Apple & Aetna teaming up for beta of “Attain”, an app to improve users health.

Apple & Aetna teaming up for beta of “Attain”, an app to improve users health.

Combo IOS & Apple Watch app rewards good behavior, including earning back price of the watch.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/28/apple-aetna-team-up-on-attain-health-tracking-app.html

Magic Leap released spec for rev 3 of Project North Star, an open-source AR headset.

Leap Motion released spec for rev 3 of Project North Star, an open-source AR headset.

Everyone agrees this DIY design will never be a commercial product, but it gives you good idea of the Augmented Reality hardware requirements.

https://www.roadtovr.com/leap-motion-reveals-updated-project-north-star-ar-prototype-design/

Correction: Apologies, this is second time I accidentally typed in Magic Leap in place of Leap motion! I will be more careful in the future!

Few people know that even before “Pong”, the first video game was “Computer Space”.

Few people know that even before “Pong”, the first video game was “Computer Space”.

A port of the PDP-1 “Spacewar” game, this was the first commercial coin-op video game in the world!

https://www.technologizer.com/2011/12/11/computer-space-and-the-dawn-of-the-arcade-video-game/

Always had warm place in my heart, since I played this game at Saratoga Lanes Bowling Alley, before Pong game out. In fact, Computer Space was there the night they dropped off the first Pong game (Saratoga Lanes was a test location for Nolan Bushnell).

DCVR in NoVA February meeting with be all about Magic Leap VR

DCVR in NoVA February meeting with be all about Magic Leap VR

Jordan Higgins of ByteCubes will talk about his experience working with the Magic Leap One, and demonstrate a real unit

https://www.meetup.com/DCimmersive/events/258459385/

At WWDC last year, Steve Gubber of interviewed Apple’s VP’s of iOS and VP of VR/AR

At WWDC last year, Steve Gubber of interviewed Apple’s VP’s of iOS and VP of VR/AR

I was present at this live talk with Greg Joswiak & Mike Rockwell to discuss ARKit 2, iOS 12, MacOS 10.14 “Mojave”, and more.

https://daringfireball.net/thetalkshow/2018/06/08/ep-223

Youtube: https://youtu.be/L392cVz28xw

Transcript: https://daringfireball.net/thetalkshow/223/transcript

VR is more than just game play, Here is over a dozen 3D app for design.

VR is more than just game play, Here is over a dozen 3D app for design.

TV Today Magazine presents 15+ drawing & editing apps with prices & links.

https://vrtodaymagazine.com/3d-design-apps/

A Killer-app is one that defines a platform, by showing you how to do something you need, that you have never been able to do before.  VR still wants ones! Maybe 3D design is the best approach.

Facebook announces merging backend of their various messaging app.

Facebook announces merging backend of their various messaging app.

While the apps (Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp) will stay separate, they will share backend tech, and have same privacy policies.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-instagram-whatsapp-messenger-app-merger-download-a8746376.html

Special: My YouTube demo of Groove Catcher from MagFest

Special: My YouTube demo of Groove Catcher from MagFest

I created a playful clip of two friends playing Groove Catcher from Vizmoo.  As mentioned before, I saw it at MagFest 2019, and found it to be one of the more engaging VR games of the show.  You can not help favorably comparing it to Beat Saber.

https://youtu.be/QwlEJsHODI8

Disclosure: I met the developers of it for the first time at MagFest, so I am reasonably unbiased.

An excellent article by Leonid Gorev where he breaks down 8 of the most common iOS design patterns for Navigation.

An excellent article by Leonid Gorev where he breaks down 8 of the most common iOS design patterns for Navigation.

Navigation Menus come in many different UI flavors, some better than others, but no one perfect for everything Thus it pays to know them.

https://alty.co/blog/8-best-mobile-navigation-design-examples/

Augmented Reality startups are having a hard time.

Augmented Reality startups are having a hard time.

Engineering.com explains the companies that have recently failed, and listed some of the reasons AR hardware is hard.

https://www.engineering.com/ARVR/ArticleID/18257/Bad-News-for-Augmented-Reality-as-Multiple-Startups-Fold.aspx

Research by Oracle Netsuite shows Retails executives want more AI and other technologies, while customers overwhelmingly do not!

Research by Oracle Netsuite shows Retails executives want more AI and other technologies, while customers overwhelmingly do not!

For example, Chatbots are wanted by 79% of exec, while 66% of consumers disagree. Other techs show similar split.

http://www.businessofapps.com/news/retailers-and-consumers-disagree-on-use-of-ai-to-enhance-shopping-experience/

SoProfit interviews of various Virtual Reality experts at Super MagFest 2019.

SoProfit interviews of various Virtual Reality experts at Super MagFest 2019.

These interviews followed our Future of VR/AR talk. Yours truly can be found towards the end of Part 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq4w_IqhWg4

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFRxiax0k0s

There is something to learn from the rise and fall of Appster

There is something to learn from the rise and fall of Appster 

Appster appeared out of nowhere to become one of the largest app companies, and then melted away.

https://savvyapps.com/blog/app-business-lessons-appster-liquidation

Additional details: https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news-analysis/appster-collapses-liquidation/

Registration has opened for VOICE (July 22-26 in NJ), the world largest conference on designing & developing voice interfaces.

Registration has opened for VOICE (July 22-26 in NJ), the world largest conference on designing & developing voice interfaces. They are also looking for papers/speakers. I heard great things about last years event, and hope to attend this years. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/voice-the-worlds-largest-conversational-ai-development-design-and-marketing-conference-announces-dates-and-opens-the-general-call-for-proposals-300779631.html Link to their page: https://www.voicesummit.ai/

One of the originators of the Internet, Lawrence Roberts passes away at 81

One of the originators of the Internet, Lawrence Roberts passes away at 81

Before there was the Internet, there was the ARPANet (Advanced Research Projects Agency) and he was the project manager.

https://interestingengineering.com/founding-father-of-the-internet-lawrence-roberts-dies-aged-81

Project Horseshoe is a small developer conference that tries to solve the toughest problems in game design.

Project Horseshoe is a small developer conference that tries to solve the toughest problems in game design.

The published reports from this think-tank on gaming makes great reading for all developers.

https://www.projecthorseshoe.com/reports/

MIT Virtual Reality Hackathon starts this weekend, with an publicly open Expo on the last day!

MIT Virtual Reality Hackathon starts this weekend, with an publicly open Expo on the last day!

I wish I could attend, but other can go on to the MIT Media Lab on Monday from 2-5 to see results of over 400 developer’s work.

https://realityvirtuallyhack.com

OEM manufacturer Atraxa has created a 6 degree of freedom controller for VR headsets that does not require external sensor/towers.

OEM manufacturer Atraxa has created a 6 degree of freedom controller for VR headsets that does not require external sensor/towers.

No VR maker has announced using this tech, but now we know it is possible to provide this type of controller.

https://www.roadtovr.com/ces-2019-atraxa-motion-controller-promising-6dof/

DCVR Meetup will be talking about Mixed Reality Computing With HoloLens on Jan 22.

DCVR Meetup will be talking about Mixed Reality Computing With HoloLens on Jan 22.

Meet Jesse McCulloch, Microsoft’t Mixed Reality Developer Relations Program Manager.

https://www.meetup.com/DCimmersive/events/258002396/

5 tips from Sean Webster on how to profit from your Mobile Game.

5 tips from Sean Webster on how to profit from your Mobile Game.

Business model, ease of payment, Explore monetization options, great support & optimize for retention.

https://appdevelopermagazine.com/5-rules-of-monetizing-like-a-mobile-game-developer/

CNET interview off Capital One's head of conversational AI, Ken Dodelin.

CNET interview off Capital One's head of conversational AI, Ken Dodelin.

Conversational AI is key to C1 strategy of Customer Service.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/conversational-ai-goes-mainstream-at-capital-one-bank/

From Project Horseshoe, a report on how to make Massive RPGs be more Personal

From Project Horseshoe, a report on how to make Massive RPGs be more Personal

People want huge online worlds, which feel like Social and Friendly. 

https://www.projecthorseshoe.com/reports/featured/ph18r8.htm

Direct PDF Link: https://www.projecthorseshoe.com/reports/featured/Project_Horseshoe_2018_report_section_8.pdf

To be financially successful, ever business needs advertising. Even the early days of Video Gaming!

To be financially successful, ever business needs advertising. Even the early days of Video Gaming!

The Video Game History Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to cataloging, digitizing, and preserving the history of video games.

https://gamehistory.org/first-arcade-game-advertisement-computer-space/

What a wonderfully elegant idea! Use a motion sensitive glove to covert ASL in audio.

What a wonderfully elegant idea! Use a motion sensitive glove to covert ASL in audio.

I wonder if you could do this, with gloveless tech hand gesture tracking (ex: HoloLens or Leap Motion).

https://www.pulselive.co.ke/bi/tech/25-year-old-kenyan-invents-gloves-that-convert-sign-language-into-audio-speech/rfc9cyj

 Related product using HoloLens: https://hololens.reality.news/news/holohear-is-like-google-translate-for-deaf-people-0171936/

First interesting VR announcement from CES, VIVE Pro will have eye tracking support.

First interesting VR announcement from CES, VIVE Pro will have eye tracking support.

The uses of Eye tracking are just staring to be explored (games, chat, etc), but we needed the hardware first.  

https://uploadvr.com/htc-vive-pro-eye-announced/

Eben Upton, co-creator of the Raspberry Pi, explains the history of his little board.

Eben Upton, co-creator of the Raspberry Pi, explains the history of his little board.

It wasn’t the first computer in a micro board, but it was the one that really changed several industries.

https://www.techrepublic.com/article/inside-the-raspberry-pi-the-story-of-the-35-computer-that-changed-the-world/

I missed this last Nov, but UK researched booted up largest Neuromorphic computer ever designed.

I missed this last Nov, but UK researched booted up largest Neuromorphic computer ever designed.

55,000 16 Core chips networked together to replicate the way the human brain functions.  The pure CPU power staggers me.

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/9k458v/researchers-just-turned-on-the-worlds-most-powerful-computer-designed-to-mimic-a-human-brain

Vizmoo’s Groove Catcher is the first original VR app that has caught my eye at MagFest!

Vizmoo’s Groove Catcher is the first original VR app that has caught my eye at MagFest!

You trace light paths and strike bubbles in time with music in this award-winning, energetic VR game.

https://vizmoo.com

Special Announcement: We were guests on the recently posted Another Wasted Hour Podcast.

Special Announcement: We were guests on the recently posted Another Wasted Hour Podcast.

No, I won’t give up my day job for a life of comedy, but John Nelson & I had a great time talking about MagFest VR.

http://anotherwastedhour.libsyn.com/keep-your-resolutions-with-vr

Special Announcement: MagFest 2019 is this weekend, and I am presenting!

Special Announcement: MagFest 2019 is this weekend, and I am presenting!

Come join me, and 20,000 other Gaming & Music lovers for MagFest 2019 at the Gaylord National Convention Center, National Harbor.  It runs this Thursday thru Friday. On Friday, I will be presenting “State of the Union in VR at 9:00 pm.  Also I will be moderating panel discussions on Fri 2:30 pm (Future of VR) and Sunday at 10 am (Programming VR). Besides the talks, the convention has gaming (including massive collection of old school coin-op games) and concerts.

https://super.magfest.org

What were the top selling VR Games in 2018? And what trends we see?

What were the top selling VR Games in 2018? And what trends we see?

User like Early Access to games, while newer games are not as big as you would expect.

https://www.roadtovr.com/valve-reveals-top-selling-vr-games-on-steam-2018/

Direct Link to listing: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/2018_top_vr/

When you try to raise funds for your software project, don’t raise these Red Flags for your investors.

When you try to raise funds for your software project, don’t raise these Red Flags for your investors.

Jason Della Rocca of Execution Labs explains what scares him away from funding.

https://venturebeat.com/2017/02/08/10-reasons-why-you-will-never-get-funding-for-your-game-studio/