Thursday, January 21, 2016
HOLOLENS - CHOOSE THE DEMO
Hololens allowed everyone to share their ideas for Hololens projects. Then Microsoft picked three. Beginning at 12 PM Pacific (3 PM NY) for 24 hours anyone can vote on which demo MS will execute (and share the development process).
The FINALISTS are here:
https://microsoftstudios.com/hololens/shareyouridea/thefinalvote/
Here's my take:
I am somewhat disappointed in the 3 projects selected for possible
development, as they make only basic use of only a few of the capabilities of
the Hololens.
GALAXY EXPLORER has (potentially)
the most interesting content, but makes little use of the essential/unique
properties of the Hololens. In particular. It only uses the fact that the space
you are in has walls, and that you are untethered. There is little or nothing in this project that
could not be done as well with any powerful VR system (including a tethered Rift – with virtual motion).
AIRQUARIUM
also uses only the untethered property of the Hololens, and that in a limited
way: it almost requires the space to be free of
obstacles that could be a tripping hazard. Robotic or even autonomous fish are
possible in any VR system; since the fish are computer generated, info about
the fish is not really AR: any VR system can deliver info about objects it has
generated. Now, if this App worked in a REAL aquarium, allowing you to “interact”
with REAL fish (eg that swim into your
virtual space or which you could “dissect” as they swim) that would be more
of a demo of unique Hololens attributes. The best thing about this project is
the name.
GRAB THE IDOL (which
has the worst name) is an uninspired game.
It does make the best use of the real space in which it is played.
Everything else depends on the quality of the game design, puzzle creation and
visual effects (and finding a better name).
GALAXY EXPLORER showcases the ability of the Hololens to
manage and use a huge database of information with a visual user interface. AIRQUARIUM showcases the ability of the
Hololens to create virtual creatures that interact with the user. GRAB THE IDOL
showcases the ability of the Hololens to create a fictional interactive overlay
on a complex real space. But while these projects showcase specific features,
they do not (on the face of the descriptions
given) really do credit to the full range of the Hololens’ unique
combination of features. Also, these projects all seem aimed at grade-school
aged children (though implementation
could make the content as advanced as desired). None seem designed as directly
suggestive of business applications.
Some of the features of the Hololens used by these
applications are:
Spatial
mapping
Spatial
audio
Voice
control
Gaze control
Gesture
control
Creation of
images and text placed in the mapped space
Creation of
high quality images
Interaction
(eg IMU) with the virtual images
Accessing a
(local or possibly remote) large database
of information
Some of the
features that are not used are:
The ability
to send real information about a space to a remote user
The ability
of two or more users, local or remote, to interact with each other
The ability
to identify and provide information about real objects
The use of audio
or video recording or streaming
Complex
features of Cortana
The ability
of generated creatures to interact with moving objects or real (live) creatures
The ability to
create autonomous interacting creatures more complex than fish
The ability
to create really interesting, fun applications
The ability
to do complex tasks where a complex series of features are required for
implementation
The ability
to navigate between tasks
The use of a
GPS for location specific tasks
The ability
to use the Hololens to create art, drama, music …
The ability
to do useful, interesting, unique commercial work such as
Virtual shopping
Virtual selling
Office tasks
Unstructured searching and
research
Product development
Teleconferencing
…
The fact
that the Hololens is attractive and futuristic
The very fact
that wearing the Hololens is a “fashion” “lifestyle” statement
The problems
with the three selected applications are that (a) they are all similar in their
target audience (b) use features of the Hololens that can for the most part be
replicated in other VR and AR systems and (c) are not on their face obviously
importantly useful, compelling, or really fun.
Of the
applications, GALAXY EXPLORER and AIRQUARIUM have some very interesting
features, but they do not show off enough of what makes the Hololens important and
unique, so I’ll have to pick GRAB THE
IDOL, the game, partly because we know the least about it, so it can be most easily
improved. It does use a distinct
feature of the Hololens, the ability to map the app onto a random space. Perhaps the specific challenges in the game when
programmed will be fun, and illustrate lots of features of the Hololens. In
fact, since this game is open ended, specific challenges could incorporate the
features of well-designed autonomous creatures from AIRQUARIUM; the large database
and visual data interface from GALAXY EXPLORER; and task navigation (by selecting the order of challenges to
tackle). I’d also recommend (and hope
the project adds): (a) A NAME
CHANGE! and (b) multiplayer (even remote)
features.
The official Hololens site is:
The Hololens YouTube Channel is:
Sunday, January 10, 2016
GOLDEN GLOBES 2016
GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES 2016
Best Motion Picture - Drama
Mad Max:Fury
Road
Room
Spotlight
The Revenant
Carol
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Joy
Spy
The Big
Short
The Martian
Trainwreck
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion
Picture - Drama
Saoirse
Rona- Brooklyn
Cate
Blanchett - Carol
Rooney Mara
- Carol
Brie Larson
- Room
Alicia
Vikander - The Danish Girl
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion
Picture - Drama
Will Smith -
Concussion
Michael
Fassbender - Steve Jobs
Eddie
Redmayne - The Danish Girl
Leonardo
DiCaprio - The Revenant
Bryan
Cranston - Trumbo
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion
Picture - Musical or Comedy
Lily Tomlin
- Grandma
Jennifer
Lawrence - Joy
Melissa
McCarthy - Spy
Maggie Smith
- The Lady in the Van
Amy Schumer
- Trainwreck
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion
Picture - Musical or Comedy
Al Pacino -
Danny Collins
Mark Ruffalo
- Infinitely Polar Bear
Christian
Bale - The Big Short
Steve Carell
- The Big Short
Matt Damon -
The Martian
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting
Role in any Motion Picture
Kate Winslet
- Steve Jobs
Jennifer
Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Helen Mirren
- Trumbo
Jane Fonda -
Youth
Alicia
Vikander - Ex Machina
Best Performance by an Actor in a
Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Michael
Shannon - 99 Homes
Idris Elba -
Beasts of No Nation
Mark Rylance
- Bridge of Spies
Sylvester
Stallone - Creed
Paul Dano -
Love & Mercy
Best Director - Motion Picture
Todd Haynes
- Carol
George
Miller - Mad Max:Fury Road
Tom McCarthy
- Spotlight
Ridley Scott
- The Martian
Alejandro
Iñárritu - The Revenant
Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Emma
Donoghue - Room
Tom
McCarthy, Josh Singer - Spotlight
Aaron Sorkin
- Steve Jobs
Charles
Randolph, Adam McKay - The Big Short
Quentin
Tarantino - The Hateful Eight
Best Motion Picture - Animated
Inside Out
Shaun the
Sheep Movie
The Good
Dinosaur
The Peanuts
Movie
Anomalisa
Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language
France -
Mustang
Hungary -
Son of Saul
Belgium,
France, Luxembourg - The Brand New Testament
Chile - The
Club
Finland,
Germany, Estonia - The Fencer
Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Carter
Burwell - Carol
Daniel Pemberton
- Steve Jobs
Alexandre
Desplat - The Danish Girl
Ennio
Morricone - The Hateful Eight
Ryuichi
Sakamoto, Alva Noto - The Revenant
Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Love Me Like
You Do - Fifty Shades of Grey
See You
Again - Furious 7
One Kind of
Love - Love & Mercy
Writing's On
The Wall - Spectre
Simple Song
#3 - Youth
Best Television Series - Drama
Game Of
Thrones
Mr. Robot
Narcos
Outlander
Empire
Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Casual
Mozart in
the Jungle
Orange is
the New Black
Silicon
Valley
Transparent
Veep
Best Television Limited Series or Motion
Picture Made for Television
American
Crime
American
Horror Story: Hotel
Fargo
Flesh &
Bone
Wolf Hall
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited
Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Lady Gaga - American
Horror Story: Hotel
Queen Latifah
- Bessie
Kirsten
Dunst - Fargo
Sarah Hay - Flesh
& Bone
Felicity
Huffman - American Crime
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited
Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Patrick
Wilson - Fargo
Idris Elba -
Luther
David
Oyelowo - Nightingale
Oscar Isaac
- Show Me a Hero
Mark Rylance
- Wolf Hall
Best Performance by an Actress In A
Television Series - Drama
Taraji
Henson - Empire
Robin Wright
- House of Cards
Viola Davis
- How To Get Away With Murder
Caitriona
Balfe - Outlander
Eva Green - Penny
Dreadful
Best Performance by an Actor In A
Television Series - Drama
Bob Odenkirk
- Better Call Saul
Jon Hamm - Mad
Men
Rami Malek -
Mr. Robot
Wagner Moura
- Narcos
Liev
Schreiber - Ray Donovan
Best Performance by an Actress in a
Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Rachel Bloom
- Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Lily Tomlin
- Grace and Frankie
Gina
Rodriguez - Jane The Virgin
Jamie Lee
Curtis - Scream Queens
Julia
Louis-Dreyfus - Veep
Best Performance by an Actor in a
Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Aziz Ansari
- Master Of None
Gael García
Bernal - Mozart in the Jungle
Rob Lowe - The
Grinder
Jeffrey
Tambor - Transparent
Patrick
Stewart - Blunt Talk
Best Performance by an Actress in a
Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for
Television
Regina King
- American Crime
Joanne
Froggatt - Downton Abbey
Uzo Aduba - Orange
is the New Black
Maura
Tierney - The Affair
Judith Light
- Transparent
Best Performance by an Actor in a
Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for
Television
Ben
Mendelsohn - Bloodline
Christian
Slater - Mr. Robot
Tobias
Menzies - Outlander
Alan Cumming
- The Good Wife
Labels: Alicia Vikander, Brie Larson, Cecil B DeMille, Denzel, Golden Globes, Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, The Martian, The Revenant, Washington
Friday, January 08, 2016
QPORIT's VAMP:ire XRG >> PRODUCTIONS FOR VR / AR / MR
VAMP:ire XRG
QPORIT’S new XR PRODUCTION GROUP
Almost
magical advances in the last few years, expanding dramatically in the last
few months, and even in the last few days! makes it possible now to view 3D and full spherical panoramic videos
(VR videos) comfortably and enjoyably on YouTube as well as on many other VR
platforms.
Moreover,
YouTube VR videos are not only accessible to VR viewers, the same videos can be
viewed as standard YouTube videos by everyone. For the first time, distributing
3D and panoramic videos is available to all creators and accessible to all
viewers: that is, everyone!
Beyond YouTubeVR, there are many other systems becoming available this year for all kinds of interactive entertainment, educational, scientific and marketing applications.
We are
planning to create an eXtended Reality (XR) video production company.
eXtended
Reality ( XR ) includes...
·
Virtual Reality (VR) -- Facebook Oculus Rift, Gear VR, Google Cardboard,
etc;
·
Augmented Reality (AR) -- Google Glass II and more;
·
Mixed Reality (MR) -- notably Microsoft Hololens
and Magic Leap.
·
And other realities!
Our working
(possibly?; maybe, maybe not, permanent) name is:
“QPORIT’s VAMP:ire Group”.
QPORIT and VAMP:ire are both acronyms:
QPORIT
Quick Previews Of Random Interesting Things
VAMP:ire
Virtual Augmented & Mixed Productions:
interactive
reality entertainment
Note: Vampires draw blood and are long lived,
both good qualities for a video production group!
both good qualities for a video production group!
We have
several projects in process -- beginning with extending our current coverage of
film, theater, new tech (especially XR) and other Interesting Things with much
more coverage using YouTube VR, Oculus Rift, Gear VR, HoloLens and other XR platforms!
FILM &
THEATER
NEWS VIEWS REVIEWS PREVIEWS & INTERVIEWS
PRESS CONFERENCES & RED CARPETS
XR
TECHNOLOGY
NEWS REVIEWS & HOW-TO’s
We have also
started working on the development of some major XR & transmedia content
projects including a fictional XR dramatic series; the remembrance of the 400th anniversary
of Shakespeare’s death; an immersive modern adaptation of an edgy, seductive, political, 2500 year old masterpiece, for LIVE performance and filming as a 3D 360 Virtual Reality Feature; and a BIG XR
TRANSMEDIA SCIENCE PROJECT: a live theatrical and eXtended Reality project with
the style and pizazz of a Broadway Show -- the best science-technology-convention-conference-documentary
ever!
We will also
create 3D & panoramic commercial projects for stand-alone presentation in all
XR formats, including Oculus Rift, Gear VR, Cardboard, other mobile platforms,
and Microsoft HoloLens, and ads for insertion in YouTube VR videos.
We would
love to hear from anyone
interested in learning more about
QPORIT's VAMP:ire
Group
PLEASE CONTACT US AT
Labels: AR, Cardboard, eXtended Reality, Gear VR, Hololens, Oculus Rift, QPORIT, VAMP:ire, Virtual Reality, VR, XR, YOUTUBE, YouTubeVR
Wednesday, January 06, 2016
OCULUS RIFT PRE-ORDERS OPEN
The Oculus Rift has just (as of 11 AM EST 1/6/2016) started taking pre-orders.
The price is $599. The estimated shipping is May 2016. (Update: First units may ship in March.)
It is possible that developers with a game or product for the Rift that will be ready when the Rift ships can get a device earlier.
Backers who obtained the DK1 from the original Oculus Kickstarter campaign will be given a FREE Limited Edition Rift as a Thank-You for their support!
The Rift will ship with some free games, a controller and a new remote.
The pre-order form includes software that will check your computer for compatibility with the minimum specifications. In part:
GRAPHICS CARD: NVIDEO GTX 970 or AMD 290 or better
MEMORY: 8 GB or more
PROCESSOR: Intel i5-4590 equivalent or better
VIDEO OUTPUT: HDMI 1.3 Compatible
OPERATING SYSTEM: 64 bit Windows 7 SP1 or newer
USB: 3x USB 3.0 plus 1
A full description of the requirements and some certified "Oculus Ready" machines (at $999.00) is available at
OCULUS READY COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS
https://www.oculus.com/en-us/oculus-ready-pcs/
A bundle, soon to be available, with a $999 Oculus Ready computer, and the $599 Rift will cost $1499.
MORE LINKS
OCULUS HOME (Pre-order here!)
www.oculus.com
OCULUS KICKSTARTER
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1523379957/oculus-rift-step-into-the-game
BIG THANKYOU!!! FROM OCULUS
http://qporit.blogspot.com/2016/01/big-thankyou-from-oculus.html
Labels: KickStarter, Oculus, Oculus Rift
Tuesday, January 05, 2016
BIG THANKYOU!!! FROM OCULUS
Oculus starts taking orders for the Oculus Rift tomorrow (Jan 6, 2016)!
In a gesture of great generosity, and in the spirit of promoting the success of Virtual Reality, as a big THANKYOU!!! to its earliest supporters on Kickstarter, OCULUS is sending a free copy of the newest, about to be released, official Rift, to everyone who subscribed to its initial campaign and signed up for the first DK1!
THANKYOU!!! from OCULUS
and
THANKYOU OCULUS!!!
If you were a subscriber to the Oculus Kickstarter campaign,
just log into your Kickstarter account
and confirm your address for shipping!
If not, to pre-order the new Oculus Rift, go to Oculus:
Labels: KickStarter, Oculus, Oculus Rift
Monday, January 04, 2016
Pre-CES VR NEWS
Recent VR news heading into CES...
1. Oculus Rift has just announced it will start accepting pre-orders on Jan 6 https://www.oculus.com/en-us/
2. YouTube now accepts 3D and full spherical panoramas. They play as VR in Gear VR and Google Cardboard. And they can be viewed as ordinary YouTube videos.
3. Microsoft has opened a Hololens demo center at their flagship store on NY.
https://blogs.windows.com/devices/2015/12/17/microsoft-hololens-experience-showcase-opens-for-developers-at-the-microsoft-flagship-store-in-new-york/
4. Gear VR, Convrge, and Altspace all have beta versions of Gear VR compatible social media chat rooms. Gear VR also has a beta web browser. Milk VR accepts 3D panoramic videos up to 25 GB.
5. Rumors and pre-beta announcements include: patents, hires and acquisitions that point at VR development at Amazon and, especially, Apple; new streaming 3D and panoramic cameras; and a distance sensor based on radio frequency waves. HTC is announcing they will announce improved technology at CES. There are dozens and dozens of VR related companies, products and events at CES.
Labels: AR, Cardboard, CES, GearVR, Hololens, MR, Oculus Rift, Streaming Virtual Reality, Virtual Reality, VR, XR, YOUTUBE, YouTubeVR
Friday, January 01, 2016
2016 CALENDAR - HOLIDAYS, TECH EVENTS, AWARDS, FILM FESTIVALS
2016 CALENDAR
| EVENT | TYPE | DAY | START | END | ||||||
| JAN | ||||||||||
| NY DAY | HOLIDAY | FRI | 1-Jan | |||||||
| CES | TECH CONF | WED | 6-Jan | 9-Jan | ||||||
| GOLDEN GLOBES | AWARDS | SUN | 10-Jan | |||||||
| SUNDANCE | FF | THU | 21-Jan | 31-Jan | ||||||
| SAG AWARDS | AWARDS | SAT | 30-Jan | |||||||
| FEB | ||||||||||
| DGA AWARDS | AWARDS | SAT | 6-Feb | |||||||
| CHINESE NEW YEAR | HOLIDAY | MON | 8-Feb | |||||||
| BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL | FF | THU | 11-Feb | 21-Feb | ||||||
| PRESIDENTS DAY | HOLIDAY | MON | 15-Feb | |||||||
| LONDON BAFTRA | AWARDS | SAT | 27-Feb | |||||||
| ACADEMY AWARDS | AWARDS | SUN | 28-Feb | |||||||
| MAR | ||||||||||
| SXSW | FF | 11-Mar | 18-Mar | |||||||
| GDC VR | TECH CONF | TUE | 14-Mar | 15-Mar | ||||||
| EASTER | HOLIDAY | SUN | 27-Mar | |||||||
| APR | ||||||||||
| TRIBECA | FF | WED | 13-Apr | 24-Apr | ||||||
| PASSOVER | HOLIDAY | FRI | 22-Apr | 30-Apr | ||||||
| Shakespeare died 1616 | HISTORY | SAT | 23-Apr | |||||||
| MAY | ||||||||||
| CANNES | FF | WED | 11-May | 22-May | ||||||
| STREAMING MEDIA EAST | TECH CONF | THU | 12-May | 13-May | ||||||
| JUN | ||||||||||
| E3 | TECH CONF | WED | 14-Jun | 16-Jun | ||||||
| JUL | ||||||||||
| IND DAY | HOLIDAY | 4-Jul | ||||||||
| SIGGRAPH | TECH CONF | MON | 24-Jul | 28-Jul | ||||||
| AUG | ||||||||||
| ON VACATION? | ||||||||||
| SEP | ||||||||||
| LABOR DAY | HOLIDAY | MON | 5-Sep | |||||||
| NYFF | FF | FRI | 23-Sep | |||||||
| OCT | ||||||||||
| ROSH HASHONAH | HOLIDAY | SUN | 2-Oct | 4-Oct | ||||||
| HIFF | FF | THU | 6-Oct | 10-Oct | ||||||
| COLUMBUS DAY | HOLIDAY | MON | 10-Oct | |||||||
| YOM KIPPUR | HOLIDAY | TUR | 11-Oct | 12-Oct | ||||||
| NOV | ||||||||||
| ELECTION DAY | ELECTION | TUE | 8-Nov | |||||||
| THANKSGIVING | HOLIDAY | THU | 24-Nov | |||||||
| MEMORIAL DAY | HOLIDAY | MON | 30-Nov | |||||||
| DEC | ||||||||||
| HANUKAH | HOLIDAY | SAT | 24-Dec | |||||||
| CHRISTMAS EVE | HOLIDAY | SAT | 24-Dec | |||||||
| CHRISTMAS | HOLIDAY | SUN | 25-Dec | |||||||
| NY EVE | HOLIDAY | SAT | 31-Dec |
Labels: Awards, Calendar, Film Festivals, Holidays, Tech conferences
