Schlagwort: developers

  • What to expect in Series 2 of the Apps, Games & Insights podcastWhat to expect in Series 2 of the Apps, Games & Insights podcastGlobal Marketing, Platforms & Ecosystems

    What to expect in Series 2 of the Apps, Games & Insights podcastWhat to expect in Series 2 of the Apps, Games & Insights podcastGlobal Marketing, Platforms & Ecosystems

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Can apps become the key to education?

    Interest in e-learning has been growing over the last few years but, with the emergence of distance learning, it’s poised to change all types of education. In the first episode, we talk with Elliott Rayner, Head Of Product Marketing, and John Quintana, Head of Guided Learning Experiences, from online language learning developer Babbel. Elliott and John discuss how Babbel is transforming and „thinking big“ about the future of education: Can apps take the place of traditional classroom education? How can we make new models of language learning effective across various needs and learning styles? 

    How do you get 250 million players to take action on climate change?

    The recent Green Games Jam brought together 11 games studios to find  engaging ways to educate and empower 250 million players  to take action on climate change. Jennifer Estaris, Game Director at SYBO Games and Deborah Mensah-Bonsu, Founder of Games for Good and formerly from Space Ape Games, explain what the game jam is really about and how others can raise awareness to fight climate change through their businesses. They also share new approaches to climate change education led to planting trees, saving wolves and more. 

    How do you create a successful 4x strategy game?

    If you ever played one of those games where you build an empire, you’ve been playing a 4x strategy game. We hear from David Eckleberry, General Manager for Star Trek Fleet Command and Vice President at Scopely, about how they successfully built a loyal player base. Alongside Howard Chen, Google Play Growth Consultant, they shed light on how to create games that find and keep players, and discuss player affinity and KPI growth.

    How do you reflect humanity’s diversity in an app?

    Drops CEO and Co-Founder Daniel Farkas and Chief Customer Officer Drew Banks join us to explain how they work with native speakers and language experts to bring awareness and encourage people to learn a less spoken language. Daniel and Drew also discuss their initiatives to make the app more inclusive and accessible to all, such as by reviewing the depiction of women in graphics used to support word learning.

    How do businesses build quality into an app?

    Imagine the scenario: after downloading a great app or game, you  find that it’s not quite the great experience you were hoping for, or worse, it keeps misbehaving and crashing. For developers and  businesses, delivering a quality app is essential for both acquiring and retaining users. To explore how developers can ensure that users are getting the quality experiences they deserve, we’re joined by Maria Neumayer, Staff Software Engineer, at food delivery service Deliveroo, who talks about how Deliveroo has adapted during COVID-19, and Shobhit Chugh, Product Manager, Firebase, who discusses how businesses can rectify quality problems in testing and production.  

    Why are your favorite games getting smaller these days?

    Well ok, not necessarily smaller per se, but games are being taken to the small screen.. You’ve probably  noticed that many of your favorite PC and console games are now appearing on your mobile phone and tablet. Game developers want to give you the opportunity to stay engaged with your favorite game throughout the day, whether you’re on the move, or away from your computer or games console. However, going mobile can be challenging, so we speak to Jen Donahoe, Marketing and Growth Lead – Teamfight Tactics at Riot Games who enlightens us on how they develop mobile games and keep their players happy.


    How do apps help people overcome failures to achieve life goals?

    It can be a struggle to change habits, such as diet and exercise, with the goal of living a healthier life. Keeping people motivated through the ups and downs of lifestyle changes is a core challenge for health and fitness app developer Lifesum. Marcus Gners, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder at Lifesum, together with best-selling author of “Hooked” and “Indistractable,” Nir Eyal, explore the ways apps can help make sure people don’t fall off the wagon, and remain motivated to achieve their goals.

    We don’t want to give the whole game away, so we are keeping the details of our final episode under wraps. Keep an eye out for more details shortly.

    How to stay tuned in

    Listen to the first episode of series 2 here. Subscribe to the podcast and listen to the latest episodes on your favorite podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple, Libsyn, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Overcast.

    Also, keep an eye out on @GooglePlayDev and @AndroidDev on Twitter where we will be announcing the launch of each new episode of the Apps, Games, & Insights podcast.

    The new series brings stories and insights from leading businesses in the app and game industry, with discussion from Google experts.

    Website: LINK

  • Everything announced at the Google for Games Developer SummitEverything announced at the Google for Games Developer SummitVice President of Product

    Everything announced at the Google for Games Developer SummitEverything announced at the Google for Games Developer SummitVice President of Product

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Every year, GDC is a moment to celebrate our successes and learn from one another. Although we won’t be gathering in person this year, we’re bringing you the latest updates at our Google for Games Developer Summit, where developers can watch the announcements and virtually attend sessions for free  at g.co/gamedevsummit.

    We also realize this may have been a big sacrifice for your teams. For some, GDC is a major opportunity for annual business development and marketing strategies. That’s why we’ve partnered with WINGS andthe GDC Relief Fund to support teams in continuing to do what they do best: build world-class games.

    Now more than ever, games are helping players around the globe feel more connected. To ensure you have access to the tools you need to deliver the best possible game experiences, our teams have been building solutions to help you tackle your biggest challenges and set you up for long-term success. You can check out the highlights below:

    Build games and reach a wider audience with Android and Google Play

    We’re making it easier for you to build and optimize games on Android. Learn about new tools to help your development process, provide greater insights into your game’s performance, and access a wider player base. Once you’re ready to publish, review our updated guidance to ensure your game is high-quality and leverages various features and services for a successful go-to-market with Google Play.

    Grow your business with Google Ads and AdMob

    The best game developers think about their players first—both when creating experiences people love and building sustainable businesses. Google Ads and AdMob are introducing new ways to analyze and utilize player insights to help you grow your games and earn the revenue you need to improve them over time.

    Simply scale your global game with Google Cloud Game Servers 

    Hosting and scaling a global game can be challenging and requires that you either build costly solutions, or turn to pre-packaged ones that limit choice and control. To offer you more choices and time to dedicate to core elements of producing games, the Google Cloud team is introducing a simplified, convenient way for managing game server clusters.

    Build and publish the next generation of games with Stadia

    New game platforms present new challenges and opportunities for game creators and Google is here to help. For developers of all sizes looking to bring their games to Stadia, the team is unveiling Stadia Makers, a new program to support the independent development community.

    We’re excited to see this community continue to delight players around the world, and we look forward to building what’s next, together. From all of us, thank you for keeping this community thriving.

    Website: LINK

  • Creating stargazing apps and the perfect loafCreating stargazing apps and the perfect loafDeveloper Marketing

    Creating stargazing apps and the perfect loafCreating stargazing apps and the perfect loafDeveloper Marketing

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Editor’s note: Maurizio Leo is a software engineer-turned baker, and co-founder and developer of SkyView, a stargazing app that uses your camera to identify objects in the sky. As a part of our I Make Apps series, we talk to him about developing his app, as well as his baking side hustle. 

    1. Tell us about SkyView. How is it useful to people? 

    SkyView is an augmented reality app we created to educate and inspire others to explore the universe no matter their location, night and day. There’s a magical and exciting universe out there to explore, and SkyView’s aim has always been to make exploring the sky as effortless and approachable as possible. Just point your device up to the sky and discover a new star, find a new planet, or spot the International Space Station streaking across the sky.

    2. How did you get into baking?  

    I grew up in an Italian household that always emphasized food made by hand. And while I went into computer science because of my curiosity surrounding computers and software, I think cooking and baking has always been a big part of my life. About ten years ago, when I was given a book on baking sourdough as a gift, I was immediately taken by the marriage of craft and science needed to bake a loaf of bread. The precision behind baking bread spoke to me, and the science behind fermentation piqued my logical side. After creating my first sourdough starter from scratch and baking my first loaf, I became obsessed.

    3. How do you juggle baking and making apps in your daily life as a developer?

    Working from my home office on our app SkyView allows me time between writing lines of code to hop into the kitchen and weigh, mix, or shape a batch of bread dough. It gives me an opportunity to relax my mind for a few moments or perhaps explore a possible solution, much like taking a walk would offer. Sometimes some of my best code breakthroughs were achieved when I was in the kitchen with my hands covered in flour and water! In the end, being an app developer who works at home has allowed me to simultaneously work on software I’m passionate about and explore my dedication to the craft of baking bread.

    4. What are the similarities and differences between baking bread and making apps? 

    At first glance, writing apps and baking sourdough bread seem a world apart—but they have more in common than one might initially think. Both pursuits benefit from a sound plan, precision, adjustment to changing inputs, and iterative improvement. Software certainly is a more analytical and tactical pursuit, while working with something tangible like bread dough satisfies more of my artistic side. For me, these two offer a delicate balance, where software lets me build imaginative structures and baking bread fulfills my desire to slow down and work with my hands. With naturally leavened bread, time is the best ingredient.

    5. What has been your experience creating apps on Android & distributing them through Google Play?

    We’ve been working with Android since the beginning (that’s over ten years!), and it has always provided us with the right set of tools to help bring our ideas to reality. With modern language constructs, good editing, debugging and reporting tools, and a thoughtful testing framework, we’ve been able to update and release SkyView with more functionality to delight our users. And, Google Play allows us to quickly deploy our app, reaching millions of people, and keep with our mission to get as many excited about space as we are.

    Maurizio Leo created The Perfect Loaf to share his passion for baking. He also created SkyView, a stargazing app with 30 million installs.

    Website: LINK

  • At I/O ’19: Building a more helpful Google for everyoneAt I/O ’19: Building a more helpful Google for everyone

    At I/O ’19: Building a more helpful Google for everyoneAt I/O ’19: Building a more helpful Google for everyone

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Today, we welcomed thousands of people to I/O, our annual developer’s conference. It’s one of my favorite events of the year because it gives us a chance to show how we’re bringing Google’s mission to life through new technological breakthroughs and products.

    Our mission to make information universally accessible and useful hasn’t changed over the past 21 years, but our approach has evolved over time. Google is no longer a company that just helps you find answers. Today, Google products also help you get stuff done, whether it’s finding the right words with Smart Compose in Gmail, or the fastest way home with Maps.

    Simply put, our vision is to build a more helpful Google for everyone, no matter who you are, where you live, or what you’re hoping to accomplish. When we say helpful, we mean giving you the tools to increase your knowledge, success, health, and happiness. I’m excited to share some of the products and features we announced today that are bringing us closer to that goal.

    Helping you get better answers to your questions

    People turn to Google to ask billions of questions every day. But there’s still more we can do to help you find the information you need. Today, we announced that we’ll bring the popular Full Coverage feature from Google News to Search. Using machine learning, we’ll identify different points of a story—from a timeline of events to the key people involved—and surface a breadth of content including articles, tweets and even podcasts.

    Sometimes the best way to understand new information is to see it. New features in Google Search and Google Lens use the camera, computer vision and augmented reality (AR) to provide visual answers to visual questions. And now we’re bringing AR directly into Search. If you’re searching for new shoes online, you can see shoes up close from different angles and even see how they go with your current wardrobe. You can also use Google Lens to get more information about what you’re seeing in the real world. So if you’re at a restaurant and point your camera at the menu, Google Lens will highlight which dishes are popular and show you pictures and reviews from people who have been there before. In GoogleGo, a search app for first-time smartphone users, Google Lens will read out loud the words you see, helping the millions of adults around the world who struggle to read everyday things like street signs or ATM instructions.

    Google Lens: Urmila’s Story

    Google Lens: Urmila’s Story

    Helping to make your day easier

    Last year at I/O we introduced our Duplex technology, which can make a restaurant reservation through the Google Assistant by placing a phone call on your behalf. Now, we’re expanding Duplex beyond voice to help you get things done on the web. To start, we’re focusing on two specific tasks: booking rental cars and movie tickets. Using “Duplex on the Web,” the Assistant will automatically enter information, navigate a booking flow, and complete a purchase on your behalf. And with massive advances in deep learning, it’s now possible to bring much more accurate speech and natural language understanding to mobile devices—enabling the Google Assistant to work faster for you.

    We continue to believe that the biggest breakthroughs happen at the intersection of AI, software and hardware, and today we announced two Made by Google products: the new Pixel 3a (and 3a XL), and the Google Nest Hub Max. With Pixel 3a, we’re giving people the same features they love on more affordable hardware. Google Nest Hub Max brings the helpfulness of the Assistant to any room in your house, and much more.

    Building for everyone

    Building a more helpful Google is important, but it’s equally important to us that we are doing this for everyone. From our earliest days, Search has worked the same, whether you’re a professor at Stanford or a student in rural Indonesia. We extend this approach to developing technology responsibly, securely, and in a way that benefits all.

    This is especially important in the development of AI. Through a new research approach called TCAV—or testing with concept activation vectors—we’re working to address bias in machine learning and make models more interpretable. For example, TCAV could reveal if a model trained to detect images of “doctors” mistakenly assumed that being male was an important characteristic of being a doctor because there were more images of male doctors in the training data. We’ve open-sourced TCAV so everyone can make their AI systems fairer and more interpretable, and we’ll be releasing more tools and open datasets soon.

    Another way we’re building responsibly for everyone is by ensuring that our products are safe and private. We’re making a set of privacy improvements so that people have clear choices around their data. Google Account, which provides a single view of your privacy control settings, will now be easily accessible in more products with one tap. Incognito mode is coming to Maps, which means you can search and navigate without linking this activity with your Google account, and new auto-delete controls let you choose how long to save your data. We’re also making several security improvements on Android Q, and we’re building the protection of a security key right into the phone for two-step verification.

    As we look ahead, we’re challenging the notion that products need more data to be more helpful. A new technique called federated learning allows us to train AI models and make products smarter without raw data ever leaving your device. With federated learning, Gboard can learn new words like “zoodles” or “Targaryen” after thousands of people start using them, without us knowing what you’re typing. In the future, AI advancements will provide even more ways to make products more helpful with less data.

    Building for everyone also means ensuring that everyone can access and enjoy our products, including people with disabilities. Today we introduced several products with new tools and accessibility features, including Live Caption, which can caption a conversation in a video, a podcast or one that’s happening in your home. In the future, Live Relay and Euphonia will help people who have trouble communicating verbally, whether because of a speech disorder or hearing loss.

    Project Euphonia: Helping everyone be better understood

    Project Euphonia: Helping everyone be better understood

    Developing products for people with disabilities often leads to advances that improve products for all of our users. This is exactly what we mean when we say we want to build a more helpful Google for everyone. We also want to empower other organizations who are using technology to improve people’s lives. Today, we recognized the winners of the Google AI Impact Challenge, 20 organizations using AI to solve the world’s biggest problems—from creating better air quality monitoring systems to speeding up emergency responses.

    Our vision to build a more helpful Google for everyone can’t be realized without our amazing global developer community. Together, we’re working to give everyone the tools to increase their knowledge, success, health and happiness. There’s a lot happening, so make sure to keep up with all the I/O-related news.

    Our biggest updates from I/O 2019.

    Website: LINK

  • From puzzles to poster-making: 2019’s Google Play Award winnersFrom puzzles to poster-making: 2019’s Google Play Award winners

    From puzzles to poster-making: 2019’s Google Play Award winnersFrom puzzles to poster-making: 2019’s Google Play Award winners

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    To kick off this year’s Google I/O, we hosted our fourth annual Google Play Award ceremony to recognize the most innovative developers behind the top apps and games on Google Play over the past year. These apps and games had stiff competition across nine categories, including new additions like Most Inventive, Best Living Room Experience and Most Beautiful Game. We’re sharing the winners that rose to the top for providing the best experiences for fans, making an impact on their communities and raising the bar for quality content on Google Play.

    Standout Well-Being App

    Apps empowering people to live the best version of their lives, while demonstrating responsible design and engagement strategies.

    The Woebot app logo, which features a yellow robot on a blue background.

    Woebot: Your Self-Care Expert by Woebot Labs

    Best Accessibility Experience

    Apps and games enabling device interaction in an innovative way that serve people with disabilities or special needs.

    The Envision AI logo with a dark green background and "e" in the center.

    Envision AI by Envision Technologies BV

    Best Social Impact

    Apps and games that create a positive impact in communities around the world (focusing on health, education, crisis response, refugees, and literacy).

    The Wisdo logo with a purple background and "w" in the center.

    Wisdo by Wisdo LTD.

    Most Beautiful Game

    Games that exemplify artistry or unique visual effects either through creative imagery, and/or utilizing advanced graphics API features.

    The Shadowgun Legends logo with two robots.

    SHADOWGUN LEGENDS by MADFINGER Games

    Best Living Room Experience

    Apps that create, enhance, or enable a great living room experience that brings people together.

    The Neverthink logo with multicolored background and "nt" in the center.

    Neverthink: Handpicked videos by Neverthink

    Most Inventive

    Apps and games that display a groundbreaking new use case, like utilize new technologies, cater to a unique audience, or demonstrate an innovative application of mobile technology for users.

    The Tick Tock logo with 2 hands holding pocket watches.

    Tick Tock: A Tale of Two by Other Tales Interactive

    Standout Build for Billions Experience

    Apps and games with optimized performance, localization and culturalization for emerging markets.

    The Canva logo with a blog logo and "C" in the middle.

    Canva: Graphic Design & Logo, Flyer, Poster maker by Canva

    Best Breakthrough App

    New apps with excellent overall design, user experience, engagement, retention and strong growth.

    The Slowly logo with a mailbox with a letter in it.

    SLOWLY by Slowly Communications Ltd.

    Best Breakthrough Game

    New games with excellent overall design, user experience, engagement, retention and strong growth.

    Marvel logo with colorful background

    MARVEL Strike Force by FoxNext Games

    To check out this year’s winners, head over to play.google.com/gpa2019.

    Here’s a rundown of the top apps and games of the year on Google Play.

    Website: LINK

  • 8 Key Takeaways from Developers on the Virtual Reality Industry Today

    8 Key Takeaways from Developers on the Virtual Reality Industry Today

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    In October 2018, HTC Vive asked developers to complete a survey about the current landscape of Virtual Reality. With over 1,800 respondents, the results are in, providing a look at how developers view the industry.

    Understanding how developers are thinking about the VR industry, applications and the future of VR is important as the space continues to grow and application trends emerge. The survey insights help drive how Vive approaches the developer community providing the resources and tools that developers need the most.

    Below are some key insights we found about the world of developers and VR.

    1. Audience

    When it comes to who developers are targeting, 55% of respondents stated consumers as their main audience followed by 32% who listed enterprise.

    HTC’s store for VR apps, Viveport, offers a variety of games, non-gaming apps, and videos for users to interact with. With Viveport, developers can reach both Vive and Oculus owners. Vive Wave allows developers to gain access to the all-in-one (AIO) audience – Wave is available on Vive products, but also on five additional hardware partners. Both of the platforms offer consumer and enterprise content while targeting both audiences.

    1. Creative Exploration

    Creativity is at the core of developers. When respondents were asked why they develop content for VR, 78% stated for creative exploration.

    Vive encourages developer creativity through an interactive forum for developers to collaborate. The Viveport Community Forum is a place where developers can share ideas, ask questions, get feedback, get inspiration for current/future projects and bounce ideas off people.

    1. Future Forward

    There’s something about being a part of new and innovative technology. 40% of respondents stated they are developing VR-based apps because they are excited to be at the forefront of new technology. This was followed by 29% of respondents who stated they are using it as an opportunity to explore a wide variety of industries such as product design, healthcare, and education. An additional 20% are developing to learn new techniques and expand their knowledge base.

    1. Challenges with VR-based apps

    Developers are concerned about audience adoption with 40% indicating that it is their biggest challenge when it comes to developing VR-based apps. The lack of hardware available is another deterrent for developers, with 27% of respondents listing it as the biggest challenge they face.

    As a company that listens to their community, Vive knows developers not only want access but early access to hardware, which is why we strive to offer developer kits for our newest headsets and upcoming hardware before it’s out.

    As a technology company, we are constantly iterating on our hardware to bring the latest innovative solutions to market. The evolution from Vive to Vive Pro to Vive Pro Eye has been over the course of 3 years. We strive to put out minimum viable products (MVPs), then get developer feedback to improve and create better products. The progression of Vive to Vive Pro Eye has all been asks from developers and commercial consumers.

    1. Excitement and Growth

    When respondents were asked about what industries they were most excited about and what they felt had the most potential for growth, the rankings were identical. The top five industries that respondents are most excited about and believe have the most potential for growth are as follows:

    • Industries respondents are most excited about
      • Gaming: 79%
      • Training and simulation: 65%
      • Education: 59%
      • Film and entertainment: 45%
      • AEC: 36%

    • Industries with the most potential for growth
      • Gaming: 69%
      • Training and simulation: 65%
      • Education: 57%
      • Film and entertainment: 39%
      • AEC: 38%

    1. PC versus AIO

    Developers were asked what their next VR project would involve, with the option of submitting multiple answers. 80% of respondents said their next VR project would involve PC powered headsets such as HTC Vive, HTC Vive Pro, Oculus Rift, etc. Additionally, 43% said that their project would use AIO headsets – wireless headsets such as Vive Focus and Oculus Go.  

    HTC Vive offers a variety of headsets, both AIO and PC-based to fit the needs of consumers and enterprise users, allowing developers to create experiences for either. With Viveport, developers can create experiences for PC-based VR headset owners and with Wave, developers can create experiences for the AIO user.

    1. Mass Adoption of VR

    Looking ahead to adoption of VR, 59% of respondents believe in three to four years VR will reach mass adoption.

    Vive continues to offer programs, initiatives and support across a variety of areas to allow for the increased adoption of VR in a variety of segments. Vive X, the company’s global AR/VR accelerator helps cultivate, foster and grow the global VR ecosystem by supporting startups and providing them with operational expertise and funding. VR/AR For Impact is a program to drive VR and AR content and technologies that will create positive impact and change in support of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. HTC launched Vive Arts, a global VR program set to change the way the world creates and engages with the arts, leveraging VR’s potential to share and engage with art in a new and exciting way. Vive Studios, HTC’s development and publishing initiative, works with 3rd party developers and within Vive to publish content that pushes the boundaries in VR.

    1. VR Education & Guidance

    This brings us to our last highlight – the top places developers go for VR education and guidance.  Professional communities rank #1 on the list with 77% of respondents stating communities such as Unreal and Unity are where they go for VR education or guidance. Additionally, 66% of respondents listed forums, and 36% listed personal communities such as friends who work in the same industry.

    Vive is committed to listening to the developer community and offering programs that support development – all with a common goal of providing the best VR experience on Vive.  We encourage developers to connect with us on our Developer Community Forums where we encourage developers to share feedback, ask questions, talk to other developers about developing for Vive, and gain inspiration. Vive and Viveport team members are active in these forums, helping facilitate discussions, helping to answer questions, and gathering feedback from developers to consider for making improvements.  Additionally,  our Developer Portal allows users to register, get on our mailing list for the Vive developer newsletter, learn about and access our SDKs, read about important and updates related to developing for Vive, and also submit their apps to be published on Viveport.

    Website: LINK

  • Open platforms like Android unlock potentialOpen platforms like Android unlock potential

    Open platforms like Android unlock potentialOpen platforms like Android unlock potential

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    As a scientist, educator and businesswoman, my goal is to engage as many young minds as possible to get them excited about science and technology. That’s why the explosion in affordable technology over the last few years has been so exciting for STEM evangelists like me. Technology is no longer available only to the affluent and the privileged; instead, computers, tablets and smartphones are in the hands of individuals across all income levels. Reaching such a diverse audience is critical to our society’s ability to design the next generation of digital technologies and train the workforce of the future.

    As a professor and the founder and Chief Technology Officer atZyrobotics, a company that develops interactive STEM games and learning tools for children, I want our company’s educational programs to be available to the greatest number of people in order to have the greatest level of impact. In order to be successful, companies like mine need to reach kids where they spend their time—on their tablets, phones and other electronic learning devices. That means we want our apps to be compatible with as many devices as possible, and it’s why we’ve chosen to use Android’s open platform for our development. I’ve been able to reach far more people by building upon open platforms like Android than I ever could by teaching in a classroom.

    As an app developer, I’ve benefited from Android’s ease of use, open coding platform, and popularity within diverse segments of the population. We’ve been able to expand our reach to all audiences, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. Many lower-income people (and many in developing countries) rely on more affordable or older Android devices, and because Android lets us update apps on older-model phones, we can ensure we’re providing the best experience to these users. Open platforms are also the main reason why most of our apps, including those that teach young children to code, are free.

    Zyrobotics would be far less successful without the app stores housed on Android and Apple and the number of users we are able to reach through those platforms. Both Google and Apple’s app stores have been especially useful in helping us maximize our apps’ exposure to the children and parents with whom we want to connect, and helped us introduce important STEM concepts to children as early as five and six years old through30 STEM-focused apps and games, such as our award-winning Turtle “Learn to Code” app.

    The United Statescontinues to lag behind other industrialized nations when it comes to preparing our children for STEM careers, and thattechnology workforce gap is partly a result of a lack of early engagement in STEM. Reaching children when their interests are just beginning to take shape is vital to building a more vibrant, diverse and successful STEM workforce for the future. Android helps us do that. I support smart regulation of technology companies that helps ensure that today’s technology be made even more widely available, accessible and unbiased.

    The benefits of technology to educate and empower the next generation are immeasurable. Open platforms create opportunities—for companies like mine, and the people we serve. Let’s keep it that way.

    Ayanna Howard, Ph.D., is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Zyrobotics, an educational technology company, and the Linda J. and Mark C. Smith Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Her artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and assistive technology research has resulted in more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and a number of commercialized products.

    The CTO of Zyrobotics, a company that develops STEM learning tools for children, shares how open platforms like Android help companies like hers reach broad, diverse audiences.Website: LINK

  • Encryption for everyone: How Adiantum will keep more devices secureEncryption for everyone: How Adiantum will keep more devices secure

    Encryption for everyone: How Adiantum will keep more devices secureEncryption for everyone: How Adiantum will keep more devices secure

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

     

    Editor’s note: February 5 was Safer Internet Day, but we’ll be talking about it all week with a collection of posts from teams from across Google.

     

    Encryption is incredibly important. It underpins our digital security. Encryption encodes data so that it can only be read by individuals with a key. With encryption, you are in complete control of this key, and you can store sensitive information such as personal data securely.

    But encryption isn’t always practical, since it would slow some computers, smartphones and other devices to the point of being unusable. That changes with Adiantum, which we are introducing today in the spirit of Safer Internet Day.

    Adiantum is a new form of encryption that we built specifically to run on phones and smart devices that don’t have the specialized hardware to use current methods to encrypt locally stored data efficiently. Adiantum is designed to run efficiently without that specialized hardware. This will make the next generation of devices more secure than their predecessors, and allow the next billion people coming online for the first time to do so safely. Adiantum will help secure our connected world by allowing everything from smart watches to internet-connected medical devices to encrypt sensitive data. (For more details about the ins and outs of Adiantum, check out the security blog.)

    Our hope is that Adiantum will democratize encryption for all devices. Just like you wouldn’t buy a phone without text messaging, there will be no excuse for compromising security for the sake of device performance. Everyone should have privacy and security, regardless of their phone’s price tag.

    Adiantum is a new form of encryption built specifically to run on devices that don’t have specialized hardware.

    Website: LINK

  • Announcing VDA3 Nominees

    Announcing VDA3 Nominees

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    It’s that time of year again! We’re excited to share the nominees for the third annual Viveport Developer Awards. In total, there are 8 nominees across 4 categories for PC titles and 3 winners for Mobile titles. This year, we wanted to recognize the developers who are delivering exceptional experiences to our Viveport Subscribers and Viveport Arcade Operators. These 11 titles highlight some of the best titles in VR today. If you haven’t tried these nominees and winners, we highly recommend giving them a play and exploring them yourself.

    If you need a refresher on the prizing, check out our announcement blog of the awards. Final winners will be announced at our private developer mixer on Monday, March 18, the first day of GDC 2019. Good luck to the nominees and congratulations!

    Here are the nominees and winners in no particular order:

    Entertainment – PC

    Education – PC

    Arts & Culture – PC

    Arcade – PC

    Entertainment – Mobile

    • Bait! | Resolution Games

    Education – Mobile

    • Star Chart | Escapist Games Ltd.

    Arts & Culture – Mobile

    • PAINT VR | COSKAMI LLC

    Website: LINK

  • Announcing VDA2 Nominees

    Announcing VDA2 Nominees

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    We’re pleased to announce the nominees for the second annual Viveport Developer Awards! These 10 nominations represent some of the best and most innovative VR experiences. With a record number of entries from developers, it was incredibly difficult to shorten the list.

    In no particular order, here’s the 10 nominees, 2 for each category. All are available now on Viveport.

    Entertainment

    Education

    Arts & Culture

    Enterprise

    Arcade

    Congratulations to all our nominees and good luck! Winners will be announced at a special event on March 19 coinciding with the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

    Website: LINK

  • Step Inside the Unabomber Investigation with HTC Vive and Newseum

    Step Inside the Unabomber Investigation with HTC Vive and Newseum

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    This is a guest blog post by Lukasz Biernacki, Communications Associate at Immersion.

    If you’re one of the many that spent the Christmas break binging on Netflix then you may be familiar with Manhunt: Unabomber, the eight-part docudrama outlining the FBI investigation that led to the arrest of Ted Kaczynski. For those of you not familiar with the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski was an active domestic terrorist between 1978 and 1995, during which time he murdered three people and injured a further 23 through a ruthless campaign of mail-delivery bombs, which he made and sent from his secluded cabin in the Montana woods. Kaczynski is currently incarcerated for life in a maximum security institution in Colorado following a lengthy FBI investigation into his crimes.

    There’s no doubting that the story of the Unabomber and his capture was and still is an international spectacle, which is why we teamed up with The Newseum and HTC’s Vive Studios to produce a VR experience that immerses users in the story of the Unabomber – from the FBI investigation to the capture of Kaczynski at his primitive cabin. In the Unabomber experience, visitors will not only get to enter the same cabin that officials found in 1996, but actively participate in the case and get a front row seat to the process that led to Kaczynski’s arrest. Insight from FBI agents Terry Turchie (Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the UNABOM investigation from 1994 to 1998) and Max Noel (FBI agent during the investigation) adds to the narrative experience that reflects in many ways the reality of the investigation, over 20 years later.

    The Unabomber experience marks a cornerstone in the use of VR technology to enhance visitor’s experiences in museums and similar environments. Interacting through activity-based and learning-enabled environments helps us create the memory anchors that cements what we learned.

    The launch also highlights the potential for VR technology in the criminal justice system, as it may become a tool in the courtroom in years to come. Paul Armstrong at Forbes, recently spoke to FBI Special Agent Terry Turchie about the sense of ‘presence’ that VR provides and its potential to be a ‘game changer’ in the practice of law. Turchie explains that he can see the benefits of using VR in the courtroom but is concerned about a couple of areas such as how will it impact conviction rates. Ultimately, as with any demonstrative evidence presented in a courtroom, the judge is the final gatekeeper for what is admissible and how it is used. As the technology refines, transforms and becomes more common, expect to see it to become a staple in the courtroom.

    The Unabomber experience marks the first in a series of similar educational experiences that we will develop with The Newseum and HTC’s Vive Studios, such as Nellie Bly’s trip around the world. All of the VR experiences will be selectively showcased to Newseum visitors in Washington and available for download on Viveport.

    Together with Vive Studios, we understand that educational experiences such as this add an additional story-telling platform to museums’ arsenal, and enable children all over the world to experience the most exciting exhibits as virtual models. For many children, currently deprived of the opportunity to travel, these kits will give them the chance to learn about human history directly, and interact with key artifacts and artwork from their selected period. In many ways, it’s about bringing children closer to history, and letting them learn about it through the very natural need to explore our surroundings.

    The Unabomber app is available now on Viveport and will be made available for Steam at a later time.

    Website: LINK

  • Vive Partners With the Best in VR at CES 2018

    Vive Partners With the Best in VR at CES 2018

    Reading Time: 8 minutes

    Yesterday at CES, Vive raised the bar for premium VR with the new Vive Pro upgrade and Wireless Vive adaptor while dramatically improving the way we discover and consume VR content with Viveport VR and Vive Video. Today, we’re proud to highlight the exceptional partners sharing our booth and those showing Vive out on the floor.

    Starting today, the following partners will be demoing their content at Vive’s expo at the Wynn’s Alsace Ballroom:

    • Evasion by Archiact–

     

    Developed by Archiact, Evasion is an intense VR shooter game, designed to immerse players in high-intensity co-op multiplayer combat. Experience the next generation in VR locomotion designed from the ground up for an authentic FPS action game. Choose a hero class and join up to three friends or go on alone in an extinction-level battle for survival. Evasion will deliver cinematic destructible environments and intense bullet hell action. Players will team up and fight their way through maelstroms of bullets while diving for cover. The ‘Swarm A.I’ enemy behavior system adds a new level of tension, making tactical movement and teamwork critical to your squad’s survival. Experience the charge of heroism as you and your team run and gun to complete vital objectives, rescue one another and overcome deadly ambushes.

    • Arizona Sunshine by Vertigo Games and Jaywalkers Interactive –

    Virtual reality meets the zombie apocalypse! Arizona Sunshine is a first-person shooter built exclusively for VR that immerses you in a post-apocalyptic southwestern America overrun by zombies. Developed from the ground up for HTC Vive and Oculus, Arizona Sunshine puts you in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Handle weapons with real-life movements, freely explore a post-apocalyptic world, and put your survival skills to the test in VR – putting the undead back to rest is more thrilling than ever before.

    •  CXC Simulations –

    The CXC Simulations Motion Pro II was developed as a professional-level racing simulator capable of serving as a training tool for professional drivers. Designed by a team with a background in professional auto racing, the Motion Pro II is set apart by:

    • Proprietary full-motion and car control systems
    • A dedicated carbon fiber and steel chassis
    • Highly realistic software systems

    These systems which work together to accurately replicate the sensation of driving on the race track. The proof is in the number of Indy Car and sports car drivers who use the Motion Pro II to practice and train.

    Realistic driving starts with accurate data. However, an accurate simulation is not just an assembly of data. Thanks to a high-tech physics engine and tire modeling system, this data is transformed into feeling when you’re behind the wheel. The final piece of the puzzle is VR. By adding the HTC VIVE to the Motion Pro II, it completes the immersive feeling of actually being on the track.

    • Doom VFR by Bethesda Softworks® –

    Available for PlayStation VR and VIVE platforms, this DOOM adventure will bathe you in virtual carnage. Developed by id Software, the studio that pioneered the first-person shooter genre and modern VR, DOOM® VFR brings the fast-paced, brutal gameplay fans of the series love to virtual reality. Immerse yourself in the UAC facility on Mars and the depths of Hell, as your skills are put to the test through intense combat. Play as a cybernetic survivor who is activated by the UAC to fight the demon invasion, maintain order, and prevent catastrophic failure at the Mars facility. Lay waste to an army of demonic foes as you explore and interact with the outlandish world of DOOM from an entirely new perspective.

    • Fallout 4 VR by Bethesda Softworks® –

     

    Fallout 4, the legendary post-apocalyptic adventure from Bethesda Game Studios and winner of more than 200 ‘Best Of’ awards, including the DICE and BAFTA Game of the Year, finally comes in its entirety to VR. Fallout 4 VR includes the complete core game with all-new combat, crafting, and building systems fully reimagined for virtual reality. The freedom of exploring the wasteland comes alive like never before.

    • Front Defense: Heroes by Fantahorn Studio –

     

     

    Front Defense: Heroes, the latest installment to Fantahorn’s smash hit Front Defense, brings you the intensity and dangers of World War II. Front Defense: Heroes is a 5v5 online multiplayer VR game set during World War II. Front Defense: Heroes delivers the most immersive war experience, using classic World War II weapons in life-like battlefield atmospheres. The development team, Fantahorn Studio, has come up with the best VR war experience to-date. Between the detailed graphics and intuitive control experience, players can explore the battlefield freely, make strategic movements, and engage in realistic combat. The most immersive World War II military shooting game on HTC VIVE currently includes 2 different online multiplayer modes across 5 exciting maps: Team Deathmatch and Defense. Through the submillimeter tracking and room scale VR of HTC VIVE, experience the classic battles of World War II, experience the European climate during wartime in an immersive online multiplayer first-person shooter. Engage in this great war in VR and fight shoulder to shoulder with heroes and friends.

    • Microdose VR by Vision Agency –

    The Microdose VR platform is a fully customizable creative experience for gamers, artists, musicians, and dancers. Microdose VR puts the creative power in the player’s hands to do real time audio/visual performances, create custom content and build shareable worlds in which to host networked multiplayer collaborations and competitions.

    Microdose VR is designed from the ground up as a native VR app, based on a core mechanic which is only possible within virtual reality. Designed to viscerally engage gamers, artists, musicians and dancers of all ages, players can tune the experience to their preference, from an auto-tuned therapeutic experience to highly customized skill-based gameplay.

    With the complexity of engineering and development required to create VR software, it feels unattainable and out of reach to most digital artists and musicians, and there is currently no clear platform for artists and musicians to make their own truly unique creative splash into the VR space. Microdose VR paves the way for creatives to get involved and make their mark in Virtual Reality, and offers a social multiplayer gaming platform unlike anything that has come

    before.

    • Muse by Interaxon –

     

     

    Interaxon introduces Muse VR – the world’s first neuroadaptive interface for VR and mixed reality. Muse VR brings Interaxon’s robust brain sensing system and cardiac physiology sensors into the HTC Vive, creating new ways (like MicroDose VR) for users to interact with responsive virtual environments.

    • Raymond Forklift by Raymond –

    The Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator allows the user to enter a simulated warehousing environment utilizing an existing Raymond® forklift truck by plugging into the company’s patent-pending sPort, or Simulation Port. The Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator allows operators to become familiar and comfortable with the forklift and its controls prior to operating within the physical warehousing environment, thus building confidence. This platform affords operators the ability to learn within a controlled simulated environment, avoiding potential product and warehouse incidents.

    • Ready Player One by Sansar Studios –

    VR recreation of Aech’s Garage from Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One

    Interpreted by Sansar Studios from the original ILM design for Ready Player One from

    Warner Bros. Pictures, Amblin Entertainment and Village Roadshow

    Pictures, opening on March 30, 2018.

    Check out the Ready Player One Trailer here.

    • Rumii by Doghead Simulations –

    Currently, the only way for remote workers to communicate is through VoIP software that focuses on telephones and joining a pre-planned meeting online. By using rumii, teams distributed all over the world can communicate, participate, and interact with each other as though they are all in the same room.

    Collaborate without traveling and gain real-time visibility into your team’s dynamics with rumii for distributed business teams. Our solutions will help you optimize your entire business team, from agile planning, sprint Development, project management and scheduling – while shrinking total travel costs.

    rumii can be used across virtual reality headsets, desktops, browsers, tablets, and phones. Built-in audio means no more dial-in numbers and access codes. Do more than share presentations. Teams can manipulate objects for 3D product design and innovation.

    • SimforHealth –

    SimforHealth is a leading provider of innovative digital solutions for improving the training of healthcare professionals. The company works alongside faculties, medical schools, and training organizations to design immersive, interactive and collaborative solutions for medical education and medical training. Continuously monitoring new technologies, SimforHealth’s medical teams and simulation experts have already trained more than 30,000 healthcare professionals worldwide and are committed to the ethical principle of “Never the First Time with the Patient”.

    • Vive Video –

    Today HTC Creative Labs also rolled out an upgrade to its native VR video player, Vive Video. Vive Video solves the discovery and acquisition problem for VR video content by delivering a large catalog of high-quality streaming video directly to VR headsets. In addition to new features and UI upgrades, Vive Video has integrated content from Vimeo, the world’s largest ad-free open video platform, and home to millions of creators worldwide.

    • Viveport VR –

     

    Available today, Viveport VR is the biggest upgrade to the Viveport customer experience since launch. Viveport VR will change the way consumers browse and discover new content. Viveport VR is the biggest update to the Viveport customer experience since launch. Viveport VR is an all-new way to browse, discover and purchase VR content. Instead of being locked to a 2D plane on a PC or phone, consumers can browse and discover content in a deep and immersive experience that stays true to bringing VR content to life. VR Previews offer a new opportunity for developers to present their titles to potential customers and a new way for customers to try the content before downloading.

    In addition to showcasing this exciting content in our booth, read here for new Vive Demos and hardware all around the CES Floor.

    Website: LINK

  • HTC VIVE Raises The Bar For Premium VR With New VIVE PRO Upgrade And Wireless VIVE Adaptor

    HTC VIVE Raises The Bar For Premium VR With New VIVE PRO Upgrade And Wireless VIVE Adaptor

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    New Hardware Raises the Bar for High-End VR Market, While All-New Viveport VR and Vive Video Dramatically Improves the way You Browse, Discover and Acquire VR Content.

    Today in Las Vegas, HTC VIVE™, the leader in room-scale Virtual Reality (VR) announced new hardware upgrades that deliver premium VR experiences to consumers and enterprises with the introduction of Vive Pro and Vive Wireless Adaptor. In addition, the company debuted new improvements in how VR users discover, experience and acquire VR content through a radical redesign of Viveport VR and Vive Video. These advancements deliver on VR users’ desire for higher resolution, improved audio, greater comfort, wireless freedom and immersive content discovery.

    Vive Pro

    Vive Pro is a new HMD upgrade from Vive, built for VR enthusiasts and enterprise users who want the best display and audio for their VR experiences. Vive Pro includes dual-OLED displays for a crisp picture resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined, a 78% increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD.

    This premium resolution enhances immersion for VR enthusiasts, and the improved clarity means text, graphics and overall experience all come into sharper view. Vive Pro also features integrated, high-performance headphones with a built-in amplifier to offer a heightened sense of presence and an overall richer sound. Vive Pro’s new headstrap was built with enhanced ergonomics and comfort, including a sizing dial for a more balanced headset that decreases weight on the front of the headset. Additional improvements include dual microphones with active noise cancellation and dual front-facing cameras designed to empower developer creativity.

    “There’s a clear need in the VR market for a premium VR experience with high resolution display, integrated audio and the best components available today in a headset,” said Daniel O’Brien, GM U.S., VIVE. “Vive Pro offers an immediate upgrade for both VR enthusiasts and enterprises that want to utilize the best VR experience.”

    More details on Vive Pro availability and price will be made available soon.

    Vive Wireless Adaptor

    Also unveiled today, the Vive Wireless Adaptor will be the first to market with a truly wireless VR headset integration for both Vive and Vive Pro.

    The Vive Wireless Adaptor features Intel’s WiGig technology and offers a premium VR wireless experience that operates in the interference-free 60Ghz band, which means lower latency and better performance. The Vive Wireless Adaptor will ship in Q3 to customers worldwide. 

    “Wireless VR has been on nearly every VR user’s wishlist since the technology was unveiled,” said Frank Soqui, General Manager Virtual Reality Group at Intel Corporation. “By collaborating with HTC to commercialize Intel’s WiGig technology, we will guarantee that wireless VR meets the most discerning quality bar for home users and business VR customers.”

    Viveport VR

    In the largest upgrade to the Viveport customer experience since launch, Viveport VR redefines how users, discover, experience and acquire VR content. Instead of a traditional 2D catalog, Viveport VR content is delivered in fully immersive interactive previews. Viveport is embracing a VR first approach by including VR enabled “VR Previews,” which are interactive glimpses of content that give customers a room-scale preview of an experience and the opportunity to interact with content before purchasing or subscribing.

    “Viveport is moving to a VR first experience model, and with the all-new Viveport VR, we are changing the way consumers discover, experience and acquire VR content,” said Rikard Steiber, president, Viveport.  “Until now, there has not been a shopping and browsing experience that takes advantage of the full functionality of VR. Available in early access today, Viveport VR increases interaction with content and offers developers a preview that showcases the quality of their titles and experiences.”

    Earlier this year, Viveport launched the world’s first VR subscription service to provide a whole new way to access the best VR experiences for a great price. With more than 1,000 titles available on Viveport today, and more than 325 available for subscription, Vive is changing the way users browse and discover content through Viveport VR.

     Vive Video Includes Vimeo

    Today HTC Creative Labs also rolled out an upgrade to its native VR video player, Vive Video. Vive Video solves the discovery and acquisition problem for VR video content by delivering a large catalog of high quality streaming video directly to VR headsets. In addition to new features and UI upgrades, Vive Video has integrated content from Vimeo, the world’s largest ad-free open video platform home to millions of creators worldwide.

    In the new Vive Video experience, a curated selection of Vimeo content will be made available to browse and view in a highly optimized native VR experiences within Vive Video-compatible headsets.

    “Whether we’re building our own tools in-house or partnering with other innovative platforms, Vimeo is committed to the future of storytelling and finding new ways to support our creators,” said Christophe Gillet, GM of Vimeo’s Creator Platform. “Not only does the integration with Vive Video showcase some of Vimeo’s highest quality, human-curated content within the VR experience, but it also gives those creators an exciting new way to expose their work and engage with audiences.”

    Vive Video has consistently been one of the most-downloaded and highest-rated apps on the SteamVR platform, enabling users to view 180 and 360-degree video content. Vive Video is available today for both Vive and Google Daydream platforms, and will arrive on Vive Wave in the near future.

    Website: LINK

  • Operation Apex and the Motivations Behind It

    Operation Apex and the Motivations Behind It

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    With the launch of Operation Apex today on the HTC VIVE, we asked the CEO of Curiscope, Ed Barton, to give us some in depth insight into the virtual experience surrounding one of the most expansive, diverse places on the planet: our ocean.

    It’s hard to imagine a world without plastics. For most of us, it’s only the world we’ve ever known. Plastic became a mainstream material in the 70s with invention of the plastic bag  and now, in less than 50 years, we’ve reached a stage where our oceans contain over 50 trillion microplastic particles, 500 times more than the stars in our Galaxy. If we continue at our current rate, by 2050 our oceans will contain more plastic than fish by mass.

    The underwater world makes up considerably more of the Earth than the areas we inhabit, yet to most of us the ocean is completely alien, scary even. It is an environment where still, countless species still exist that we’ve never even laid eyes on. The wonder of this world runs contrary to the impact we as a species are having on it. Our impact is something that’s out of sight and out of mind.

    So there’s a huge problem here but we wanted to try to tackle it a little differently. Virtual Reality is often so immersive that most experiences focused on a social mission leave you drained or overwhelmed and can often do more to disconnect you from the issue at hand. Learning about something doesn’t need to feel like a lecture.

    With Operation Apex we wanted to lead with the wonder of the ocean, creating a product that stands up on its own right. It’s not only a game that you’ll learn from but something that you’ll enjoy and want to go back into time and time again to interact with the creatures and to explore the things hidden around the levels.

    So, what was important to make that happen? We started the project with extensive communication with our contacts at Oceans Research, looking into what messages were important to communicate and how we could best represent the environment. The development team then scoured through research papers to learn as much as we could about the food chain and the way the animals move in this environment so that we’d be able to make it feel as realistic as possible. In particular, we spent months honing an algorithm for the sharks that represented them in a lifelike manner. This provided the user with an ability to interact with them, feed them, chase them and swim with them, all as though you were in their environment alongside them.


    This code-driven animation was something we were particularly keen to work on. Ben and myself started Curiscope at the start of 2016 with an animation, Great White Sharks 360, that went on to be watched by over 25m people. Most people watch it not even knowing that it’s animated and assume it to be filmed footage. Animation and CGI were the tools we chose at the time with the objective of reaching as many people as possible but we always built it with a view to it becoming something more.

    Operation Apex is the product that is something more, the spiritual sequel. We transitioned the company from CGI to real-time, code-driven animation, creating a fully interactive, explorable world where the inhabitants react to your presence. It’s maybe bigger than we ever envisioned it would be and we’re just getting started. One of the most exciting aspects about working in this new medium is world creation and the subsequent exploration and discovery this offers. The opportunity to create dynamic creatures that then live there and react to you is a sensation that’s unique to VR and that’s unparalleled by anything else.

    The food chain is the core point of progression in Operation Apex. As you progress through the game you work your way up, learning more and more about the different species and how pollutants, plastics and overfishing have an impact across them all. We’ve also introduced a couple of interesting game mechanics, the lure and the mimic. Together you can use these to control and interact with the creatures in your environment. As you progress through the game, you unlock more and more mimics (even a Whale Shark which is…interesting) and interact your way up to the predators at the top of the food chain.

    So it’s a bit of an experience, a game and a virtual world, all rolled into one. We designed it to be open ended so that, whilst there’s a narrative arc, you can go off script and explore the environment. We hate experiences that are on rails and think the most exciting part about an ocean environment is the freedom that it offers. It’s an interesting space in which to create; and we want to continue opening up possibilities as we develop it further.

    We’d hope that users spend as much time exploring the environment as they do progressing through the tasks. We’ve spent a lot of time crafting it to have its own character with deep crevices, caves, tunnels and the slowly wafting kelp, loosely modelled on one of our favorite places on the planet, Monterey. We’ve also hidden some pretty interesting discoveries around the levels, some hinting at future expansion ideas and others being creatures that are as elusive in the game as they are in real life.

    Ultimately we’d love to hear how you all get on. We’re a small team with around 6 members of staff working on Operation Apex over 2017. We’d love for this to be the start of development and of transforming the idea of what immersive learning really could be. And, of course, we’d love to hear how Operation Apex has impacted you and how, together, we can protect the most important ecosystem on our planet.

    • Ed Barton, CEO, Curiscope

    Website: LINK

  • Winners of “HP Mars Home Planet” Conceptual Design Phase Announced

    Winners of “HP Mars Home Planet” Conceptual Design Phase Announced

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Life on Mars is one step closer to ‘virtual’ reality as nine winners have been announced at Autodesk University Las Vegas 2017, for the first phase of HP Mars Home Planet – a global project pairing co-creation on the Launch Forth platform with virtual reality (VR) to simulate a utopian civilization of one million people on Mars.

    From buildings, vehicles, farms and clothing, this co-creation project of professional architects, engineers, designers and artists from around the world explores how one million humans could thrive on the Red Planet given its climate and atmospheric challenges.

    HP Mars Home Planet runs on Launch Forth, a product design platform powered by a robust co-creation community of 120,000 designers, engineers and solvers. This community-powered platform allows people everywhere to collaborate on ideas, solve problems and create solutions for challenges, both big and small, using open innovation to accelerate the product development process.

    HP Mars Home Planet launched as a three-phase, yearlong project in August when HP Inc., NVIDIA®  and Launch Forth teamed up with Autodesk, Epic Unreal Engine, Fusion, HTC Vive, Microsoft and Technicolor.

    In the first phase of Mars Home Planet, participants submitted conceptual designs for the buildings, vehicles, smart cities, and transportation systems that will support one million humans in an area of Mars called ‘Mars Valley’. The challenge was so popular, it broke Launch Forth’s record of 34,000 participants and close to 500 entries in around two months.

    The winners, who, will be awarded $38,080 in total prizes, were determined by public voting and an illustrious panel of judges, including:

    • Dr. Robert Zubrin, President of Mars Society
    • Daniel Libeskind, Architect
    • Dr. Sanjay Vijendran, Mars Mission, European Space Agency
    • Andrew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk
    • Chris deFaria, President of DreamWorks Animation Group
    • Ryan Church, Concept Artist and former Star Wars Art Director
    • Android Jones, Conceptual Artist
    • Stacy Wolf, VP of Industrial Design, HP
    • Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors

    The winners are:

    Infrastructure 1: Kenny Levick (United States), Mars-Genesis & Mawrth-Integra: Interplanetary Design

    Infrastructure 2: Kadek Wicaksana (Indonesia), Mars Colony 1.0

    Transportation 1: Xabier Albizu (Spain), MARS M. U. V (Multi Utility Vehicle)

    Transportation 2: Justin Carlo Punay (Philippines), Mars General Utility Vehicle 

    Innovation of Architecture: Jesús Velazco (Venezuela), Solar Powered Colony

    Innovation in Design: Jorge Moreno Fierro (Columbia), Bio System

    Innovation in Engineering: Yih Foo Looi (Malaysia), Living Environments from Hostile Wastes

    Innovation in Engineering– Special Acknowledgement: Jose Daniel Garcia Espinel (Spain), Metropolis First City on Mars

    Innovation in Science: Lake Matthew Team (United States), Artificial Geomagnetic Field to Protect a Crewed Mars Facility from Cosmic Rays

    Phase two of HP Mars Home Planet, the 3D Modeling Competition, opens for submissions today. Participants are being asked to use Autodesk software to create 3D models of buildings, city infrastructure, vehicles, sports stadiums, city parks, schools, furniture, and anything else that might be found in a utopian Martian human civilization of one million humans. Participants will be inspired by the phase one conceptual design winners, but they are free to use their imagination and create whatever they desire. Submissions close February 25, 2018.

    With creative and technical leadership from Technicolor, co-creators will bring the winning 3D models into the Unreal Engine to create a VR simulation of what life on Mars could be like for one million people. The environment will build on Mars Valley terrain from Fusion’s “Mars 2030” game, which is based on NASA Mars research and high resolution photography.

    The entire project looks to a time in the future where there are families and communities living a utopian lifestyle on Mars. The goal of the project is to engage creative thinkers to solve some of the challenges of urbanization on the Red Planet. Ultimately, through the VR experience, people here on Earth will be able to experience what life on Mars might be like.

    For more information about the winning concepts, and to join the 3D Modeling Challenge visit http://launchforth.io/hpmars.

    Website: LINK

  • VIVE Tracker Bundles Up In Time For The Holidays

    VIVE Tracker Bundles Up In Time For The Holidays

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    It’s been a great year for Vive Tracker and we’re consistently impressed by the way the developer community has integrated Tracker into their experiences, prototypes and arcades. From MarioKart VR, to full body tracking, to the first VR keyboard, Vive Tracker enables new types of VR projects quickly and affordably.

    But that’s just for developers and businesses. Starting today, we’ve got our first line of Tracker peripherals and accessories for Vive users at home.

    The first Vive Tracker accessory bundles are available for pre-order today with expected arrival dates of mid-December (just in time for the holidays).

    • Hyper Blaster with Duck Season
    • Racket Sports Set with Virtual Sports

    A third partner bundle featuring straps to enable full body tracking, is available for purchase today.

    • Rebuff Reality’s TrackStrap with Redfoot Bluefoot Dancing

    Note, the Rebuff bundle does not ship with a Vive Tracker so you’ll need to order directly from Vive.com 

    Hyper Blaster

    The Hyper Blaster brings a retro light gun to VR for the first time. When paired with Vive Tracker, the Hyper Blaster serves as both a gun and motion controller in integrated games such as Duck Season, Arizona Sunshine, The American Dream VR, Operation Warcade, TacticalAR, and Practisim VR. The Hyper Blaster will be sold exclusively through Amazon and includes Duck Season as a pack-in title, and one Vive Tracker, all for $149.99. Duck Season, by Stress Level Zero, is a throwback to the golden age of 1980’s gaming and movies with a hint of horror in a Spielburgian universe. Unique to Duck Season, the Blaster is virtually represented within the game world.

    In addition to the six titles integrated at launch, Vive is working with 10 additional developers to integrate the Blaster by Q1.

    Racket Sports Set

    Custom-molded and weighted to feel like real paddles and rackets, the Racket Sports Set is packaged for both Ping Pong and Tennis games.  Connected via a simple screw, the handles are integrated with five titles. The set will sell for $149.99 and includes both Ping Pong and Tennis handles, a Vive Tracker and a pack-in redemption code for Virtual Sports.  Pre-orders are available today via Amazon, Abt Electronics, BH Photo, Fry’s, Gamestop, Micro Center and NewEgg with additional retailers expected.

    In addition to Virtual Sports, the Racket Sports Set is integrated with four titles today and expect an additional six by end of year.

    TrackStrap

    The Vive Tracker takes SteamVR tracking to another level of accuracy, easily adding feet, wrist, hip or leg tracking movement to VR experiences.

    Rebuff Reality is selling TrackStrap, which easily attaches Vive Trackers to your feet and other body parts to enable full body tracking. A pair of TrackStraps is available now for $24.99 via rebuffreality.com and includes a pack-in redemption code for Redfoot Bluefoot Dancing on Steam, inspired by Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) and Audioshield.

    Dozens of developers have integrated body tracking into their experiences, including CloudGate Studios’ Island 359, which today launched a “Virtual Self” update that uses Vive Trackers for full body tracking and movement.

    Additional compatible titles include Climbey, Holodance, High Fidelity and more.

    Website: LINK

  • Vive Announces Vive Wave Open Platform and Vive Focus, Its Standalone VR device For China

    Vive Announces Vive Wave Open Platform and Vive Focus, Its Standalone VR device For China

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Today, at our Vive Developers Conference (VDC) in Beijing, we announced the VIVE WAVE VR Open Platform.  With it, we are taking another huge step in driving the most vibrant ecosystem for VR forward. Vive Wave will open up the path to easy mobile VR content development and device optimization for third-party partners. So far, twelve hardware partners in China, including  360QIKU, Baofengmojing, Coocaa, EmdoorVR, Idealens, iQIYI, Juhaokan, Nubia, Pico, Pimax, Quanta and Thundercomm, announced their support for Vive Wave and integrating the VIVEPORT™ VR content platform into their future products.

    Vive Wave is a clear step forward in bringing together the highly fragmented mobile VR market that has cropped up in China the last several years. It enables developers to create content for a common platform and storefront across multiple hardware vendors. Over 35 Chinese and global content developers have already built VR content optimized for Vive Wave, with 14 showing live demos during VDC.

    We also announced VIVE FOCUS, our first standalone VR Headset for the China market.  Vive Focus is also based on the Vive Wave VR open platform.

    Vive Focus offers enhanced comfort for extended use, easy on-off capabilities, and is the first commercial standalone device to deliver inside-out 6-degree-of-freedom tracking (6DoF) which Vive calls “world-scale”. Without the need to be attached to a PC or a phone, Vive Focus provides unlimited freedom of mobility while reducing the total cost for users to own a premium VR device in China. Its high-resolution AMOLED screen delivers the best possible VR experience, with low latency and unmatched clarity. The Vive Focus is powered by the advanced features of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 VR Platform and utilizes the Vive Wave VR open platform, including the rich library of VR content available on the Viveport.

    Also at VDC, Viveport also announced a global strategic partnership with Unity Technologies to enable the one-click publishing of VR content onto Viveport for PC VR, Standalone VR, and mobile VR developers. Unity will integrate Viveport into its content platform and provide a more intuitive way for developers to utilize the new Vive Wave VR SDK. Unity will also integrate Viveport’s in-app payment and VR advertisement functions into its development system, with an initial focus on the China market, opening up even more revenue opportunities for its VR developer community.  For the remainder of 2017, Viveport is giving back 100% of all profit earned on its platform back to the developer community.

    For more information on VDC, check out our press release here.

    Website: LINK

  • VR 101 – A Crash Course In All Things Virtual Reality

    VR 101 – A Crash Course In All Things Virtual Reality

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    VR, AR, MR – ever wonder what it all means? Don’t fret! These different “realities” can be confusing, so we’re here to explain. Introducing “VR 101”, the next article in our new blog series designed to teach you all you’ve ever wanted to know about virtual reality. From purchasing a VR-ready computer to understanding how room-scale VR works, we’ve got you covered.

    What is VR?

    Virtual reality calls upon 3D computer-generated environments which you can manipulate and explore all while feeling as if you are actually there. This feeling is called presence, or immersion, and it’s when the simulated environment provides enough clues to trick your unconscious mind to start treating this illusion as if it were real. Did you almost fall when you went to rest your hand on that ping-pong table after an intense match in Virtual Sports? That’s because of presence, you become so immersed in the virtual world you forget that table wasn’t real!

    But how is this achieved? To enter the world of virtual reality you must first don an HMD (Head Mounted Display). The headset has two OLED displays, one per eye, at a resolution of 1080 x 1200 pixels each. By showing a slightly different angle of a scene in each eye, you are given the illusion of depth, referred to as stereoscopic display. With the headset on, a life-sized virtual world appears in every direction you cast your gaze. To ensure your level of immersion is preserved, the Vive has a field of view (FOV) of 110 degrees. FOV refers to the angle of degrees in a visual field – the larger the angle, the more immersive your experience.

    What is AR?

    Now that we’ve covered the basics of VR let’s talk about its AR. Unlike Virtual reality, which creates an entire artificial environment to interact in, augmented reality (AR) overlays digital information onto your physical surroundings. While VR requires you to wear an HMD that completely blocks your view of the real world, AR’s display is transparent, allowing you to still see and interact with your environment. While not as immersive as VR, AR can present you with valuable information to enrich your physical reality and facilitate productivity.

    Because of its utility, augmented reality is closely associated with enterprise. Products such as Google Glass have found their way into doctors’ offices and manufacturing plants, increasing productivity and efficiency. While AR is touted as an enterprise solution there are plenty of consumer-focused use cases including Pokémon Go and Snapchat Spectacles.

    What is MR?

    VR and AR are easy enough to understand, but MR is where the water gets murky and confusion sets in. Mixed Reality (MR) combines aspects of both VR and AR, creating a hybrid of these two realities.

    Blending the digital and physical worlds in MR results in an experience where virtual objects are integrated into your physical environment. With these virtual objects anchored to a fixed physical location, you can interact and treat these objects as if they were real. Walk around it or get closer and it will stay secured to its location. To ensure this realism, the MR device first scans and maps your physical surroundings so it can accurately place the virtual objects in your space. For instance, with MR a 3D virtual object can appear directly on the table in front of you, integrating the virtual world onto your physical table.

    Examples of mixed reality include Microsoft’s HoloLens and Magic Leap’s MR headset.

    Like VR, mixed reality has found a host of use cases in both enterprise and commercial offerings. From games to e-commerce to education, mixed reality is a useful and entertaining tool.

    Website: LINK

  • How Can We Support A Million Lives On Mars?

    How Can We Support A Million Lives On Mars?

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    HP Mars Home Planet challenges engineers, architects, designers, artists, and students to design an urban area for a million people on the red planet.

    Is there life on Mars? Imagine a future when one million people call the red planet home. Together with NVIDIA, HTC VIVE and other partners, HP has launched HP Mars Home Planet, an exciting call for global collaboration to solve the challenges of urbanization using virtual reality (VR).

    Establishing human civilization on Mars, which happens to be about 225 million km away, will be no small feat. And yet NASA has identified it as our best option to support human life on another planet. Designing the buildings, transportation networks, vehicles, and essential infrastructure requires leaps of imagination and ingenuity.

    Get ready for HP Mars Home Planet. The challenge will bring together creative thinkers across professional disciplines and elite educational institutions to simulate what life on Mars could be like. Engineers, architects, designers, artists, and students from around the world are invited to participate, either as individuals or in teams, and can design whatever inspires them, from robots to vehicles to skyscrapers to entire city plans.

    HP and NVIDIA teamed up with Technicolor, Autodesk, Unreal Engine, Fusion, Launch Forth and HTC VIVE to launch HP Mars Home Planet at this year’s SIGGRAPH, the world’s largest, most influential conference and exhibitions for computer graphics and interactive techniques.

    Three competitive phases: Concept, Model, Render

    During the first phase participants focused on sketching buildings, transportation, and infrastructure concepts for Mawrth Vallis—Welsh for Mars Valley—a potential landing site identified by NASA. The concepts have to reflect the conditions on Mars, such as its weaker gravity, lack of oxygen, and exposure to radiation.

    The concept phase wraps up in early November, and winners will receive HP ZBooks and HP Z Workstations. High-powered HP Z Workstations propel high- performance, complex work for game-changing, ground-breaking companies like Nike, Tesla, DreamWorks, and NASA—and like designing a sophisticated civilization on Mars.

    In the modeling phase, participants will create a 3D model focusing on any aspect of the future built environment on Mars, with the help of Autodesk software.

    In the rendering phase, participants will create a still, animated, real-time, or VR rendering depicting their invention for a smart city or region on Mars that supports life for a million humans.

    STEM on Mars

    Around the world, schools and universities can join in the challenge, too. HP Mars Home Planet Education League teams will participate to support learning in STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

    To collaborate, participants will use Launch Forth, a crowd-powered SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform for product design and development. Launch Forth’s community members focus on solving problems, designing products, and learning from experts.

    Stay tuned to the HTC VIVE blog as we continue to update you on this fascinating project. If you would like to learn more, then head over to the Launch Forth platform to get involved.

    Website: LINK

  • How Android and Pixel are changing the way musicians createHow Android and Pixel are changing the way musicians createEditor-in-Chief

    How Android and Pixel are changing the way musicians createHow Android and Pixel are changing the way musicians createEditor-in-Chief

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    If you happened to go to Google I/O this year—or tune in to the live stream—the hour leading up to the keynote featured a fun surprise: the band Parisi, filling Shoreline Amphitheatre with a wall of sound, using just four Pixel phones and modular musical instruments called ROLI BLOCKS.

    Part of Parisi's performance at Google I/O 2017

    Parisi’s performance was powered by ROLI’s NOISE app, which launched in preview mode at I/O for Pixel and other high-end Android phones. NOISE and BLOCKS are intended for people with a range of musical expertise to play, but they depend on phones with powerful technology—including low audio latency, powerful and fast processing capabilities, and glitch-free audio. We’ve made a series of updates to Android recently to better support creative audio, with more coming in Android O. By introducing NOISE in beta on Android, ROLI became one of the first to take advantage of Android’s improved music-making possibilities—and Parisi became the first band to show them off.

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    From left: Jack and Marco Parisi. Photo courtesy of Parisi.

    We spoke to Marco Parisi about their performance at I/O, and how mobile technology like Android O, Pixel and NOISE is changing the way musicians create.

    Keyword: How did you get involved with I/O?

    Marco: Google was excited about the capabilities of its Pixel phone and Android for audio, and came to us with an ask… to open I/O 2017 with a live set. We’ve been working with ROLI, a company that makes digital musical instruments, for two years. ROLI has an app, NOISE, which lets you compose, mix and play music from a mobile device. Google wanted to know if we could use NOISE on Pixel to do a set live at I/O. We love to experiment and explore, so we said “yes.” They sent us the phones two weeks before the show!

    Sounds like us. 😉 Was it intimidating to plan a whole set that way?

    I wasn’t worried. Even though it can be uncomfortable to change the way you do something when you always do it in a certain way, we were excited to try something new.

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    Parisi’s setup at Google I/O included four Pixel phones along with ROLI’s modular instruments: BLOCKS and Seaboard. Photo courtesy of Parisi.

    How was the I/O set-up different from your normal sets? Did anything surprise you?

    It was the first set we’ve done with just four phones. We’re used to using lots of laptops for our sets, so it was a challenge. But now that we’ve done it, we know we can actually make a proper set with phones—it’s realistic.

    Ninety percent of the show was played live. You’re not just pressing play, either—you’re using the phone as a real music instrument, along with BLOCKS and Seaboard (a piano-like keyboard also made by ROLI). The magic is in the integration between the phone and the other technology we used to play. The phone is like an engine, and the other devices are so close to an acoustic instrument. It really changed our vision.

    Has the I/O set changed anything about how you’re approaching future work?

    The tracks we played at I/O haven’t been released—it’s stuff we’re working on for our upcoming album. While playing live on stage, I realized that I could have added a few different things. On the second or third try, we were adding things to the original track that were working—basically improvising. Now we’re gonna try those things in the same way but on the track—so what we did live at I/O is going to make it into the recorded version.

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    Parisi performing at I/O. On the right-hand screen, you can see a ROLI BLOCK being played.

    Digital technology is having a big effect on music. Tell us more about how you use tech in your art.

    We’re in a new phase for music tech and creativity. Tech gives artists amazing flexibility to approach creating in new ways. We’re able to make different art that wouldn’t have been doable in a traditional studio setup—and changing your workflow has an impact on what you make.

    You also spent some time exploring I/O itself. What did you think?

    Working with everybody was cool. We were always connected with everybody over earpieces—from the sound guy to stage manager, really amazing people. One person started talking in Italian to us!

    ROLI has a strong culture of collaboration and being passionate about what you do, and I felt the same thing at I/O. Joy is at the essence of what we do, and to see that in a company—like Google—is unique. You can really see that the world is changing and for us as musicians that’s amazing.

    Behind the scenes with the band Parisi, who performed at Google I/O ‘17 using just four Pixel phones and modular musical instruments called ROLI BLOCKS.

    Website: LINK