold's standup technique and analyzed his growth in boxing as well some flaws I noticed. Then I realized I am not a UFC fighter and I didn't really spar with Rockhold. What I also realized is that the SilVRThread demo did leave me with a good training experience that left me wanting to build on it after the fact and is that not what a good training program does for you, VR or otherwise.

After the demo, I immediately responded that Chris Weidman should legit use this before fighting at UFC 199.  So this was my reaction for an MMA training session and this is a great way to get someone excited. As I say Cats And VR really means _____ and VR. It could be Cars and VR, MMA And VR, or Crochet and VR. I truly feel they are opportunities for everyone to experience and enjoy VR. 

See the whole point of what SilVRThread is bringing to the table is training. Training for markets yearning for new methods to talk to consumers. How to help an engineer on an oil rig fix something broken via VR without helicoptering out an engineer, to travel trips taking you step by step up Machu Piccu so you know what the tour will really be like. Tai and I talked for a bit about how this training can be lifesaving such as teaching medical techniques to third world nation doctors or having cops train in real world situations to understand how to react. 

In the end, VR is only now in the palm pilot era and has immense room to grow. What SilVRThread is doing will affect the future of training and I am excited to see what strides they will make. They have already established some great partnerships and are a strong part of the Hulu VR content plan.  Check out the 360° video of my SilVRThread demo. Oh and after that check SilVRThread CEO Tai Crosby showing a VR demo to Daniel Cormier the UFC Light Heavyweight Champ. http://www.silvrthread.com/

Cats And VR

Manus VR brings full arm tracking to HTC Vive.

For now, the HTC Vive brings you the most immersive right out of the box VR experience out of any on the market HMD due to its excellent motion controls. As we are now looking at a time when a quality VR experience is achievable on a consumer level, more and more immersion is desired. 

I once played Surgeon Simulator in a padded room just for a tad bit more immersion and I love using a SubPac for full audio immersion.  Everyone developing for VR is looking on how it can be more immersive. Enter Manus VR. Manus VR recently released this video showing full arm tracking being developed for HTC Vive. The have been working on hand tracking but this is a great step and I am excited for what Manus VR is bringing to the VR table. This will be very applicable not to just gaming but for training simulators and a wide array of VR productivity applications. Personally, I want to see the VR boxing games of the future. Punch Club 3000!

The Manus is the first consumer data-glove specifically designed for virtual reality. It tracks hand movement using a combination of high-tech sensors all contained inside the glove. With this technology, The Manus provides accurate and reliable hand tracking. Bluetooth integration makes The Manus completely wireless, giving gamers a no strings attached mobile VR experience. 

To make it easy to develop, the software is completely open-source. This makes it an incredible opportunity for game developers. The Manus offers a immersive and intuitive interaction not found in any other device on consumer market, enabling a revolutionary new VR experience. 

Cats And VR.

Check out NVIDIA's VR Funhouse and Ansel Game Capture.

With the launch of their GeForce GTX 1080, NVIDIA announced their first virtual reality experience to highlight what their Pascal-based GPU is capable of.

NVIDIA VR Funhouse highlights what NVIDIA Pascal-based GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs can do for VR. VR Funhouse brings a new level of immersion to VR by enhancing what you see, hear and touch through a combination of great graphics, fully interactive audio and simulated physics.

NVIDA also recently introduced Ansel, a powerful, easy-to-use game capture tool built in cooperation with leading game developers.

Ansel lets you freeze time. You can compose your shots from any angle and adjust the image with post-process filters. You can capture at unbelievable resolutions, grab EXR images for full-spectrum color capture, and share your screenshots in 360° panoramas via your smartphone, PC or VR heads.

Check out the features list of Ansel...I just got the name reference, Ansel Adams. Good name Nvidia!

• Free Camera — Roll, zoom and reposition. Go wherever you want to create the perfect photo. Ansel instantly overcomes the limitations of traditional game capture, allowing you to frame the perfect shot.

• Super Resolution — Once you’ve positioned and framed your shot, Ansel allows you to capture screenshots at up to 4.5 gigapixel resolution, or 32x higher than your screen resolution. Using your NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU, Ansel can render and save these screenshots in just seconds. The result: images that you can downsample to lower resolutions for wall prints, posters or super-high-quality desktop wallpapers.

• Post-Process Filters — So you can tweak the look, feel and mood of your screenshot before saving, Ansel includes brightness, vignette, sketch, color enhancer, field of view and many other special effects options. It lets you create and share your own special FX filters, as enthusiasts do now for ReShade and other post-process applications.

• OpenEXR Capture — If you’ve got a high-dynamic range TV or monitor, you can export Ansel screenshots in the OpenEXR format, enabling you to view high-dynamic range, super-resolution screenshots at the highest possible fidelity. Or you can export in OpenEXR to work with the image in editing tools like Adobe Photoshop to further adjust the look of your screen captures.

• 360-degree Capture — With Ansel you can also capture 360° panoramic screenshots. It automatically stitches the 360° panorama in mono or stereo so you can view them in Google Cardboard, on your PC or in a VR headset. For Cardboard users, we’ve released the NVIDIA VR Viewer bundled with Ansel 360 Capture screenshots that you can view today. Download the app and check it out!

Google Cardboard – Nvidia VR Viewer

1. Install the Cardboard app from the Google Play Store.
2. Install the NVIDIA VR Viewer app from the Google Play Store.
3. Launch the NVIDIA VR Viewer Cardboard app and install your phone* into the Cardboard holder

*Phone requirements: Android™ Lollipop or newer OS, 2 GB RAM

Oculus Rift and HTC Vive

Download Ansel 360 images and view through Virtual Desktop.

1. Download Ansel 360 images to your PC
2. Download Virtual Desktop here
3. Launch Virtual Desktop and select the appropriate option to “Launch Virtual Desktop in…”
   • Vive: Steam VR Mode
   • Rift: Other Mode
4. Virtual Desktop will default to the SETTINGS screen
5. Put on your VR headset
6. Adjust Virtual Desktop’s settings to your comfort
7. Within Virtual Desktop, click on PHOTOS
8. Drag and drop photos into the empty space, within the VR headset, you will now be placed into the center of your 360° photo
9. After a few moments the Virtual Desktop window within your headset will disappear
10. Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to cycle through your photos

Google Android Co-Creator Andy Rubin And International Music Powerhouse Timbaland Back SubPac

SubPac, a transformational technology brand, is pioneering a cultural shift across the music and technology industries by revolutionizing the traditional perception of sound. SubPac is immersive physical-sound technology that brings music to life, expanding beyond an audio concept to a full-body experience. The startup has attracted major investors and industry leaders who have joined forces to engineer this unprecedented sound movement.

I recently had a chance to watch the hella dope Run The Jewels 360° video in a Viewmaster headset while using a SubPac device. I feel it's the addition of accessories like SubPac that will make VR a real fully immersive experience that will keep you coming back. SubPac offer this. On this May the 4th please check out SubPac to really #FeelTheForce in VR. Also congrats to SubPac's recent high profile funding, check out more below. 

Here is my 360° video Demo and interview with SubPac. Use the Mouse to move around. 

SubPac recently announced the close of $6M Series A financing with notable investors that include veteran DJ, Richie Hawtin, Dada Life, Azure Capital, NBA All Star Carmelo Anthony's M7 Tech Partners, and Andy Rubin of Playground Global and formerly Google Android. The funds are earmarked for development as the brand is positioned to significantly disrupt the music and tech industries.

"SubPac opened my eyes to the power of physical sound. It will absolutely change the way people experience music, VR and cinema." said Andy Rubin, founder & CEO, Playground Global.

SubPac is creating its own physical-sound category through two unique products; the SubPac M2, a wearable vest, and the SubPac S2, a seatback device. Both create a new form of expression for musicians and sound designers to connect with their fans on a deeper level by using innovative technology that allows consumers to physically feel sound. This tangible connectivity captivated GRAMMY-winning producer Timbaland to come on board as a partner and introduce the brand to the music industry.

"SubPac is a game changing experience for both artists and fans," said Timbaland. "It lets you feel the music like never before.  It's the feeling that's been missing, until now."

SubPac is a privately held technology company and was the brainchild of Co-Founders John Alexiou and Todd Chernecki. The startup's leadership team also includes Sean Leonard, Head of Strategic Development and Sarosh Khwaja, Head of R&D. SubPac is based in the heart of the entertainment industry, Los Angeles and has offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, London and Toronto.  

"Andy Rubin and Timbaland are two of the finest creative minds on the planet," said John Alexiou, Co-Founder and CEO of SubPac. "They have both moved culture in significant ways, and will play leading roles in SubPac's mission to bring the feeling of music & sound to the world."  

SubPac is currently available on thesubpac.com with the SubPac M2 retailing for $349 and SubPac S2 for $299.

 thesubpac.com 

May the 4th be with you. Cats and Star Wars VR!

I really tried to make a 360° May the 4th Star Wars Cat Video but the cats were not having it. Well here is my attempt anyway. 

May The 4th- Me trying to get the cats to use the force. Normally the cats love fried chicken but this time they were just being dark side.

Well since that did not work out that great, check out the trailer for the upcoming Star Wars VR experience for HTC VIVE.

Strap on the VR headset, take a remote in hand. But with the VR gear on, the remote looks more like something from a Coruscant electronics shop. Space and stars surround you. The opening crawl begins — the familiar Star Wars main theme triumphantly blaring — but this is no normal Star Wars prologue. It’s three-dimensional, you’re right on top of it. You learn that Luke Skywalker, having defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, is looking to rebuild the Jedi Order. One hopeful Padawan is heading to Tatooine. That Padawan is you.

The prologue fades, the camera pans, and you soon find yourself on the desert homeworld of your master. Literally, on Tatooine. Turn 360 degrees, look up, look down. You’re not anywhere else. All you see is desert and sky and Star Wars stuff. Sound — music and wind and and more — surrounds you. Now, the experiment really begins. You encounter the Falcon, watch as it lands right next to you (you might find yourself ducking as it descends, which is totally normal), and get a special gift from Artoo — a lightsaber, which you’ll soon get to use. That’s when Star Wars dreams really come true.

Read More at StarWars.com

Make sure to check out our VR App Of the Day as well since it is Star Wars related as well.

http://www.catsandvr.com/vr-app-of-the-day/

One last thing, here is a collection of Star Wars Cats to get your Star Wars Day started right.

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May the 4th be with you.

Cats And VR

So AltspaceVR has integrated with Slack but what else do they do?

 So AltspaceVR has integrated with Slack but what else do they do?

Recently AltspaceVR announced they integrated with Slack. Though I feel like a Slacker for just now getting to post this it is because CatsAndVR.com is not my day job. I was actually bombarded by Slack messages in my “real world” gig. I am a big fan of Slack as it has helped increase productivity at my day job in quantifiable ways. I use Slack for my day job and to interact with the MettaVR community.

Exit Scene/Cut to Future: 
A good majority of the modern American tech workforce need an escape from the mundane day to day spreadsheet salesforce customer service existence we call a day job. Monotony is our first world brain torture. VR offers us an escape into immersive worlds where we can forget our worries, disabilities, and troubled state of consciousness. 

What AltspaceVR offers is to bring us back together as a social unit during that momentary escape. 

During SVVR 2016 I had the time to chat with the AltspaceVR team and do a #VRcall in a 80’s/90’s era phone booth. Just using a mobile device and a Gear VR I was able to visit an island dance party in honor of the recently departed Prince. This gathering of people showed my point whether likeminded or not, there are more commonalities than differences in the world. Everyone was there for a common interest in both Prince and VR. 

The picture told of VR sometimes is that is a lonely isolationist experience. Hell at a point people looked that way at videogames. That is actually counterintuitive of the historical precedent of Mankind itself and the way technology has shaped shows this. World Of Warcraft was popular not because of being a good game but for it’s social value. The term Social Media has been ingrained in our modern technologic vernacular.

I get the marketing angle that with AltspaceVR and Slack conference calls and meetings will never be the same again.Well that angle is how you get funding and VentureBeat articles. Now mass scale adoption is different and that angle about AltspaceVR  is what intrigues me about them. 

My first interaction with AltspaceVR was a few years ago when I saw a random person on the street carrying an Oculus Dev kit. Though it was brief I got to share my intrigue of the modern VR movement and get some quick insights. Only recently I realized that person was Bruce Wooden.

For many people the fear of walking up to someone in the real world and having a conversation ends up creating a limited world view.  AltspaceVR looks to solve this by having a virtual safe space to interact and communicate. The thing that really got me intrigued with AltspaceVR is the open mic and comedy events they host. Many people myself included want to get on stage and perform but can have a level of fear that is hard to overcome. In fact I only did my standup act once and it was random at Burning Man. A place I consider safe for me to truly be myself. 

By having a virtual community people can become singers and poets in a space that is more akin to a real world environment than Youtube. When I spoke to Debbie Shepard she said she was so caught up in the energy and excitement of a recent event she decided to recite Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll 

 I have to thank the AltspaceVR team for giving me some time to get a better idea of what they are doing. 

I want to give a special thanks to Gerald Gottheil for taking the additional time to ask me what does AltspaceVR mean in the perspective of Cats And VR. I look at AltspaceVR as a place where pet owners as a whole can find out they have way more in common than they might have thought. I also look at people with disabilities having the opportunity to go to a virtual dog park. If I would request something in AltspaceVR it would be intuitive pet avatars, sometimes you may just want to wander around a virtual social world with your dog buddy. 

I hope this turned out to be a good read, the original was actually deleted this morning due to WiFi issues and user error. Ok well now back to that AR Slack channel I'm living my real reality in, unfortunately the AR stands for Accounts Receivable not Augmented Reality. 

CatsAndVR.com

 

Please support Life Of Lon, cause I really want to experience more.

How can you say no to that cute creature above? Funny enough that creature is called Yep, I like to think of him as an underwater space cat cute thing. Yep is your companion in Block Intervals upcoming VR immersive experience Life Of Lon. My impressions of my demo on Life of Lon reminded me of Journey, a beautiful well crafted indie hit from thatgamecompany. It also reminded me of one of my favorite films of my childhood, Flight Of the Navigator.

Walking away from the demo I wanted more, I feel this is not a game that a demo will be able to show the true scope of what the team wants to bring to the VR world. Just take a look at the site for Life of Lon and you will see that this is to be a collaboration of art, movement, emotion, and music. Everything is being developed to be a potentially moving experience. Right now people are saying VR is starting to get saturated with content but I say no, the more voices the better.

I hope Life Of Lon takes it's place as a successor to companion games of the past such as the seminal classic A Boy And His Blob and the aforementioned Journey.

Even going as far as looking into Block Interval's own blog I see that they are reaching for something more than a "good game bro". 

Life of Lon has no lives, no experience points, no health bar, no pointless quests, no grinding. Instead, your journey will take you through brainy and involving environment puzzles as you find your way back to the stars.  Life of Lon is being developed by a small team of passionate people and I really want to see their vision come to fruition. I really hope they get the funding and if you read this and believe games and interactive stories can be art please support them.

Here is some additional content including a 360° video I did with Daniel David Allen, a making of Life Of Lon video from the Block Interval team, and some of the amazing music that will be in the game. 

This was written by Neranjan Bobby Venom who loves his companion cats and is a A Boy With A Blog....and a dream.

Life in Metavision or how I mainlined a William Gibson novel.

First of all lets look at the word Image, it breaks down to I MAGE, as in I the magician create a reality for you to perceive. 

The words magic and magician seem the most fitting to describe my Meta 2 augmented reality demo but I may be a bit neuromantic . In 2013 I was blown away with my first experience in Oculus Rift.

In 2016 I say that we need to be truly aware that AR is by definition an entirely different and to a degree an entirely more transportive experience. I was ready for VR when I first used an Oculus Rift as it placed me in a more immersive form of media I have already experienced such as gaming and movies. Meta 2 made me feel more as if I was the computer itself and my experience is just part of a coming future mesh of the organic and cyber.  

Don't get me wrong I love VR and VR is the now but what Meta is working on is like mainlining a William Gibson novel. After my Meta 2 demo I felt strange not in a nauseated way but an eye opening almost nervous way that the future of Neuromancer is taping me on my shoulder letting me know the new future of tech is moving faster than the current rate of my consciousness. I need to be faster, smarter, and more responsive to accept it. I actually took a quick break after my demo and after that I needed a VR experience just to bring me back down to current reality. 

The original Meta AR headset was a great proof of concept with a great 40° field of view much like Microsofts Hololens is today. That was two years ago. The feedback the Meta team received from this was that it was good for R&D, good for innovation, good as a glimpse into the future of computing, but not good enough to replace the screens that characterize our lives in technology. 

The teams answer was to tap in some of the most innovative AR minds globally to develop an optical engine that can create a 90° field of view. The Meta team also tapped into the Google Project Tango framework to acquire the expertise of Alan Betran in developing a sensor array capable of dexterous hand interaction.  With over 600 patent claims for the technology, the Meta team now offers us a truer vision of their future of reality. 

What is the Meta vision for the future of computing? To shift the paradigm of computing from a small scale flat experience to a visceral reality of interaction and point of view.

My Meta 2 experience was curated by the ultra charismatic Ryan Pamplin, who based on his "joke" that he is wearing Meta 9 contact lenses, is either a robot or from the future where Minority Report is the reality.  Legit it was the same experience as the gif bellow but with a headset. Meta 9 will most likely blow that away. I would say this current state of developmental AR can't be done justice by looking at in consumer terms. I wrote my post from a cyberpunk perspective. I would say that if VR is in the palm pilot era then AR is in just only the dot matrix printer era. Imagine controlling video art on a REAL mountain with your eyes. Now thats the future. 

via GIPHY

Actually Ryan Pamplin says he is not a robot but he is a successful member of the Silicon Valley tech community and was an actual user of the first Meta product. He may be the most excited person I know about Meta. Well he works there you say? Well Ryan actually left his position at his previous company to join Meta because he is so passionate about their vision.

View post on imgur.com

View post on imgur.com

You can check out my full demo of Meta 2 here on my MettaVR video page.

http://www.mettavr.com/v/ijr38s2yabZ6tKTW8

Watch the video and imagine Minority Report and it really is like that. I just realized I am a minority reporting about tech that reminds me of Minority Report that is called Meta and I am posting videos on a site called Metta, perhaps I should really look into making a dev team for this. Someone get me $949 so I can get a dev unit. Check out their page on how to get a Meta 2 unit. 

https://www.metavision.com/buy

One last thing I forgot to mention it's also Dogpattable as well. Also still not sure if Ryan Pamplin is a time traveler or a robot.

The time has finally come for man's best friend to enter the modern age. Dogmented Reality will train and entertain your pup. This is a revolution in dog training and will keep our furry friends from feeling lonely ever again. 

CatsAndVR.com

What is VREAL?

WHAT IS VREAL?

VREAL is the first platform for Virtual Reality game streaming and discovery. VREAL are creators, gamers, and innovators, building the future of social VR platforms for the gaming generation. 

• Gamers literally drop into the live play (right next to their favorite streamer) and they can make themselves big and look down into the game or small and be in the weeds, or regular height.
• Gamers watch and are in the native stream with full three-dimensional freedom – from hovering over the game play arena to standing right next to Player 1. 
• Hardware-agnostic (Vive to Oculus Rift to Samsung Gear VR); 360-degree and 2D video viewing. 

CatsAndVR.com recently got the chance to interview Todd Hooper CEO of VREAL at an ultra secret exclusive demo at the awesome Upload VR space on Monday prior to their reveal at SVVR.

Also since we are punk rock we shot it in 360° and threw it up on Metta. Believe me the VREAL demo I had does live up to the press hype.

Check out the interview on Metta: http://www.mettavr.com/v/DfZpLRxC9mCte5ZYD

Also check out me getting a demo of the VREAL platform using an HTC VIVE while playing Surgeon Simulator. http://www.mettavr.com/v/pnpWtzfrNKEvvq3p8

Also Happy Birthday VREAL

Shout out to your awesome team! https://twitter.com/VREALofficial

That one time VR made me cry. Imago is an amazing work of VR art.

This past weekend I got the chance to work with some great people in creating 360° film projects at an event called VR Weekend. At the end of the event our group had the opportunity to hear some insights from Chuck, Tsung-Han Lee, one of the visionary minds behind Imago.

You can check out his shared experience with making Imago in a video posted on our preferred 360° video platform Metta: http://www.mettavr.com/v/q4dZbBrmedQ5tdCP2

Imago left a real impression on me, this may be due to the fact of having a family member with a disability but also due to the techniques Chuck and his team, Project Hypnos, used to create the feeling of isolation and freedom in a VR space. Actually building a camera around a physical representation of a disabled person really put me in a space of sadness at points.

There is a moment in this film that I actually shed a tear. Imago is not just a good VR experience, it is a true work of art that should be showcased as such as well as be accessible to many. I look forward to seeing how Project Hypnos will help to define cinema as well as real emotional experiences in VR. Imago was honored by the Vision VR/AR awards and has been accepted into Siggraph 2016.

Imago is virtual reality short film produced by Project Hypnos, an interdisciplinary team of graduate students at the Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology center. This project was developed to explore questions of film language, story structure and production techniques for 360 degree film.

Cats And VR

HTC hopes to build up its virtual reality ecosystem through Vive X program.

HTC today announced it is launching Vive X, a global accelerator program targeted at start-ups operating in the VR space.

With a $100m investment fund led by HTC, the program is designed to help cultivate, foster and grow the global VR ecosystem by supporting start-ups and providing them with expertise, special access to advanced VR technology, financial investment, mentorship and unmatched go-to-market support - ultimately building them into valuable content producers or content enablers for the Vive platform. 

Starting in three cities – Beijing, Taipei and San Francisco, with a view to rolling out across other global hubs in the near future – Vive X offers start-ups the opportunity to be based in one of those cities for an initial growth period, during which they will have access to funding, leading VR know-how, hands-on coaching, and office space. They will also be invited to demo days, where leading investors will be in attendance, and to HTC's offices for intensive training with our first-party development studios and to meet key members of the Vive engineering and management teams.

In Beijing, Vive X will pilot in May 2016, when selected start-ups from around Asia will be invited to apply for the program, with the goal of enabling those companies to grow with the Vive platform. As in the other locations, Vive X in Beijing is targeted at accelerating entrance and growth for companies with proven success in the VR industry, with each participating start-up receiving cash investment in return for a small amount of equity. The program is open to companies from any industry that are creating content, tools, applications and accessories that enrich the VR ecosystem and end-user experience.

"We are very excited about gathering the brightest and the most creative minds to join Vive X. Virtual reality is changing the world, yet to do that effectively it needs a healthy eco-system to expand into the mass market. Through HTC Vive, we look forward to enabling global talent to create interesting and compelling content and to help shape the future of this industry," said Cher Wang, Chairwoman and CEO of HTC.

Cats And VR

MoMA NY to present immersive VR Storytelling.

Slithering Screens is a special selection of original cinematic works that premiered in the Sundance Film Festival’s New Frontier program over the past decade. Presented at MoMA on the occasion of the program’s 10th year, these works hack the cinema space itself by presenting stories that move from the silver screen onto the stage and into the hands, pockets, and homes of the audience. Featuring works by Lynette Wallworth, Yung Jake, Nao Bustamante, Miwa Matreyek, and the filmmaker/creative technologist duo James George and Jonathan Minard, Slithering Screens is an energetic mix of cinema-inspired performance, interactive documentary, and immersive media storytelling.

In addition to live experiences at MoMA, more than 10 virtual reality works such as Collisions will be made available on the Sundance VR app for Google Cardboard from April 25 to May 5. Limited artist-edition Cardboard VR goggles designed by Yung Jake will be given away to Slithering Screens attendees each night.

The first artist selected for the Sundance Institute New Frontier | Jaunt VR Residency Program is Sundance Institute New Frontier alumnus Lynette Wallworth, who will participate with her groundbreaking project Collisions. A work of stunning visuals and powerful narrative, Collisions tells the story of Aboriginal elder Nyarri Nyarri Morgan who lived as 1000 generations before him in the remote Pilbara desert of Western Australia-- until his life was dramatically impacted by a collision with the extreme edge of Western science and technology. Wallworth is an acclaimed Australian artist and documentary filmmaker known for producing immersive artworks that provoke a profound emotional response. She is ideally positioned to explore the storytelling potential of VR, and sees the new form as the perfect vehicle for Nyarri to communicate his story. Wallworth's immersive installations and films have been shown at the World Economic Forum (Davos), Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian, Adelaide Biennial, Brighton Festival, Vienna Festival, London Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Adelaide Film Festival and Margaret Mead Film Festival, among others. Collisions is produced by Sundance Film Festival alumnus Nicole Newnham and Academy Award-nominated film producer Cori Shepherd Stern.

Information provided by MoMA

Headsets provided by WeLens

Check out Tilt Brush with Google Virtual Art Sessions!

Virtual Art Sessions lets you observe six world-renowned artists as they develop blank canvases into beautiful works of art using Tilt Brush. Each session can be explored from start to finish from any angle, including the artist’s perspective – all viewable right from the browser.

Participating artists include illustrator Christoph Niemann, fashion illustrator Katie Rodgers, sculptor Andrea Blasich, installation artist Seung Yul Oh, automotive concept designer Harald Belker, and street artist duo Sheryo & Yok. The artists’ unique approaches to this new medium become apparent when seeing them work inside their Tilt Brush creations. Watch this behind-the-scenes video to hear what the artists had to say about their experience:

Virtual Art Sessions is a new Chrome Experiment in virtual reality art, made with Tilt Brush. We partnered with six world-renowned artists, bringing them a new way to paint, draw and sculpt. We recorded their sessions and made them accessible on the web, so you can explore how the artists developed their virtual reality creations from any angle.

https://virtualart.chromeexperiments.com/

Cats And VR.