Weekly Mashup 106: VR for Brands

What The Growth Of Virtual Reality Will Mean For Brands
TechCrunch

"According to a report from market research and consulting firm Tractica, consumer spending on VR hardware and software could reach $21.8 billion by the year 2020. We are at the dawn of the age of VR. Strap on your headset, it’s going to be a wild ride." Read More

Magic Leap Releases Raw Footage Created With Its Augmented Reality Tech
TechCrunch

"Magic Leap, the secretive tech firm that’s backed by Google, just posted a video that gives the clearest look yet at what its augmented reality technology can do. Shown today at WSJDLive, the clip is a minute long and a caption says the footage was “shot directly through Magic Leap technology” last week, without any special effects or compositing." Read More

Tommy Hilfiger Introduces Virtual Reality Headsets for Shoppers
New York Times

"Tommy Hilfiger became the first major retailer to make virtual reality a fixture in its stores this week, offering its shoppers a virtual trip, via a Samsung GearVR headset, to the label’s fall fashion show in New York this year. The virtual reality headsets, which Tommy Hilfiger began renting out at its Fifth Avenue store in New York on Tuesday, give shoppers a three-dimensional, front-row view of the show, held at New York’s Park Avenue Armory." Read More

Amazon May Be Interested in Making Augmented Reality Smart Glasses
The Verge

"An Amazon patent for smart glasses published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office may indicate the online retailer isn't giving up on bold hardware initiatives just yet. Though the company began winding down some of its experimental hardware efforts in August, Amazon appears interested in a pair of glasses that could place video streamed from a tablet in front of the wearer's eyes. The technique is called augmented reality, and everyone from Microsoft and Google to well-funded Florida startup Magic Leap is trying to bring it to market in one way or another." Read More