Lifeboat Foundation

The widespread use of virtual reality is inevitable, and it’s getting closer and closer. A new movie called Creative Control now takes the tech to the next level, and the results aren’t good.

Written, directed by and starring Benjamin Dickinson, Creative Control premiered at South by Southwest 2015 to solid reviews and finally hits theaters March 11. It centers on an executive whose company has created the next level of virtual reality, in a form that not-so-subtly reminds us of Google Glass. But as things turn to sex—as they tend to do—the virtual takes precedence over the reality.

Continue reading “In the New Movie Creative Control, Virtual Reality Is Dangerously Irresistible” »

Apple and any other tech company with an interest in consumer interactive experience (communications, gaming, internet, video/ streaming media) knows you will need VR to remain relevant; and who can do it best will be king.

Rumors are stating that Apple is investing heavily in virtual and augmented reality solutions.

Apple representatives are said to be visiting Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab quite a bit more often. Founding director Jeremy Bailenson told the folks over at The Wall Street Journal that Apple’s recent visits were the first since the lab that was founded in 2003. Bailenson had the following to say regarding the matter:

Continue reading “Apple takes interest in Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab” »

Virtual reality was almost hot enough at Sundance this year to melt the snow, but perhaps the most scorching news of the show was casually dropped during the high profile Technicolor panel. Virtual Reality Company (VRC) co-founder and Maleficent director Robert Stromberg declared his company is working with Steven Spielberg on a project that is “solely for VR.”

Responding to a question about how to take VR filmmaking to the next level, Robert Stromberg said “it is about getting other filmmakers interested of course, from the independent level to getting major players involved as well… I can say here, my company – VRC – we’re working with, for instance, Steven Spielberg on a project that’s solely for VR.”

We previously reported that Steven Spielberg signed on as one of the company’s advisors, but at the time there was no confirmation on his involvement with any projects. But with Spielberg set to direct Ready Player One, a film with VR central to the theme, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would be dipping his fingers into virtual reality at some point in the near future.

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A Lifeboat guest editorial

Richelle Ross is a sophomore at the University of Florida, focusing on statistics and data science. As a crypto consultant, she educates far beyond the campus. Her insight on the evolution and future of Bitcoin has been featured in national publications. Richelle writes for CoinDesk, LinkedIn, and Quora, providing analysis on Bitcoin’s evolving economy.

In 2003, I remember going to see my first IMAX 3D film, Space Station . My family was touring NASA at Cape Canaveral Florida. The film was an inside view into life as an astronaut enters space. As the astronauts tossed M&Ms to each other in their new gravity-free domain, the other children and I gleefully reached our hands out to try and touch the candy as it floated towards us. I had never experienced anything so mind-blowing in my 7 year life. The first 3D film was released in 1922. Yet, surprisingly, flat entertainment has dominated screens for in the 9½ decades that followed. Only a handful of films have been released in 3D—most of them are animated. But now, we are gradually seeing a shift in how people experience entertainment. As methods evolve and as market momentum builds, it promises to be one of the most groundbreaking technologies of the decade. I foresee Virtual Reality reaching a point where our perception of virtual and real-life experiences becomes blurred—and eventually—the two become integrated.

Ever since pen was put to paper, and camera to screen, audiences have enjoyed being swept into other worlds. For those of us “dreamers” being able to escape into these stories is one way we live through and expand our understanding of other times and places—even places that may not be accessible in our lifetimes. Virtual reality is the logical progression and natural evolution of these experiences.

Continue reading “The Coming Era of Virtual Reality” »

Apple’s quietly building a small army of virtual reality developers, and has been working on a headset for several months, but it’s been typically vague about its plans with the public. And on Friday, company representatives confirmed it’s made yet another another acquisition.

“Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans,” Apple told Tim Bradshaw of the Financial Times, confirming its buy of Flyby Media, a company that “is dedicated to building new technology that can elevate, rather than replace, our real-world experiences.”

Continue reading “Apple’s Working On Super Secretive Virtual Reality Technology” »

Great #VR experience and crazy @MMOneProject rides tested by Palmer Luckey. #Oculus #OculusRift

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New VR project allows you to go to space right from your living room.

Thanks to a new virtual reality project, you can go to space from your own living room. http://voc.tv/14JQHoo

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When the consumers (who happen to be your primary customer) of your product doesn’t seem to be fully aware of your product; then you have indeed a broken product marketing and launch awareness program. And, if industry is also part of that picture; you may have an even bigger challenge.

After our latest US consumer research in October 2015, we wanted to find out if the trends we were seeing in the survey data held for a larger, more international pool. In December, we surveyed over 1,000 respondents throughout the United Kingdom about their awareness of virtual reality, interest in purchasing headsets and trying applications, and their concerns.

With everyone from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to analysts at Goldman Sachs boldly claiming VR as the next computing platform, we believe it is critical strategic decision makers — product managers, marketers, and investors alike — better understand the industry’s potential early adopters and what they really want from our industry.

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The company’s new program, called Quill, allows an illustrator to create work directly in VR—and then turns the drawings into animations.

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