In this week’s episodes, we will discuss the race between AR and VR and its impact on smartphone
market and there is a major disruptor this week with new technology from Humane that will blow your mind!
Hi there! I’m Ethan Bach, and I’m thrilled to be coming to you from Alt Ethos, a Metaverse, and Experiential Design Studio in our weekly roundup. In under 5 minutes, we’ll be giving you the latest Metaverse, XR, and Web3 news to keep you ahead of the curve.
Today we’re talking about the ultimate showdown between AR and VR. These cutting-edge technologies are changing the way we interact with the world. Although the influence has been slow due to hardware and technology development for wearables, with the help of ai we are sure to see the technology and designs change significantly in the near future.
Alright, so, VR has been owning the market so far in this race, with big hitters like Sony, HTC, and Meta with Oculus dominating the market. But headset sales still pale to comparison of other tech adoption such as smartwatches. But the tables may turn soon, as AR is expected to see the highest growth rate over the forecast period. Plus, Apple is gearing up to release AR glasses that could shake up the market later on this year.
The race for AR is that it’s predicted to disrupt the smartphone market and in smartphone adoption of over 1 Billion sold in just 2022 in a USD $485 billion industry. At a time when Oculus has sold 20 million headsets total, Moving into the smartphone market is currently the big race.
Mixed reality or MX is the best of both worlds, seamlessly blending the real and virtual worlds. It’s getting more and more popular, with devices like the Oculus Quest Pro and Microsoft HoloLens taking the lead. Other companies like Magic Leap, HTC, and Varjo are also making waves in the mixed-reality space.
While all three technologies have their place, we predict that AR and mixed reality will have more use cases and be more widely adopted among the general public than VR. We see VR for more specific cases such as medical and surgery and gaming. The future of VR, AR, and mixed reality is still unknown, and we can’t wait to see what happens over the next few years
OR in the next few months!
Check this out,
if you have not seen this – holy cow – this is a game changer! we’re going to talk about a newer company getting attention this week called Humane and their innovative approach to technology.
Humane is developing a wearable device that utilizes AI that combines a camera, sensor, and projector into one small package and acts as your personal AI assistant. You wear it on your lapel!! This device is designed to enable people to interact with technology in a more natural and intuitive way without constantly staring at a screen or having cramped fingers and horns growing in our necks! This device can capture images and videos, detect a user’s movements and gestures, and project content on any surface.
What makes Humane unique is their approach to design. They focus on creating technology that respects users’ privacy. Not sure we can say the same for Meta’s and Rayban’s Smart Glasses which put privacy at risk.
They are challenging the status quo of tech, design, and AI. and showing that it’s possible to create technology that’s both innovative and responsible. And watch out Apple!, they are here to disrupt in the smartphone industry – so, check this out! This demonstration that happened via a Ted talk given by Co-Founder Imran (EEm-ran) Chaudhri (Ch-AW-da-ri) has this guy answering a phone call from his hand and like the Babblefish of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, it translated languages in real time!
Chaudhri (Ch-AW-da-ri) says
“The future will not be held in your hand and it won’t be on your face either. The future of technology may almost be invisible. ”
We loved his presentation and man, Chaudhri’s (Ch-AW-da-ri) demeanor is so badass. We recommend you keep your eye on him and Humane as the next few years will really get exciting to see what comes next.
Thanks for tuning in to our weekly roundup of the latest in XR, Metaverse, and Web3 news. Before you go, make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode. And don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below!
Next week, we have something special in store for you. We’ll be reviewing this Unreal Engine Metaverse a look at the Reality Innovators Network networking event. Trust us, you won’t want to miss it. See you next week for another exciting episode in under 5 minutes.
As the world becomes increasingly digital, businesses must adapt to stay relevant and competitive. One area where businesses can gain a significant advantage is through the use of extended reality (XR) technologies, such as Metaverse, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). XR technologies provide businesses with new ways to engage with customers, streamline operations, and train employees.
However, incorporating XR technologies into a business can be a daunting task, especially for those without experience in the field. That’s where XR Consulting comes in. XR Consulting services provide businesses with the expertise and guidance they need to leverage XR technologies effectively. In this blog post, we will explore 5 benefits of XR Consulting for businesses.
1. XR Consulting Helps Businesses Identify Opportunities
XR Consulting services can help businesses identify areas where XR technologies can be most effective. For example, if a business wants to improve its customer engagement, XR consultants can recommend VR or AR solutions that will provide customers with a more immersive and engaging experience to create memorable experiences to be shared.
2. XR Consulting Streamlines Implementation
Once a business has identified the XR technology it wants to incorporate, XR Consulting services can help with implementation. XR consultants can provide businesses with detailed plans and guidance on how to integrate XR technologies into their existing systems, minimizing disruptions and downtime and increasing productivity.
3. XR Consulting Enhances Employee Connection
XR technologies can create virtual social events. With remote working across the globe creating virtual social events that are immersive and fun help connect the team in a meaningful way that increases employee retention and workplace happiness.
4. XR Consulting Improves Customer Experience
One of the most significant benefits of XR technologies is the ability to create more engaging and immersive customer experiences. XR consultants can help businesses design and implement VR, AR, or Experiential solutions that will provide customers with unique and memorable experiences. This can help businesses stand out in crowded markets and improve customer loyalty.
5. XR Consulting Increases Efficiency
Finally, XR technologies can help businesses streamline their operations and increase efficiency. For example, MR solutions can be used to provide employees with real-time visualization, improving decision-making, creativitiy and reducing errors. XR consultants can help businesses identify and implement these solutions, improving overall efficiency and productivity.
XR Consulting services can provide businesses with the expertise and guidance they need to leverage XR technologies effectively. From identifying opportunities to improving employee connections and customer experience, XR technologies offer numerous benefits for businesses. If you’re considering incorporating XR technologies into your business, consider partnering with Alt Ethos with over three decades of experience.
Alt Ethos is not just any XR Consulting service. We’re rebels. We’re pioneers. We’re the ones who’ve been pushing the boundaries of technology for over three decades. From our experience with Department of Defense and National Science Foundation research in 360 and VR to our Emmy award-winning team, we’ve always been at the forefront of innovation.
And now, we’re bringing that expertise to businesses like yours. We’re here to help you unlock the full potential of XR technologies and take your business to the next level. With our guidance, you can improve customer engagement, streamline operations, and enhance employee connections in ways you never thought possible.
So if you’re ready to join the XR revolution, come partner with us at Alt Ethos. We’re here to help you disrupt your industry, create unforgettable experiences for your customers, and unleash your business’s full potential. Contact us today.
Alt Ethos is delighted to have recently applied to LG NOVA’s Mission for the Future program. Selected companies will have the opportunity to enter a 6 to 9-month program to build their business with LG. In the program, companies have the opportunity to go through a co-collaboration process with LG for evaluation, testing, piloting, which will lead to 10 companies selected as the finalists.
Alt Ethos is also honored to have attended and participated in their informational summit Q&A, on the Metaverse Panel Discussion alongside remarkable speakers. The event tackled how the convergence of gaming, VR, AR, XR, entertainment, and work from home is creating a catalyzing moment for the creation of the next web – the metaverse.
The question was asked about the Metaverse: “Is it here yet or yet to come?” – While most panelists agreed that the Metaverse is evolving at the moment, Gene Keselman broke from the pack and stated “The Metaverse is not yet here in any form”, our very own XR Producer – Julian Reyes agrees with this premise.
Dan Mapes spoke about his efforts with The Spatial Web Foundation, a hyper-integrated, contextually-aware, and ethically-aligned network of humans, machines, and AI. The mission of the Spatial Web Foundation is to develop and maintain the technical and ethical standards of the Spatial Web.
“(The metaverse) It’s here but it is still very, very early days, and it’s just going to grow into this incredible area that is yet still to be defined.” – Siddarth Shah, Magic Leap
More videos and information will be posted on the LG Meta page.
More info about the panelists:
Samantha Wolfe – Founder: PitchFWD
Samantha G. Wolfe is the Founder of PitchFWD, a strategic consultancy focused on the acceleration of consumer and enterprise adoption of emerging technologies. She works on strategic brand positioning as well as product and developer marketing for innovative products and services. Sam also is an Adjunct Professor at NYU’s Steinhardt School teaching ‘The Business of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality’ and ‘The Marketing of Innovation’, both courses she created and developed. To learn more about Sam, go to www.samanthagwolfe.com. To find out more about her consultancy, go to www.wearepitchfwd.com
Dan Mapes – Founder: VERSES
Dan Mapes is a Founder of www.Verses.io – Spatial Intelligence Systems integrating Mixed Reality, Artificial Intelligence and Blockchains that together build The Spatial Web. Dan has spent over 20 years at the intersection of internet technology and entertainment as an entrepreneur, inventor and investor. Dan’s technology interests range from Gaming to Virtual Reality and from Blockchain to Artificial Intelligence. He is a consultant to both startups and large corporations and has made investments in multiple companies where he is often an active advisor or board member. He is the Founder and CEO of Cyberlab – a Global Deep Tech Lab with offices in California, China and Holland. Cyberlab currently has a focus on IoT, Blockchain, Virtual Reality and AI.
He has a deep interest in Meditation, Yoga and Peak Performance and is an avid sailor, diver and mountain biker. He also is working on Sustainability and the Environment and owns a 250 acre Permaculture Ranch that is powered entirely by solar.
“There is this new economy that is emerging that is going to be 10 times as large as the industrial age economy.” – Dan Mapes, Verses
Siddharth Shah – Managing Director & Commercial Officer: Magic Leap
Currently, Sid is the Managing Director & Commercial Officer at Magic Leap where he is focusing on building the enterprise AR business. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BCG Digital Ventures which launched over 120 businesses. He also was co-founder of HRX (India’s first fitness brand) which was exited to Walmart in 2015. He is a seasoned executive with 20 years of experience in successfully launching and operationalizing companies from the ground up, advising corporate and celebrity clients, structuring investments, and building partnerships. Successfully launched businesses in the US, India, China, SE Asia, and the Middle East. Demonstrated ability to originate deal flow in new geographies.
Speaking and writing experience includes: Recurring speaker at Rise, Milken, Harvard Business School, Kellogg School of Management, Wharton, London Business School, UCLA, Licensing Expo, Malaysia Social Media Week; and frequent writer at Brandchannel, Adage, Retailer, and other trade publications.
Gene Keselman – Executive Director: MIT
Gene R. Keselman is the Executive Director of the MIT Innovation Initiative. In this role he works to develop overall strategy and to pilot new programs to meet the Initiative’s goal of enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship across the MIT campus and around the world through evidence-based educational programs, infrastructure, and communities.
Gene graduated from the University of Michigan with Bachelor’s of Arts degrees in Economics and Political Science and also earned a Master’s of Science degree in Information Systems from the George Washington University. More recently he earned a Master’s of Business Administration from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). While at MIT, Gene was also an Associate Investigator in MIT Sloan Operations Management performing research for the Study on Wearable Biosensors and Performance in Multiplayer Games.
Jason Kaehler – CEO
Jason Kaehler has a 29-year career that spans across the entertainment, digital technology and computer graphics industries. He has worked extensively in both R&D and commercial product development for games, VR, data visualization, HCI (Human Computer Interaction) and simulations. Jason began his career in R&D for Disney Imagineering being involved in that ‘first wave’ of VR, developing the DisneyQuest Aladdin VR ride, the first of its kind. Since then, he has had a passion for the medium.
Jason is a serial entrepreneur who assembles and leads word-class teams to develop cutting-edge software. His first game studio sold to Activision in 2002. Since then he has led his own companies and worked for corporations (and the U.S.Gov) in the Internet 3.0 – the metaverse – particularly the gaming/interactive media sector developing 3D data visualizations, mobile & PC games, VR training, gambling games, HCI, IoT/security visualization and UIdesign.
Jason enjoys contributing to unique projects and consults to corporations and the U.S. government, sharing his deep knowledge of the metaverse sector. On the HCI research side, Jason works exclusively with Stanford Research Institute (www.sri.com) , DARPA and the USAFin both a sub-contractor and Prime Investigator roles. His most recent obsessions are NFTs, crypto, AR and ‘P2E’ (Play to Earn) games. Learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkaehler/, and http://kaehlerplanet.com/
Alt Ethos joined key stakeholders as they discussed the trajectory of the metaverse, its arrival and the vast potential opportunity for businesses and startups to set the stage for how we will engage and interact in the coming full digital world.
We are tracking the evolution of the Metaverse closely as we launch Pathos.
Pathos Metaverse: a browser-based virtual world by Alt Ethos. For this panel, all of the speakers and audience members will be avatars in the Pathos Metaverse allowing for individual representation and easy networking with spatial audio. The Pathos Metaverse provides exciting meeting places, dynamic events, and future-thinking hybrid-virtual-world solutions, pushing the boundaries of interactivity. https://altethos.com/pathos-metaverse/
On August 29th and 30th at AREA15 Las Vegas, Epic Immersive welcomed immersive industry luminaries from Secret Cinema, Marshmallow Laser Feast, David Byrne’s Theater of the Mind, Broadway, Swamp Motel, Meow Wolf, Delusion, Mycotoo, AREA15, Boomtown Fair, Les Enfants Terribles, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and more. As well as international guests from companies in China, India, Singapore, Russia, and Europe.
Epic Immersive is an immersive experience agency that has created 14-acre fictional cities and underground wonderlands. Companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook have commissioned Epic Immersive experiences.
The 2-day event included speakers Mycotoo’s Fri Forjindam, Fifth Wall Forum’s Stephanie Riggs, AREA15’s Michael Beneville, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Nataki Garrett, and the team behind VR theatre experience Welcome to Respite (Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Official Selection), with many more.
Alt Ethos caught up with Steve Boyle, co-founder of Epic Immersive (co-created with Kimberly Flynn) to discuss event curation, announcements, and exciting future plans.
The Alt Ethos team really enjoyed The Immersive Industry Homecoming Summit. What was your process for curating the speakers; how did you go about choosing them?
We (Steve Boyle and Kimberly Flynn) worked together to identify the most compelling movers-and-shakers from the global immersive scene across a number of genres and mediums. It was of supreme importance to us that we threw a truly global event, and that our speaker roster reflected the incredible diversity of our field, highlighting femme and BIPOC creators.
We noticed that there were some announcements made at the event from the speakers. Can you please share some of those?
Two big ones come to mind: Stephanie Riggs announced the creation of Odeon Theatrical, a new platform that delivers AR content for live theatre, and Kim Adams announced the return of Adventure Lab.
What was the moment that surprised you the most at the event? Or a “wow” moment that comes to mind?
Steve: The wow moment for me was really just being there — those first moments especially when the energy is so high and the anticipation is there and we’ve really, truly come together for the first time in 18 months, with tons of safety precautions in place, and we’ve made it together safely. That was an amazing moment I’ll never forget.
Kim: Wow moments for me were in all the excitement and enthusiasm throughout the entire process from the speakers to our attendees, the positivity, excitement, support and joy from everyone involved and from everyone that attended was really magical. It was wonderful to feel the community excited to be sharing an experience again after such a long break.
Any shout-outs you would like to share?
Huge, huge thanks to projectionist and technical director Jacob Vorperian, and our tech wiz Christie Casey.
What are the future plans for The Immersive Industry Homecoming Summit?
Stay tuned! We’ll definitely be back in Vegas, and you’re going to want to be a part of a whole circuit of events we are planning in 2022.
What’s next for Epic Immersive?
A return to large-scale immersive experiences in 2022. Once again, stay tuned for big announcements!
We thank Steve Boyle for taking the time to chat with us and appreciate all of the effort that the Epic Immersive team, speakers, and collaborators put forth to make this Summit such a special event. Bringing together a group of visionaries, technologists, and storytellers is no small feat. Alt Ethos enjoyed the projection mapping within the space, the deep conversation from the speakers, the diversity of the group, and the pace of the presentations. We learned deeply about different companies and artists doing cutting-edge immersive work. Also, let’s not forget about the unique container that the summit took place in. If you’re ever in Las Vegas make sure to visit Area15.
AREA15 is an immersive playground, all rolled into a vast and vibrant space. Throw an axe, wander through a bamboo volcano, race on a zip line, or explore other mesmerizing realms. From the futuristic to the thrill-seeking, there’s an experience for everyone here.
Epic Immersive creates story-driven immersive experiences with explorable, 360-degree worlds. From ticketed experiences to corporate events to marketing activations, they deliver epic, unforgettable journeys.
You may have noticed that the term ‘metaverse’ has been buzzing recently. If you’re wondering why that is, as BBC states, “there is a huge amount of excitement about the metaverse among wealthy investors and big tech firms, and no-one wants to be left behind if it turns out to be the future of the internet.”
The metaverse’s powerful decentralizing potential has been a prediction even before Mark Zuckerberg’s recent announcement, and the advent of the pandemic, which also plays its part in it. According to Reuters: “The accelerated interest in the metaverse can be seen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As more people have started working and going to school remotely, there has been increased demand for ways to make online interaction more lifelike.”
The global changed circumstances along with increased demand suggests that the developing metaverse is on the near horizon.
We only need our mobile phones to remind us of technology’s significant strides in a short time. As Adage says: “Hardware is becoming more compact, quicker and more intelligent. Thanks to 5G, almost everywhere now has fast, dependable connectivity. In the metaverse, computer vision is becoming more intelligent, allowing for both visual and audible help. All of this contributes to the immersion of the experience, making the transfer of knowledge and experience more rewarding and human.”
As such, the metaverse goes beyond common associations like gaming…
… and is poised to impact several sectors like education and retail. As WSJ predicts: ”Real-world businesses will be able to participate in the metaverse as well by offering virtual versions of their bricks-and-mortar facilities, Unity’s Mr. Whitten says. With existing online stores, customers can read product descriptions and make purchases. In the metaverse, customers would be able to visit virtual retail outlets and try out products in 3-D and at full scale before buying.”
As any new technology brings with it its own changes, integrating the metaverse will open new avenues for the way both consumers and companies interact. AsForbes states: “Companies will need to transition their marketing strategies from online ad buys to existing in a shared, virtual economy. Companies will need to do market research on their new customers in the metaverse. How people act and what their preferences are in the metaverse could be totally different than how they behave and what they shop for in real life.”
The blog covers a range of sectors like Business, technology and culture of all the virtual worlds, including: realities and experiences of the Metaverse, 2D, 3D, mobile phones, VR/AR, games, MMORPGs, social networks, digital collectibles, esports; game design, Unity, Unreal, free-to-play (f2p), blockchain, and NFTs. His post‘What We Talk About When We Talk About the Metaverse’ also explores the meaning of the term ‘metaverse,’ how it has evolved, and what the future may bring.
Wikipedia Metaverse Definition.
The word “Metaverse” is made up of the prefix “meta” and the stem “verse”; the term is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the Internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe.
The Pathos Metaverse that Alt Ethos is launching.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this decentralizing technology is that it won’t just be one metaverse, but multiple, reflecting the unlimited creative potential and explorative possibilities of various entities. We’re honored to have been and continue to work with this unique technology through our metaverse design solutions. Our easy-to-use, dynamic, and engaging immersive platform provides exciting meeting places, magnetic events, and future-thinking hybrid-virtual-world solutions, pushing the boundaries of interactivity. To learn more about how your audience can create their own avatars and immerse themselves in your custom Branded World, please visit visit our metaverse branded solutions page.
