Microsoft appears to have lost all confidence in virtual and mixed reality (MR), eliminating entire teams behind its development efforts.
Microsoft announced widespread layoffs last week, impacting some 10,000 employees, or roughly 5% of its workforce. In the days since the announcement, more information has come to light about which departments have been the hardest hit, and it appears VR and MR are among them.
According to Windows Central, the Redmond company eliminated the entire development team behind its AltSpaceVR project, with the virtual reality workspace slated to shutdown in March.
We have some sad news, Altspacers. #AltspaceVR is shutting down on March 10th.
Though we hate saying goodbye, we also feel such pride and gratitude for all the magic that happened here. ✨
The company’s Mixed Reality Tool Kit (MRTK) development team was also eliminated in its entirety. The toolkit was designed for Unity VR and worked with Meta’s headsets. MRTK was an important part of Microsoft’s HoloLens project, which itself is already in trouble after Congress refused to fund the US Army’s request to purchase more of the augmented reality (AR) goggles.
As Windows Central points out, taken together, the scope of the layoffs seem to indicate Microsoft has lost faith in VR and the metaverse. If that is the case, it would deal a major blow to Meta’s efforts to make the metaverse a reality.
The metaverse may be a long way from widespread adoption, but the EU is already gearing up to regulate it.
Companies large and small are racing to develop the metaverse and various virtual reality environments. While there are different competing visions of what those realities should look like, the EU wants to make sure they are regulated.
In a letter of intent, EU president Ursula von der Leyen outlined the first details of the bloc’s goals:
“This is about building a better future for the next generation and making ourselves more resilient and more prepared for challenges to come,” von der Leyen writes.
“This starts with implementing what has already been agreed. This includes implementing the landmark agreements on the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act which saw the EU take global leadership in regulating the digital space to make it safer and more open. We will continue looking at new digital opportunities and trends, such as the metaverse.”
The letter does not go into further details, but one thing is abundantly clear: The metaverse will not be an unregulated Wild West…at least not if the EU has anything to say about it.
Qualcomm has scored a major contract, with Meta tapping the firm to create its virtual reality (VR) chips.
Meta is going all-in on the metaverse, running TV ads and working to convince customers and companies that they should buy into its vision of what the metaverse should be. In order to take advantage of the metaverse, however, people still need headsets and equipment — equipment which will be powered by custom chips Qualcomm will be making for the social media giant.
The two companies have “announced a multi-year agreement to collaborate on a new era of spatial computing powered by Snapdragon extended reality (XR) platforms and technologies for the Meta Quest platform.”
The new agreement builds on a seven-year history of collaboration between the two companies.
“By partnering with Meta, we are bringing together two of the world’s metaverse leaders to revolutionize the future of computing for billions of people in the coming years,” said Cristiano Amon, president and chief executive officer, Qualcomm Incorporated. “Building off our joint leadership in XR, this agreement will allow our companies to deliver best-in-class devices and experiences to transform how we work, play, learn, create and connect in a fully realized metaverse.”
“We’re working with Qualcomm Technologies on customized virtual reality chipsets — powered by Snapdragon XR platforms and technology — for our future roadmap of Quest products,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta. “As we continue to build more advanced capabilities and experiences for virtual and augmented reality, it has become more important to build specialized technologies to power our future VR headsets and other devices. Unlike mobile phones, building virtual reality brings novel, multi-dimensional challenges in spatial computing, cost, and form factor. These chipsets will help us keep pushing virtual reality to its limits and deliver awesome experiences.”
Despite rumors saying Apple will release its long-rumored AR/VR headset at this year’s WWDC, a new report says it won’t appear until next year.
Apple has been working on an AR/VR headset for some time, eager to spread its vision of how the metaverse should work. According to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s headset won’t be released until next year.
It still takes some time before Apple AR/MR headset enters mass production, so I don’t think Apple will release AR/MR headset and rumored realityOS at WWDC this year. Apple’s competitors worldwide can’t wait to see the hardware spec and OS design for Apple’s AR/MR headset. — Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo), May 31, 2022
I’m sure that if Apple announces AR/MR headset and its OS at WWDC, competitors will immediately kick off copycat projects and happily copy Apple’s excellent ideas, and hit the store shelves before Apple launches in 2023. — Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo), May 31, 2022
Unlike some some companies, with a focus primarily on VR, Apple believes AR is the key, since it encourages interaction with the physical world. As a result, it’s a safe bet Apple’s headset will offer a unique take, compared to competitors’.
Earlier reports indicated that Apple’s headset might be released at WWDC 2022. One of the supporting factors was the registration of a trademark for “realityOS” by a shell corporation likely tied to Apple. The trademark is being filed worldwide on June 8, coinciding with WWDC, which begins June 6.
Despite that clue, Kuo has a well-earned reputation for accuracy, so it’s a safe bet we won’t see the headset this year.
On the verge of Apple’s WWDC 2022, a new trademark finally offers a glimpse into Apple’s augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) plans.
First spotted by The Verge journalist Parker Ortolani, a trademark for “realityOS” has been filed by a shell company that has provided no proof of use.
It cannot be a coincidence that the “realityOS” trademark owned by a company that seemingly doesn’t exist and is specifically for “wearable computer hardware” is being filed around the world on June 8, 2022 — Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani), May 28, 2022
Apple has been rumored to be working on an AR/VR headset, and it is widely believed the company will be revealing it at WWDC. While “realityOS” has showed up in some of Apple’s source code, the trademark filing indicates it’s more than a codename, and likely the official name Apple will use for the version of iOS that will power its headset.
H2L Technologies has developed technology to allow users to experience real pain in response to their metaverse activities.
The metaverse is the convergence of virtual, augmented, and in-person reality, with an emphasis on the virtual aspect. Companies in virtually every industry are racing to stake their claim in the metaverse, with banks opening offices and purchasing land in it.
H2L Technologies wants to make the virtual world as real as possible, developing tech that brings real-world pain into the metaverse.
“Feeling pain enables us to turn the metaverse world into a real [world], with increased feelings of presence and immersion,” H2L CEO Emi Tamaki told Financial Times, via The Byte.
Pain isn’t the only sensation the tech can provide, however.
H2L technology conveys weight and resistance feeling to users and avatars on the Metaverse, not only pain. Please read also her interview.
Tamaki sees her company’s tech as a way of creating fully immersive experiences, especially for those whose health limits their ability to travel and engage in certain activities, as is the case with her.
The metaverse — the convergence of virtual, augmented, and in-person reality — may be all the rage, but it needs faster internet speeds to succeed.
Virtually every major tech company, including Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are racing to stake their claim in the metaverse. Even traditional companies are looking for ways to cash in, with JPMorgan opening a location in the metaverse.
According to CNBC, however, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says “creating a true sense of presence in virtual worlds delivered to smart glasses and VR headsets will require massive advances in connectivity.”
Similarly, Dan Rabinovitsj, VP of connectivity at Meta told CNBC that connectivity has been the bottleneck slowing down the development of the metaverse.
“If you really look at the pace of innovation in the telecom world, compared to other markets, it’s been harder to go faster in this space,” Rabinovitsj said. “One of the things that we’ve tried to change is that trajectory of innovation.”
Meta’s comments echo ones from Intel, in which that company’s executive identified computation power as another major bottleneck that needs to be addressed before the metaverse can truly thrive.
Meta has announced it is introducing Personal Boundary for virtual reality, in an effort to prevent harassment in the metaverse.
The tech industry has been working to be more inclusive and protect individuals from harassment in the real world. As the metaverse — the intersection of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and in-person — continues to grow and gain support, companies are looking at how to protect users there too.
Meta’s solution is Personal Boundary, a feature that will allow users to set a minimum perimeter distance, to keep other avatars from getting too close.
A Personal Boundary prevents anyone from invading your avatar’s personal space. If someone tries to enter your Personal Boundary, the system will halt their forward movement as they reach the boundary. You won’t feel it—there is no haptic feedback. This builds upon our existing hand harassment measures that were already in place, where an avatar’s hands would disappear if they encroached upon someone’s personal space.
Meta may be one of the first companies to come up with such a solution, buy they certainly won’t be the last.
Mozilla has announced it is killing off Firefox Reality, the company’s foray into virtual reality.
Companies large and small are racing to deploy virtual and augmented reality solutions, racing to stake their claim on the metaverse, where in-person, virtual, and augmented reality meet. Mozilla, on the other hand, is killing off its entry in the market, although that doesn’t mean users are without hope.
Firefox Reality was the first cross-platform browser for mixed reality that was made by a company dedicated to user privacy. Fortunately, Firefox Reality’s innovations will live on in the Wolvic browser, made by Igalia.
“On mobile or desktop, the web is woven into everything. It’s how we communicate, get information, entertain ourselves, and so much more. In the last few years, XR has really matured. The increase of devices shipping with an immersive OS is incredible. As such, now is an especially critical time to ensure that we establish the web on them in a healthy way,” said Brian Kardell, Developer Advocate at Igalia. “The Firefox Reality project was created with similar aims, to give users some choice and ensure that open and unlimited access to the web remains strong on these devices. These ideas are core to what we do at Igalia, so we’re thrilled to be able to carry the torch forward in leveraging that work to create a new browser, Wolvic. Together, we will help to ensure that the web ecosystem remains healthy.”
Mozilla emphasizes that it continues to be an incubator for many new technologies, including mixed reality tech. Fortunately, its stewardship of Firefox Reality was enough to help it serve as the basis of an all-new application.
In the battle for top talent, Apple is giving bonuses up to $180,000 to head off any potential defections to Meta.
Apple and Meta are on track for a collision course in the augmented and virtual reality markets. The two companies have already poached employees from each other, with Meta scoring roughly 100 Apple employees and Apple hiring away Meta’s AR comms chief.
According to The Boston Globe, Apple is working to stem any further talent losses, giving engineers in hardware, silicon design, and some software and ops groups bonuses consisting of restricted stock.
The bonuses range from $50,000 to $180,000, and evidently came as a surprise to the engineers. Apple is closing in on $3 trillion in market value, and has reported record quarters despite the pandemic. Investing its cash in its employees and keeping talent in-house is one of the best uses of its massive cash reserves.
Building the metaverse may be all the rage, but at least one Intel exec says computational power must increase significantly to make it a reality.
“Metaverse” is a term that refers to the convergence of virtual, augmented and in-person reality. The metaverse is widely considered to be the next major step in computing, with Facebook even changing its name to Meta in preparation.
Truly persistent and immersive computing, at scale and accessible by billions of humans in real time, will require even more: a 1,000-times increase in computational efficiency from today’s state of the art.
Koduri says the same applies to the internet, with improvements needed to handle the additional bandwidth demands of the metaverse.
We need several orders of magnitude more powerful computing capability, accessible at much lower latencies across a multitude of device form factors. To enable these capabilities at scale, the entire plumbing of the internet will need major upgrades.
Despite the challenges, Koduri believes the required computing power is within reach.
This technology that enables immersive virtual worlds to augment the real world opens up so much possibility and it is what keeps me excited to work every day. We believe that the dream of providing a petaflop of compute power and a petabyte of data within a millisecond of every human on the planet is within our reach.
Apple’s new augmented reality (AR) headsets will offer M1 Mac-level performance, and is expected to hit the market in late 2022.
Apple has been rumored to be working on an AR headset for some time, but it appears they’re finally close to hitting the market. Even better, the headsets are expected to offer performance on par with the M1 Mac.
Noted Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo wrote a research report, seen by MacRumors, that details the new device.
We predict that Apple’s AR headset to be launched in 4Q22 will be equipped with two processors. The higher-end processor will have similar computing power as the M1 for Mac, whereas the lower-end processor will be in charge of sensor-related computing.
The power management unit (PMU) design of the high-end processor is similar to that of M1 because it has the same level of computing power as M1.
Kuo also says the new headsets will support virtual reality (VR), in addition to AR.
Apple’s AR headset requires a separate processor as the computing power of the sensor is significantly higher than that of the iPhone. For example, the AR headset requires at least 6-8 optical modules to simultaneously provide continuous video see-through AR services to users. In comparison, an iPhone requires up to 3 optical modules running simultaneously and does not require continuous computing.
Facebook has announced Horizon Workrooms, the company’s foray into virtual reality office space.
Much in the workplace has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote and hybrid work trends were kicked into overdrive as employees were sent home to work remotely. Even many companies’ recent efforts to return to the office have been dealt a blow and postponed as a result of the surge in Delta cases.
Facebook is working to address the challenges of remote work with virtual reality, in an effort to improve workplace collaboration.
Workrooms is our flagship collaboration experience that lets people come together to work in the same virtual room, regardless of physical distance. It works across both virtual reality and the web and is designed to improve your team’s ability to collaborate, communicate, and connect remotely, through the power of VR—whether that’s getting together to brainstorm or whiteboard an idea, work on a document, hear updates from your team, hang out and socialize, or simply have better conversations that flow more naturally.
Although the product is still in beta, the company wants developers to start working with it and adopt its features in their own projects. The company also wants feedback on the new platform.
We think VR will fundamentally transform the way we work as a new computing platform, defying distance to help people collaborate better from anywhere. Horizon Workrooms is a big first step towards this vision, and we look forward to hearing your feedback.
Fisk University, T-Mobile, HTC VIVE and VictoryXR are launching one of the first 5G-powered, virtual reality (VR) human cadaver labs.
VR is one of the more exciting technologies under development, with almost limitless applications in everyday life. Nashville, TN-based Fisk University sees VR as an innovative, and cost-effective, way to teach pre-med and biology students. The university is partnering with T-Mobile, HTC VIVE and VictoryXR to help create the experience.
“We’re combining the best aspects of virtual and in-person learning, and this is the future of education,” said Dr. Vann Newkirk, President, Fisk University. “Fisk University is emerging as a tech leader among colleges, and our effort to bring a virtual reality cadaver lab to campus exemplifies our commitment to provide students with a state-of-the-art education.”
VR will enable professors and students to study and interact with the virtual cadavers in ways that would never be possible in real-life.
Inside the lab, students will examine the internal organs of various human systems, and the professor can even remove the organs from the body and pass them around for students to hold and open. Students will have the ability to enlarge the organ to a size large enough where they can even step inside to better learn how it works. In addition to organ systems, the cadavers will also include complete skeletal and muscle structures.
Given the cost of purchasing real cadavers, the VR system will put Fisk University on equal footing with other schools.
“With this cadaver lab, our pre-med students will no longer need to rely on other universities for advanced anatomy and biology classes,” said Dr. Shirley Brown, Dean of Fisk University. “Virtual reality technology takes our university to a level equal to the most advanced schools in the country.”
Fisk University’s VR campus is just the latest example of what is possible with the burgeoning tech.
Verizon and Dreamscape have announced a partnership to deliver 5G-based virtual reality (VR) innovations.
Dreamscape is one of the leading VR companies, and helped pioneer multi-person, real-time VR. VR is one of the industries that stands to benefit the most from 5G, as the wireless technology can deliver the speeds and low-latency necessary to create immersive, fluid experiences.
Verizon and Dreamscape’s partnership will initially focus on using 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC) to create immersive-learning and training experiences.
“Verizon’s partnership with Dreamscape shows how innovative tech built on our 5G network can revolutionize industries,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “Using 5G and Edge computing, we are creating immensely powerful and complex VR experiences using lower-cost, tetherless VR hardware, and advancing VR education and training simulations beyond what was previously thought possible. This opens the door to new experiences and makes VR training more accessible for students, trainees, and professionals.”
“Dreamscape is founded on the premise that we can think beyond physical limitations to create new ways for our world to learn, play, and work. With Verizon as our partner, we’re able to push the limits of VR. Together, we’ll set the standard for VR innovation and application in every field,” said Walter Parkes, CEO of Dreamscape.
Microsoft may lose out on its $10 billion JEDI contact, but it just scored a $21.9 billion contract to provide the US Army with augmented reality (AR) headsets.
Unlike virtual reality (VR), which creates a completely immersive environment, AR augments the real world with virtual reality overlays. The US Army wants to use AR headsets to improve battlefield communication and awareness, providing soldiers with important information.
Microsoft and the US Army will work to quickly move the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program from prototype to production.
The IVAS headset, based on HoloLens and augmented by Microsoft Azure cloud services, delivers a platform that will keep Soldiers safer and make them more effective. The program delivers enhanced situational awareness, enabling information sharing and decision-making in a variety of scenarios. Microsoft has worked closely with the U.S. Army over the past two years, and together we pioneered Soldier Centered Design to enable rapid prototyping for a product to provide Soldiers with the tools and capabilities necessary to achieve their mission.
Microsoft’s announcement is the latest example of the many ways VR and AR are poised to revolutionize multiple industries.
Microsoft has introduced Microsoft Mesh, a new mixed-reality experience that could revolutionize remote work, communication and socialization.
Ever since Star Trek popularized the concept of the Holodeck, people the world over have dreamed of the day when it would be a reality. Microsoft is taking a big step toward that goal with its Microsoft Mesh mixed reality technology.
Mixed reality, as its name suggests, mixes virtual reality with real-life objects and people. Unlike straight virtual reality, mixed reality offers certain advantages, especially for meetings, socializing and some training scenarios.
Powered by Azure, Microsoft Mesh “uses 3D capture technology to beam a lifelike image of a person into a virtual scene,” a process the company refers to as “holoportation.” The technology will allow individuals to hold meetings, collaborate, socialize and more using a lifelike, photorealistic likeness.
“This has been the dream for mixed reality, the idea from the very beginning,” said Microsoft Technical Fellow Alex Kipman. “You can actually feel like you’re in the same place with someone sharing content or you can teleport from different mixed reality devices and be present with people even when you’re not physically together.”
Many companies have been working on virtual and mixed reality applications, but Microsoft has just raised the bar for what can be accomplished with the technology.
Dan Riccio, Apple former head of hardware, is reportedly heading up the company’s efforts to develop a virtual and augmented reality headset.
Dan Riccio has been heavily involved in Apple product design and hardware engineering since he joined the company in 1998. He was eventually appointed executive team leader of Hardware Engineering in 2012.
In January, however, Riccio was moved to a secret project, with John Ternus replacing him as hardware chief. Underscoring the importance of Riccio’s new role, he reports directly to Tim Cook. Some believed his new role might be tied to Project Titan, Apple’s car development efforts.
According to a new report by Bloomberg, however, it appears Riccio is working on a headset for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). VR and AR have seen increased usage across a wide range of industries. While gaming is often the first people think of, VR and AR are being used to train personnel, provide therapy, improve remote workplace experiences, expand social networks and more.
Apple has been a big proponent of AR technology, rolling it out in the iPhone and iPad. If Bloomberg’s reports are true, a dedicated VR/AR headset would represent a significant increase in the company’s investment in the fledgling technology, and could pave the way for more widespread adoption.
Microsoft is developing technology that will allow it to recreate someone, dead or alive, as a chatbot.
Straight out of science fiction, Microsoft filed for a patent covering the creation of a customized chatbot, designed to mimic the personality of a specific person. In the patent application, Microsoft describes a process where a person’s social media and communications could be used to train the chatbot.
In aspects, social data (e.g., images, voice data, social media posts, electronic messages, written letters, etc.) about the specific person may be accessed. The social data may be used to create or modify a special index in the theme of the specific person’s personality. The special index may be used to train a chat bot to converse in the personality of the specific person.
To make the experience even more real, Microsoft says images could be used to make a 2D or 3D likeness of the person.
This is one of those inventions that could be supremely creepy, or supremely awesome. The chatbot could provide companionship to someone grieving a loss, as well as be a valuable tool in therapy applications and similar situations. Obviously, it could also be huge source of entertainment. Whether it succeeds or fails will depend largely on how well Microsoft executes.
Verizon has announced it is partnering with Unity to help drive 5G-powered digital experiences and mobile edge computing (MEC).
5G is the next generation of wireless technology that promises revolutionary speeds, opening up a whole new world of digital possibilities. Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gaming, autonomous driving and much more all benefit from the speeds 5G can provide. Edge computing and MEC is another area where 5G can make a big difference, allowing data to be processed faster at or near the point of collection.
Verizon has been investing heavily in its 5G network. Until recently, it had primarily focused on the fastest variety of 5G, the high-band mmWave, which Verizon calls Ultra Wideband. The company has also spent big at the FCC auction for coveted mid-band spectrum, often considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a good combination of speed and coverage.
Unity, on the other hand, is the maker of the popular Unity game engine, as well as the creator of the popular Fortnite game. Unity’s engine is also one of the leading VR platforms. This portfolio makes Unity a natural choice for Verizon to partner with to provide 5G content.
“We are entering an era of technology-led disruption where 5G and MEC will not only transform the full enterprise lifecycle, it will change the way consumers experience gaming and entertainment,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “Every business is accelerating the shift to digital for their employees, supply chain or end-customer experience. So whether you’re an enterprise reimaging how you do business using predictive real time insights, computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence, or a mobile gamer who simply wants to download the hottest new game in seconds and enjoy data intensive, multiplayer games conventionally reserved for consoles, the future is happening right now.”
“We know the world is demanding high-speed, AAA content, whether it’s an educational augmented reality application or a robot running a simulation of a digital twin,” said Ryan Peterson, VP, Solutions, at Unity. “5G is the key piece for us to facilitate these real-time 3D experiences broadly and to better meet the demands of the real-time economy.”
This partnership further illustrates the emphasis wireless companies are placing on providing content that aligns with their core business. In October, T-Mobile announced TVision, its foray into streaming TV. Similarly, AT&T has its own streaming service. In an industry known for its churn — where customers switch from one company to another — providing high-quality digital experiences may play a big role in increasing brand loyalty.
Using spatial reality to combine the virtual and physical world, Sony’s new Spatial Reality Display creates an incredible 3D optical experience that is viewable to the naked eye.
“It’s unlike any conventional display,” says Sony Product Designer So Morimoto. “It’s like you’re looking at the real thing. The Spatial Reality Display compared to other displays is amazing. Obviously, conventional 3D displays can show things in 3D, but this actually follows your eye movements, making it feel like a real object. I love that the display feels so natural to the human senses.”
For designers, this is a huge breakthrough says Sony Product Designer and Mechanical Engineer Tatsuhito Aono. “If we could share designs that are life-size with this kind of clarity, it would make things much smoother. We could get the planner, the designer, and everyone else on the same page, so I think efficiency would improve and so would the quality. It’s almost like you are looking at the same image side by side.
“I quickly realized that I’m seeing a whole new world here,” says Morimoto. “
https://youtu.be/HY2uI39-r9I
“Every single person I’ve seen observing this display is just like wow… I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Dan Phillips, Executive Producer for Emerging Technology at The Mill, a technology creative partner for agencies, production companies, and brands. “I mean you are literally looking at magic happen on the screen. At The Mill, we always take a brief and try to expand on it, whereas this is no kind of precedent.”
“We’ve all seen holographic effects but this is one that you can see with your own eyes in a very physical sense. It tracks your eyes and it’s just got this depth that is just pretty magical.”
“Seeing it was kind of mesmerizing and kind of mind-blowing,” says The Mill Creative Director Andrew Proctor. “You’re not designing a set frame but you’re giving a window. Look deeper, look further. You find yourself leaning around and seeing something.
https://youtu.be/lBnJ9PV6OMA
Here’s how it works according to Sony:
High-speed Vision Sensor – The SR Display is based on an innovative high-speed vision sensor that follows exact eye position in space, on vertical, horizontal, and depth axes simultaneously. The display monitors eye movement down to the millisecond while rendering the image instantaneously, based on the location and position of the viewer’s eyes. This allows creators to interact with their designs in a highly-realistic virtual, 3D environment, from any angle without glasses.
Real-time Rendering Algorithm – Additionally, the SR Display leverages an original processing algorithm to display content in real-time. This allows the stereoscopic image to appear as smooth as real life, even if the viewer moves around.
Micro Optical Lens – The micro optical lens is positioned precisely over the stunning 15.6 inches (diag.) LCD display1. This lens divides the image into the left and right eyes allowing for stereoscopic viewing with just the naked eye.
