There are many types of hockey-stick evolutions in new industries. Startups dream of the lying-on-its-back L shape for their sales growth. Entrepreneurs chase...

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff. Facebook today rolled out its Avatars — the Bitmoji-esque cartoon lookalikes users can make of themselves — to users in the US. That means millions of users will now be able to build their doppelganger to use in comments and Messenger. The customization options are pretty extensive, so if you want to build a little mini version of you, then you can get pretty close. Doing this brings Facebook a little closer to Snapchat, which…

This story continues at The Next Web

Or just read more coverage about: Facebook

 Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are the most emerging technologies in this decade. They provide a new process of connecting with colleagues, customers, and the world […]

The post Top 10 Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Applications in Business appeared first on USM.

Company’s Latest Product Release Introduces a Modern Approach to Remote Collaboration for the Manufacturing and Service Industry HORSHAM, PA – APRIL 29, 2020...

As organizations throughout the world cope with the quarantining and work-from-home restrictions necessitated by the global coronavirus pandemic, AREA members are springing into...

James is editor in chief of TechForge Media, with a passion for how technologies influence business and several Mobile World Congress events...

16 Mar Remote Collaboration via VR & AR at Home by Stambol Pandemics are scary. And they’re challenging emotionally as well as physically. There is...

Computer vision is a key component in enabling augmented reality experiences, but now it can help give sight to the blind as...

I wanted to give some insight into what we are working on, how nib is working towards the 5 levels of Digital Assistants....

The application, which was first noted by Variety, proposes a “[VR] floor mat activity region” embedded with sensors to enhance the experience of playing a VR game while also preventing the user from crashing into nearby furniture and walls.

The mat would be integrated into a gaming system, which uses a combination of optical sensors, fiducial markers and “spatially distributed” pressure sensors in the mat to calculate the user’s position in a 3D space and shape a simulated world around them. This could reduce reliance on sensors within the headset.

 “The virtual reality experience for the user is selectively augmented based on the positioning of the physical subject identified relative to the activity region,” the application explained. “For example, a notification of a user's proximity to a boundary of the activity region may be provided to the user through visual, auditory, or haptic feedback.”

The application suggested that the user could receive notifications within their VR session if they approach a boundary of the mat, allowing them to avoid crashing into real-world objects. Small vibrating devices could be inserted into the mat to provide haptic feedback to help the user remain within the boundaries of the mat as well as to provide in-game feedback. The application suggests having different textures towards the outside of the mat, presumably to warn the user that they are reaching its boundaries.

The filing also suggests establishing a set ‘starting point’ at the centre of the mat. When the user stands here, a game begins to run.

Several different designs are suggested, including a modular form which would allow for multiple mats to interlock and cover a large area.

As is usually the case with patent applications, this will not necessarily become a commercial product, but it indicates the possible directions Microsoft’s engineers are exploring. The application does not specify which headset the mat would connect with, and it mentions a range of possible computing devices the mat could be used with, including PCs, smartphones, and wearables.

Microsoft’s mixed-reality ventures are currently focused on business rather than entertainment; the HoloLens smart glasses are designed for business, design, training (including military training) and education, with minimal gaming applications. However, the mat could be intended for use with Microsoft’s gaming-focused Kinect motion sensor controller, which was launched in 2010 and intended for use with the Xbox 360 and Xbox One but discontinued in 2017. One of the diagrams included with the application features a device sitting on of a television which bears a very strong resemblance to the Kinect. In May 2018, Microsoft teased a return for the Kinect, suggesting that the dead device could have applications beyond gaming.

In the public imagination, the Amish are famous for renouncing modern technology. In truth, many Amish farms hum with machines: milk vats, mechanical...

When it comes to artificial intelligence, Mark Zuckerberg is more of a glass-half-full guy whereas Elon Musk sees the glass as half empty. Zuckerberg,...