‘Paperback Metaverse’ Exhibit Combines Books And AR

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

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

Surf The Metaverse In Style With The CARV Metaboard

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

Nike Partners With RTFKT To Launch AR Hoodies

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

The Vatican Is Opening Its Own VR Gallery To ‘Democratize Art’

The digital venue will feature NFT artwork based on famous works from The Vatican’s collection.One of the most popular art museums in the world is teaming up with metaverse developer Sensorium Corporation to launch an official NFT gallery available in VR and on desktops. Here, visitors will be able to peruse a collection of renowned works of art brought to life in the metaverse.Leading the initiative is Humanity 2.0, a non-profit organization funded by the Vatican dedicated to solving socio-economic and cultural issues through a combination of media and technology. This partnership will bring The Vatican’s art, content, and academic initiatives to VR for the first time, allowing anyone access regardless of their physical location.Created in the 16th century, The Vatican is home to art from a wide range of legendary artists, including Michelangelo, Salvador Dalí, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso just to name a few. As for which

Genies Secures $150M Series C to Expand Development on Metaverse Avatars

Genies, a 3D avatar company, announced it’s raised a $150 million Series C investment, something it says will be used to hire more engineering talent and continue development on its non-fungible token (NFT) based “avatar universe.”

The round was led by private equity firm Silver Lake, and includes participation from existing investors BOND, NEA, and Tamarack Global. This brings the company’s total outside investment to $202 million, with the company now valued at $1 billion.

The company’s main focus for now is on avatar creator tools and digital fashion collections which it hopes will be used across the metaverse—and not just sit in a crypto wallet. The company envisions creating avatar homes and social experiences in the future—presumably also minted as tradable NFTs.

In late 2021, Genies notably inked a partnership with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group to launch its own NFT marketplace, called ‘The Warehouse’. Users and creators on the platform can buy, sell, and trade avatars and accessories, which are minted on Dapper Labs’ blockchain network, Flow. The deal also saw NFT partnerships with a number of musicians, including Justin Bieber, Migos, Cardi B, and J Balvin.

“We believe avatar ecosystems are going to shape Web3 the same way that mobile apps defined Web2,” said Akash Nigam, CEO of Genies. “With every advancement of the internet, an expansive new region of entrepreneurial skill sets is born. In Web3, Gen Z avatar ecosystem builders are going to be the leaders of innovation and, through our creator tools, we strive to empower their wildest imaginations, ideas, and experiences as avatar creations.”

It’s not clear whether this particular blockchain tech will become the standard for digital ownership in the Web3 future, where digital property ownership is set to go well beyond pictures of cartoon apes. Just the same, many household names in the XR industry are also jumping into the NFT craze. HTC opened its own NFT marketplace in December, albeit solely dedicated to ‘flat’ NFT art for now. Meta is planning to do the same on its social network Facebook, although there’s still no clear launch date.

This article was originally published on roadtovr.com

Snoop Dogg’s New Music Video Was Shot In The Metaverse

“Walkin’ though The Sandbox with flip-flops on…”Very few celebrities have embraced the growing Web3 industry (NFTs, crypto, the metaverse) quite like Snoop Dogg. Since his music debut back in 1992, the prolific rapper, media personality, and entrepreneur has managed to remain in the public eye thanks in large part to his fearless embrace of new technologies and mediums. So it makes sense that the West Coast native would eventually gravitate towards the metaverse.Last September it was announced that Snoop was developing his own virtual world inside The Sandbox, one of several rapidly-growing social metaverse platforms. Referred to as the “Snoopverse,” users can explore a custom virtual world featuring all things Snoop Dogg, collect valuable NFT drops, and watch exclusive in-world concerts. Snoop’s virtual world is so popular that one superfan recently spent a jaw-dropping $500,000 to be the rapper’s virtual neighbor.Earlier this month, Snoop sent shockwaves through the music industry

Nike’s “Just Do It” Attitude Pays Off In The Metaverse

The company’s Nikeland metaverse proves a hit among Roblox players. Since the launch of Nikeland, a virtual world built by Nike inside the hit video game Roblox, the company has been visited by almost 7 million people from 224 countries. Here they could browse a digital store filled with Nike products and hang out with popular NBA players.During the NBA All-Star Week back in February, NBA superstar LeBron James stepped into Nikeland to talk directly with fans about basketball, give a few virtual high fives, and help motivate people to get active, either on a basketball court or in their favorite physically-active VR games. [embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=U1yX7awE5P0&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent[/embed] “On the Nikeland court, LeBron coached and engaged with players, and participants were rewarded for physical gameplay with the ability to unlock virtual products,” said Nike’s Chief Executive and President Jack Donahoe during a Q3 earnings call.For Nike, the metaverse holds a lot of

HTC Vive Announces Viveverse, A Cross-Platform Metaverse

Viveverse is a metaverse inside a metaverse inside a…HTC Vive this week revealed Viveverse, an open-source VR metaverse composed of various interactive worlds, apps, and games. Accessible via a smartphone, PC, tablet, and the company’s new Vive Flow VR glasses, the cross-platform allows users to travel between various platforms like Vive Sync and Engage, a popular enterprise metaverse platform. You can even connect your favorite crypto wallet and import your favorite NFTs using the Vive Flow. [embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=rTislcoD4eA&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent[/embed] The goal, according to HTC Vive, is to create an open-ended digital universe where users can travel between worlds while maintaining a sense of “identity, security, and privacy.” The company says its partnering with hundreds of partners to expand its growing platform, including Beatday, Engage, VRChat, and Vive Sync. Users can connect to Viveverse using the Vive Connect cross-platform app.“Since starting VIVE in 2015, we’ve integrated technology with humanity. Viverse is taking

Order Real Food In McDonald’s Metaverse Restaurant

Have it your way in the metaverse.The fast-food giant McDonald’s has filed 10 trademark applications that will put McDonald’s restaurants in the metaverse. Not only will you be able to visit a digital version of the golden arches, but you’ll also be able to order popular items such as the Big Mac, a cheeseburger Happy Meal, or a McChicken, and have them delivered directly to your home in the real world. The company, which was founded in 1940 by Richard and Maurice McDonald and then purchased by Ray Kroc in 1961, plans on creating virtual versions of both McDonald’s restaurants and their McCafe’s. These digital locations will deliver an experience impossible to replicate at a physical store.Credit: McDonald’sThe announcement of McDonald’s venture into the metaverse was made on Twitter when trademark attorney Josh Gerben tweeted out that the company has filed ten trademark applications indicating it plans to offer “a virtual