Over the last few years, multimedia hardware and applications have become widely available in the personal computer and workstation environments, and multimedia is rapidly becoming an integral part of stand-alone, single-user sy stems. In contrast, the problems encountered when moving to open, distributed environments are only just beginning to be identified. Examples are the trans mission of dynamic data (video, sound) over large distances and cooperative work. Following on from two successful workshops on multimedia, EG-MM '94 concentrates on topics related to multimedia/hypermedia in open, distributed environments. The goal of this symposium was not only to give a comprehensive overview of the current state of research, development, and standardisation in the field, but also to provide an opportunity for live demonstrations to experience directly the presented results. The symposium program consists of two invited keynote speeches, eight tech .nical sessions, one tutorial, and one demonstration session. A workshop following immediately after the symposium provides an opportunity for in-depth discussi ons of open problems among experts. It is intended to fill a gap often experienced at larger meetings and conferences: the lack of time to discuss in detail issues raised during the event, such as the characteristics of different approaches to a certain problem. It is intended that the results of the workshop be published as a Eurographics Technical Report."

Virtual reality is a perceptual experience, achieved using technology. Anyone wishing to develop virtual reality should understand the human perceptual processes with which the technology seeks to interact and control. The book presents state-of-the-art reviews of the current understanding of these human perceptual processes and the implications for virtual reality. It reports research which has tried to make the technology capable of delivering the required perceptual experience, comprising a basis for future virtual reality research, so as to achieve the optimum development of the field. It is intended to be of use to anyone who is involved with the creation of a virtual reality experience.

With the advent of the internet and handheld or wearable media systems that plunge the user into 360 video, augmented-or virtual reality-technology is changing how stories are told and created. In this book, John V. Pavlik argues that a new form of mediated communication has emerged: experiential news. Experiential media delivers not just news stories but also news experiences, in which the consumer engages news as a participant or virtual eyewitness in immersive, multisensory, and interactive narratives. Pavlik describes and analyzes new tools and approaches that allow journalists to tell stories that go beyond text and image. He delves into developing forms such as virtual reality, haptic technologies, interactive documentaries, and drone media, presenting the principles of how to design and frame a story using these techniques. Pavlik warns that although experiential news can heighten user engagement and increase understanding, it may also fuel the transformation of fake news into artificial realities, and he discusses the standards of ethics and accuracy needed to build public trust in journalism in the age of virtual reality. Journalism in the Age of Virtual Reality offers important lessons for practitioners seeking to produce quality experiential news and those interested in the ethical considerations that experiential media raise for journalism and the public.

Augmented reality (AR) is transforming how we work, learn, play and connect with the world, and is now being introduced to the field of medicine, where it is revolutionising healthcare as pioneering virtual elements are being added to real images to provide a more compelling and intuitive view during procedures. This book, which had its beginnings at the AE-CAI: Augmented Environments for Computer-Assisted Interventions MICCAI Workshop in Munich in 2015, is the first to review the area of mixed and augmented reality in medicine. Covering a range of examples of the use of AR in medicine, it explores its relevance to minimally-invasive interventions, how it can improve the accuracy of a procedure and reduce procedure time, and how it may be employed to reduce radiation risks. It also discusses how AR can be an effective tool in the education of physicians, medical students, nurses and other health professionals. Features: An ideal practical guide for medical professionals and students looking to understand the implementation, applications, and future of AR Contains the latest developments and technologies in this innovative field Edited by highly respected pioneers in the field, who have been immersed in AR as well as virtual reality and image-guided surgery since their inception, with chapter contributions from subject area specialists working with AR

Building Virtual Reality with Unity and Steam VR takes a hands-on approach to getting up and running with virtual reality using the Unity game engine. By utilizing the free SteamVR 2.x libraries, this book and its example code are compatible with the main virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays currently available. This book also looks at some of the main issues surrounding virtual reality, such as motion sickness and performance issues, providing practical ways to reduce their impact to make better VR experiences. Key Features: Discusses some of the key issues facing virtual reality and provides helpful tips for making better VR experiences Practical examples geared to work with any headset compatible with SteamVR, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Valve Index Uses the SteamVR Interaction system for interactions such as picking up and throwing objects, operating user interfaces and capturing input events for your own scripts Explore advanced spatialized audio with Steam Audio. Discover how to build user interfaces for virtual reality, as well as discussing some best practices for VR-based user interface design Written by a games industry veteran with a proven track record, having worked for IBM Research in educational VR research projects and having made and launched VR experiences.

Adventure like never before with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide! Explore new heights of heroism with 10 new base classes, each with 20 levels of amazing abilities. Incredible powers also await existing characters, with more than a hundred new archetypes and class options. Prepare characters for their most legendary adventure ever with massive selections of never-before-seen spells, magic items, and more! The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Class Guide is a must-have companion volume to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. This imaginative tabletop game builds upon more than 15 years of system development and an open playtest featuring more than 50,000 gamers to create a cutting-edge RPG experience that brings the all-time best-selling set of fantasy rules into the new millennium. Pathfinder RPG Advanced Class Guide includes: * Ten new base classes-the magic-twisting arcanist, the ferocious bloodrager, the cunning investigator, the daring swashbuckler, the formidable warpriest, and others. * Variant class abilities and thematic archetypes for all 29 base classes, such as the counterfeit mage and the mutagenic mauler. * Nearly a hundred new feats for characters of all classes, including style feats, teamwork feats like Coordinated Shot, and more. * Hundreds of new spells and magic items, such as feast on fear and skullcrusher gauntlets. * An entire armory of amazing equipment, from vital new adventuring gear to deadly alchemical weapons. * ... and much, much more!

The last century has seen enormous leaps in the development of digital technologies, and most aspects of modern life have changed significantly with their widespread availability and use. Technology at various scales - supercomputers, corporate networks, desktop and laptop computers, the internet, tablets, mobile phones, and processors that are hidden in everyday devices and are so small you can barely see them with the naked eye - all pervade our world in a major way. Computers and Society: Modern Perspectives is a wide-ranging and comprehensive textbook that critically assesses the global technical achievements in digital technologies and how are they are applied in media; education and learning; medicine and health; free speech, democracy, and government; and war and peace. Ronald M. Baecker reviews critical ethical issues raised by computers, such as digital inclusion, security, safety, privacy,automation, and work, and discusses social, political, and ethical controversies and choices now faced by society. Particular attention is paid to new and exciting developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the issues that have arisen from our complex relationship with AI.

Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy moves beyond stereotypes about video game addiction and violence to consider the role that games play in psychological experiences and mental health. Chapters examine the factors that compel individual gamers to select and identify with particular games and characters, as well as the different play styles, genres, and archetypes common in video games. For clinicians looking to understand their clients' relationships with video games or to use games as a therapeutic resource in their own practice, this is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and timely resource.

Reality isn't what is used to be. As the world moves increasingly from the real to the virtual, the question emerges, who do we want to be as humans? The amount of time spent on devices is taking more of our time from the real world as we 'fast forward' to the virtual future. As we transform our work, play, living, education, and retail lifestyle, so too must architecture react and redefine the very nature of our public and private spaces. The challenge of our time is to learn to navigate INBetween these multiple realities on the spectrum between the real and the virtual world. As we progressively accept the technological advances in medicine that enhance our bodies, society will also begin to accept moving into the experiential, three-dimensional space of the virtual METAVERSE. This book presents a three-year exploration, research, and case studies for expanding the tools of architecture for creating within this new reality for Living + Dying INBetween the Real and the Virtual World.

This book is a timely review of the various optical architectures, display technologies, and building blocks for modern consumer, enterprise, and defense head-mounted displays for various applications, including smart glasses, smart eyewear, and virtual-reality, augmented-reality, and mixed-reality headsets. Special attention is paid to the facets of the human perception system and the need for a human-centric optical design process that allows for the most comfortable headset that does not compromise the user's experience. Major challenges--from wearability and visual comfort to sensory and display immersion--must be overcome to meet market analyst expectations, and the book reviews the most appropriate optical technologies to address such challenges, as well as the latest product implementations.

Building Virtual Reality with Unity and Steam VR takes a hands-on approach to getting up and running with virtual reality using the Unity game engine. By utilizing the free SteamVR 2.x libraries, this book and its example code are compatible with the main virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays currently available. This book also looks at some of the main issues surrounding virtual reality, such as motion sickness and performance issues, providing practical ways to reduce their impact to make better VR experiences. Key Features: Discusses some of the key issues facing virtual reality and provides helpful tips for making better VR experiences Practical examples geared to work with any headset compatible with SteamVR, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Valve Index Uses the SteamVR Interaction system for interactions such as picking up and throwing objects, operating user interfaces and capturing input events for your own scripts Explore advanced spatialized audio with Steam Audio. Discover how to build user interfaces for virtual reality, as well as discussing some best practices for VR-based user interface design Written by a games industry veteran with a proven track record, having worked for IBM Research in educational VR research projects and having made and launched VR experiences.

Look - anyone who invents something really great has a moment where they think it's going to destroy the world. For the first time in her life, Fin is off the network. A few months ago, she was the inventor of a programme so powerful, so unusual that she was untouchable. Until she wasn't. Meanwhile, people have started disappearing from the streets of the city and the technology she created might be implicated. Square Eyes is a graphic novel about a future where the boundaries between memory, dreams and the digital world start to blur. It's a kaleidoscopic mystery story which asks: in a city built on digital illusion, who really holds the power? What is weakness? And when is it most dangerous?

This comprehensive resource examines the rapidly-growing esports phenomenon in higher education, bringing the perspectives of players, administrators, and scholars together in one volume to discuss the basics of esports, how to start and maintain successful esports programs, and issues and trends in the field. Esports are a global phenomenon with an estimated audience of 400 million people in 2018. Given their already strong base and rising popularity on college campuses, esports have been referred to as the new college football. This book offers practical insights into how to develop and maintain an esports program that is consistent with institutional purposes and values. The book is helpful to all types of institutions (small to large, public and private, 2-year or 4-year). It draws on current scholarship and the professional experience of the authors, focused heavily on practical advice for higher education professionals. Among the challenges of esports in higher education the book addresses are competition structure, competition climate, child protection, cheating, gambling, lack of reliable relevant data to inform decisions, and the advent of an esports arms race. Some of the opportunities described in the book include student recruitment and success networks with high schools, and partnerships with the esports industry. Done correctly, esports can provide a structured way for all students (on campus, off campus, and online) to engage in both curricular and cocurricular programming that can provide measurable learning outcomes and have a positive impact on retention rates.

Like the first edition, the central question this book addresses is how virtual reality can be used in the design, production and management of the built environment. The book aims to consider three key questions. What are the business drivers for the use of virtual reality? What are its limitations? How can virtual reality be implemented within organizations? Using international case studies it answers these questions whilst addressing the growth in the recent use of building information modelling (BIM) and the renewed interest in virtual reality to visualize and understand data to make decisions. With the aim of inspiring and informing future use, the authors take a fresh look at current applications in the construction sector, situating them within a broader trajectory of innovation. The new edition expands the scope to consider both immersive virtual reality as a way of bringing professionals inside a building information model, and augmented reality as a way of taking this model and related asset information out to the job-site. The updated edition also considers these technologies in the context of other developments that were in their infancy when the first edition was written - such as laser scanning, mobile technologies and big data. Virtual Reality in the Built Environment is essential reading for professionals in architecture, construction, design, surveying and engineering and students on related courses who need an understanding of BIM, CAD and virtual reality in the sector. Please follow the book's Twitter account: @vrandbe http://buildingvr.blogspot.co.uk/

Fantasy sports have the opportunity to provide a sporting community in which gendered physical presence plays no role-a space where men and women can compete and interact on a level playing field. Whose Game? shows, however, that while many turn to this space to socialize with friends or participate in a uniquely active and competitive fandom, men who play also depend on fantasy sports to perform a boyhood vision of masculinity otherwise inaccessible to them. Authors Rebecca Kissane and Sarah Winslow draw on a rich array of survey, interview, and observational data to examine how gender, race, and class frame the experiences of everyday fantasy sports players. This pioneering book examines gendered structures and processes, such as jock statsculinity-a nerdish form of masculine one-upmanship-and how women are often rendered as outsiders. Ultimately, Whose Game? demonstrates that fantasy sports are more than just an inconsequential leisure activity. This online world bleeds into participants' social lives in gendered ways-forging and strengthening relationships but also taking participants' time and attention to generate negative emotions, stress, discord, and unproductivity.

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that enables the user to see the real world, with virtual objects superimposed upon or composited with the real world. This book includes chapters focused on the following: the methodology of AR software for educational purposes; the use of augmented reality applications in the area of music education and music therapy; medical AR (in which the virtual entity is medical data); the role of AR in consumers' augmented experiences; and AR for cultural heritage, meaning the developments in multimedia technology to facilitate the learning experience in cultural heritage with the aid of improved user interaction methods.

This book explains how to plan and build a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a collection of technologies that creates secure connections or "tunnels" over regular Internet lines. It discusses costs, configuration, and how to install and use VPN technologies that are available for Windows NT and Unix, such as PPTP and L2TP, Altavista Tunnel, Cisco PIX, and the secure shell (SSH). New features in the second edition include SSH and an expanded description of the IPSec standard.

Augmented Reality (AR) is the blending of digital information in a real-world environment. A common example can be seen during any televised football game, in which information about the game is digitally overlaid on the field as the players move and position themselves. Another application is Google Glass, which enables users to see AR graphics and information about their location and surroundings on the lenses of their "digital eyewear", changing in real-time as they move about. Augmented Reality Law, Privacy, and Ethics is the first book to examine the social, legal, and ethical issues surrounding AR technology. Digital eyewear products have very recently thrust this rapidly-expanding field into the mainstream, but the technology is so much more than those devices. Industry analysts have dubbed AR the "eighth mass medium" of communications. Science fiction movies have shown us the promise of this technology for decades, and now our capabilities are finally catching up to that vision. Augmented Reality will influence society as fundamentally as the Internet itself has done, and such a powerful medium cannot help but radically affect the laws and norms that govern society. No author is as uniquely qualified to provide a big-picture forecast and guidebook for these developments as Brian Wassom. A practicing attorney, he has been writing on AR law since 2007 and has established himself as the world's foremost thought leader on the intersection of law, ethics, privacy, and AR. Augmented Reality professionals around the world follow his Augmented Legality (R) blog. This book collects and expands upon the best ideas expressed in that blog, and sets them in the context of a big-picture forecast of how AR is shaping all aspects of society.

The word "wargames" might seem like a contradiction in terms. After all, the declaration "This is war" is meant to signal that things have turned deadly serious, that there is no more playing around. Yet the practices of war are intimately entangled with practices of gaming, from military videogames to live battle reenactments. How do these forms of play impact how both soldiers and civilians perceive acts of war? This Quick Take considers how various war games and simulations shape the ways we imagine war. Paradoxically, these games grant us a sense of mastery and control as we strategize and scrutinize the enemy, yet also allow us the thrilling sense of being immersed in the carnage and chaos of battle. But as simulations of war become more integrated into both popular culture and military practice, how do they shape our apprehension of the traumatic realities of warfare? Covering everything from chess to football, from Saving Private Ryan to American Sniper, and from Call of Duty to drone interfaces, War Games is an essential guide for anyone seeking to understand the militarization of American culture, offering a compact yet comprehensive look at how we play with images of war.

DESCRIPTION The Oculus Rift is an exciting next generation VR headset developed by OculusVR. Whether it's in a game, an architectural walk-through, or a teaching simulation, the goal of any immersive virtual reality experience is to make users feel like they're in the middle of the action. With precise, high-quality optics and a flexible programmatic interface, the Rift provides real-life field of view and head tracking hardware for natural interaction that finally nails the feeling of being there. Oculus Rift in Action introduces the powerful Oculus Rift headset and shows how to integrate its many features into 3D games and other virtual reality experiences. First, it discusses the capabilities of the Rift hardware. Then, it provides interesting and instantly-relevant examples that walk readers through programming real applications using the Oculus SDK. Along the way, the book offers practical guidance on using the Rift's sensors to produce a natural, fluid, immersive 3D experience; readers will be ready to hit the ground running with the first VR killer app when the consumer Rift is released! RETAIL SELLING POINTS An in depth guide for creating immersive VR experiences Shows the right way to create compelling VR applications Plenty of useful examples with detailed instructions AUDIENCE Readers can use this book even if they don't yet own the Oculus Rift hardware. Some experience with C++ or another OO language is required for the programming examples. No previous knowledge of optics, display, or motion tracking is expected. ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY The Oculus Rift is a VR headset with a field comparable to what you'd get if you surrounded yourself with an array of a dozen monitors. Combined with the wide field of view, it includes head-tracking hardware so that when you turn your head, the view automatically changes, creating a feeling of 'really being there'.

Storytelling for Virtual Reality serves as a bridge between students of new media and professionals working between the emerging world of VR technology and the art form of classical storytelling. Rather than examining purely the technical, the text focuses on the narrative and how stories can best be structured, created, and then told in virtual immersive spaces. Author John Bucher examines the timeless principles of storytelling and how they are being applied, transformed, and transcended in Virtual Reality. Interviews, conversations, and case studies with both pioneers and innovators in VR storytelling are featured, including industry leaders at LucasFilm, 20th Century Fox, Oculus, Insomniac Games, and Google. For more information about story, Virtual Reality, this book, and its author, please visit StorytellingforVR.com

Understanding Virtual Reality: Interface, Application, and Design, Second Edition arrives at a time when the technologies behind virtual reality have advanced dramatically. The book helps users take advantage of the ways they can identify and prepare for the applications of VR in their field. By approaching VR as a communications medium, the authors have created a resource that will remain relevant even as underlying technologies evolve. Included are a history of VR, systems currently in use, the application of VR, and the many issues that arise in application design and implementation, including hardware requirements, system integration, interaction techniques and usability.

Virtual environments provide places for 'being there together', for avatars to interact with each other in computer-generated spaces. They range from immersive systems in which people have life-size tracked avatar bodies to large-scale spaces such as Second Life where populations of users socialize in persistent virtual worlds. This book draws together research on how people interact in virtual environments: What difference does avatar appearance make? How do avatars collaborate and play together? How do the type of system and the space affect how people engage with each other? How does interaction between avatars differ from face-to-face interaction? What can social scientists learn from experiments and other studies of how people interact in virtual environments? What are the ethical and social issues in doing this research, and in the uses of this technology? And how do virtual environments differ from other communication technologies such as videoconferencing systems and other new media? This book is a state-of-the art survey of research on these topics, and offers a framework for understanding this technology and its future implications.

This open access book tackles the design of 3D spatial interactions in an audio-centered and audio-first perspective, providing the fundamental notions related to the creation and evaluation of immersive sonic experiences. The key elements that enhance the sensation of place in a virtual environment (VE) are: Immersive audio: the computational aspects of the acoustical-space properties of Virutal Reality (VR) technologies Sonic interaction: the human-computer interplay through auditory feedback in VE VR systems: naturally support multimodal integration, impacting different application domains Sonic Interactions in Virtual Environments will feature state-of-the-art research on real-time auralization, sonic interaction design in VR, quality of the experience in multimodal scenarios, and applications. Contributors and editors include interdisciplinary experts from the fields of computer science, engineering, acoustics, psychology, design, humanities, and beyond. Their mission is to shape an emerging new field of study at the intersection of sonic interaction design and immersive media, embracing an archipelago of existing research spread in different audio communities and to increase among the VR communities, researchers, and practitioners, the awareness of the importance of sonic elements when designing immersive environments.

This book presents a comprehensive collection of case studies on augmented reality and virtual realty (AR/VR) applications in various industries. Augmented reality and virtual reality are changing the business landscape, providing opportunities for businesses to offer unique services and experiences to their customers. The case studies provided in this volume explore business uses of the technology across multiple industries such as healthcare, tourism, hospitality, events, fashion, entertainment, retail, education and video gaming. The book includes solutions of different maturities as well as those from startups to large enterprises thereby providing a thorough view of how augmented reality and virtual reality can be used in business.