Augment Your Experience

Bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds.
Future Presence by Peter Rubin

Future Presence by Peter Rubin

This week I finished listening to Future Presence: How Virtual Reality Is Changing Human Connection, Intimacy, and the Limits of Ordinary Life by Peter Rubin. Well narrated, contains humour.

Publisher’s Summary

Wired senior editor and virtual reality expert presents a captivating, candid glimpse into the future “realities” of this emerging technology: how we will use it to form previously impossible relationships, explore new frontiers of intimacy, and how it will forever change human connection.

Heralded as the most significant technological innovation since the smartphone, virtual reality is poised to transform our very notions of life and humanity. Though this tech is still in its infancy, to those on the inside, it is the future. VR will change how we work, how we experience entertainment, how we feel pleasure and other emotions, how we see ourselves, and most importantly, how we relate to each other in the real world. And we will never be the same.

Peter Rubin, senior culture editor for Wired and the industry’s go-to authority on the subject, calls it an “intimacy engine”. While once we needed another person to feel the sensations of closeness, trust, vulnerability, confidence, and titillation, VR will give us the ability to induce these sensations by ourselves for the first time in human history. This metamorphosis, Rubin argues, is going to have a powerful impact on relationships that will ripple throughout our society and our individual lives.

A journey into this uncertain future and a glimpse at the cultural implications and promises of a new reality, Future Presence explores a host of complex questions about what makes us human, what connects us, and what is real. Offering a glimpse into the mind-blowing things happening in universities, labs, and tech companies around the world, Rubin leads listeners on an entertaining tour of the weirdest, wildest corners of this fascinating new universe. Describing this book as “half travelogue and half crystal ball”, Rubin will:

  • Introduce listeners to the creators and consumers of VR technology
  • Show listeners what an experience is like inside the current VR devices
  • Explain how this technology will upend everything we know about human connection in the future

At once the incredible, inevitable story of virtual reality’s rise and a look towards the future of our fantasies, Future Presence is a deeply personal examination of what connects us, and an analysis of what relationships, empathy, and sex could look like – sooner than we think.

©2018 Peter Rubin (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
Posted by phoenixjenn
Re-Imagining the Theme Park Experience in the Age of Covid

Re-Imagining the Theme Park Experience in the Age of Covid

During today’s lunch break, I embarked on a captivating journey through the world of virtual reality, courtesy of AltspaceVR. Donning my Oculus Quest in the comfort of my living room, I found myself transported to a virtual ‘Magic Kingdom’ for a thought-provoking Health Systems event titled Re-Imagining the Theme Park Experience in the Age of Covid.”

Led by former Walt Disney Imagineers Brian Collins and Joe Tankersley, the event offered a fascinating glimpse into the world of theme park design and the evolving landscape of tourism in a post-pandemic era. Against the backdrop of a virtual Magic Kingdom, we delved into discussions about how the pandemic has been a forcing function, to really push the limits of technological innovation in the entertainment industry. The fact that the entire event was in VR was even cooler.  As we navigate the challenges of the present moment, there is a growing recognition of the need to re-imagine traditional experiences and embrace new modes of engagement.

As we continue to explore the possibilities of virtual reality, I am excited to see how technological innovation will continue to shape the landscape of theme parks and tourism in the years to come.

#AugmentYourExperience #VR #Metaverse

Posted by phoenixjenn
Exploring the Boundless Possibilities of Virtual Education in Altspace VR with Unity

Exploring the Boundless Possibilities of Virtual Education in Altspace VR with Unity

During quarantine, many of us found ourselves seeking new ways to stay engaged and connected, and for me, that journey led me to the immersive world of Altspace VR. Spending countless hours on my Oculus Quest, I stumbled upon an info session for a Unity development course while browsing events on Altspace VR. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to both make the most of the abundance of time at my disposal and stay true to my goal of staying technical.

Little did I know that this decision would open the door to an extraordinary journey of learning and exploration. From the moment I entered the virtual classroom, I was captivated by the dynamic and interactive nature of the experience. After each class session, the instructor would drop a portal, teleporting us to various virtual destinations where we could hang out and chat.

One memorable excursion took us to a majestic castle, followed by a visit to a fellow student’s art museum, yacht, and loft. As I explored these virtual spaces, I was struck by the incredible attention to detail and creativity that went into their creation. Walking through the art museum, I marveled at the larger-than-life images adorning the walls, feeling as though I had been transported to a world of boundless imagination.

What truly made the experience special, however, was the sense of camaraderie and connection that I felt with my fellow students. Despite being scattered across the globe, our interactions felt remarkably genuine and immersive, akin to being together in person. And with no travel time required, we were able to effortlessly hop from one virtual destination to the next, exploring a rich tapestry of custom venues and experiences.

Altspace VR has emerged as a beacon of innovation in the realm of virtual education and social interaction, offering a platform where learning and exploration know no bounds. As we continue to navigate the challenges of a rapidly evolving world, Altspace VR serves as a reminder of the transformative power of technology to bring us together, no matter where we are on the planet.

So here’s to the wonders of virtual education and the thrill of hopping through the metaverse – may our journeys in Altspace VR continue to inspire, educate, and connect us in ways we never thought possible.

Want to learn Unity? https://tryuniverse.com/ Shout out to the instructor, Nicolas Barone, who is currently a senior at Cornell and founder of TryUniverse.com.

Posted by phoenixjenn
Keynote: Reality Bytes

Keynote: Reality Bytes

June 10th, Women Impact Tech Virtual Conference

Technological changes over the past few decades have drastically influenced human behavior: how we do business, how we consume information and how we interact with each other. Technology has made some aspects of life easier at the cost of replacing personal human-to-human experiences with impersonal human-to-computer interaction. Social isolation has made it even more obvious that we need to stop this trend. We will explore technologies that augment our reality while accentuating our humanity, and identify how you can play a role in helping to create a more connected and human tomorrow.

Watch the recording here.

Posted by phoenixjenn

Hello world!

I’m exciting to share my journey in AR/VR/MR with you.

If you joined my Keynote: Reality Bytes, I’d love to hear your feedback!

Reality Bytes
Technological changes over the past few decades have drastically influenced human behavior: how we do business, how we consume information and how we interact with each other. Technology has made some aspects of life easier at the cost of replacing personal human-to-human experiences with impersonal human-to-computer interaction. Social isolation has made it even more obvious that we need to stop this trend. We will explore technologies that augment our reality while accentuating our humanity, and identify how you can play a role in helping to create a more connected and human tomorrow.

Posted by phoenixjenn