Yipikiyay Blog
Crikey it's May 2021 already. How did that happen? Here's our latest look at interesting ways of using technology. AR, VR and MR is all hot right now, with new hardware and ways of using it coming out, plus some other random things like AI deepfaking adverts and using floppy disk drives (yes remember those?) to make music. Well "music".
VR tech continues to advance, now focussing on how we have a better replication of real-world actions in VR-space. Enter HTC with their facial tracker, which allows you to translate your facial expressions and mouth movements into VR. We move closer to the uncanny valley every day.
Check out Vive's website for full details.
The Consumer Electronics Show may have been virtual this year, but it still meant manufacturers and suppliers of consumer grade gadgets went all out to try and wow us with their latest doodads and thingemies. This guide gives us the highlights across VR headsets, AR glasses, and a whole host of accessories giving haptic feedback. Well worth a read through whilst trying to stifle your giggles at how stupid some of the products look on a person. Check out the EchoAR AR/VR Highlights from CES 2021 article for full details. Also companies are making serious moves into the business VR space, with HTC, Facebook, Pico and HP all launching business focussed headsets. More details in Protocol's newsletter.
We are suckers for digital and physical world cross-overs and we're old enough to remember when lava lamps were an essential part of everyone's living room decor (well Rob is anyway). So it's pleasing and cool to see how they are used to offer a truly random way of generating numbers, because - shock horror - man-made computers aren't actually very good at truly random number generation!
Read on to see how lava lamps help secure the internet.
The pandemic has seen a growth in home-gym types of equipment, Peleton being probably the most well known despite their recent harrowing product recalls. Also there's the prevalence of looking at yourself on video calls becoming normal, so The Mirror hits both of those square on by having a mirror view of your self working out, with a video instructor!
Check out the Mirror website for more information.
US sports people so we have no idea who they are, but it's an advert created during the pandemic using actors and deepfake algorithms to mimic the real sportsperson - cool, crazy or concerning? Regardless, it's very well done, if not a little scary.
Read the full details over at Protocol's site.
In similar to the above's weird-but-cool-tech, MyHeritage has created a way of animating old photos in a genuine way. Which on the surface is very cool. But it's also a bit creepy and unnerving, especially if it's a photo of someone you know. Either way we love the tech behind it despite it's sometimes funky results. Check out their website for more details and examples.
Need we say more...?
Until next time. Yipikiyay!
by Rob Mason.
Unlike most studios, we're proud to also play games frequently, so you can not only find us on mainstream social media , but also streaming on gamer specific channels.
Yipikiyay Ltd is an interactive studio of creative geeks, making Interactives, Apps, Games, VR & AR in Cheltenham & Gloucester, Gloucestershire.
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