1. NASA and VR technology allow you to stand next to the Mars Curiousity rover, and elsewhere... virtually. Mars isn't the only VR experience NASA has prepared for VR adventurers: how about 40 light years away on the planet TRAPPIST-1d, or getting up close and personal with a rocket launch? "We already have these panoramas from years and years ago from the Opportunity mission that are full panoramas that could be put into a 360. So then the challenge was accepted by me to try to figure out how to cram that into the API that they were putting out," said Sasha Samochina, the person responsible for bringing these breathtaking VR vistas to the public. — POPULAR MECHANICS

2. International travelers at JFK International Terminal 4 can now pass the time in VR thanks to "VR Towers" provided by startup PeriscapeVR. The towers include a tethered VR headset, a storage locker to hold luggage while a user is wearing the headset, and a large monitor so passerby can watch the VR action. PeriscapeVR has plans to install towers in 229 airports around the world, including Atlanta, Paris, Dubai and Shanghai. - VRSCOUT

3. As a response to growing VR and AR popularity among gamers and others, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has added new standards to its "free standards library." According to VRFocus, the library "provides transparency and insight on standards used throughout the industry, including closed captioning; sending uncompressed digital television signals over high-speed interfaces; and [standards] that improve the accuracy and reliability of health and fitness technology." As the association points out, these new standards should help companies bring VR and AR experiences to an even wider, and broader, audience. — VRFOCUS

4. Welsh Motion Rail Ltd has created a novel VR experience to help improve rail safety for children and rail workers. Safety around rails and trains is a very necessary education topic in school districts near rail lines and transportation hubs, but education efforts have traditionally relied on large assemblies and guest speakers. The use of an immersive VR or AR experience will certainly stay in a child's brain longer than a sleepy presentation, at least. — BBC NEWS

5. Greenpeace is using AR to put potential conservationists in the threatened Great Northern Forest. This isn't the first time Greenpeace has used non-traditional marketing techniques to boost awareness of a cause—last year, the nonprofit used the technology to transport viewers to the Amazon Rainforest. The experience is available for iOS and Android by downloading the Arilyn app. — VRFOCUS

6. Snapchat is bringing AR experiences to Disney, Universal and Six Flags/Warner Bros. parks. The company will offer geofenced Snapchat Lenses that add intellectual property belonging to the park's parent company to users' images. "We love working with our partners Disney, Universal and Warner Bros. to create augmented reality experiences that allow our users to connect with some of their favorite characters in a totally new way," a Snap representative told Next Reality. "We can't wait for Snapchatters to have fun with these lenses when they visit the parks this summer." — NEXT REALITY

7. Released two years ago, Niantic's Pokémon Go remains one of the most popular AR experiences on mobile devices, and the company recently announced that players continue to spend more than $2 million USD per day. Revenues exceed $1.8 billion, according to VRFocus, with the app remaining on the Top 10 grossing charts in 21 countries. The U.S. is responsible for 34 percent of revenue gathered, with Japan close behind at 28 percent. — VRFOCUS

8. Singularity Hub profiles an entirely virtual real estate company whose market capitalization recently crossed $1 billion on the first day of trading. —SINGULARITY HUB

9. I can attest to the truth of this sentiment...

"Nothing comes even close to the real immersion by flying a proper VR flight simulator or driving some of the best VR racing simulators. No other VR game can give you that feeling of presence, speed and anxiety. Period. And with better VR hardware it only gets even more crazy " - @SweViver

10. Not to be overshadowed by Niantic's OTHER AR app...

"Ingress, the augmented reality game created by the same team behind Pokemon Go, is getting its own animated series on Netflix titled Ingress: The Animation.

Animation by studio Crafter, directed by Yuhei Sakuragi, with character design by Takeshi Honda. https://nin.deals/2KKli5b " - @AndrewAlerts