NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: The Weeknd performs onstage during the 2018 Global Citizen Festival: ... [+]
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prohibit US companies from doing business with Tencent, which owns WeChat and nearly 50% of Epic Games, which makes Fortnite and Unreal Engine. Tik Tok has until September 20th to sell to Microsoft or another American company or it, too, will be banned. Is this because some Kpop fans on Tik Tok spoofed a Trump rally in Tulsa?
The Weekend will perform in a virtual TikTok concert on August 7th. The Weekend will be represented by a digital avatar in what TikTok is calling its “first-ever in-app cross reality experience.” Viewers will able to interact with the singer as he performs. WaveXR is involved so it’s sure to be full of amazing art, and exude their cool vibe (they just raised a bunch of dough for their eponymous VR music venue). It’s hard not to feel they are supplanting what used to be the exclusive provenance of television shows like The Tonight Shows, or Saturday Night Live.
Introducing Reels from Instagram.
Facebook's Instagram is not tied to the railroad tracks waiting for a Tik Tok to run over them. They've launched Reels this week, and early reviews are good. BUT it must hurt to have your launch of bedroom dancing, talking animals, and backyard stunts pushed out of the headlines by Tik Tok’s The Weekend concert announcement. If Tik Tok planned that, it was very well played.
Epic Games announces $1.78 Billion funding round. The funding round puts the Fortnite maker’s valuation at $17.3 billion. The round includes a previously announced $250 million investment from Sony. Control of the company remains in the hands of its founder and CEO Tim Sweeney.
Zoom stickers. My favorites is "The Brady Bunch" with... YOU! in the middle. Sure to be popular. And ... [+]
Zoom is launching an expanded version of it’s virtual backgrounds, using its image recognition software to add Snap-like face filters. Although they announced this yesterday, there’s no word on when it will show up on my Zoom app.
HTC cofounder Peter Chou announced he is building XRspace Manova - a VR hardware and virtual world based on 5G. Only Venture Beat seems to have picked up this up the announcement of a new HMD integrated into a fully embodied virtual world, where you can buy real estate and live in a semi-realistic graphic novel, which appears to be very much like our world without any details like bathrooms.
Building a headset, even one based on an existing Qualcomm reference design, requires a boat load of cash. It takes years to build a software ecosystem. Longer if you do it yourself. No word on how much money Chou has raised for the venture. I feel like I've seen this movie before. But maybe this remake will have a better ending.
Speaking of VR worlds... where is Facebook's Horizon? They were vague on the launch date. If it's not late, they announced too soon.
ScopeAR partners with ServiceMax for improved real-time augmented reality work instructions. ScopeAR will integrate ServiceMax’s Field Service Management platform into their WorkLink platform. The integration aims to improve insights gained from servicing equipment out in the field by expanding the data gathered as technicians go about their daily tasks.
Rock Paper Reality partners with Siduri and Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Studio to bring wine bottles to life. In the volumetrically captured experience, the Sonoma County winery’s founder steps out of a wine bottle and shares his passion for pinot noir. Thanks to 8th Wall the experience can be seen by simply scanning a QR code with your smartphone.
Pistol Whip, created by Cloudhead Games just released on PSVR and makes for an action packed bullet fueled workout. The game is a unique blend of an on-rails shooter, coupled with a synthwave aesthetic, music, and great gun feel, says Superjump reviewer Josh Bgad. Shoot and punch your way through an onslaught of bad guys while racking up points to the electronic sound track.
What We’re Reading
The Economy of the Metaverse | Interview with Epic CEO Tim Sweeney
US Businesses are slow to adopt AI.
Study says people work longer and send more emails while working from home during the pandemic.
Mojo Vision’s AR contact lenses are coming sooner than you think.
“This Week in XR” is written and edited with Michael Eichenseer.
