Weekly Mashup 112: Star Wars for Cardboard

The 'Star Wars' VR Experience for Google Cardboard is Here
Engadget

"The Star Wars hype machine's rolling at full force. But that shouldn't surprise you, considering the new film from the world-famous franchise is debuting soon, on December 18th. As part of Disney's promotional efforts leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, ILMxLAB (Lucasfilm's, Industrial Light & Magic's and Skywalker Sound's immersive entertainment laboratory) has created a virtual reality experience for Google Cardboard. Enter Jakku Spy, a VR project that ties directly into the latest installment of the movie series. The experience, available for iOS and Android, is designed to take you into another reality and put you in the role of a Resistance secret agent on Jakku, a desert environment derived out of The Force Awakens." Read More

Apple Has a New Patent for a Projector That Uses Augmented Reality
Business Insider

"Apple has been granted a patent for a projector that uses augmented reality technology, Patently Apple reports. Apple's augmented reality projector includes two key pieces of technology. First of all, it has a camera that scans an environment like a room or an office. It builds a digital model of that space, and detects which surfaces it can project images onto. The second part of the AR projector would be, well, the projector, which changes what the user sees." Read More

Virtual Reality is Getting More Animated Short Films
The Verge

" Share on Facebook (116) Tweet Share (34) Pin (1) Virtual reality video is still finding its footing, but some of the most high-profile work has been Pixar-style animated efforts — particularly Oculus Story Studio's short film Henry. Now, another company is putting itself forward as a contender: Baobab Studios, co-founded by former Zynga VP of games Maureen Fan and Antz and Madagascar co-director Eric Darnell." Read More

Amazon's Take on Augmented Reality is Totally Headset Free
Wired

"Augmented reality is more than just headsets -- or at least Amazon thinks so. The company has just had several patents approved that would potentially allow customers to beam virtual images onto real objects in their homes. The 'object tracking' patent details a system of projectors and cameras that would beam images onto real objects, tracking your body as you interact with them. Amazon's patent describes this as 'a room equipped with computerised projection and imaging systems that enable presentation of images on various objects within the room to facilitate user interaction with the images and/or objects.'" Read More

Sundance's Experimental New Frontier Looks Beyond Virtual Reality
Engadget

"Virtual reality found itself front and center of Utah's wintery celebrity village earlier this year, virtually dominating the conversation around this past Sundance Film Festival. The technology, a burgeoning new medium for artists, game developers, filmmakers, and journalists alike, had reached a cultural tipping point, with the Park City fest playing host to the announcement of a dedicated VR animation studio from Facebook-owned Oculus VR and ten VR projects that stole the headlines from Sundance's edgy, experimental New Frontier showcase." Read More