#which vr headset to buy 2024

[amazonvrheadsets]

Meta Quest 2 — Advanced All-In-One VR Headset — 128 GB

Meta Quest 2 — Advanced All-In-One Virtual Reality Headset — 128 GB

Introduction to Meta Quest 2 🚀

Meta Quest 2 represents a significant leap in virtual reality technology, offering users an advanced all-in-one VR experience. This headset, particularly the 128 GB model, strikes a balance between ample storage and affordability, making it a popular choice among VR enthusiasts and newcomers alike. The Meta Quest 2 is designed to deliver an immersive experience that seamlessly integrates into the user's digital life.

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[superoneandreaschristensen]

Andreas Christensen's SuperOne And Gaming Are About To Be The New Center Of The Internet

As SuperOne's Founder Andreas Christensen once stated: Gaming is so much more than just the game — and massive growth is on the horizon for those who create the full experience!

 By having a mobile gaming platform as the centerpiece of its product offering, SuperOne could really not be entering the sector at a better time. Just in the same way that search engines, mobile phones, and social networks have seized the initiative at different times this century to dominate technology, now is the time for gaming to be at the center of the internet.

Or at least those are the views of Michael Wolf, co-founder and chief executive of consulting firm Activate Inc, whose views have been widely reported across mainstream media, such as the Wall Street Journal, and on multiple tech blogs. Before taking a deeper look at Activate’s findings, let’s consider the circumstantial evidence.

Gaming has of late become a social pursuit, and even a socially acceptable one given the constraints imposed on people by the coronavirus pandemic. You can’t be much more socially distanced than when you’re alone in your bedroom playing FIFA against your best buddy from across town.

Truly, you’re never alone in a game; streaming platforms like Twitch allow you to share your personal ups and downs on League of Legends. Committed gamers are no-longer pasty-faced loners prone to acne with no real friends at school. Even the cool kids do it now.

Transcending the barriers

And your favorite gaming platform is, of course, transcending the barriers of what we formerly considered a game to comprise. Many have already completed the transformation into digital hubs that offer people an array of services once only possible in real life.

No wonder the overall time spent gaming has risen by 29% since March — and it can’t all be put down to pandemic restrictions. Here’s the angle that’s so prescient from a SuperOne perspective:

“People are increasingly using gaming platforms to view virtual concerts, for messaging, gambling, dating and even virtual celebrations of weddings and birthdays,”

SuperOne too is also keen to use the game as only the start of the journey of engagement with its gamers, with a number of other projects in development such as social media, travel solutions, and financial services. Andreas Christensen sees endless potential and applications for SuperOne's platform. As he said, it's about more than just the game - It's about the total package.

Activate predicts the consumer gaming industry will reach a value of $198 billion by 2024, not including sales from hardware and devices, augmented reality, virtual reality, and advertising.

Gaming as a subscription service

An industry that once simply sold individual games now frequently monetizes its products through the subscription-as-a-service model — Alphabet, Google, Apple, and Amazon are all at it, competing hard for market share against Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft.

Research conducted by Activate found:

58% of gamers use or intend to use gaming subscription services

38% use or intend to use cloud gaming services

Most new users of VR headsets are buying them for gaming

It also made this bold prediction: that spending in the United States on AR and VR gaming will rise eightfold between now and 2024 to an annual $19.8 billion Gaming is also predicted to connect industries with a wave of mergers and acquisitions involving gaming and tech companies.

Andreas Christensen's Hunt for the ‘Super Users

Activate’s next forecast is music to the ears of Andreas Christensen, which is leading the expansion of SuperOne. “With increased competition, technology and media, companies must pay more attention to ‘super users,’ or the highest-engaged customers, who tend to skew younger, wealthier and more educated.”

Superusers typically:

Make up less than 25% of all consumers

Spend 1.5 times more time-consuming media than other users

Spend 3.5 times more on media purchases

These are the people all companies in gaming, big and small, need to capture for maximum reach. The way SuperOne will do, will be by having a massive sales force in place — 100,000 “Genesis Community” affiliate marketing professionals who will be incentivized to locate gamers and send them gaming credits.

Interestingly, Activate has also looked at fan engagement within sport, a massively important area of SuperOne’s growth strategy given.

(Many SuperOne games will be sports-focused, and the platform is built to leverage the partisan nature of sport.)

The rise of sports betting

Activate believes fan engagement with sports will be more “influenced by content consumed via virtual reality, live-streamed group watching, and interactive sports betting.”

It continues: “Sports betting will begin to function like financial trading, including with real-time trading, pooled institutional money, and media coverage.” (Some of this is already happening in more mature online betting markets like the UK).

“The amount wagered through sports betting in the US will reach $189 billion a year by 2024.” Finally, the gradual reduction of third-party cookies-tracking will transform the digital advertising industry, directly benefiting Facebook, Google, and Amazon who own so much of the customer data other companies seek. Not that it will pose any kind of a problem for SuperOne.

Far from it. SuperOne, by building its own network in advance of the game launch will have easy access to the first-party user data provided by its affiliate partners, and, by extension, its gamers too.

[sauyuenchan]

Major Study Project - Week 52

What is the forefront of Digital Media in 2024? (6)

This blog will discuss about the XR impact to marketing.

This article shows some examples of AR and VR in marketing. For example, people can“Try Before They Buy”. Like some shoes or furnitures, customers can overlay the virtual elements into the reality, which can be quite convenient and enhance the interest for them buying. On the other hand, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Google Cardboard showing users how dementia is like by VR. This is a very meaningful approach, in order to let users get closer to how dementia is like.

For my opinion, AR will still get more attention in the near future, since the device requirement is just a smartphone, meanwhile VR requires a headset, which is still not widely used by audiences yet. However, I think VR's future is still optimistic, since people there will be more and more apps are Mixed Reality, which means when people are used to AR, the future of VR is not far away.

References

Animalz. 2020. “How Virtual Reality Marketing Is Changing the Face of Consumer-Brand Interaction,”. AdEspresso. https://adespresso.com/blog/virtual-reality-marketing/.

[emeaentrepreneur]

2024 Tech Trend: Will AR and VR make a comeback?

In the fast-evolving technological world, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) will impact and contribute immensely in all fields. This technology once considered cutting-edge, is now ready to make an effective comeback in 2024. This article explores the past benefits, uses in marketing, and future appearance of AR and VR along with the changes it creates in the audience and the user experiences.

What is AR and VR?

AR stands for Augmented Reality (AR) and is simply defined as the enhanced or improved version of the surrounding real world using computer-generated elements. It can be created using devices such as smartphones, tablets, or AR glasses. AR imitates the real world and user’s views by adding graphics, images, 3D models, etc.

VR is a computer-created environment, which makes the users feel a real sense of touch and physical presence in the virtual environment. This virtual effect can be experienced through a Virtual Reality headset.

Beneficial rise of AR and VR

VR and AR had begun earlier but made a prominent presence in the 20th century with their innovative devices. Sensorama and head-mounted devices were developed using VR which also faced challenges like high cost, speed, etc. AR had applications in fighter jets, navigation, and AR games.

In recent years AR and VR have gained applications in many fields like gaming, medicine, marketing, education, etc

AR/VR in Health care: AR in medicine has a specific use in surgery, where surgeons can get real-time advice in the process to improve accuracy. VR is useful in therapy, medical training, and practices without risk.

AR/VR in gaming: One of the most used VR applications is gaming, as it provides interactive and real experience in gaming. The most popular games are Beat Saber, Tetris Effect, and Population: One. AR is used in entertainment sectors like Pokémon Go and also the filters of Snapchat, Instagram, etc use this for entertainment.

AR and VR in Marketing

Marketing is understanding the target customers and promoting the product of a company on the requirements of the buyer. AR and VR have made marketing easier and more effective through their special technology. 

VR marketing is very useful in connecting customers and the company as they can feel the real product virtually. Showcasing the available products and their development through VR can attract the customer and also can be used for the feedback system. Normally marketing with ads is beneficial but when you make customers feel the impact of real experience the equations will change and the profit will increase automatically.

AR is one of the useful sales and marketing strategies where people can view the product with a single tap on a mobile screen. Trial before buying which is a new shopping way with clothing, makeup, etc using AR this is easily done where the branding and sales probability are high.

Benefits of AR/VR in marketing

The renewal of AR and VR in marking strategies with new technology can create a greater user experience and accessibility of products. This can be created using updated hardware and graphics tools which is cost-effective.

Marketing is useful when done in an attractive way to grab customers, AR/VR provides you with a unique way of showcasing the products which helps in branding and personalized user experience.

AR can also make a major impact on B2B sales where the older methods used salespersons, brochures, etc whereas augmented reality visuals the products in 360 Degree virtual experience.

AR is effective in applying the customization user option example Nike allows you to customize your shoes according to your wish and hence provides greater user satisfaction.

Looking Ahead 

AR and VR are used in many fields, but industries like real estate, fashion, and tourism can be more beneficial in the upcoming days. In 2024, Apple will implement VR/AR in the picture and announce the release date of a Vision Pro display. Google, Samsung, and Qualcomm are also likely to launch reality headsets. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the comeback of AR and VR will bring prominent changes and trends in the market that provide great opportunities for businesses to connect the bond with customers in different ways. By analyzing the needs and expectations of the audience, one can adopt and see the massive changes in the business using AR and VR technology.

Visit More : https://theeuropeentrepreneur.com/market-insights/2024-tech-trend-will-ar-and-vr-make-a-comeback/

[johnkoetsier]

VR in 2024: inflection point with Apple Vision Pro?

Where will VR go in 2024? VR is in an interesting space right now: doldrums in the consumer market, but lots of cool new tech in Meta Quest Pro, Quest 3, and some App Store download data indicating Quest 3 is doing unexpectedly  well. And of course we have Apple Vision Pro coming out SOON … which I hope to buy in Q1. But will likely be low-volume, as will other very high-end headsets intended for…

[techharrdy]

The Best VR Headset in 2024

image source:- pixabay Virtual reality VR has grown immensely over the past few years, and great progress has been made in terms of hardware, which means that it is now cheaper and so much more attractive than ever. If you are considering the idea of getting a VR head-mounted display now is the best time to buy it. The year 2024 has taken the lead. Last year, virtual reality headsets – This…

[opticien2-0]

3 key drivers of growth in the furniture sector

Download the Furniture 2021 report for further insight

The RetailX Sector Analysis Report: Furniture 2021 examines the $1.33trn furniture sector from a strategic and commercial point of view. 

  Inside, we look at how the sector is growing, with pureplays, marketplaces and out-of-sector retailers all joining in - as well as exploring sustainable production as a key driver in the market. 

  Digital Editor, Scarlette Isaac, shares some of the main drivers of growth in the global furniture industry. 

  1. AR, VR AND MR

  One of the key trends ushered in by this increasing use of mobile in ecommerce has been the deployment of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and a combination of the two known as mixed reality (MR). 

  For clarity, AR relies on overlaying virtual items on a camera image of the real world, VR relies on creating a 3D virtual image and MR brings the two together to create virtual worlds and overlay realworld and virtual items. 

  These technologies have been around since the 1990s and have struggled to find a home. They have been tried on TV, bespoke headsets and even glasses, however it is the smartphone where they have come into their own. 

  The combination of a screen, web access, powerful processors and a built-in camera make smartphones ideal for overlaying or creating virtual worlds and placing items in them. 

  And this has proved a boon for furniture: hold up your AR enabled phone over your room and virtually place the furniture items you are looking to buy in situ. Alternatively, create a virtual rendering in VR of your home, totally redecorate it and then place virtual furniture in it. Or do both together using MR.

  It is already very popular. According to research, 94% of US shoppers are already using AR for shopping, with furniture the most popular sector for its use, with 60% of consumers using it, ahead of apparel 955%) and groceries (39%). In fact, 40% of shoppers say they would pay more to use it, 61% prefer to shop with retailers that offer AR and 71% would return to a retailer that had good AR more often. The advantages of AR are clear: they allow for try-before-you-buy: something of a lacuna in the online purchasing of furniture. AR also allows for increased levels of customisation of products being ordered. It can also be used in-store to share tips and information around products. VR and MR are harder to quantify as they are more nascent technologies in retail, with slightly different applications. These require much higher processing power and are yet to be fully realised as tools. However, the combination of VR with AR – to create MR – is coming and, with the furniture sector already leading the way in terms of AR uptake and approval, is likely to land in this sector very early in its rolls out.

  2. Recycling and the second hand market 

  Nine million tons of furniture ended up in landfill worldwide in 2019 with a third of UK households throwing away reusable furniture every year. Many consumers are starting to act to reduce this, with younger shoppers increasingly looking at how to recycle and reuse furniture. 

  This has created a vast second-hand market for furniture, with the second hand furniture market is predicted to grow by around 6% between 2019 and 2024, with affordability the key driver, but also the growing concern over environmental aspects of the industry also pushing it forward. 

  Recycling around furniture is also becoming an important growth driver, with consumers looking to recycle old furniture by renovating and reusing it, as well as the homewares industry itself seeking to recycle the materials used in discarded homewares. 

  Increasingly, charity shops and even some retailers are looking at how they too can play a role in the process of recycling and re-selling, led by Ikea, which has set up a scheme in the UK that encourages shoppers to sell their unwanted furniture back to the store for resale. 

  3. Covid-19

  The Coronavirus pandemic has had a profound effect on retail across the board. Lockdown has been particularly kind to furniture retailers as it has seen people stuck at home – and working from home – looking to revamp their environment, not least to make it look good on Zoom calls. 

  That is not to overlook that initially the pandemic hit many furniture retailers hard. Economic uncertainty saw many consumers actively shy away from making furniture and homeware purchases. 

  However, as the lockdowns rolled on, consumers found themselves shut in, working and living at home and many sought to bring themselves a little joy by redecorating and rejuvenating their homes. The move to online video conferencing for work also inspired many to create new home-working spaces.

[shrutech]

PC gaming peripheral are external hardware devices such as keyboard, mice, headsets, joysticks, and controllers that are used to play games in the systems.

Market Dynamics- Drivers

Increasing hard core or casual gamers and growing popularity of e-sports are expected to drive growth of the PC gaming peripheral market during the forecast period 

The increasing hard core or casual gamers and growing popularity of e-sports are expected to drive growth of the PC gaming peripheral market during the forecast period. Hard core gamers are those, who spend more time in playing video games and use advanced technologies gaming peripherals. Introduction of e-sports and virtual gaming has driven demand for gaming keyboards and gamepads that improves the gaming experience of the users. Thus, increasing demand of games from consumers has created the need for gaming consoles, peripheral devices, and others. Additionally, the affordability of these peripheral devices and rise in youth populations are the major factors that are expected to boost the market growth.

The increasing awareness about e-sports and ease of availability of the internet has increased growth of e-sport viewership significantly in the recent past. E-sports industry is the fastest growing industries that have become popular and offers lucrative growth opportunities to market players of peripheral devices such as keyboard and mouse. For instance, in 2017, according to Coherent Market Insights there were around 193.6 million casual gamers and 145.3 million enthusiasts gamers, which creates total audience of 338.9 million. Moreover, according to Coherent Market Insights, the PC gaming peripherals market is to expected to reach  US$ 4.13 billion by 2024.

Among regions, North America region held a dominant position in the PC gaming peripherals market in 2019, accounting for 29% share in terms of value, followed by Asia Pacific and Europe, respectively.

Get HOLISTIC Request Sample Copy:

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/3607

Market Restraints

High cost of gaming peripherals are expected to hamper growth of the PC gaming peripherals market over the forecast period

High cost of PC gaming peripheral devices such as mouse, keyboard, and joysticks are expected to hinder growth of PC gaming peripheral market. The absence of advanced technologies gaming peripherals such as DPI mouse and anti-ghost switches allowed gamers to spend more money on peripheral devices. This, in turn, is expected to hinder demand for pc gaming peripherals and thereby expected to restrain the market growth over the forecast period.

Market Opportunities

Growing demand for augmented reality and virtual reality is expected to create lucrative growth opportunities for market players

The demand for augmented and virtual reality is increasing rapidly, owing to the increasing adoption of smartphones in the market. Ease of accessibility on smartphones and tablets are fueling demand for augmented reality gaming devices. Advancements in the gaming technologies and are aiding in the expansion of augmented reality gaming peripherals in the market. The development of new headphones with advanced gaming technologies attracting gamers to purchase these headphones. The development of virtual augmented reality and virtual reality are expected to drive growth of the PC gaming peripherals market. The demand for virtual reality games are increasing globally due to development of new controllers and accessories by the makers of gaming peripherals. For instance, according to coherent market insights, global VR video gaming sales revenue are expected to reach at US$ 23.2 billion by 2020, followed by PC and console segments.

Competitive Section

Key companies operating in the PC gaming peripheral market include Alienware, Logitech Internation SA, Razer Inc., Mad Catz Global Limited, Corsair Components, Inc., Cooler Master Co., Ltd., Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG, HyperX, SteelSeries, Anker, Roccat, Reddragon, Thrustmaster, and Turtle Beach Corporation.

Key Developments

Key companies are focused on expanding product portfolio by product launch/development strategies, in order to gain competitive edge in the market. For instance, in March 2018, Logitech International launched PC gaming speaker Logitech G560 PC with advanced technology  ‘Logitech G LIGHTSY’ that provides light and sounds to PC gaming. Logitech International expand its high-performance for the requirements of gamers, and provides new innovation in RGB to new immersive levels.

Key manufacturers are focused on product launches, in order to enhance their product portfolio. For instance, in April 2018, Razer launched Razar game store for gamers to purchase games such as Car Fry 5, Ni No Kuni, and others. Razer uses hardware and peripherals such as excellent blade laptops and cameras to encourage people to invest in Razer game store.

Buy This Business Report: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/3607

[holopundits]

Shaping the Future with XR Technology

Extended reality (XR) technology is no longer a futuristic technology reserved for use in entertainment industry. It has grown into a widespread and accessible technology that is part of our everyday lives. The applications and potential of XR technology are virtually limitless. Extended reality is an umbrella that covers all real and virtual combined environments that are computer generated. Virtual, augmented and mixed reality are covered under this umbrella.

The applications of XR technology have gone far beyond what could have ever been imagined. An XR technology company has a wide scope of domains for product development. From education to marketing to medical surgeries, XR technology has widespread applications.

Scaling New Frontiers

XR technology unlocks new business value by optimizing the customer experience, employee performance, and creating new, innovative content and services. As per Mordor Intelligence report, the extended reality market is poised to scale greater heights at a steady CAGR of 65% from 2019-2024. The report also predicts the following on the future of XR technology:

The integration of the smartphone, VR headset, and AR glasses into a single XR wearable paves way for more adoption of this technology. This single wearable could replace all other screens, ranging from smart TV screens to smartphones.

XR companies will focus on developing transformative XR experiences that enhance human experience by combining artificial intelligence and Internet of Things.

The rising application of AI and IoT drives the rapid adoption of immersive technologies into the mainstream.

Key XR technology trends

Customer engagement is gaining traction, thanks to immersive technologies. The key emerging trends in XR technology are

XR devices create a captivating virtual environment that transports the user to a new digital world. Immersive technologies elevate customer experience to a whole new level through virtual tours in stores and travel destinations. This technology can also be used to rehabilitate brain injury, enable virtual inspection of interiors and exteriors of automobiles, and enhance the learning experience.

Extended reality enables easy access to rich data in a situational context, which creates virtually unlimited opportunities in the market. Progressive XR companies will incorporate extended reality into their core business processes for better consumer engagement and operational efficiency.

Immersive technologies will be used by enterprises to tap expertise from anywhere in the world.

The image below shows the Global industry application of XR technology in 2018.

XR Enterprise Solutions

XR technology can help enterprises reduce their costs, increase their revenue and productivity, and improve the customer experience. Some of the enterprise XR technology applications include

Training better workers: Forward looking organizations are using immersive technologies to simulate a work environment for training their workers. Hazardous training environments can be simulated through XR technology so that trainees derive training minus the risks. Remote training can also be accomplished with immersive technologies.

Medical science: AR and VR technologies can be used to train surgeons with precision. Virtual reality can be used in psychiatric treatment for treating anxiety disorders and phobias.

Marketing and brand communication: Immersive technologies are highly effective in weaving a captivating digital brand story. Marketing endeavors have a better reach with the target audience through immersive technologies.

Retail: Customers can try out apparel, cosmetics, and furniture through augmented reality technology. Trying out products before buying helps customers make informed buying decisions.

Entertainment: The origin of immersive technologies was in entertainment and gaming. Growing sophistication in gaming and entertainment standards is made possible through immersive technologies.

Future of XR technology

XR is being actively used in various verticals and business operations mainly to overcome geographical barriers and improve productivity. The unique user experience created by immersive technology is a big plus to its rapid adoption.

HoloPundits, a pioneering XR company, has developed many solutions that cater to various industry verticals. AR, VR, and MR solutions from HoloPundits enable better business outcomes. To know more about our bespoke XR solutions, visit us at https://www.holopundits.com/ today.

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Virtual reality pops up at Denver museums, festivals and even VR escape rooms

Samantha Doerge was shutting down the Denver Film Festival’s virtual reality floor last fall when a woman shuffled in with her elderly mother, asking if Doerge would run the hour-long, three-part “Spheres” program one last time. ” ‘We’re sorry to be here so late,’ ” Doerge, a programming coordinator for the festival, remembers the woman telling her. ” ‘But my mother has wanted to be an astronaut all of her life and couldn’t because of an astigmatism. This is as close as she’ll ever get.’ Of course, I was more than happy to stay open for her.” “Spheres,” which has captivated audiences and critics at the Telluride, Sundance and Venice film festivals, invites viewers to don the now-standard virtual reality goggles and take a celebrity-narrated trip through the cosmos. Created by Eliza McNitt and executive produced by Darren Aronofsky (“Black Swan”), “Spheres” employs digital animation to render the big bang and other astronomical events in spectacular detail, bringing participants as close to space travel as they’ll likely ever get. The effect of narrative experiences like “Spheres” is uniquely powerful, said Doerge, who has helped program the Denver Film Festival’s virtual reality offerings the last couple of years. She also assisted with the debut of “Spheres” as Telluride’s first-ever VR offering in 2018. “When this woman, who had to have been 85 or 90 years old, came out of it, she was just crying,” Doerge said. “The word she used was ‘magical.’ “ Long in the wings, VR has increasingly inched into the spotlight at festivals, museums, theaters and bars as its complex technology — bulky headsets, servers and software — has grown rapidly cheaper and more compact. When it returns Oct. 30-Nov. 11, the Denver Film Festival will offer eight separate virtual reality experiences at its Festival Annex at the McNichols Building, with another four provided by its VR sponsor, Boulder-based Reality Garage, a lounge and makerspace that produces its own VR content. In recent years, the entrance of Facebook, Microsoft, Sony and other global players into the industry has rapidly accelerated VR’s consumer-friendliness while spurring artists and programmers to dream up new interactive concepts. Investors are also licking their pixelated chops at forecasts that predict the global market will increase from about $8 billion in 2018 to $44.7 billion in 2024, according to a recent report. And as Doerge knows, virtual reality isn’t just for gaming and entertainment. Her husband, a technology specialist for Children’s Hospital Colorado, uses VR to transport sick kids from the confines of their beds to Altspace, a social platform that offers simulated meet-ups and activities. “It’s there so kids can do things like have dinner with their families,” Doerge said. “These are mundane things we take for granted, but sick kids can check into Altspace and no longer feel this alienation from their childhoods.” Of course, that requires the other participants to don VR headsets, too. But as people get used to seeing VR at places such as Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum (which offers simulated plane rides), the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (in its new “Extreme Sports” installation), and the casino-like environs of Dave & Buster’s, the idea of bringing it into the living rooms gets less intimidating. In other words: Much like table tennis or life-sized Jenga, it’s another trendy entertainment — albeit a pricey, fast-evolving one. Related Articles “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” director Rian Johnson will be at opening night of Denver Film Fest “Knives Out,” “Marriage Story” will bookend Denver Film Fest’s 2019 red carpets Denver Film Festival reveals 2019 dates, tribute to late artistic director Brit Withey “There’s no headset at home, but that’s been a request for Christmas,” said Mandi Hoffman, a Denver mother overseeing nine middle-schoolers last week at VR Social, a virtual reality arcade in Broomfield. “We don’t have a lot of space, so I’m a little worried about how it would work. But we love VR. We visited a VR art exhibit in Montreal, which was incredible, and we like to do the VR games at the Punch Bowl Social on South Broadway.” Hoffman’s son, Henry, was there celebrating his 11th birthday with school buddies — all of them playing a sci-fi combat game and loosely tethered to the ceiling by cords on their headsets. The scene prompted Hoffman’s daughter Millie to acknowledge a common criticism of VR: Why should kids hook themselves up to machines for entertainment, even in poor weather, when indoor playgrounds, trampoline parks and “American Ninja Warrior”-style obstacle courses are so widely available these days? “Clearly from the outside, when you don’t have the headset on, it looks completely different,” Millie, 14, said as she stood in the bare-bones, LED-lit arcade space. Next door, a quintet of near-motionless people sat in a darkened room playing a virtual escape-room game. “But once you get inside it’s a heightened reality — fantasy games, fighting off robots, things you don’t get to experience when you go to (a business like) Jump Street or Lava Island.” Basic VR emulators such as Google’s Daydream Viewer, which mimics the look of VR by turning your phone into a display screen, retail for about $100. Gaming-friendly VR headsets, like the new Oculus Quest, range from $400 to $1,500 for crisp, stereoscopic imagery that offers the illusion of three-dimensional interactivity. Provided by Wings Over the RockiesVisitors to the Blue Sky Gallery in Centennial experience a virtual plane ride as part of Wings Over the Rockies’ VR programming. (Provided by Wings Over the Rockies) That’s a pricey buy-in compared to a board game or night at the movies, but nothing can match the experience, proponents say. Blotting out natural stimuli with eyepieces and headphones is one thing, but adding to the sensory immersion with physical elements, motion-tracking, controllers and other features can take something like a video-game escape room to new heights of interactivity — and meaning. “As a technology, it’s extremely exciting for us,” said Lauren Cason, creative director of Interactive at Santa Fe-based art company Meow Wolf. “If you’ve ever been to a VR exhibit or seen a demo, you’re going to be sitting in a blank room with a thing on your face, and it might not have much to do with the space you’re in.” Meow Wolf, however, has been busy researching and developing new XR (or “extended reality”) concepts that will allow guests to blur the lines between their physical and digital worlds at the company’s interactive art-playgrounds. That includes its forthcoming Denver location, a 90,000-square-foot, $60 million, four-story complex under construction at Interstate 25, Colfax Avenue and Auraria Parkway viaducts. “There’s technology out there — like HoloLens, Magic Leap, Spark AR, Apple’s AR (augmented reality) kit, ARCore and others — that allows you to superimpose three-dimensional digital objects onto real-world objects, and then have an interplay between those real and fabricated worlds,” said Cason, a veteran of MIT and Apple. “We believe that’s the future of these immersive, experiential spaces.” Or the present. Last week, the Washington, D.C., location of Madame Tussauds wax museum announced its new “Alive in AR” augmented-reality experience that uses smartglass technology to animate its celebrity and historical statues. That includes everyone from Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. to Tyra Banks, who come to life with the aid of 360-degree video, holograms and custom soundscapes. “While some attractions have experimented with AR on handheld smartphones, Madame Tussauds D.C. is embracing the more immersive and hands-free smartglass technology,” said ARtGlass founder and CEO Greg Werkheiser in a press statement. So how long will it be before we see that in Denver? Possibly sooner than you think, Meow Wolf officials said, although they declined to reveal specific details about Denver-based XR offerings, or say how much the company is investing in those technologies. “We’ve had several interesting tests and successes that are pointing toward something larger,” said Emily Montoya, a co-founder of Meow Wolf. “A couple of years ago, we took a VR experience called The Atrium to South by Southwest, which allowed people to experience our (Santa Fe-based) House of Eternal Return. And last year we took Navigator (a ‘mixed-reality sculpture’) to L.A.’s L.E.A.P. Con, which was sort of a giant-robot headset experience.” Navigator, which invited participants to climb behind the controls of a car-sized, spider-like robot, combined VR, AR and physical features to create the experience of operating a giant robot in real time. This sort of “spatial computing” is a clear emphasis for the company moving forward, Montoya said. “One of our biggest interests is incorporating theatrical storylines into the technology,” she said. “We already have the capacity to create such fantastic physical spaces and controls, so why not start there?” The same criticisms that detractors have for VR — its largely sedentary nature, its contrived imagery and sound — could just as easily be leveled at all manner of film and gaming, defenders say. And VR’s unlimited adaptability in the virtual space means, for example, that deaf people can use sign language to communicate with one another, or that wheelchair-bound people can fulfill dreams of walking, running and even flying. Recent advances have broadened VR’s applications to the point of mainstream appeal, from VR headsets going wireless to virtual learning, workplace training and even theater –  such as last month’s “Virtue of Reality” production from the University of Colorado’s Experience Design MFA students. There’s limitless room for experimentation, backers promise. Just not, you know, in the literal sense. “At my core, I am a cinephile and I love movies,” said Denver Film Fest’s Doerge. “But one thing that’s so exciting about VR is that your brain doesn’t make a distinction between what’s happening to you and what’s happening in the headset, so the emotional response you can get from a VR experience is very powerful. I have watched grown men burst into tears because it was so captivating.” She hopes to further evangelize for the format at the Denver Film Festival’s VR-focused panels at Civic Center’s McNichols Building on Nov. 9. One is a general creator panel, while the other explores its uses in pediatric health care. Both are fundamentally rooted in storytelling, she said. “One of the most successful and basic VR experiences out there is called Job Simulator,” Doerge said. “It’s also the first one I ever tried about four years ago. In it, I was basically a 7-Eleven cashier, but what shocked me was how consuming it was, because I almost had to reintegrate into my own reality after taking off the goggles. It’s been an uphill battle with VR into the film world, but whether it’s storytelling or escape, it has this unique ability to transport you, even when you’re fully aware that you’re wearing the headset.” Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox. #TellurideFilmFestival #Museum #ThingsToDo #News #MeowWolf

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/virtual-reality-pops-up-at-denver-museums-festivals-and-even-vr-escape-rooms

[sarahbennu01]

Global Cloud Gaming Market 2020-2024 | Increasing Adoption of Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to Boost Growth

The global cloud gaming market size is expected to grow by USD 2.7 billion during the period 2020-2024, according to the latest market research report by Technavio.

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The high cost of gaming consoles and the need for specific equipment such as physical copies of gaming software are helping to drive the cloud gaming market. Cloud gaming does not require gamers to buy physical copies of games and eliminates the need for regular hardware updates to play the latest games. Moreover, cloud gaming services require lesser waiting time during loading or updating as compared to conventional gaming. In addition, gaming studios tend to offer subscriptions for cloud gaming which results in significant cost savings. Thus, all the cost savings in terms of equipment, and quick onboarding advantages will drive the growth of global cloud gaming market during the forecast period.

As per Technavio, technological advances will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will affect market growth over 2020-2024.

Global Cloud Gaming Market: Technological Advances

Vendors are incorporating technological advances to cater to the demand for products with features such as 5G network, superior game control, and reduced frame refresh latency. In addition, the availability of advanced controllers including the VR headsets, Bluetooth game controllers, and touchscreens is also expected to improve the gaming experience. The growing deployment of advanced technologies is also driving technology giants including Microsoft, Apple, and Google to enter the cloud gaming market by leveraging 5G game streams to any device. Therefore, technological advances are expected to further drive the global cloud gaming market during the forecast period.

“Rising popularity of service-oriented architecture (SOA), emerging 5G technology, and surging awareness about eSports tournaments will boost the cloud gaming market growth during the forecast period,” says a senior analyst at Technavio.

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Global Cloud Gaming Market: Segmentation Analysis

This market report segments the global cloud gaming market by platform (gaming consoles, computing devices, smart TVs, and mobile devices), type (video streaming and file streaming) and geography (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America)

North America led the cloud gaming market share in 2019 followed by APAC, Europe, South America, and MEA. The growth of the cloud gaming market in this region can be attributed to the strong presence and penetration of major vendors in the region. In addition, the organization of gaming tournaments and eSports events will also drive the growth of cloud gaming market in North America. Furthermore, the rising adoption of secure cloud services and advanced technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence in gaming will also drive the cloud gaming market during the forecast period.

Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report

[kisan512posts]

Virtual Reality -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2024

Virtual Reality Industry

Description

Wiseguyreports.Com Adds “Virtual Reality -Market Demand, Growth, Opportunities and Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecast To 2023” To Its Research Database

Virtual Reality (VR) is a computer technology used to create an artificial environment for users in such a form that seems as a real environment. Virtual reality means near-reality which generates realistic images, sounds and other sentiments that stimulate user presence in the virtual environment.

In simpler form, virtual reality is a 3D image that explores interactively at a computer and the image can be manipulated with the help of keys to give directions or zoom in or out. Augmented reality (AR) is also a form of VR which layers virtual information over live camera feed into headset or smartphone or tablet device. There is a difference between AR and VR. Augmented Reality is a method by which a real environment is supplemented by computer touch inputs, such as graphics, sound or video. Augmented reality improves real life with artificial images and adds graphics, while virtual reality replaces the real world with artificial ones. In AR, the user can interact with the real world, but in VR users cannot interact with the real world.

The VR platform is divided into two components including software and hardware. The software segment mainly contains content that is displayed through the HMD, which is a hardware component of the VR. Virtual reality has many applications in the real world. Today, virtual reality sets with 360-degree interactive environments are seen as the latest breakthrough in modern technology, while they can significantly affect how consumers work, entertain, make purchases and participate in social activities.

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The growth of the market will mainly be driven by increasing VR users, rising disposable income, increasing investment, increasing GDP, rising smart phones users, use of VR for gaming. Key trends of this market include rising technological advancement, expanding applications, the launch of new products and increasing hardware investment. However, the growth of the market will also be hindered by inadequate content offering, limited use, expensive products and security issues.

The report “Global Virtual Reality Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021)” analyzes the development of this market. The major trends, growth drivers as well as issues being faced by the market are discussed in detail in this report. The four major players: Facebook, Google, Microsoft Corporation and HTC Corporation are being profiled along with their key financials and strategies for growth. The report contains a comprehensive analysis of the global VR market.

Table of Content

1. Market Overview

1.1 Introduction 1.2 History of VR 1.3 Working of VR 1.4 Components of VR 1.5 Technology 1.6 Applications

2. Global Virtual Reality Market

2.1 Global VR Market Forecast by Value 2.2 Global VR Market by Component 2.2.1 Global Content VR Market Forecast by Value 2.2.2 Global Hardware VR Market Forecast by Value 2.3 Global Hardware VR Market 2.3.1 Global Hardware VR Market by Category 2.3.2 Global VR Input System Market Forecast by Value 2.3.3 Global VR HMD Market Forecast by Value 2.4 Global VR HMD Market 2.4.1 Global VR HMD Market Forecast by Volume 2.4.2 Global VR HMD Mobile Market by Volume 2.4.3 Global VR HMD PC Market by Volume 2.4.4 Global VR HMD Console Market by Volume 2.5 Global VR Market by End User Segment 2.6 Prices of VR HMDs by Segment

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3. Market Dynamics

3.1 Growth Drivers 3.1.1 Increasing VR User Base 3.1.2 Increasing Investment in VR Technology 3.1.3 Increasing GDP Per Capita 3.1.4 Increasing Number of Smartphone Users 3.1.5 Accelerating Demand for Internet of Things (IoT) 3.1.6 Use of VR for Gaming

3.2 Key Trends & Developments 3.2.1 Rising Technological Advancements 3.2.2 Increasing Demand with Wider Application Base 3.2.3 Increasing Investment in Hardware 3.2.4 Demand for Wearables on Rise 3.2.5 Launch of New Products

3.3 Key Challenges 3.3.1 Too Expensive 3.3.2 Inadequate Content Offering 3.3.3 Limited Adoption of VR Technology 3.3.4 Security Issues

4. Competitive Landscape

4.1 Global VR Market 4.1.1 Revenue and Market Cap Comparison 4.1.2 VR Sales Comparison by Product 4.1.3 VR Product Price Comparison by Company 4.2 Mainstream VR Headsets Comparison

5. Company Profiles

5.1 Facebook, Inc. 5.1.1 Business Overview 5.1.2 Financial Overview 5.1.3 Business Strategies

5.2 Google, Inc. 5.2.1 Business Overview 5.2.2 Financial Overview 5.2.3 Business Strategies

5.3 Microsoft Corporation 5.3.1 Business Overview 5.3.2 Financial Overview 5.3.3 Business Strategies

5.4 HTC Corporation 5.4.1 Business Overview 5.4.2 Financial Overview 5.4.3 Business Strategies

List of Figures

Virtual Reality Segmentation by Components Virtual Reality Segmentation by Technology Applications of Virtual Reality Global VR Market Forecast by Value (2016-2021) Global VR Market by Component (2016/2021) Global Content VR Market Forecast by Value (2016-2021) Global Hardware VR Market Forecast by Value (2016-2021) Global Hardware VR Market by Category (2016) Global VR Input System Market Forecast by Value (2016-2021) Global VR HMD Market Forecast by Value (2016-2021) Global VR HMD Market Forecast by Volume (2016-2021) Global VR HMD Mobile Market by Volume (2016-2021) Global VR HMD PC Market by Volume (2016-2021) Global VR HMD Console Market by Volume (2016-2021)

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NOTE : Our team is studying Covid-19 and its impact on various industry verticals and wherever required we will be considering Covid-19 footprints for a better analysis of markets and industries. Cordially get in touch for more details.

[asfeedin]

How could COVID-19 change AR/VR’s future?

COVID-19 is impacting the lives of billions. Early-stage technology markets like virtual and augmented reality are trivial by comparison. However, AR/VR companies are dealing with knock-on effects both positive and negative. This analysis explores the potential future for AR/VR in the context of the silent cyclone we’re all going through.

Digi-Capital’s long-term virtual and augmented reality forecast is for the AR/VR market to reach around $65 billion revenue by 2024. However, the next two years are forecast to be impacted by COVID-19-related factors including (but not limited to) physical lockdowns, brick-and-mortar retail closures, essential ecommerce delivery limitations, supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) and recession/depression economic impacts. Although these and many other factors have far greater implications, let’s define what we mean in relation to AR/VR:

Physical lockdowns: Much of the planet is in different stages of physical lockdown, making getting together impossible or illegal in many parts of the world. This is exacting a terrible toll, but it could turn out to be a net positive for AR/VR adoption and use. Families and friends catching up and socializing remotely, enterprise users collaborating within their own organizations and with others, and service providers carrying on business remotely where possible, are a few examples of activities where AR/VR could help. AR/VR use cases are in some ways only limited by the nature of the interactions (such as where they can be done virtually rather than physically) and the imagination of developers and users. So physical lockdowns could become a critical demand driver for AR/VR in the short to medium term.

Brick-and-mortar retail closures: The crisis has been devastating for physical retail, bringing the sector to a standstill and accelerating some long-term trends by years (if not decades). For brick-and-mortar stores that survive, their future appears to be fundamentally changed short-, medium-, and long-term. At first blush this could benefit AR/VR, but there are specific aspects which might not be as positive.

Essential ecommerce delivery limitations: Ecommerce trends appear to have been accelerated at an unprecedented rate by the crisis, which on the face of it could be positive for AR/VR. However, there are limitations being imposed on eCommerce deliveries in some categories by giants like Amazon, which could counter some of the benefits.

Supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail): Global supply chains across sectors have been optimized to keep customers happy and costs down. While the U.S.-China trade war had already begun to have an impact on global supply chains, the crisis has been far more significant. This is as true for AR/VR as any other industry.

Recession/depression economic impacts: Depending on which economists turn out to have been right, the world appears to be going into a recession or depression the likes of which is in living memory only for the elders in our communities. Of all the factors we’re looking at, this could prove most critical for AR/VR’s future.

AR/VR sector impacts

In the context of these five factors, we’ll examine the impact on major AR/VR business models across hardware sales, ad spend, ecommerce sales, enterprise (ex-hardware), app stores, location-based entertainment, and video.

AR/VR hardware sales

Physical lockdowns could be a plus for AR/VR hardware demand, as individuals and businesses look to stay connected during the crisis. However, brick-and-mortar retail closures might be a net negative for AR/VR hardware, as mass consumers beyond early adopters might not be able (or in some cases willing) to try before they buy. Arguably, this is a bigger deal for AR/VR headsets than familiar technologies like smartphones, tablets, PCs, and consoles. It is also too early to fully understand the long-term behavioral changes around trying on something in a retail store that is worn on the face.

Essential ecommerce delivery limitations (where applicable) might be negative for AR/VR hardware sales, as it is hard to argue that AR/VR headsets are essential items. Supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) looks to have had an impact on specific companies’ AR/VR hardware supply chains in the short-term, despite other companies appearing to ramp up production during the crisis. And while recession/depression economic impacts might not have had a negative effect on short-term demand for specific AR/VR hardware sold out in Q1 2020, it is important to monitor whether or not this becomes a bigger factor as the year progresses.

Digi-Capital’s existing forecasts for AR/VR hardware sales were relatively conservative for 2020/2021 already, with an uptick forecast if and when Apple launches smartphone tethered smartglasses by late 2022 (as discussed previously, only Tim Cook and his inner circle really know the answer to that question). Yet there still appear to be significant negative implications for AR/VR hardware sales in the short-term. As both the course of the crisis and supply chain normalization are hard to determine at this stage, Digi-Capital is taking a negative position short-term and a neutral-stance medium-term on the impact of the crisis on AR/VR hardware sales.

Ad spend

Mobile AR advertising has seen much of relevant ad spend going towards traditional ad units viewed around user generated mobile AR content (such as filters and lenses on messaging platforms), rather than just mobile AR ad units. It’s worth noting that this does not mean that sponsored mobile AR filters and lenses are not a significant part of the mix going forward. By comparison, VR and smartglasses advertising are a relatively small part of the mix.

Physical lockdowns look at first blush like they should be positive for mobile AR advertising, as mobile messaging use has seen a significant uptick since the crisis started (when compared to 2019’s weekly average, TikTok usage in the first week of March grew by 130% for a weekly total over 3 billion hours, with increases in both user numbers and average time per session). This provides more eyeballs and relevant advertising inventory. However, the closure of bricks-and-mortar retail has dramatically impacted the spending power of an entire category of advertisers across the board (not just mobile AR advertising). Similarly, essential eCommerce delivery limitations (where applicable) and supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) could see more advertisers withdraw across industries. It’s hard to justify advertising products and services that can’t be delivered or supplied to customers.

By far the largest negative impact for AR/VR ad spend is recession/depression economic impacts. Most companies continue to be significantly impacted by the crisis, advertising budgets have been cut by many advertisers and messaging platform holders like Facebook are seeing their short-term advertising revenue forecasts downgraded.

While the crisis impacts all media advertising, not just mobile AR/VR, Digi-Capital is taking a negative stance on AR/VR adspend due to the crisis in the short to medium-term.

Ecommerce sales

Physical lockdowns and bricks-and-mortar retail closures look like a catalyst for ecommerce sales in general, and AR/VR in particular. Mobile AR enabled ecommerce also looks like it could become a primary beneficiary, due to the high active installed base of mobile AR and the ability to virtually showroom products using mobile AR at home during lockdown. This makes mobile AR ecommerce’s ability to increase customer propensity to buy by up to 11-fold look like a potential force multiplier. Yet the data on ecommerce impacts from COVID-19 have shown mixed results, so any uplift could be limited.

Essential ecommerce delivery limitations (where applicable) could put a dent in eCommerce companies’ ability to capitalize on the opportunity. This could have a stronger impact if ecommerce categories like home furnishings and decoration (a leading category for mobile AR ecommerce) are deemed non-essential. Similarly, supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) could limit the range and volume of products for sale. Last, but by no means least, the economic impact of a recession or depression could have a negative impact on consumer and enterprise confidence and demand for eCommerce sales more broadly.

With countervailing factors in play, Digi-Capital is taking a broadly neutral position on AR/VR ecommerce sales in the short- to medium-term.

Enterprise (ex-hardware)

Physical lockdowns look like a plus for AR/VR enterprise software and services, as companies try to find ways to get their internal and wider external teams to communicate, collaborate and find a path forward during the crisis. The crisis has the potential to become an accelerator to existing trends for enterprise AR/VR adoption.

Bricks-and-mortar retail closures aren’t a big factor for enterprise AR/VR, but essential eCommerce delivery limitations and supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) could become issues. If companies can’t get the new tech to their teams and relevant supply chains are disrupted, enterprise demand might not be met by supply.

However, recession/depression economic impacts are a much bigger factor. Even though CIOs are prioritizing spending on technologies supporting remote work, many IT budgets have been cut and nonessential tech projects cancelled. As discussed before, enterprise augmented reality  and virtual reality remain early stage despite moving further up the chain from pilots to production in some companies.

Balancing these supply and demand factors, Digi-Capital has a neutral stance on enterprise AR/VR in the short to medium-term.

App stores

Physical lockdowns have proven to be a boon for both app downloads and usage on mobile app stores. This has already resulted in increased revenue for the mobile AR market leader Niantic’s Pokémon Go and potentially VR app developers. The biggest impact for AR/VR app store revenues from the crisis could be in the dominant games category.

Brick-and-mortar retail closures and essential ecommerce delivery limitations have less impact on AR/VR apps, but supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) has already seen delays to the launch of triple-A VR games titles. It’s not clear how this factor will stabilize yet.

The big unknown is the economic impact of a global recession or depression on in-app-purchases and premium apps. Unavoidable choices between essential household needs and entertainment could slow spending on AR/VR apps in the medium-term, but uncertainties remain.

Digi-Capital is taking a neutral position on AR/VR app store revenue through at least the next quarter. This could change as more hard data becomes available.

Location-based entertainment

Physical lockdowns have effectively shuttered location based entertainment globally (not just AR/VR), and many location based VR businesses have closed their doors for now. An open question is if and when consumers will return at scale to location based entertainment where contact with others and surfaces they’ve touched is unavoidable (again, not just AR/VR). With high standards of hygiene already required for wearing a headset on your face and holding controllers in your hands, both practical and behavioral issues could play a bigger role going forward.

The closure of bricks-and-mortar location based entertainment venues (again, not just AR/VR) has been devastating for the sector in both short and medium-terms. As above, the long-term is an open question.

Essential ecommerce delivery limitations and supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) are negative for location based VR, even though closed businesses have bigger issues than the supply of new AR/VR hardware and software to worry about. The same is the case for recession/depression economic impacts.

Digi-Capital is taking a negative stance on location based AR/VR entertainment for 2020/2021, with a hoped for recovery in the long-term.

Video

Physical lockdowns have been a massive booster for video consumption more broadly, and could potentially provide a tailwind for VR video players. Bricks-and-mortar retail closures could be a mild positive for VR video, despite a relatively limited uplift from multiplex cinema closures. Essential ecommerce delivery limitations are less of an issue, but supply chain disruption (supplier, manufacturer, distribution, wholesale, retail) is a negative for live-action VR video (like 360 video). This is particularly an issue for 360 video in now shuttered live-action sports, which had been a specific area of promise for the sector. Animated VR video companies able to accommodate remote working might fare better during the crisis.

While there is limited visibility on the short-term, recession/depression economic impacts for VR video could become an issue over time. The medium-term tradeoff between basic needs and entertainment is hard to determine at this stage. Digi-Capital’s forecast for VR video was already relatively modest, so our neutral to mildly negative stance on the sector has limited economic impact.

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[theconservativebrief]

The battle over which tech company’s smart speaker will ultimately live in your house continues to heat up. Today, Facebook announced its new speaker, called Portal, in a bid to compete with Amazon and Google in the quickly growing market.

The smart speaker industry is already lucrative: According to eMarketer’s 2018 forecast, 90 million Americans have a smart speaker in their home, and that number is growing at an annual rate of almost 48 percent. These devices are generally wireless, internet-powered speakers with built-in voice assistants that perform tasks like checking the weather and doing online shopping.

The most popular ones are made by Google and Amazon, but Facebook is entering the fray. It’s looking for ways to increase its profits and to solidify its reputation for enabling friendly communication — an image it’s having trouble hanging onto these days. The company has been embroiled with scandals regarding privacy and communication, which could overshadow even its most impressive technological advancements.

Facebook’s Portal is arguably the company’s first big push in the gadget space (although it did buy virtual reality startup Oculus in 2014 for $2 billion, which sells VR headsets). Moving into an already crowded arena, Facebook is hoping to find an edge by tackling video chat.

The Portal (which seems more like a smart tablet than a smart speaker) comes with a rectangular high-definition screen. It also has a microphone that’s set up with Amazon’s voice assistant, Alexa, an interesting move considering Facebook’s device is meant to be in competition with Amazon’s Echo smart speaker.

Portal links up with Facebook accounts, allowing video calls to friends via Facebook Messenger. The high-def “Smart Camera” then uses artificial intelligence to follow a user around the room during video calls.

This could be a game-changer for video chat. Rather than users having to sit in front of a laptop or tablet during a video call, Facebook says its cameras will “adjust to follow the action … whether you’re moving around the kitchen or chasing the kids through the living room.” The camera also widens its focus as more people enter the room.

Facebook’s Portal is available in two models: There’s the standard Portal, which costs $199 and looks like a tablet with a large speaker built in. The Portal+, for $349, looks like a Frankenstein version of an Apple iPad attached to a Bose home speaker. Portals are available for preorder on Monday, and they will be shipped to customers in November. The speakers are being sold on the Facebook site and will also be available from Best Buy and Amazon.

It makes sense for the Silicon Valley giant to wade into this territory, as smart speakers are the next frontier for Big Tech. Marketwatch believes smart speakers will become a $30 billion business by 2024.

Facebook, up until now, has also been a purveyor of social interactions, and not gadgets. But connected devices aren’t ends in themselves, but rather a means to those ends: They’re entry points into people’s homes. As Kaitlyn Tiffany wrote for Vox after Amazon debuted its smart microwave, these connected devices are Trojan horses: “an inexpensive entry point, an easy graduation gift, a staple that sometimes needs replacing, and a not-so-intrusive and not-so-useful but also not un-useful household item.”

Gadgets from Facebook and Amazon, the thinking goes, will eventually weasel their way into users’ homes, regardless of whether they really need them.

According to eMarketer, however, one such device isn’t selling very well: Apple’s HomePod. Its $349 price tag is apparently just too high for customers. Facebook’s Portal+ is the same price as Apple’s HomePod, and its standard Portal is nearly half the price. But it’s unclear if shoppers will want to spend money on another gadget when their iPhones, laptops, and tablets do the trick — and the Amazon Echo starts as low as $79.99.

Portal also won’t be able to replace other connected devices, at least at first. The gadgets don’t have a web browser, and you can’t access Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, or — strangely — the Facebook app, TechCrunch points out. This is an intentional decision, company representatives told the Wall Street Journal: Facebook wants Portal to “focus primarily on communication, rather than browsing.”

Perhaps the better question isn’t if people will have enough money to buy Facebook gadgets — it’s whether they’ll actually want to do it.

Facebook boasts more than 2 billion users, so the Portal will largely rely on that communication network. It can use your Facebook data, for example, to make a suggested call list of the people it believes is in your closest circles, according to TechCrunch.

But will users want the tech industry’s least-trusted company facilitating video chats? This is, after all, the company that can’t seem to escape communication and privacy scandals. Just on the heels of its Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook is taking heat for enabling hate speech in Myanmar and being blamed for violence in India, the Philippines, Libya, and Germany. The company says it’s trying to put out the flames but has been widely criticized for being slow to act. (Its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has also been scrutinized for his failure to take responsibility at all.)

And just two weeks ago, Facebook admitted a security breach had compromised the accounts of 50 million users — one of the largest security breaches ever. Are you interested in gossiping about your sister to your mom under this company’s watch?

The Facebook Portal is selling for $199 and has Amazon Alexa built into it. Facebook

To its credit, Facebook is approaching the launch with all of this in mind. In its marketing, the company is sure to note that Portal devices are first and foremost “private by design.” The gadgets come with camera covers that can be placed over the lenses “so that you are in control,” and the microphone is disabled with a single tap of the screen.

Facebook tells users that its AI does not use facial recognition technology, and that the company “doesn’t listen to, view or keep the contents of your Portal video calls.” It also promises that the calls are not saved on Facebook servers.

All of these details are no doubt being pointed out with Facebook’s recent privacy calamities in mind. They also call to mind recent privacy violations perpetrated by other companies. In May, a couple from Portland, Oregon, said their Amazon speaker recorded their conversation and send it to a random contact.

Facebook Portal’s video chat capabilities will have a couple of perks: It’ll have the same filters that make Instagram so fun, along with a feature called Storytime, which will feed a narrator a story via teleprompter, and animate the story onscreen in real time — perfect for parents or other relatives who want to read a child a bedtime story from far away.

But even those cute diversions might not be enough for customers to allow Facebook’s cameras and microphones into their homes right now. As one Facebook commenter said of Zuckerberg’s Portal announcement, “Hey, Mark. Why don’t you stop introducing new shit and fix the old shit?”

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Original Source -> Will people trust Facebook enough to put its new smart speaker in their homes?

via The Conservative Brief

[opticien2-0]

CASE STUDY Formex Watches shows how AR is changing the way we shop

Augmented reality (AR) is transforming how we shop and in particular our online shopping experience.  Global Market Insights predicts that the AR market is expected to nearly double in size by 2024 with the vast majority of companies utilising some form of augmented reality to connect with and engage their customers.

Forward thinkers and industry disruptors are ahead of the curve, having already embraced augmented reality in their business models.

Formex Watches is one such company, they are the first luxury Swiss watch brand to afford their customers the opportunity to virtually try their watches on via its AR app.

By blending the real and the virtual, AR enhances rather than excludes.  AR has evolved considerably since Pokémon Go grabbed our attention in the summer of 2016, demonstrating how keen consumers were to embrace this new technology.  Pokémon Go’s runaway success drew attention away from burgeoning virtual reality technology which has since struggled to live up to expectation.

The real beauty of augmented reality is that unlike VR it doesn’t need any specialised equipment, no expensive headset or glasses, just a smartphone that provides a gateway to an enhanced experience.

The rapid and ever-increasing growth of online shopping is giving traditional bricks and mortar stores a run for their money.  But despite all the upsides to ecommerce it does face a particularly uphill challenge and that is how to sell a product that a potential customer cannot interact with or see how it might fit them or look in their home.

This is where a well-designed augmented reality app perfectly complements the online shopping experience.  According to Invesp Infographic at least 30% of all online purchases are returned, so AR that enables the customer to try before they buy can contribute to better purchasing decisions and therefore reduce returns.

Formex Watches was confronted by this issue when CEO, Raphael Granito, recently moved the business from a bricks and mortar operation to a completely online business model.  Wanting to enhance the online buying experience for their customers, Formex developed an app that projects a realistic image of their watches onto the user’s wrist.

This gives a real-life “feel” and look that the customer is wearing one of their timepieces and allows them to interact with the product.  The customer is able to try out all their models with different watch bands and lets them see the watches from any angle.

This kind of interaction brings to the online experience some of the sensory elements involved in making a purchase that used to only be available in the ‘real’ world.

Granito explains that: “while we have addressed other major concerns that consumers have with online purchases by offering free shipping and a 30-day free returns policy, we have found that people are still hesitant to buy watches without having had them on their wrist.  This led us to develop our app so that customers can get a feel for our watches and therefore place their order with confidence.”

As ecommerce continues to grow and evolve, augmented reality will play a huge role in how consumers buy products online.  Companies are looking to enhance how we buy anything from sneakers to furniture.

Vans and Converse have both embraced AR and developed apps that let their customers experience their products before buying. Ikea are refining their app that lets you place their products in your home.  Big names such as Amazon and Microsoft are working on new AR technologies to eventually create virtual environments that replicate the bricks-and-mortar shopping experience in our home. Luxury brand Burberry even created an app then enabled users to digitally redecorate their surroundings with Burberry inspired drawings by the artist Danny Sangra.

A recent report by Digi-Capital suggests that augmented reality will be worth an incredible $108 billion by 2021 with 2018 being singled out as a breakthrough year for the technology. So, it would seem that those brands, like Formex Watches, which understands the power of augmented reality and have integrated it into their business early on are those who will be among the winners in the world of ecommerce.

The post CASE STUDY Formex Watches shows how AR is changing the way we shop appeared first on InternetRetailing.

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Snap debuts spectacles in Europe (SNAP)

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Snap launched Spectacles in Europe on Friday, marking the first time the video-recording sunglasses will be available for purchase outside the US, according to TechCrunch. Snap is making Spectacles — which lets users record 10-second videos that can be uploaded to their Snapchat account — available for purchase online and in a select number of vending machines, called Snapbots, in certain countries including France, Italy, and Spain.

Snap could be launching Spectacles in Europe as a part of a larger play to eventually offer augmented reality (AR) glasses. That’s because Spectacles could break down major barriers for AR, including familiarity and social acceptance, according to CNET. If those barriers are overcome, Snap could offer a truly robust AR headset. However, given the modest performance of Spectacles in the US, it's possible they could underwhelm European audiences, too. Just 5 million snaps were created with Spectacles since the device launched in November 2016, representing a small portion of the roughly 3 billion snaps that were created daily in Q1 2017.

As aversion to advertising continues to grow and as ad-blocking adoption increases across the globe, publishers and brands are turning to immersive video — namely 360-degree video, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) — to win back some of their lost market share.

Immersive video can provide the impactful, emotion-driven storytelling that's needed to capture the attention of consumers and cut through the saturated ad space.

Already, brands across numerous industries have seen significant success. For example, Hong Kong Airlines’ 360-degree ad was 35 times more effective than the same traditional 2D ad. Meanwhile, Lionsgate's Blair Witch VR campaign elicited a 57% voluntary replay rate. And consumers are confident in the future of immersive video – 63% of US consumers who’ve tried an immersive experience feel it’s the “next big thing” in video, according to a YuMe study.

Dylan Mortensen, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on immersive video that breaks down the benefits of each immersive video format and outlines the ways in which brands and publishers can implement each format into their digital strategy.

Here are some key points from the report:

Google and Facebook continue to dominate the digital ad space. Excluding Facebook and Google, the digital industry saw a 2% ad revenue decline year-over-year in H1 2016, according to the IAB.

Marketers are falling behind on the consumer shift to mobile. Consumers in the US spent over a third of their total media time on mobile devices in 2016, while only 17% of advertisers' digital spend went toward mobile.

360-degree video presents an opportunity for advertisers to reach massive audiences, while allowing viewers to engage with ads as they see fit. The format also has the potential to generate longer viewing times.

AR blends the physical and digital worlds. The global AR market is forecast to grow at a nearly 81% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2016 to 2024, according to Global Market Insights.

VR is the most complex experience, but also the most rewarding. VR content was found to elicit higher emotional engagement and longer engagement periods than traditional 2D, according to YuMe and Nielsen. BI Intelligence predicts that global VR headset shipments will increase 359% over the next six years, from 12 million in 2017 to just over 55 million in 2022.

In full, the report:

Highlights the rising popularity of immersive video with consumers and brands.

Explores why immersive video advertising growth will help publishers buck the Google and Facebook digital duopoly.

Outlines successful use cases that have propelled brands’ overall reach and retention.

Forecasts the growth of the virtual reality market.

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. » START A MEMBERSHIP

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