News – Page 2

150 Projects Advance to the MVP Phase in AWE’s XR Prize Challenge in a Bid to Combat Climate Change

vrcoin on February 2, 2023

Augmented World Expo (AWE) launched the “XR Prize Challenge: Fight Climate Change” in October 2022. The competition has four key categories: Replace, Visualize, Educate, and Optimize, where the winning group or individual can stand to win a cash prize of $100,000. This January, 150 projects from diverse teams spanning six continents advanced to the competition’s “MVP Phase,” bringing them a step closer to the grand prize. Winners will be announced on June 1, 2023 at the AWE 2023 event in Santa Clara, California. The Global Metaverse Community Bands Together to Combat Climate Change AWE’s competition has enabled the XR community, including XR technologists, climate change experts, as well as individual and corporate participants, to come together and take advantage of AR and VR technologies in a bid to come up with innovative, functional, and impactful XR-based solutions to fight climate change. The varied projects that have advanced to the MVP

$100K Cash Prize Awaits Climate Change-Conscious XR Creators

vrcoin on December 23, 2022

People have differing views on the best way to tackle climate change. In fact, some think it’s too late to make a difference. The problem has become too big and complicated. As a result, humanity can’t rely on just a small part of society to manage it. In line with this, Augmented World Expo (AWE) launched the “XR Prize Challenge: Fight Climate Change.” The organization will accept AR and VR video concept submissions until December 31. Each should present an impactful, creative, and functional XR-based solution to the climate crisis. AWE will award $100,000 to the winning group or individual. XR Prize Challenge Categories Entries should portray XR’s role in society in one of these four categories: 1. REPLACE – Replacing Wasteful Material Practices – Concepts in this category should focus on demonstrating how to use XR solutions as communication and collaboration media to reduce the need for transportation

AR Artwork Is Inspired By Conversations With A Robot

vrcoin on November 30, 2022

You can purchase the AR installation as an NFT for a cool $99,000.Those who attended Art Basel Miami Beach 2022 or the Decipher 2022 Conference in Dubai this past week were in for a treat as renowned new media artist Nancy Baker Cahill debuted a groundbreaking new augmented reality (AR) art piece inspired by her conversations with Sophia the Robot, a human-like robot powered by artificial intelligence (AI).Developed in collaboration with Hanson Robotics, Stone Speaks is the latest in a series of AR art pieces from Cahill and the first in a 10-piece collection that Sophia will develop alongside 10 guest artists over the next 10 years. Inspired by Cahill and Sophia’s shared concern over the climate crisis, the absolutely massive art piece begins as a particle field composed of the elements silicon and carbon.These elements then combine to form a molten core before transitioning into a healthy planet accompanied by digital

‘Paperback Metaverse’ Exhibit Combines Books And AR

vrcoin on October 4, 2022

Visitors scan paperback novels using their smartphones to unlock AR-powered NFTs.ADAPTATIONS: LAND, an environmentally-conscious mixed media art exhibit, kicked off yesterday in San Fransisco. Running now through November 13th, the gallery offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in a number of thought-provoking installations.This includes ‘Paper Metaverse,’ a unique augmented reality (AR) exhibit by Nick Philip of the art collective Imaginary Foundation that blends cutting-edge technology with paperback books. Surrounded by classic literature, visitors scan real paperback novels using their smartphones to unlock AR-powered NFTs.“This installation uses the forgotten pages of yesterday’s novels to tell a collection of stories for tomorrow’s shifting reality,”said the Imaginary Foundation on Facebook. “By contrasting an environment built from thousands of upcycled paperback novels with a dynamic layer of augmented reality activated NFTs, the Paperback Metaverse fuses the physical, the virtual, and the sculptural.”Those lucky enough to find themselves in San Fransisco can check out Paperback

Fitness-Focused AR Game Lets You Earn As You Burn

vrcoin on August 29, 2022

Fatten your wallet while losing fat. The CaloVerse is an exercise-centered ecosystem that allows you to earn real money as you shed away unwanted calories. The cardio-based metaverse is powered by blockchain technology and accessible on compatible iOS and Android devices.Players are tasked with completing a variety of exercise activities which earn them IFIT tokens, Calo Token, and various other in-game rewards. In order to generate cryptocurrency, however, you’ll need to equip a pair of NFT sneakers, each of which is designed for a different physical activity.The CaloVerse is composed of two primary components at the moment: Calo Run and Calo Indoor. Calo Run is a jogging companion that uses GPS to track your real-world movement and translate it into crypto. The latest addition, Calo Indoor, features augmented reality (AR) support for a variety of cardio-based activities, including Reflex Game, Fit the Shape, and Jumping Battle.“Stamina is required to earn FIT

Taco Bell Opens A Wedding Chapel In The Metaverse

vrcoin on August 26, 2022

Each wedding package includes a marriage certificate memento NFT because of course.Taco Bell is getting in on the metaverse game with the opening of the Taco Metaverse Wedding Chapel, a virtual space inside the Decentraland metaverse where select couples can pronounce their love for each other as well as fast-food tacos.While the venue may be digital, the ceremonies themselves are very real. Taco Bell is taking applications from couples interested in uniting in holy matrimony virtually. You’ll walk down the aisle, perform your first dance, and enjoy a delicious menu of food; pretty much everything you’d expect from an IRL wedding.Couples will have full control over the experience, from the style of the venue to their own attire. Speaking of attire, couples as well as guests will receive exclusive NFT wearables to commemorate the magical event. Couples also receive a freshly minted wedding certificate NFT.The entire event will be livestreamed

Surf The Metaverse In Style With The CARV Metaboard

vrcoin on August 10, 2022

Upgrade your Ready player Me avatar and compete against other Metaboard owners in a game of Hoverball.Metaverse company CARV recently announced the CARV1 Metaboard, a metaverse hoverboard that doubles as a digital collectible.Each Metaboard will use avatar integration depending on which metaverse platform you find yourself in and will include custom avatar animations and allow for modifications and upgrades. The hoverboard also features a physics system that allows you to perform tricks and offers item-optimization per metaverse environment. 🎞️ Check out our new trailer 🎦Then retweet, join the waitlist & make sure you’re following for your chance to win a 100% FREE Quest 2 or custom trucker hat (NFT + IRL) 🧢we’ll be drawing our next winner this Friday… pic.twitter.com/1bWCXiyiMm— CARV (@CARVlabs) July 25, 2022 Nathan Grotticelli, CEO of CARV talked with VRScout about how he sees people using his Metaboards, saying, “We see people using Metaboards to traverse 3D model

Voted, Passed and Signed: XRA Commended the CHIPS and Science Act

vrcoin on August 10, 2022

The Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act signed into law on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. President Joe Biden signed the H.R.7178 Act after lawmakers on Capitol Hill passed the landmark bill late last month. Semiconductors or microchips are tiny computer chips about the size of a fingertip. They are the building blocks of the modern economy. Microchips power smartphones, vehicles, and electronics. The CHIPS and Science Act spurs projects to produce semiconductors in the US. Biden stated that the US invented the semiconductor, and the law brings it back home. The landmark bill will fund US semiconductor manufacture and research. The law encompasses over $52 billion in subsidies. It aims to strengthen initiatives to make the US more competitive with tech giant China. The legislation establishes “immersive technology,” a fundamental area of national technological development. The Senate voted to approve the bill as well. The bill

Nike Partners With RTFKT To Launch AR Hoodies

vrcoin on July 18, 2022

Digital fashion for the real world.Last year, Nike officially acquired RTFKT Studios, a Web3 fashion house specializing in digital apparel. Shortly thereafter the company released RTFKT x Nike Dunks Genesis CryptoKicks, a pair of physical sneakers with their own NFT counterparts.This week Nike expanded its lineup of NFT clothing with the RTFKT x Nike AR Genesis Hoodie, an exclusive digital hoodie for RTFKT’s Clone X NFT avatars. In addition to the virtual item, each owner will also receive a physical hoodie equipped with a near-field communication chip (NFC) that allows for wireless communication between the clothing and its respective NFT.Using a combination of trackers and QR codes, owners can bring their physical hoodies to life in AR with effects such as virtual wings. Moving forward, the company will introduce additional utilities to its catalog of digital clothing, such as tokens to access exclusive in-person events.According to the company, the RTFKT x Nike AR

Regal and Moviebill Deliver AR Collectibles to Moviegoers

vrcoin on July 18, 2022

For some, going to the movie theater is a magical experience. Some might even save their ticket stubs from favorite films viewed on the big screen. And, what makes every collectible better? An AR collectible, of course. A partnership between Regal Cinemas and Moviebill is showing us how it’s done. An Ongoing Partnership Regal is a cinema chain stretching across America. That includes the continental United States, but it also includes Alaska, Hawaii, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. If you don’t already know where to find the Regal Cinema nearest to you, you can find it on this list. The Regal app is home to the Moviebill scanner. Moviebill, an AR studio that launched in 2016, has been working with Regal for a number of years on AR collectibles to bring even more magic to big-budget movies “to keep the theatrical experience going