Mojo Vision announces breakthrough in ‘invisible computing’ smart contact lenses

California-based startup Mojo Vision is developing a smart contact lens that will have an inbuilt display in what the company is describing as ‘the world’s first true smart contact lens.’

The Mojo Lens provides users with an eyes-up experience known as invisible computing whereby the information is accessed without looking down at a screen or losing focus on surrounding objects.

The invisible computing platform, which allows information to be prompt,...

Global spending on AR and VR forecast to hit $18.8 billion in 2020, says IDC

According to IDC's latest Worldwide Augmented and Virtual Reality Spending Guide, global spending on augmented reality and virtual reality is forecasted to reach $18.8 billion (£14.5 bn) in 2020.

This figure is an increase of 78.5%, compared to the £8.12bn which IDC expects to be spent in 2019.

The report also shows that global spending on AR/VR products and services will continue this strong growth throughout the 2019-2023 forecast period. The spending will...

AR and blockchain technology is creating the perfect storm in gaming ‘ it’s time to get involved

Opinion ‘Digital convergence’ was the major buzz phrase during the nascent days of what we’ll call ‘mobile content’. In the early-2000s, you couldn’t open a trade magazine (remember those?), visit a tech website or attend a conference without being bombarded with the word and what it would mean for myriad industries specialising in creating content, its means of distribution or the devices for consumption.

Sure enough, the smartphone is probably...

NHS looks to pilot virtual reality initiative to spot diabetes-related issues

Health Education England had piloted a virtual reality (VR) system across various NHS sites, in partnership with Oxford Medical Simulation, to help doctors train for medical emergencies among people with type-1 diabetes.

As reported by Diabetes.co.uk, the National Diabetes Inpatient Audit has revealed that one in 25 people with type-1 diabetes develop diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in hospital due to undertreatment with insulin.

The VR system would help in the reduction of...

Varjo raises $31 million in series B funding to launch first human-eye resolution XR product

Finnish tech startup Varjo has announced a $31 million Series B investment to introduce the world’s first human-eye resolution virtual reality and mixed reality (VR/XR) product, which is aimed at industrial use.

The product holds the potential to transform complex and design-driven industries, such as architecture, engineering and construction, simulation and training, engineering and construction, aerospace, and industrial design.

The Helsinki-based firm now has a total...

VERSES aims to combine AR and VR with blockchain to power the future web

Meet VERSES. The Los Angeles-based startup aims to ‘create a new economy for tradeable and transportable digitised assets that combines the virtual with the physical.’

VERSES has showcased its virtual and augmented reality protocol to power ownership, monetization, geolocation and tradability of digital goods, holographic avatars and connected experiences. VERSES creates a new economy for tradable and transportable digitized assets that combine the virtual with the...

As VR/AR market grows, legal issues and investment are top startup concerns

New research from CCS Insight estimates that the global market for VR and AR headsets will hit $1.8 billion in 2018. The company is predicting that a massive 50% growth in the device market over the next four years until it hits $9.9 billion in 2022.

At this stage, a total of 121 million units will have been sold. This growth has been mostly driven by VR headsets and a new crop of standalone devices like the Occulus Go and HTC Vive Focus are likely to continue this trend. The coming...

Ericsson: TV is the main focus of consumers as VR takes off

Ericsson, the multinational networking and telecommunications service company, is predicting that VR will go mainstream in just two years’ time.

The company’s eighth annual ConsumerLab TV and Media Report took data from around 20,000 online interviews from across 13 countries. The results show that in the mind of most consumers it is video-on-demand (VOD) that is going to fuel the rise of VR.

The report estimates that by 2020, half of all viewing will be done on a...

VR is the fastest growing skill for freelancers in Q2 2017

VR skills are becoming an increasingly desirable as more and more companies begin to invest heavily in the technology, according to freelancing website Upwork.

As the money, attention and ideas begin to flow into the VR space, there are still relatively few workers who specialise in the skills needed to produce content and hardware.

The company’s quarterly Upwork Skills Index ranks the 20 fastest growing skills amongst freelancers in the US job market. Tech-related skills...

Getty Images partners with Jaunt to augment its virtual reality offerings

US stock photo agency Getty Images has entered into an exclusive global distribution partnership with virtual reality (VR) company Jaunt that has the largest library of high-quality cinematic VR content in the industry.

Through this partnership, Getty Images users will be able to access Jaunt’s immersive 360° stereo video experiences through its website along with Getty Images’ collection of over 25,000 360 photographs. It will also enable leading content creators to...