Latest education updates from around the world

Audi Co-founded VR Entertainment Startup Holoride Files for Bankruptcy

By |May 13, 2024|

Holoride, the Germany-based startup bringing XR entertainment to car passengers, has filed for bankruptcy, citing the inability to secure its latest investment round.

In a LinkedIn post, Holoride CEO & co-founder Nils Wollny reveals the company’s latest investment round “appeared secure,” however it fell apart at the last minute.

“Despite the lead investor’s conviction, the negotiated term sheet, finalized contracts, and scheduled notary appointment, the LP funds failed to arrive on time,” Wollny maintains.

The company’s most recent funding round was in December 2021, which was an undisclosed amount led by Vendetta Capital.

In reflection, Wollny says Holoride was “early, imperfect, and […]

Tech Audits: What Schools Need to Know

By |May 13, 2024|

Between the evolving technology needs of schools and the budgets schools have to deal with, tech audits can be critical to your school’s success

Create a Rotating Student Work Slideshow

By |May 10, 2024|

As the school year comes to a close, showcasing the creativity and hard work of your students becomes a delightful and reflective end-of-year activity. One excellent way to celebrate student achievements is by creating a digital slideshow that highlights their projects, art, and assignments. Google Slides offers a simple yet effective tool for this purpose….

The post Create a Rotating Student Work Slideshow appeared first on Teacher Tech with Alice Keeler.

Latest SteamVR Update Includes Steam Link Improvements for Quest

By |May 10, 2024|

The latest major SteamVR update has arrived, coming with it an improvement to Steam Link for Quest.

Initially released in November 2023, Steam Link is Valve’s own app on the Meta Quest Store which allows users to quickly and easily connect their Quest headset wirelessly to SteamVR to play PC VR or flatscreen PC content, essentially letting you bypass Meta’s own Air Link.

The 2.5 update includes a number of bug fixes and quality of life improvements across SteamVR, however if you’re a Quest user, you ought to notice some better stability when it comes to using […]

‘Pokémon Go’ Studio Releases Mixed Reality Pet ‘Hello, Dot’, Now Available on Quest 3

By |May 10, 2024|

Niantic, the studio behind Pokémon Go, revealed it’s been working on a Quest 3 mixed reality experience that lets you play with your very own pint-sized virtual pet.

Called Hello, Dot, Niantic calls the app a “mixed reality showcase” from its Peridot AR pet franchise, which the studio launched on mobile last year.

Here’s how the studio describes Hello, Dot:

Hello, Dot, takes the best parts of caring for your adorable Dot companions and brings them to life through the magic of mixed reality. In this immersive experience, you’ll be able to admire just how visually stunning your Dots are up close, […]

Quest 3 Has Higher Effective Resolution, So Why Does Everyone Think Vision Pro Looks Best?

By |May 10, 2024|

Take a look around the web at reviews of Vision Pro and you’ll find that practically everyone agrees: Vision Pro’s display is excellent. Words like “crisp,” “smooth,” and “4K,” are commonly used when people are talking about the headset’s visuals. But what if I told you Apple’s headset actually has a lower effective resolution than Quest 3?

Editor’s Note: Words like ‘display’ and ‘resolution’ are often used as a catchall when talking about an XR headset’s visuals. In this article I’ll be using the term “resolving power” to describe the maximum possible detail that can be seen through a […]

VR Attraction Sandbox VR Announces Major Expansion With 25 New Locations in the Coming Years

By |May 10, 2024|

Sandbox VR, the location-based VR attraction, announced it’s opening 25 new locations as a result of a partnership with Apparel Group, the United Arab Emirates-based fashion and lifestyle company.

The partnership is described as a “massive franchise deal” with Apparel Group, which has 85 brands and more than 2,200 stores across 14 countries, including much of the Middle East, South East Asia, India, Pakistan, Egypt and South Africa.

The collaboration will begin by opening 25 locations in the Middle East by the end of 2028, Sandbox VR says, owing to what founder and CEO Steve Zhao calls “an overwhelmingly positive […]

VR Attraction Sandbox VR Announces Major Expansion With 25 New Locations in the Coming Years

By |May 10, 2024|

Sandbox VR, the location-based VR attraction, announced it’s opening 25 new locations as a result of a partnership with Apparel Group, the United Arab Emirates-based fashion and lifestyle company.

The partnership is described as a “massive franchise deal” with Apparel Group, which has 85 brands and more than 2,200 stores across 14 countries, including much of the Middle East, South East Asia, India, Pakistan, Egypt and South Africa.

The collaboration will begin by opening 25 locations in the Middle East by the end of 2028, Sandbox VR says, owing to what founder and CEO Steve Zhao calls “an overwhelmingly positive […]

Kinetic Rhythm Game ‘Spin Rhythm XD’ is Coming to PSVR 2 This Summer, Free VR Update to Steam

By |May 9, 2024|

Spin Rhythm XD (2023), the kinetic rhythm-action game, is coming to PSVR 2, PS5 and PS4 this summer, which is also slated to include a free VR update to the original game on Steam.

Releasing on July 9th, Spin Rhythm XD is a bit like a cross between Bop It and Guitar Hero, but instead of a Fender with colored buttons or some strange plastic Plumbus, you’ve got your VR headset’s motion controllers and a sort of kinetic colored wheel.

The game, which was developed by Super Spin Digital and released initially on PC last year, is including […]

Marvel and ILM Immersive Announce Vision Pro Exclusive Based on Animated Series ‘What If…?’

By |May 9, 2024|

Marvel Studios and ILM Immersive today announced a new interactive story coming exclusively to Apple Vision Pro, which is based on the popular Disney+ animated series What If…?.

Called What If…? – An Immersive Story, the developers call it an “immersive, narrative-driven and innovative story in mixed reality,” which is promised to be an hour-long experience.

It’s also said to use both augmented and virtual reality, letting users interact by using both their eyes and hands, also including both new and iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe locations.

Here’s how the developers describe it:

“What If…?” reimagines events from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) […]

‘Batman: Arkham Shadow’ Trailer Massively Downvoted for Being a VR Game & Quest 3 Exclusive

By |May 8, 2024|

Meta announced Batman: Arkham Shadow last week, which is coming exclusively to Quest 3 in late 2024. And wouldn’t you know it, YouTube users absolutely hate it.

Although YouTube disabled the dislike button counter in 2021, you can still get a good idea of how the public is reacting to any given video by installing an extension to your browser, like Chrome’s ‘Return YouTube Dislike‘.

Released officially through both IGN’s main YouTube channel and Meta’s own YouTube channel (linked below) on May 1st, Batman: Arkham Shadow’s announcement trailer really seems to be racking up the dislikes.

These sorts […]

Razer Releases New Quest 3 Accessories With Some Rather Unsurprising Price Tags

By |May 7, 2024|

Razer announced its Facial Interface and Adjustable Head Strap System for Quest 3 is now available in the US, Canada, and Europe.

Priced at $70 each, the accessories essentially are the Quest 3 versions of the previously released Facial Interface and Adjustable Head Strap System for Quest 2, which was released in March 2023.

The Facial Interface is made of a soft injection-molded silicone free from latex and PU/TPE additives, and boasts a snug fit which prevents light from spilling in, while airflow vents allow for warm, moist air to escape.

Image courtesy Razer

The Adjustable Head Strap System is said to […]

Apple’s Official Vision Pro Case May Be Pricey, But It Saved a Headset From a 4,000 Pound SUV

By |May 7, 2024|

Apple probably didn’t actually design its pricey Vision Pro case to be impervious to getting run over by a car. But at least for one thankful customer though, it seems the official carrying case was well worth the extra cash.

At $200, the official Apple Vision Pro Travel Case isn’t exactly the best deal out there, since Vision Pro can technically fit into a vast array of VR headset cases already on the market.

Still, one Reddit user is probably pretty happy they chose the premium option, which Apple seems to have actually undersold in its spec sheet; it only lists some […]

Meta to Pull ‘Beat Saber’ Multiplayer on Quest 1 Later This Year

By |May 7, 2024|

Beat Saber was the defining game on Quest when it came to the company’s first standalone at launch back in 2019, making the infectious block-slashing rhythm game a real system-seller. Now, Meta says it’s cutting Beat Saber’s online services for Quest 1 later this year.

The Meta-owned studio Beat Games revealed the news via a post on X, maintaining that all multiplayer functionality will be pulled come November 2nd, 2024:

Dear players, to focus our development efforts on our next projects within Beat Saber, we will no longer support Meta Quest 1 as of November 2, 2024. The game will […]

Major Auto Makers Are Fully Embracing XR in the Vehicle Design Process

By |May 7, 2024|

Some major car manufacturers still design cars in clay before heading into production, and while that tradition doesn’t seem to be going away just yet, companies like Ford, Volvo and Rivian say mixed reality headsets are substantially helping them to reduce time and cost in vehicle design.

In a new video focusing on the Australia-base ddesign team behind the Ford Ranger, Ranger Raptor and Everest, we get a look at just how one of the world’s largest car manufacturers is using mixed reality, namely Varjo’s enterprise-focused XR-3 headset.

“We’ve been using mixed reality in the design process for more than a […]