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The future of VR is social: A conversation at Engadget Experience
The Engadget Experience is a day-long celebration of the future of entertainment, gaming, media and art in downtown Los Angeles on November 14th. That day, we've invited the top minds in virtual and augmented reality to the Ace Hotel Theater, where they'll showcase their latest projects and dive deep into the state of these new platforms. For instance, is VR a passing fad or is it here to stay? The answer to that question may lie in VR's ability to be social.
When VR meets human emotions (and sometimes, hallucinations)
By its very nature, virtual reality is an immersive medium. But for Rama Allen, that bar is higher. The interactive artist and Executive Creative Director at The Mill has made a name for himself leading inter-disciplinary teams of designers, filmmakers, coders, editors, engineers and VFX artists to create new kinds of cinematic experiences. At the inaugural Engadget Experience, a tech-art installation happening in LA next month, Allen will share some of his strangest creations, including a collaboration with an emotional AI; a VR experience that uses biometrics for levitation; a sculpting tool for the human voice; and a mixed-reality galactic journey to spread peace across the universe. Buy your tickets here, and hurry because discounted pricing ends next week, on October 27th. We'll see you in LA!
What to expect from the Engadget Experience, our immersive art + tech event
New mediums like augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence are pushing the boundaries of art, entertainment, gaming and performance -- but immersive media isn't always accessible. For one day only, we invite you to experience what happens at the outer limits of creativity. The first Engadget Experience is set to bring together some of the brightest minds in technology, art and entertainment next month, and we want you to be there. The agenda is nearly complete, and we're proud to say it's going to be a killer show.
'W Magazine' shows how fashion is embracing augmented reality
The fashion world loves augmented reality. From Gap to Nike, brands are trying to find different ways to integrate the technology into their retail experience. Now W Magazine, one of the most prominent fashion publications, is treading a similar path with a new AR-powered issue. Done in partnership with The Mill, a visual effects production studio, the magazine's Sept. 2017 Collector's Issue features an interactive, computer-generated image of Katy Perry on the cover. At first glance, it seems like a traditional magazine, but that changes when parts of it come to life when viewed through the lens of a smartphone or tablet. For W Magazine, it's about using tech to keep its print publication modern.
Inside The Mill’s mind-bending alternate reality art showcase
I stepped inside a small, dark room in a large, airy loft space in New York's Soho district early Wednesday morning. Our host fitted me with an HTC Vive and told to explore the world around me. Within moments, I was trapped in a glass box, surrounded by other people, also wearing VR headsets, also trapped in glass boxes, one of whom continued to claw at the glass until both of our headsets were consumed by our own flesh. We were one with the machines. Over the next two hours I watched semi-autonomous robots run in circles, randomly scribbling on large sheets of butcher paper; pulled the virtual puppet strings of a CGI llama that lip synced to Mariah Carey; watched as Reeps One, a world-famous dubstep beatboxer, created unique digital sculptures with the incredibly nuanced tones of his voice; and floated through a VR dreamscape using my breathing and brain waves to propel me upward.
Faraday Future sued over missed payments on $2 million VR video (update)
Faraday Future may have had a new car to show off at CES earlier this month, but everyone's left Las Vegas and old problems are cropping up. Now, the company is being sued by a video effects company for failure to pay for a virtual fly-through of one of its concept vehicles. Last September The Mill gave Faraday an estimate for how much it'd cost to produce a "graphic presentation with virtual reality, augmented reality and holographic components" for January's trade show, according to court documents obtained by Jalopnik.
Nokia Vasco viral video ready, N8 flagship too?
If you already believe the rumors that "Vasco" is the codename for Nokia's unannounced N8 flagship and that the N8 is the device pictured above then lean in, we've got a bit of news for you. A viral video for the "Nokia Vasco" has just wrapped according to cameraman Danny Gagatt's tweet above. That sets the expectation then, that the launch of what everyone expects to be Nokia's first Symbian^3 device is just around the corner. Plausible since Gagatt's slip (since removed) tips The Mill -- the same visual effects company used by Nokia for the N900 nuthouse job. Besides, it's almost mid-April so we expect things to get official right quick.
