An update to our Friday roundup. There’s just too much news coming at us too fast.
China introduces new rules, which limit transfer of Tik Tok Tech. Microsoft/Wal-Mart’s competing with Oracle for a deal that could value each Tokker at more than $100. The story is just the gift that keeps on giving. It would be a huge blow to Tik Tok if it were removed from the American app stores. There are work arounds for people who have the app, but anyone who gets a new iPhone won’t be able to get it. What a huge windfall this could be for Instagram Reels.
A holographic Ori Inbar is going spatial.
AWE Asia Concludes Offline; 2020 Auggie Award Winners Announced. Despite the global pandemic, the Augmented World Expo’s (AWE) hosted a hybrid online/offline conference for its 6th annual Asia-Pacific conference in Shenzhen August 15th and 16th. Local organizers say they had 700 live attendees, 20 exhibitors, and 35 of the conference’s 46 speakers joined in person, with the conference live stream attracting 60,000 more viewers.
A pre-recorded hologram of AWE co-founder and VC Ori Inbar described technological leaps in Spatial Artificial Intelligence (SPAI), which combines AR, VR, AI, and geographic data. “I’m going spatial,” he declared in a signature speech. The entire conference was streamed live and can be seen here.
Industry leaders test the Stream of Consciousness AR armor by Chongqing Mengshen Technology
Victor Sun, CEO of Shadow Creator, spoke about the transition from how we use computers today to how we’ll use them tomorrow. He also announced a Shadow Creator-Qualcomm collaboration to release a consumer-grade MR glasses product called “Honghu” later this year, with an estimated production capacity of 100,000 by 2021. No work if/when they’ll be available in the west. Shadow Creator won AWE Asia’s coveted Auggie Award for Best Hardware for their state of the art JIMO glasses. The Best Software winner was PTC for Vuforia, and Best Innovation winner Chongqing Mengshen Technology for the newly released Stream of Consciousness VR armor.
Glow smart glasses from Mad Gaze.
Yezhi Sun of MAD Gaze predicted XR glasses will get cheaper quickly, like handsets did. “In terms of price, our current AR smart glasses may be more expensive than better mobile phones.” MAD Gaze earned an honorable mention for Best Hardware for tgheir GLOW Plus glasses and an honorable mention for Best Innovation with the MAD Gaze Watch.
Gavin Newton-Tanzer resident of Sunrise International, the local producer of AWE Asia tol dhe was pleased with the result of the hybrid show. 60,000 people who would have never attended. “Especially in these difficult times, we can see the potential that XR has to transform our lives.”
Coming to a VR headset next year.
Sam and Max are back! Happy Giant games revealed at Games Com that they are adapting the legendary IP for a VR game. The first new Sam & Max game in over a decade, this game will see players recruited by the titular heroes and trained to become part of the Freelance Police.
Burning Man is open and free to everyone through September 8th. But many, like BRC’s virtual Playa on Microsoft’s AltspaceVR, will be ongoing. For smartphones, PCs and VR, we’ve got a burn for you. Check out the official list of events here.
“This Week In XR” is now a podcast! Each week, Paramount Pictures Futurist Ted Schilowitz, Professor and Author Charlie Fink, and a special guest, bat around the headlines. You can find us on YouTube, Spotify, or on iTunes.
