1. I briefly mentioned this yesterday, but there are new details on the StarVR One headset that show next gen functionality. According to information unveiled at SIGGRAPH 2018 (and reported by VRFocus), the headset will include an eye tracking solution, the ability to automatically measure Interpupillary Distance (manually set this generation, and different for each user), and “a VR-optimized AMOLED display with up to 16 million sub-pixels at a refresh rate of 90 frames per second.” StarVR is focused on the enterprise VR sector with this new hardware, according to the company’s CTO: “StarVR is blazing new trails to deliver breakthrough technology for a new world of realism to support real business [decision making] and value creation. With our StarVR One headset we are conquering the VR final frontier – the enterprise.” Pricing and release date information has not been released. — VRFOCUS

2. Apple-focused analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple will reveal its own AR smartglasses product in 2020. According to Next Reality, Kuo has “a long track record of frequently accurate early predictions of Apple’s moves,” and given Magic Leap’s AR appetite-whetting, that sounds about right (if not earlier). Other reports suggest Apple’s smartglasses go by the code name “T2888” and could include VR functionality. Next Reality points out that Kuo’s timeline is a full year earlier than Apple analyst Gene Munster’s 2021 prediction. — NEXT REALITY

3. E-commerce titan Alibaba Group has announced a new AR shopping experience that allows users to browse and buy products in an exceedingly futuristic-looking interface. The platform, Taobao Buy, launches later this year and lets users position “3D holograms of select products from their massive online store into your environment to see how they might look in a room,” according to VRScout. Lots more detail after the jump, including how Taobao could be the first online marketplace available for Microsoft’s AR hardware Hololens 2 when it launches in 2019. — VRSCOUT

1. NVIDIA announced today at SIGGRAPH 2018 that the company’s next generation GPU—called “Turing”—would focus on real-time ray tracing and be the first to include the recently announced VR-friendly VirtualLink port. Ray tracing refers to how computers simulate individual beams of light and how they interact with different surfaces—technology previously reserved for pre-rendered graphics. “Turing is NVIDIA’s most important innovation in computer graphics in more than a decade,” said NVIDIA’s CEO at the conference. “Hybrid rendering will change the industry, opening up amazing possibilities that enhance our lives with more beautiful designs, richer entertainment and more interactive experiences. The arrival of real-time ray tracing is the Holy Grail of our industry.” Echoes of next-gen VR, here. — ROAD TO VR

2. Seven VR experiences have been nominated for this year’s Emmy Awards, marking a record number since VR content has been included in the award show. The nominations include Google’s 360 animation “Back to the Moon,” 2017’s “Blade Runner 2049: Memory Lab,” “Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality” and more. You can view many of the nominated experiences after the jump. — VRSCOUT

3. AR company Ubiquity6 has raised $27 million in Series B funding for an AR cloud platform and a browser that allows users to find, launch and share AR experiences. This funding round comes after the $10.5 million funding round the company closed earlier this year, which included funding from Google’s AI-focused venture fund, Gradient Ventures. Ubiquity6 debuted an interactive AR exhibit earlier this month that allowed visitors to interact with the art of Rene Magritte on display at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. — NEXT REALITY

4. Next Reality is continuing its Magic Leap breakdown, and is naming apps “Screens” and “Helio” as the most immediately mainstream-friendly experiences on the AR device. The key feature, according to writer Adario Strange, is Helio’s website browsing experience: “in case you were wondering, small text on the web via Helio is extremely readable. But if you want to make text or an image larger, you can simply click the front bumper on the Control device and toggle back and forth until the browser is as small or large as you like.” Sure, web browsing isn’t that exciting, but could this be the way one could write, read, and work using only the headset and a bluetooth keyboard (or something similar)? I’ll continue to dream… — NEXT REALITY

5. VR music experience “Soundscape” has announced a new update that brings new content and quality of life improvements to the free software. The update adds the new “Crystalline Summit” audio-reactive world, which reacts to music played by the user and is "full of secrets to be discovered,” according to VRFocus. As I’ve mentioned before, these are the kind of VR/AR experiences pushing the boundaries of the medium—first person shooters are fine, and can also push the boundaries, but there is much more emotional, narrative, and technical innovation out there beyond the traditional gaming themes. Unfortunately, I can’t try it out (yet), so drop me a line if any of you give the free experience a go. — VRFOCUS

6. Have you ever wanted to do the stupid stuff infamous “clown” Steve-O does? I definitely haven’t, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t give a Steve-O VR experience a try, for the right price. According to VRScout, “‘Headset Hotshots’ is a four-episode series available in both VR and 360-degrees (read: both expensive and dirt cheap options) that takes users on a journey through some of the internet’s greatest VR fails, stumbles, accidents, and freakouts.” The content will be available on Steve-O’s YouTube channel. — VRSCOUT

7. 360 video from Reelmedia Film (via VRFocus): "Mudslide360"

“Mudslide360 follows the journey of a family who lost their house and loved ones in the mudslide that swept through Freetown, Sierra Leone in 2017. The film is an immersive audio and visual experience that transports the viewer from the night of the mudslide to the temporary camp for mudslide victims, until finally we are taken [to] one woman’s new home where, with UNICEF’s help, she can support her family and begin rebuilding her life.” — VRFOCUS

8. We're not there quite yet, but soon...

"What we call #VR and #AR is only a stepping stone on the demand for deeper experience of other creative art and breaking away from the normal working days or school days." - @bigpotplant

9. Particularly once 5G rolls out...

"Learn why the massive adoption of #AR & #VR for business applications will inevitably go through mobile in this blog post by @atanasovg" - @Telerik (Telerik .NET controls, reporting & productivity tools for building modern apps with sleek UI)

10. More and more brands are climbing on board...

"Augmenting Reality in Retail: How Lowe's, Walgreens Make Virtual Change In The Aisle http://ow.ly/GYDt30lnZi0  #AR #VR #retail #augmentedreality #virtualreality #Lowes #Walgreens #VRforretail #ARforretail" - @CAD_Micro (CAD MicroSolutions provides SOLDIWORKS, ECAD software, 3D printers from HP, Markforged and Nano Dimension, VR from Virtalis, training, and support services.)

4. Another announcement from SIGGRAPH 2018: motion capture company Vicon has announced new location-based VR hardware that is compatible with Unity and Unreal Engine. Vicon hopes this new hardware will make motion capture easier for new users to learn and implement: “The big challenge for us is making it usable—traditionally if you’re doing mocap with EA or Ubisoft or somebody, they have trained mocap technicians running the studio, running the mocap system,” said Vicon’s VFX product manager. “They might have two or three years’ experience. Whereas with this location-based VR, it’s about getting someone who’s had maybe a couple of weeks of training running the system and then leaving them to it. It has to be bulletproof in terms of reliability, and really easy to pick up.” — VENTUREBEAT

5. Speaking of motion capture, Microsoft is partnering with Metastage to build a mixed reality capture studio in Hollywood. Metastage is a new L.A.-based mixed reality production company headed by VR producer Christina Heller,” according to Next Reality. "Metastage is capturing incredible performances that can be viewed as if the person were standing right in front of you," Heller said. "Whether using a VR or AR headset, a 2D screen or simply on a mobile phone, instinct kicks in and you may find yourself trying to reach out to touch them, like many of us have." — NEXT REALITY

6. SIGGRAPH 2018 is highlighting women in the XR space, with lots of opportunities to see talks or showcased works. “In this day and age, as the voices of women continue to be elevated to new heights and their contributions to all forms of business, art, technology, and beyond are more important than ever, we are beyond thrilled to be able to add to that conversation and shine a light on the amazing work that women do for our industry,” said a SIGGRAPH 2018 representative. “Among our presenter ranks are women who play a huge role in their respective fields and deserve every ounce of praise they receive.” Movement in the right direction. — VRFOCUS

7. 360 video from American News: Go skydiving with the US Army 360 Video CNN

“Jump out of a plane with America's most elite parachute team - the Army Golden Knights.” - YOUTUBE

8. Another tale of XRcise...

"Today I danced in #VR w/ #RaveRunner designer @lauraashleycoop. One full hour of gameplay w/ breaks for water. @Fitbit shows 1000+ cals marked. It’s NOT about the energy it’s taking OUT of you, it’s about the energy you’re putting INTO IT, and the LOVE it gives BACK. #SelfCare" - @jobjstauffer (Veteran of Telltale & Rockstar Games; VR Fitness/Wellness Advocate; Publisher @VR_Health_In, Ally to pets, LGBTQ+, video games, equality, art )

9. Explore the labyrinthine bookstacks of a large public library...

"Burton Historical Collection – HistoryView VR #VR #VirtualReality #3D #edtech #ARVRinEDU #education #musetech #tourism #WebVR #WebXR #marketing" - @HistoryViewVR

10. Late-breaking news...

"Meet the all new #StarVR One! Retaining its fantastic 210-degree horizontal field of view, the #VR headset now features a whopping 130-degree vertical FOV, custom 90 Hz full RGB AMOLED screens with custom lenses & #SteamVR 2.0 tracking support." - @StarbreezeAB (Starbreeze is an independent creator, publisher and distributor of high quality entertainment products. Parent of @OVERKILL_TM and home to StarVR)