Note From The Editor
What a difference a year makes. You could see it and feel it on the floor at the SVVR Conference in Silicon Valley last week. While the 2016 show was loaded with companies that were moving the technology of VR and AR forward, the only real consumer application was gaming. Lots and lots of game developers. This year, we saw VR being applied to a broad range of experiences such as guided meditation, fitness, immersive music, dance, sports, pain relief and travel of course.
Two big trends are the new VR social media platforms (imagine 20 of your closest friends from around the world sharing VR content at the same time!) and the development of really inexpensive, small 360 degree cameras that anyone can use to make their OWN 360 content- that can be posted immediately! And sshh…we also heard of two new BIG developments that are coming out in a few weeks that will make VR truly accessible to all. There’s an old saying-“ just because its inevitable doesn’t mean it’s imminent” but with VR and travel, we wouldn’t bet on it. 
Buzz Aldrin takes viewers on a VR trip to Mars Guardianlv.com
Buzz Aldrin, the acclaimed astronaut and second human to step onto the moon, is now taking viewers on a virtual reality trip to Mars. The astronaut’s hope for the VR trip is to excite people about a future in which humans will be building a settlement on the red planet. The astronaut has been tirelessly working on his efforts to encourage the continued space travel, for earthlings to go to Mars. Hence, his newest endeavor is a 10-minute virtual reality film titled, “Cycling Pathways to Mars” that debuted on March 17, 2017. The movie short features Aldrin as the narrator in the form of a hologram. READ MORE
Why VR is turning heads in the travel sector TTGmedia.com
The 360 video of a Mark Warner ski holiday experience including plenty of slope action as well as chalet life – was available to view on Tigerbay’s stand (at Travel Technology Europe) using an Oculus Rift headset. But why did Tigerbay, most commonly known as a sales and management technology platform, team up with Mesmerise and Gaucho Productions and decide to go down this path? READ MORE
Virtual reality used to spread the travel bug Stuff.co.nz
One Fat sheep, a digital solutions company, is creating some of the most interactive 360 videos in the world. One Fat sheep Managing Director Sebastian Deans said their 360 footage of Hong Kong was part of a partnership with Air New Zealand and tourism company Souther discoveries and it was the first of a larger roll out of immersive 360 video for travel destinations around the world. READ MORE
Bob Igor says AR, not VR is the way of the future for Disney parks Next.reality.news
Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger has out and out rejected Virtual Reality (VR) as a component of any Disney Theme park. While Knott's Berry Farm,), and Six Flags have all invested in VR to help spice up their parks in this theme park depression period, Iger has "ordered his team not to even think about it." Iger instead is very much onboard the Augmented Reality (AR) train. READ MORE
Apple’s next big thing- Augmented Reality Bloomberg.com
Tim Cook has talked up a lot of technologies since becoming Apple Inc.'s chief executive in 2011. Driverless cars. Artificial intelligence. Streaming television. But no technology has fired up Cook quite like augmented reality, which overlays images, video and games on the real world. Cook has likened AR's game-changing potential to that of the smartphone. At some point, he said last year, we will all "have AR experiences every day, almost like eating three meals a day. It will become that much a part of you." READ MORE
Travel brands & meeting planners are using VR to drive conversion skift.com
VR is moving into the mainstream consumer mindset in 2017, and travel brands are leveraging that to engage them in new ways using 3D immersive technology. Brands are also discovering the power of VR to drive higher conversion rates. “Virtual reality is changing the game for a variety of industries including health care, agriculture, manufacturing, and business,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, which produces CES, in a Reddit chat. “Doctors are using VR to enhance traditional therapies, architects use VR to design stronger buildings, and travel agencies are using it to simplify vacation planning.” READ MORE
VR extends its reach into the travel marketing mainstream Tnooz.com
Mention virtual reality (VR) in casual conversation, and you’ll probably be greeted by looks of awe and slight fear. The current technology isn’t quite downloading gray matter yet, but the tech and the uses to which it is put are developing quickly. Marketers are beginning to take advantage of VR and travel is one of the most exciting industry use cases. The technology’s immersive and interactive abilities are a perfect fit with the travel industry’s reliance on selling experiences through storytelling and visual narratives. READ MORE
Why VR vs. AR is an obsolete argument Venturebeat.com
Over the past year, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology have become hot topics, particularly when it comes to how they stack up against each other. Enthusiastic publications are treating these two as fiercely competitive technologies, while in fact, it’s much more likely there will be a place for both in our future. AR and VR both provide next-level viewing experiences, allowing us to see things as if they’re right in front of us. The big difference between the two? The worlds they immerse you in. READ MORE
THE RIDE Choses TimeLooper to Create New VR Experience Broadwayworld.com
The Award-Winning Times' Square attraction juggernaut, THE RIDE, has chosen TimeLooper, a global Virtual Reality platform, to create unforgettable VR moments in New York's history to be scripted into its new timeless production, THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE, Powered by THE RIDE. While continuing to scout and negotiate with City Councils and Zoning Boards in Boston, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo, CEO/CCO Richard Humphrey and President Dan Rogoski have chosen historic Downtown Manhattan for the next revolutionary version of the Internationally acclaimed phenomenon. READ MORE
Busch Gardens Announces New Virtual Reality Attraction Hrscene.com
A virtual reality attraction is coming to Busch Gardens Williamsburg in spring of 2018, the park announced. Busch Gardens disclosed plans for the ride during a presentation at Pass Member Preview Day this morning. Pass members in attendance helped announce the park’s plans during a card reveal that displayed a “Virtual Reality 2018” logo. The new attraction will be located in Ireland on the former site of Europe in America, utilizing virtual reality headsets and a state-of-the-art motion simulator. A name has not been decided, but the ride is based on a hidden world of mythical characters in Ireland. READ MORE
Dive with a Blue Whale in New Virtual-Reality Experience Livescience.com
Visitors to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHMLA) can now immerse themselves in spectacular ocean environments alongside a bevy of sea creatures with a new virtual-reality exhibit. "TheBlu: An Underwater VR Experience" invites users to enter a special viewing gallery, where they don HTC Vive virtual-reality (VR) headsets to explore a series of marine ecosystems. Using handheld controllers, visitors can interact with migrating fish and turtles, vibrant anemones, glowing deep-sea anglerfish, and even an 80-foot-long (24 meters) blue whale. READ MORE
Student says virtual reality vacation was the “best Spring Break ever” Nsucurrent.nova.edu
Sophia Spudson, junior sports management major, had what some might call a unique Spring Break experience. Rather than hitting the beach and getting irresponsibly intoxicated in real time with many of her peers, Spudson had a virtual reality check. She spent her week of fun in the sun indoors pretending she was in Puerto Rico, Cancun and South Beach. READ MORE