The Ghost Howls

DECEMBER 28, 2020

It is the final newsletter of the year, so… see you in 2021, a new year that I hope will be filled with many interesting news about immersive realities! Microsoft Flight Simulator releases VR patch. Asobo and Microsoft have worked hard for this and on 22nd, the VR patch has been released. Top news of the week. Image by HP).

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The Ghost Howls

JANUARY 20, 2021

But hey, let me play this game anyway, so here you are my predictions for virtual reality in 2021 based on the trends and the anticipations that we had at the end of 2020! Also, the awareness has grown , because every gamer knew about Alyx, and so about virtual reality.

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Virtual Reality Trends China HTC 528

AllThingsVR

MAY 25, 2016

The reality of augmented and virtual reality venture capital Chatting with VC and corporate friends in Sand Hill Road, Hollywood, London, China, Japan and South Korea, a taxonomy emerged for AR/VR investors: Yes: Dedicated AR/VR funds (mainly angel, seed and Series A). Maybe: Mainline VC firms.

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Virtual Reality South Korea Japan AR 70

The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Meta’s offering could so become this one: Quest 3 Lite, 64G, $199 Quest 3 Lite, 128G, $299 Quest 3 Lite, 256G, $399 Quest 3, 256G, $499 Quest 3, 512G, $649 And there is more: Meta is working on a partnership with Tencent to distribute the Quest 3 Lite also in China and compete with Pico in its own home. More info — Use Google Translate!

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The Ghost Howls

MAY 7, 2022

Just to make an example, I was there when there was the Netscape vs Internet Explorer war, but now the leading web browser is Google Chrome. Google Chrome, for instance, has been helped a lot by the fact that it is the pre-installed browser on all Android phones. Google Glass v2. What will happen? Honestly, I don’t know.

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VRScout

AUGUST 21, 2016

You can enjoy the full audio recording below: In this week’s VRScout Report, we discuss Microsoft and Intel teaming up to influence the development of VR/AR with mixed reality headset Project Alloy. MICROSOFT AND INTEL’S NEW BABY: PROJECT ALLOY. TAKE A VIRTUAL RIDE INTO CONSCIOUSNESS WITH DEEPAK CHOPRA.

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North Carolina New York Virtual Reality Microsoft 150

The Ghost Howls

MARCH 16, 2020

And while this is anyway a good result for a startup (developing an AR headsets means spending billions in R&D), targeting the consumer market has been a suicide move , that let Microsoft get full control of the profitable enterprise market. More info (Camera Path and Google Drive backup) More info (Sketchfab exporting).

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Magic Leap Europe AR Virtual Reality 336

The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 9, 2020

Yesterday was Chinese Lanterns’ Festival… my best wishes to you all, especially a big hug to all people that are still in China and are living very hard times… ??! This week in XR has seen the launch of the first standalone MR headset, plus a lot of interesting news and articles about immersive realities. Top news of the week.

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Hand tracking AR Augmented Reality Oculus 434

The Ghost Howls

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

This week I’ve anyway found the time to enjoy the artistic piece Finding Pandora X and to work on organizing my session at the Virtual Reality Day (more on this later on in this newsletter). But honestly, I expected a bit more … it’s a bit weird that Microsoft hasn’t solved its biggest pain point yet.

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Virtual Reality Haptic Oculus Japan 366

Road to VR

OCTOBER 30, 2017

While the Oculus for Business bundle is offered in 17 countries, crucially, China is not among them—a major VR market which Oculus isn’t serving, and where Taiwan-based HTC has committed significant resources. SEE ALSO How Google's Latest VR Moves Are a Major Blow to Oculus' Mobile Strategy. New Foes – Microsoft & Co.

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The Ghost Howls

APRIL 19, 2021

On the server-side, it is being integrated with Microsoft Azure, and it is also coming in the future for Google Cloud and Tencent Cloud. This means that cloud rendering could become a reality for always more headsets, and using always more cloud services. I also expect it to be consumer-oriented in China.

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The Ghost Howls

JUNE 1, 2023

Oppo MR headset Picture of the just announced Oppo MR dev kit The first one is a new mixed-reality headset by Oppo. I heard a rumor about this device coming during my latest trip to China, and it’s cool to see that it is finally happening.

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The Ghost Howls

JULY 31, 2023

More info Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon release open map dataset A group called the Overture Maps Foundation, which includes Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and TomTom, has released its first open map dataset, including 59 million “points of interest,” such as restaurants and landmarks.

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The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 17, 2020

The news is overly important because Alyx is already changing the virtual reality landscape for these reasons: It is increasing awareness towards VR a lot (all mainstream gaming media are talking about it); It is increasing sales of VR headsets a lot; It will probably show us new interactions in XR that will affect the UX of many games after it.

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The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 26, 2020

At WCVRI, China shows its strategic interest for VR. In its upcoming 5-year development plan, there should be measures to favor the growth and the spread of Immersive Realities. And while China always moves chaotically, I think that the push of the government is helping its VR companies.

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HTC Oculus Conference China 416

The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 17, 2019

I’ve just had my first day in Nanchang, China. I’m here to attend the WCVRI , a very big event about Virtual Reality in China, where I am exhibiting HitMotion: Reloaded , the mixed reality fitness game of my agency New Technology Walkers ( contact us if you need some VR development!). Is it really important?

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Eye Tracking AR Leap Motion China 166

Bernard Marr

AUGUST 8, 2022

Huge companies like Facebook and Microsoft are throwing vast sums of money at their attempts to build, and therefore define, the metaverse. Basically, if the metaverse is the new internet, then everyone wants to be the new Google - holding the keys to the huge amounts of money to be made from selling advertising there.

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The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

IVAS is meant to increase the capabilities of the soldiers deployed on the field thanks to the support of augmented reality glasses. The project is carried on by Microsoft which was given the monster contract of $22B to create this device by modifying its HoloLens glasses.

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The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 1, 2019

(Image by Microsoft). According to Reuters, Microsoft’s executive vice president Harry Shum took the stage at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai and said that the HoloLens 2 will be released sometime in September of this year. My review of Google Hand tracking library. In any case, we will see.

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The Ghost Howls

AUGUST 24, 2020

Someone invokes saviors like Google and Amazon, but even if they managed to succeed, they are other data-harvesting companies , so in any case, we are f**ked. That’s why even Microsoft took Epic’s stances : Microsoft uses UE4 to develop some products also for Apple devices, and this decision hurts also its business.

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Unreal Apple Government Data 434

The Ghost Howls

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

I am also excited because thanks to the organizers of the VRX event, yesterday I have been able to interview Facebook’s Sean Liu and ask him some questions about Oculus and its vision of Virtual Reality. Google announces The Relightables. Google has just invented a new system to shoot volumetric videos of avatars.

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The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 4, 2021

More info (HTC teasing Vive Flow) More info (More teaser images of Vive Flow) More info (Launch event invitation / Western World) More info (Launch event invitation / China). iOS 15 finally brings AR navigation instructions to Apple Maps , in a way similar to the one that Google is already offering. Other relevant news. Image by IGN).

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HTC AR Oculus Gaming 308

The Ghost Howls

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Huawei has launched in China its VR glasses, that will be on sale in China in December for 2999RMB, around $400. Microsoft has officially stated that Minecraft Earth , that has been in beta for Android and iOS in carefully selected worldwide locations in the past months, is now ready for its launch. Google is doing it again.

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Oculus Augmented Reality AR Amazon 167

XR for Business Podcast

NOVEMBER 8, 2019

The industry kind of slowly drifted, and a lot of my friends and partners actually moved into virtual reality. And I can’t help but notice that the difference from auto-stereoscopic 3D, VR was a technology and an ecosystem that is joined by a lot of leading global brands such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Huawei, etc.

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Education Virtual Reality Technology China 78

XR for Business Podcast

NOVEMBER 8, 2019

The industry kind of slowly drifted, and a lot of my friends and partners actually moved into virtual reality. And I can’t help but notice that the difference from auto-stereoscopic 3D, VR was a technology and an ecosystem that is joined by a lot of leading global brands such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Huawei, etc.

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Education Virtual Reality Technology China 78

The Ghost Howls

MARCH 2, 2020

The only company not much affected by it is HTC, that manufacturers its headsets in Taiwan and not in Mainland China. On the software side, HTC has just launched in China Vive Sync , a solution for remote meetings in VR that may help a lot the Chinese people that are forced to work from home. Image by Microsoft).

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Hand tracking AR Oculus HTC 239

The Ghost Howls

AUGUST 1, 2020

He has a very interesting working story, having worked for great companies like Microsoft and Fast Company. In the interview with me, he talked about many topics, like the rumors he heard on Apple Glasses, on the Oculus Quest 2 , the America vs China war, XR entrepreneurship, Tesla, and more!

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Apple Oculus China Magic Leap 524

UploadVR Between Realities podcast

MARCH 5, 2017

He said that 59 percent of virtual reality developers are using Unity, according to a survey by VisionMobile. Ditto with Google and ditto with Microsoft.”. The game will expand into the West, China, and other markets soon. The Unity-based games reached a billion new devices since GDC 2016.

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UploadVR Between Realities podcast

JUNE 30, 2017

The two day conference was packed with simultaneous, back-to-back presentations and workshops from industry leaders such as Microsoft, Google, AMD, The VOID, IMAX, Two Bit Circus, Secret Location, Globacore, Quantum Capture, The Canadian Film Centre, and many more. The concept of virtual reality itself magnetizes a certain person.

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Conference Government Canada Industry 242

XR for Business Podcast

NOVEMBER 8, 2019

The industry kind of slowly drifted, and a lot of my friends and partners actually moved into virtual reality. And I can't help but notice that the difference from auto-stereoscopic 3D, VR was a technology and an ecosystem that is joined by a lot of leading global brands such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Huawei, etc.

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Education Virtual Reality Technology China 60

The Ghost Howls

OCTOBER 17, 2022

Meta announces at Connect Quest Pro and a partnership with Microsoft. There have been a few key announcements at Connect: Meta has launched Quest Pro , its new premium headset, for $1500 Meta announced its focus on a new vertical, productivity Meta has partnered with Microsoft and Accenture to tackle the XR enterprise world.

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XR for Business Podcast

AUGUST 2, 2019

Alan: Today’s guest is Steve Grubbs, founder and CEO of VictoryVR, one of the world leaders in virtual reality educational product development. Steve is also a member of YPO and was recently featured in an article entitled Virtual Reality Is Transporting Students to the Next Frontier in Science Education.

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Virtual Reality Training Education Augmented Reality 78

XR for Business Podcast

AUGUST 2, 2019

Alan: Today’s guest is Steve Grubbs, founder and CEO of VictoryVR, one of the world leaders in virtual reality educational product development. Steve is also a member of YPO and was recently featured in an article entitled Virtual Reality Is Transporting Students to the Next Frontier in Science Education.

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Virtual Reality Training Education Augmented Reality 78

The Ghost Howls

DECEMBER 23, 2019

Besides that, it is also hiring key figures to make this AR dream a reality : the operating system project will be supervised by Mark Lucovsky, a former Microsoft engineer who co-developed Windows NT. Huawei VR glasses are now available in China. OVR Technology is working to bring smell in VR.

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XR for Business Podcast

AUGUST 2, 2019

Alan: Today's guest is Steve Grubbs, founder and CEO of VictoryVR, one of the world leaders in virtual reality educational product development. Steve is also a member of YPO and was recently featured in an article entitled Virtual Reality Is Transporting Students to the Next Frontier in Science Education. I appreciate it.

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The Ghost Howls

MARCH 26, 2018

The problem is that we had no idea about the release date for us western people because the device had been announced and released only in China. Thanks to RTX, that is supported by Direct X’s Ray Tracing API DXR, that have been announced by Microsoft in the same days, we can have real-time photorealistic renderings. Google AR apps.

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The Ghost Howls

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

Today is my last day in China. I’m sorry about that, but it’s still a miracle I’ve managed to write it… Top news of the week (Leaked image from Samsung video) Samsung is back to XR with Google and Qualcomm The big news of the week is that Samsung is back to XR. Qualcomm seems a very predictable choice, but Google is less.

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