From Past to the Future: Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality and X(Cross) Reality

If you want to know what is Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, this article might help you understand them. 

On the 23 October 2019, Life Intelligence Group proudly hosted the Digital Innovation Sydney meet-up with the theme: Discover and Innovate with Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality. 

As a company that focuses on changing the future, we were honored to have 42interactive (a team of lead professionals in the digital, mobile and immersive content space) who showed us the amazing technologies of AR/VR through live demos and experience. 

 

At first, we were confused with all these technologies but thanks to 42interactive, we have gained additional insights. And now, we are happy to share it with you.

From a simple science fiction prediction to reality, the evolution of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR) and Cross Reality (XR) has come a long way. 

Hearing these terms makes us think they are all pretty much the same, that they are a new form of technology and are purely created for recreation purposes. However, the concept of AR/VR technology dates back in the 1800s! In addition, they are not only used for entertainment purposes but also for business and science applications.

To avoid confusion and get a deeper understanding of these technologies, we look at the differences and similarities of AR/VR technology, their uses, and their transformation over the years.

Getting to Know All the Realities

  • Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality is a technology that enhances our real, physical world with superimposed computer-generated images and other digitally created content such as sounds and videos. The digital overlaying alters the perception of reality, providing the users or viewers with a one of a kind interactive experience.

Some of the best examples of Augmented Reality technology include Nintendo’s Pokémon Go App, a popular mobile game that involves catching and training Pokémon characters in a real location. Another one is the Weather Channel’s realistic visualization of extreme weather conditions such as tornadoes and hurricanes to explain what could they look like once they hit the ground.

  • Virtual Reality

You may think Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are just the same. At some point, VR and AR have similarities with each other in terms of their technologies, their entertainment purposes and the way they change the field of science and medicine. However, when it comes to their real purpose and delivery method, these two technologies are entirely different.

While Augmented Reality enhances the experience by adding layers of digital-generated objects and elements on top of a real environment and is being used across different mobile devices, Virtual Reality is a technology that allows you to interact with and immerse in a computer-generated environment, and this can be typically achieved by wearing a VR headset or goggle such as Facebook’s Oculus. With Virtual Reality, it’s as if you have escaped the real world and was transported in another dimension.

Image from rawpixel.com

  • Mixed Reality and X (Cross) Reality

To understand Mixed Reality and XR (or Cross Reality), one must have a basic understanding of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Now that you know the definition and difference between AR and VR, it’s time to know more about Mixed Reality and XR.

What is Mixed Reality?

Mixed Reality is a step beyond Augmented Reality as it combines the real world and the virtual objects. The concepts of AR and VR are combined to create a “mixed” reality, which makes the experience even more out of this world.

“a mixed reality environment, therefore, is one in which real-world and virtual world objects are presented together within a single display, that is, anywhere between the extrema of the virtuality continuum,” (an excerpt from titled “A Taxonomy of Mixed Reality Visual Displays.” a paper by Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino).

Mixed Reality allows users to interact with virtual objects within the real environment in real-time. These digitally-created objects will also respond to the user like they are real. This technology is now being used in the manufacturing industry and the medical field.  

What is XR?

XR also referred to as Cross Reality, is not a specific technology but an umbrella term for AR, VR, MR, and other incoming Reality technologies.

XR covers the entire spectrum of real worlds and virtual worlds – the hardware, software, methods, and experience that make all the present Reality technologies. It refers to the combination of real and virtual worlds and the interaction of humans and machines generated by computer and wearable devices. Other definitions of XR include platforms and elements where the user can bring real objects into the virtual environment or see physical objects in a digital environment.

Where it all Started: Historical Background of AR, VR, and MR

Photo by Eddie Kopp on Unsplash

1838-49: Invention of Stereoscopic photos & viewers, from Charles Wheatstone’s Stereoscope in 1838 to William Gruber’s View-Master in William Gruber and the lenticular stereoscope of David Brewster in 1849.

1929: Edward Link created the “Link Trainer”, which was deemed as the first commercial Flight Simulator.

1958: Invention of Sensorama by cinematographer Morton Heilig, the first attempt to achieve Augmented Reality through delivering visuals, sounds, vibration, including smell to the viewers.

1968: First AR/VR head-mounted head display created by Ivan Sutherland and was called (Sword of Damocles). The head-mounted AR/VR introduces users to the virtual world.

1969: The term Artificial Reality was coined by Myron Kruger, a virtual reality computer artist. Artificial reality is a series of computer-generated environments

1975: Myron Kruger built a laboratory which he referred to as “Videoplace”, which was considered to have the first “virtual reality” interface.

1980: Steve Mann introduced the world’s first wearable computing, also known as wearables or body-borne computers.

1989: Jason Lainer popularised the term “Virtual Reality”. Lainer developed several VR gears such as the Dataglove and the Eyephone.

1990: The term “Augmented Reality” is created by Thomas P. Caudell of Boeing

1992: Louis Rosenberg developed the first advanced AR/VR System called “Virtual Fixtures”. This technology is a complex robotic system that aims to improve workplace productivity.

1993: SEGA VR Headset, a wrap-around prototype glass, was introduced, with features such as LCD screens in the visor, head tracking, and stereo sound.

1994: The first appearance of Mixed Reality through a research paper written by Paul Milgram and Fumio Kishino

1995: The Nintendo Virtual Boy, a 3D gaming console, was first released in Japan and North America.

2000s: AR in print media and ARToolkit in Adobe Flash were made available in 2009. Google released the Google Glass wearable AR technology in 2014. Microsoft Hololens AR Headset in 2016. AR applications have been used in retails in 2017.

Consumer Adoption of AR/VR

With the hype of digital devices these days, introducing the AR/VR technology to the consumers may sound like an easy job, but it’s not. When talking about Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, there’s one best word to associate with it, and that is the “future”. However, not everyone is ready for these futuristic innovations, and not all consumers are already familiar with these technologies. How do retailers cope with these challenges?

A study from Artillery in 2018 found that 87% of US consumers using a mobile phone, only one-third of them are using augmented reality. Out of these one-third users, 73% said they were satisfied with their AR experience. On the VR side, the same report found only 11% of US consumers have VR headset. A survey from eMarketer also revealed that only 10% of US consumers have used AR or VR for shopping. But 45% of them say they would like to try these technologies.

So why are there more AR users than VR users in the US? According to eMarketer, AR applications can be easily accessed through mobile devices, which is easier for the majority of users. In addition to this, there are human factors that hold back the consumer’s adoption to AR/VR technology. Some of these include aesthetics, comfort, and customization.

On a brighter note, a forecast from eMarketer and Statista shows promising statistics for retail. In 2019, eMarketer estimated 42.9 million US consumers will use VR and 68.7 million people will use AR once a month. In 2020, 77.7% of US consumers will become AR users, while 51.8% will be VR users. In 2021, 85% will use AR and 57.1 will be VR users.

A survey from Statista projects massive growth in both AR and VR headset sales in 2019 and the coming years. This suggests that both Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies will sell more than 30 million units every year by 2023.

Image from rawpixel.com

The Future is Fun and Bright

At Life Intelligence Group, we set our minds in the future. We make sure to always stay ahead of the technological advancements to provide only the most state-of-the-art services. We focus on innovation and we are committed to changing people’s lives through our application TaskSpur and our very own intelligent personal assistant Ari.

In the future, our users can run TaskSpur with Reality Glasses and work with Ari to help them manage their life at work and at home in a more interactive way. With TaskSpur, we’ll change the way you get things done and accomplish your goals in life.

The future is here and now. We are here to help you embrace it with enthusiasm. 

Why Privacy Matters in a Digital World (and Tips to Protect Your Personal Data)

In this digital age, there are two important facts you should keep in mind. First, the online world is not a safe place. Second, internet privacy always matters.  

As of January 2017, statistics show that 50% of the global population has access to the Internet. While this may sound like amazing news, being connected to the online world, however, has its drawbacks – and one of these is the access and abuse of your personal data. 

Did you know that hacking attacks happen every 39 seconds? Cybercriminals, organisations and even the government can get your information easily and use it for their own purposes. In fact, a survey from TechRepublic in 2016 found that 95% of breached records came from the following industries: Government, retail, and technology industries. In 2018, cybercrime generated at least $1.5 billion. No wonder the cybersecurity market is expected to be worth $300 billion in 2024. 

If you don’t take your online privacy seriously, a lot of unexpected things can happen. Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself and your family from data security threats.

The Importance of Online Privacy

Privacy is a person’s right to keep their personal matters and information a secret from the public eye. Data privacy refers to how data (a piece of information) is gathered, shared and used. Internet privacy (also known as Personally Identifiable Information) falls to the category of data privacy.  

Issues related to data privacy can occur in response to information from different sources such as health records, financial transactions, privacy breaches and using persistent website cookies. In addition, as more and more people are using the Internet to search for information, purchase things online or send emails, data privacy has become increasingly important, but at the same time, at risk of cyberattacks. 

Cybercriminals use advanced techniques to get your personal and financial information. They violate consumer privacy because they can earn from it. Once they can access your account, they can easily steal your most important data such as your contact details, email addresses, credit card numbers, and working IP address. Government agencies and private companies, who also collect your data, are also at risk of major data breaches, which can cause them extensive and damaging after-effects. 

That’s why internet privacy is critical. As a user, it is your responsibility to protect your personal data by staying vigilant with any information you share online. You have the right to secure your privacy and to file a legal complaint whenever your information is being used without your permission. 

Surprising Online Privacy Facts You Need to Know

The following online privacy facts further explain the importance of data privacy and how to stay safe while you’re using the Internet. 

Ads follow you around the web – have you noticed that when you jump from one website to another, the same ad shows up based on your recent web searches or visits? This is called “behavioural retargeting”, which is used by advertisers for around 8 years. They do this by dropping Cookies on your browser, and other techniques. This helps them track your activities online including your browsing habits. To avoid this, be sure to disable or delete cookies as often as needed. 

Always online? You can be at greater risk for cyberattacks – in 2017, 17 million Americans have been affected by identity theft (Javelin Strategy). Cybercriminals are getting smarter. They use various strategies to trick users into revealing their personal information or infect their devices with spyware and malware. By simply downloading files or clicking and sharing links with an unknown source, you can easily lose your personal data or bank account details.   

Reusing passwords can make your account hackable – are you guilty of using the same password for all your accounts and devices? Though this helps you to remember your password easily, it can also compromise your data privacy. Once a cybercriminal can get into one of your accounts, they could also access your other accounts or devices that use the same password. Securing your passwords in the first place using a password manager can help prevent this threat from happening. 

Skipping reading the Terms and Conditions means access to all kinds of data – A website’s Privacy Policy is the gist of information that tells the way the website gathers, uses, and discloses your data. Be sure to take the time to read the Policies and don’t click the Agree button right away until you fully understand what’s written on the document. 

Your Internet records are retained – Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or Telecom companies can store your Internet connection records for a longer period. They don’t only monitor your activities online but also filter your email and slows down other websites. In addition, they also know your browsing history and have a record of all your contact information such as emails, contacts, schedules including the places you’ve been to and the photos you uploaded.

The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal

In early 2018, the Internet community was shaken by what was deemed as a major political scandal in history involving two giant companies: Facebook and Cambridge Analytica.

Facebook, as we all know, is one of the largest and most influential social media company services in the world today, with 500 million active members. Cambridge Analytica, on the other hand, is a data analytics and consulting firm based in the UK with offices in New York and Washington DC.

The scandal was revealed in March 2018. Cambridge Analytica was accused of illegally collecting and using data from over 50 million Facebook users in America and at least a million in Britain. This data was used to “change audience behaviour” and influence a number of political campaigns like the US presidential elections and Brexit. As stated by the Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower Christopher Wylie, “We exploited Facebook to harvest millions of people’s profiles”.

How Facebook Data was used by Cambridge Analytica?

To better understand this complex situation, here’s a summary of what really happened between Facebook and Cambridge Analytica:

  • In 2014, Facebook launched a personality quiz app called “thisisyourdigitallife”, which was created by University of Cambridge Psychology Professor Aleksandr Kogan.
  • The app involves filling out the questionnaire which allows the software to collect the user’s personal information, including their Facebook friends’ details. Kogan passed the gathered data to Cambridge Analytica.
  • The data harvesting of users who took the quiz, including their connections, resulted in the data breach of the overall 50 million Facebook users’ personal information. This activity is illegal in many countries and violates Facebook’s data policy.
  • Cambridge Analytica used the collected data points from Facebook to create a profile-based model and run personalised political campaigns suitable for different users on other social media platforms, aside from Facebook. This system allegedly influences the target voters’ decision making and election choices.

Following the data breach revelations, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued his public apology:” We have a responsibility to protect your information. If we can’t, we don’t deserve it… This was a breach of trust, and I’m sorry we didn’t do more at the time. We’re now taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” As for Cambridge Analytica, CEO Alexander Nix was suspended from his position and the company stopped its operation on the 1st of May 2018.

Easy Ways to Help Protect Your Personal Data 

Here are some simple and quick tips to help you stay smart online:

  • Don’t automatically provide your personal data. Think carefully before you click. Determine if the source can really be trusted. If you are asked online in an exchange of downloadable material, consider using an old or fake account to protect your personal information. 
  • Use and create different accounts depending on the platform you’re using. For instance, have a different email address for your social media, and another separate email for your other online accounts. 
  • Use strong and unique passwords for all of your important accounts. Avoid saving passwords on your devices. Be mindful of what you and your family share on social media. 
  • Safely delete all important data from the gadgets and devices that you are no longer using such as computers, smartphones, and tablets.  
  • Before throwing them away, shred papers and documents that contain personal and sensitive information. 
  • Update your computer’s operating system and browser. Make sure that you’re using a licensed and latest version of security and antivirus software.
  • Enable encryption in your messaging apps. Store your most important data on a backup external disk and not on a device you often used.  

The fantastic advances in the field of electronic communication constitute a greater danger to the privacy of the individual. — Earl Warren

Data privacy is a serious matter and must always be taken seriously. By keeping these reminders in mind and by being cautious of sharing your personal information online, you can prevent privacy risks and improve your private browsing experience. 

They say online privacy is dead. At Life Intelligence Group, we say it’s fully alive. Securing and protecting the privacy of our online community is one of our top priorities. This is why we use technology to protect your privacy only. You can get your own personal assistant to do your online transactions while staying completely private.  To learn more about how our tools (TaskSpur & Ari) can keep your personal information and Internet activities private, please visit our website: https://www.taskspur.com/.

What we say about NitroPack

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By far, this is the best plugin I’ve tried to speed up WordPress websites. Nitropack can also be used for Magento, OpenCart, WooCommerce, and custom websites.


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Here is something I just learned today (2020 11 9) and I got this from Deyan of Nitropack.

If you would enable Google Ads on the site, enable the Optimize Ads option under Settings.

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Source: https://www.brodneil.com/nitropack-review-does-it-really-work/
Nitropack Review: Does it Really Work?

What is Broadband internet connection?

Modem WiFi router

Broadband refers to high internet connection. In other words, it is fast internet access. There are no clear definitions of what high internet connection should be but it is easy to determine if your internet is fast enough on some set benchmarks. High internet connection is anything which has speeds of over 256 Kilobytes per second. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognizes high internet speeds to be a minimum of 768 kbps or more in bit rate. The standard dial-up internet connection which most of us use, has only a bit rate of 56kps.

However, I understand that numbers are not everyone’s bread and butter and therefore if the above numerals do not mean much to you, what you simply need to understand is that a high internet connection allows you to download, upload, stream or do any other task online without a hitch. Broadband internet connections will give you a breath-taking internet experience.

Compared to the dial-up or the narrow internet connection, broadband connection is similar to a highway with countless lanes which allows more traffic. Most broadband connections are done by use of a modem WiFi router, cable or the DSL connection. The use of DSL makes broadband internet connection more affordable but the speeds and quality of the connections will all depend with where you are located.

To get a reliable broadband connection, you need to hire the services of a reputable Internet Service Provider (ISP). One well established UK business broadband provider is Lascom Solutions Ltd. They offer  free telephone line with broadband installation, along with all the various technologies, ADSL, FTTF, FTTP and leased lines. They can tailor an unlimited use package to suit business needs. That’s why it’s wise to settle on a provider with best, affordable and guaranteed coverage in your location. Their prices are also, fixed for the duration of the contract and for UK based business only.

Future of E-Commerce

E-commerce v Retail: 

For all its enduring hype — physical versus digital, offline versus on — the old war is over. In fact, it’s always been a lie. Choice, not location, is commerce’s greatest opportunity and its most-looming threat.

In defense of retail’s “apocalypse,” brick-and-mortar losses are mounting; the four-year bankruptcy count now sits at 57 once-landmark chains. Manufacturing market share and in-store sales for consumer packaged goods are flat or declining. Born-online “microbrands” have devoured the lion’s share of growth. And ecommerce’s gains continue to trounce retail as a whole.

Here’s the uncomfortable twist: brick-and-mortar still dominates online sales by over $20 trillion. And the gap will widen. After a quarter century, ecommerce’s spread is slowing, 80% of 2018’s gains belonged to Amazon, and (in the U.S.) the top five online retailers own 64.7% of sales:

The brands that are winning,” says Fab Dolan, Head of Marketing at Google Canada, “are the ones that understand and own the fundamental interplay between experiential and transactional. If we were to believe that retail is dead, then we should be spending all of our money doing online ads and guiding people to our website. And yet, what we’re seeing time and time again is that building anticipation and an appreciation for the magic of our products happens in the real world even though most people buy online or through call centers.

“Will retail look fundamentally different and maybe unrecognizable in ten years? Yeah. But it’ll always depend on how you navigate the interplay between offline and online worlds, how you — the brand — interlock customers and products.”

The future belongs neither to legacy giants nor pure-play ecommerce. Instead, it belongs to direct-to-consumer (DTC) models, often referred to as digitally native vertical brands (DNVB). Just don’t let the name fool you.

Read more:https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/the-future-of-ecommerce

Epson EH TW9300W Review of the best bang for buck projector

Leading Evaluations Confirmed Purchase of the Epson EH TW9300W

https://youtu.be/nKajcKf7JoE

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I acquired my last projector back in 2002 – an LCD Toshiba MT7 1000 lumen “400:1 ANSI comparison” projector. It had a good widescreen image and has also offered excellent contentment for over 15 years. I eventually obtained an Epson EH TW9300W as I was fed up with not having an HDMI input considering that Hollywood has really worked so successfully to make RGB inputs dated.

Epson EH TW9300W review

This EH-9300W Epson is commonly kept in mind as a Best buy, after a couple of weeks use, I really do concur. A much brighter sharper image. Outstanding comparison (though constantly restricted by location darkness). And also the 4K improved (not the 8 megapixels of real 4K, yet a real 4 megapixels which is still twice the pixels of HDTV) picture is visibly sharper than HD alone. The 9000:1 on-off comparison is undoubtedly far better than my previous projector, nevertheless, it is fascinating that also 400:1 can look fantastic in my partly lit resting space. I utilize a repainted inflexible 110″ diag screen (taking advantage of Goo Display Paint) however this projector can rapidly predict a really viewable 160″ image!

One of the most intriguing as well as practical features of the Epson EH TW9300W is that for about ₤ 150 more; it includes a WiHD 60GHz cordless transmitter to beam 4K pictures wirelessly to the projector. Additionally, the little transmitter box has four complete HDCP 2.2 rated 4K HDMI inputs (much better than the wired inputs on the projector itself) and additionally will definitely likewise reroute and also result in full digital audio on it’s HDMI out port to my non-HDCP v2.2 qualified Yamaha Theater Amplifier. This suggests I can get full Dolby TrueHD etc from 4 K resources (like an Apple TV 4K) without needing to scrap my 2-year-old Yamaha. The wireless link functions flawlessly every time given <10m and sight. The only disadvantage is a 4 second “optimizing” duration prior to a photo exists each time an input is transformed. In addition the HDMI inputs on the transmitter can authorize a bigger collection of framework prices in addition to colour depths than the inputs on the projector (which has silly restrictions because of a 10Gbit/s chipset being made use of in contrast to a more recent 18Gb/s one) Overall the cordless alternative is extremely much recommended for this projector, in my perspective.

Epson EH TW9300W review

I am delighted in High Dynamic Array/ Wide Colour Range flicks from my new Apple TV 4K. Numerous clients have actually said that HDR is “incredibly readable” on this projector, as well as additionally it might undoubtedly be far much better than the competitors, nonetheless in my point of view, the typical scene illumination loss is not worth the increased light selection or larger color of the image. I select to have some light in the space as well as using the more vibrant SDR image. The SDR picture is genuinely excellent in addition to the choice is still there to attempt HDR in a completely dimmed room should I in the past intend to.