Amazon is developing a platform for creating VR and AR apps. Sumerian, which will be available through Amazon Web Services, will be an all-in-one development platform for VR headsets and smartphones. The platform will eventually build apps for VR and AR that can be run within a browser. Sumerian is built using open web standards, which can be supported by Apple’s ARKit and Android’s ARCore, meaning the apps can be run on a range of devices. Interested developers can learn more here. – VR FOCUS

HTC’s Vive Focus headset is awaiting approval from the FCC. The Focus is HTC’s first standalone VR headset, as the device does not require tethering to a PC or smartphone. With the device landing in the FCC pipeline, it is one step closer to being offered to developers to create software for the device. The two cameras mounted on the front of the headset are used for positional tracking, allowing for “Six degrees of freedom.” The Vive Focus first launched in China. – ROAD TO VR

Oculus may be preparing to announce an AR device. The Facebook-owned VR division revealed that it would be releasing updated Terms of Service and Privacy Policy documents, which would adhere to new requirements set forth by the European Union. Tom’s Hardware points out that Oculus added references to AR, which may signal a potential launch of an AR device. This would not be a new mission for Facebook, as last month, Facebook CTO Mike Schroepfer told Forbes that CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushed Facebook’s executive team to invest in AR, while the company has added in-app AR features. – TOM’S HARDWARE

Intel is shutting down its AR-powered smart glasses project. The company was developing Vaunt, a set of frames that use retinal projection to project a display, through its New Devices Group. However, the company will be shutting down that division. In a statement, Intel said, “We are going to take a disciplined approach as we keep inventing and exploring new technologies, which will sometimes require tough choices when market dynamics don’t support further investment.” It is unclear if the company had a specific reason as to why it scrapped the project. – THE VERGE

A group of investors is coming together for the Global AR Online Pitch Event. The contest is aimed at identifying unique AR startups, with over 27 venture capital funds and general investors. The winners will likely receive investment offers from the group. The idea is to allow AR creators to submit their pitches online, which would allow for more people to enter as VCs are typically located in Silicon Valley and other tech-heavy hubs. The deadline for contest entries is April 23, with finalists being invited to pitch their ideas at the Augmented World Expo. – VENTUREBEAT

TheWaveVR has closed its Series A round. The social, music-focused VR app raised over $6 million in the round. Upfront Ventures served as the lead investor, with contributions from KPCB, The VR Fund and the GC VR Gaming Tracker Fund. The startup has raised over $10 million total and recently held a promotional event for Ready Player One at SXSW, which gave a spotlight to the brand’s technology. - TECHCRUNCH

Engineers at the University of Washington have made a potential power breakthrough for AR devices. The group of engineers found a way to stream high-definition video using 10,000 times less power than conventional methods. The research, presented at the Symposium on Networked Systems Design and Implementation, details how individual pixels in a camera sensor can be directly connected to an antenna, instead of a processor. This signal could then be received by a smartphone or another device, which can serve as the processing power. This could be particularly useful in the realm of AR connected devices, as power dependency on the actual smart glasses unit would be lessened. There is no word if this technology is being developed for mass adoption. - GIZMODO

Artist Mark Farid will spend 28 days immersed in VR. Farid is undertaking the experiment to see what impact VR has on the human condition and will only be allowed to interact with his daily life through the VR lens. The project was inspired by other psychological experiments, like the “Stanford Prison Experiment” and “Simulacra and Simulation.” The experiment will take place in a public gallery space in London and the headset will be synced with the gallery space. – VR FOCUS

Google is developing an AR microscope that can detect cancer. Research behind the AR microscope prototype was unveiled at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Chicago. The Google Brain Team, which is behind the concept, says it uses a modified light microscope that enables real-time image analysis, which then presents results directly into the user’s field-of-view. The team tested the microscope to run two different cancer detection algorithms, one for breast cancer metastases and another for prostate cancer. The results were said to be impressive, although Google said more studies and assessments need to be conducted before rolling out the technology. - VRFOCUS

Researchers are seeing how VR can be used to help sexual assault victims. Stéphane Bouchard, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Quebec in Outaouais, is using the technology to help victims address their experiences effectively and safely. “For rape victims, the idea is that in therapy we need to help people confront their fears, and one way is that we have to go places where we don’t go normally,” Bouchard told ABC News. The aim is to allow survivors to face a scene on their own terms, learning how to process memories without panicking. Researchers believe that this may help survivors of sexual assault to face their traumas and find healing through the experience. It is likely that the technology would only be available through medical professionals. VR is being used in similar capacities, like helping soldiers with PTSD. – ABC NEWS

Google Chrome is getting support for the Oculus Rift. The Windows version of the web browser will now work natively with the headset and the Touch controllers. VR support within Chrome is a part of the company’s effort to incorporate WebVR standards within the browser. This will allow developers to deploy VR applications over the internet, without having to download apps through storefronts to easily reach users through a variety of different headsets. Google added support for web browsing through VR through its own Daydream VR headsets last year.  — VARIETY

Car retailer Carvana has acquired Car360 for $22 million. Car360 uses computer vision to create 360-degree imaging for vehicles, offering capabilities for both virtual and augmented reality. Carvana paid about $6.7 million in cash and about $15.2 million in stock offerings. Car360 was originally known as Cycloramic, which appeared on the ABC television show “Shark Tank.” As a result, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban invested in the company. — VENTURE BEAT

Snapchat will allow advertisers to sell products directly through AR “Lenses.” The social network allowed advertisers to sponsor Lenses beginning in 2015 and will now allow users to complete their purchases without leaving the app. Other options include linking to a website, allowing users to install an app and re-directing to a “long-form” video within the lens. The feature is debuting a select number of advertisers initially and will not be charged at a premium from other advertising products offered by Snap. — TECHCRUNCH

Fox’s VR and theme park division is opening a location-based VR experience. The installation will be Alien: Descent and is created by FoxNext and Pure Imagination Studios. The experience will open on April 16 at the Outlets of Orange shopping mall in Orange County, California. The experience will be powered by Pure Imagination’s wireless technology, which allows users to roam around without the use of PC backpacks or wires. — THR

Planned Parenthood is creating VR experiences to assist with sexual education. The organization started with the production of Across the Line, a VR experience aimed at giving a first-hand look at the struggles women in some states experience with when entering health centers to receive an abortion. The organization is also working with researchers at MIT and Stanford, as well as engineers at Facebook and Oculus, to create immersive programs that deal with issues like consent negation. — FAST COMPANY

The HTC Vive Pro is getting some AR features. A software update, dubbed the SRWorks SDK, will allow developers to create AR games and experiences for the Vive Pro, using the device’s front-mounted cameras to stream live video onto the displays. The SDK is in early access and will also add the ability for the hardware to perform 3D scans of the room a person is in, while also allowing depth-sensing. - VARIETY

Rapper Eminem launched an AR experience app during his Coachella performance. Developed by Drive Studios, the app introduced visuals integrated to his performance and will also be used during the rapper’s upcoming tour. Part of the inspiration came from the increased usage of mobile devices during music performances. “We figured, if the phones are going to be there and people are going to be putting them up in the air and looking at them anyway why don’t we provide a way to maybe change the way they’re perceiving the show,” Eminem manager and Def Jam executive, Paul Rosenberg told TechCrunch. Eminem did not allow for a live stream of his Coachella performance this past weekend. - TECHCRUNCH

Researchers conducted controlled attacks on VR headsets to find vulnerabilities in gaming. A team from the University of New Haven infected a computer with malware attached to an email, to see the type of protections VR had on a compromised computer. This could be potentially dangerous for VR users, as software works with the headset to make sure users don’t run into physical walls during game play or other experiences. "It was created with little security in mind, and they're completely relying on the security of the operating system and the user," researcher  Ibrahim Baggili told CNET. - CNET

Developers are working on a new JPEG format for VR. The Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG for short, has introduced a new compression standard that should help with nausea and other effects VR users may notice when immersed. The new standard has a planned name of JPEG XS and can be used in other avenues as well, including AR, space imagery, professional movie editing and self-driving cars. The format is awaiting final approval by the member states of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Once approved, JPEG XS products and services can be launched. – HAPTIC.AL

Veterans from Oculus and Discovery’s VR division have launched a new VR and AR studio. The studio, dubbed Tomorrow Never Knows, aims to use the technologies, along with artificial intelligence, for groundbreaking storytelling projects. “The thesis behind the company is to consistently violate the limits of storytelling, forcing the creation of new tools, methodologies and workflow and to do this intentionally so we create original creative and technology IP,” company co-founder and CEO Nathan Brown told Variety. The company also plans to create tools that will simplify the creation of VR content, which could benefit the industry. - VARIETY