Let’s talk about how Google contemplated buying Epic Games. We’ll touch on how this related to immersive soon, but I’ve been following this story closely for some time. Epic Games is challenging both Apple and Google for the same reason: repressing competition while maintaining monopolistic positions, claiming a 30 per cent cut of in-store purchases. This is Epic’s description of the situation, via The Verge:  ‘Google has gone so far as to share its monopoly profits with business partners to secure their agreement to fence out competition, has developed a series of internal projects to a ..read more

At times, I have to remind myself that technology needs to serve a purpose. After wandering through the weeds of VR/AR innovation for several years, diving into the deep details of the tech, I have to remember that there is no point to its existence unless it helps. So having calls with passionate entrepreneurs grounds me back, and I touch back on why we are so invested in our work. Recently I spoke to Carole Baskin, the founder and CEO of Big Cat Rescue. After her catapult into the mainstream spotlight via Tiger King, Ms Baskin focused on innovation as she sought how technology can meet her i ..read more

Let’s talk about the onslaught of metaverse hot takes from this week. As soon as Mark Zuckerberg’s statement left his lips, the internet reeled under the weight of half-knowledgable pundits that spewed views on its future. Every immersive term and phrase fell under the planet-wide umbrella of ‘the metaverse,’ prompting nonsense over sense as people scrambled for quick-fire internet points. And as the week closed, and millions of laptop lids shut for the weekend, many took a sigh of fresh air and wondered, ‘now what?’ The hype will wither to a cooler stance soon. We’re seeing the baying waves o ..read more

Let’s talk about Mark Zuckerberg and the metaverse, including interoperability. In a recent declaration, Mr Zuckerberg laid out his five-year plan to make Facebook known as a ‘metaverse company,’ rather than a mobile internet company. We’ve known about Facebook’s motivation to explore the next computing platform for some time, but this is the most public exploration of the CEO’s future vision.  I can draw a lot from the announcement and the subsequent interviews, but there is one important strand I will focus on: unparalleled interoperability within the metaverse. And it might not be atta ..read more

Exclusive: Luxexcel launched a new manufacturing platform called Luxexcel VisionPlatform 7, and it makes it possible for companies to bring prescription lenses into the creation of smartglasses, by letting them 3D print the lenses. If it works as advertised, then this is a big boon for tech companies. A manufacturing process that can create and send prescription lenses means it can service people who need the glasses. People like me, where I am as blind as a bat.  According to the official release, VisionPlatform 7 is a platform that ‘integrates objects such as waveguides, holographic opt ..read more

Let’s talk about hardware referrals. I’ve been thinking about how VR can spread a little further, and other marketing initiatives that can be used to penetrate new markets.  The question was prompted by an insightful poll from Emerging Tech Brew, where a quarter of Americans have tried a VR or AR headset – higher than expected – and of that number, two-thirds would definitely try it again. With that said, only 28% are excited about the technology. In short, the appetite to try it is not there; but once people try it, then it has a powerful pulling effect.  What it indicates is ..read more

Let’s talk about the flow of VC money and acquisitions. Many immersive companies are suddenly getting a lot of money to finance their growth, with a renewed interest in expanding their operations or speeding up their growth. Just a few examples:  JigSpace raised $4.7m in Series A funding;  Tripp raised $11m in Series A funding; Virti raised $10m in Series A funding; VRChat raised $80m in Series D funding; Magnopus acquired REWIND.  All of this was within the last week and a half, and not including every company in the area (I try my best!) Wh ..read more

I visited London’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) museum to see Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, an exhibition on the works and impact of the titular book. Visitors tumble through the rabbit hole of Lewis Carrol’s works, from the petite drawings of a scramble of animals passing judgement, to an eclectic array of cutlery and crockery laid on dimension-bending tables. What particularly struck me was the impact of the work across culture and art movements; for example, did you know Salvador Dali illustrated Alice in Wonderland as well? Or that early 1900s America was obsessed with the story? The li ..read more

The WebXR Developer Summit ran in May 2021, with some great contextual insights: Exporting WebXR from Unity is viable, but build sizes and download times are major downsides; WebXR needs to reach the Candidate Recommendation stage for a chance to become a W3C official standard; We must ensure that development is conducted safely, and without imposing on the user’s privacy;  There are many different services which help developers support their growth. Kent Bye made a great summary of the event, which can be found here. On my own thoughts: I am slightly biased as I am a spo ..read more

Let’s talk about the weird middle-place we are in with hybrid events. As the world opens up again, a lot of people – and particularly younger workers – want to head back to the office and speak face-to-face again. And who can blame them? The decaying array of pot plants that crowd cramped bedrooms aren’t the best for conversations.  Yet the corporate world is in a strange in-between where some people are coming back in, while others may be working from home. We’ll see a hodgepodge of some calling in, others streaming via their kitchen counters, and perhaps another group strapped into VR h ..read more