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Virtual and augmented reality were among technologies listed by Gartner's Hype Cycle as trends set to be “of the highest priority” for businesses over the next few years.

According to the analysts, virtual reality is on the ‘slope of enlightenment’, ahead of the other emerging tech it identified as being poignant for organisations.

According to Gartner, its position means that: “more instances of how the tech can...

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It may be the land of maple syrup and skiing, but Canada's also set to be a lucrative market for virtual reality, if the latest data is anything to go by. 

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC)'s Worldwide Virtual and Augmented Reality (AR/VR) Spending Guide, the country is expecting 230% year-over-year growth. 

Research analyst Manish Nargtas at IDC Canada said consumer VR adoption will see short-term...

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Being social in VR was always going to be a tricky one. Unlike, say, online forums where there's a direct set of community rules, you're pretty much at your leisure to behave how you will.

This is something Google has recognised in its experimentation with Daydream Labs. In VR, you’re able to literally walk up to and ‘touch’ people or make their experience potentially uncomfortable, so Google’s looked at ways of encouraging positive behaviour.

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VR is central to getting across an understanding of the refugee experience, according to the curator of VR exhibitions at Sheffield Doc/Fest Mark Atkin.

Speaking in a new two-minute video published by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, he takes a look at the theme of VR and empathy and discusses how VR's being used to help people understand refugees' plights and humanitarian issues.

“It’s certainly not good enough just to take your camera and stick...

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The UK's National Theatre (NT) has launched a new 'Immersive Storytelling Studio' to commission both VR and 360 degree projects.

This will form part of the National Theatre’s new work department, in collaboration with its digital development team. The studio will examine how VR and 360 video can help them "to be a pioneer of dramatic storytelling".

The idea for an Immersive Storytelling Studio came after an experiment the National Theatre did with VR back in...

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The Rio Olympics kick off this weekend, and fans in the UK can watch some of the Games in VR with the BBC Sport 360 app.

The app is part of a trial and was developed with the Olympic Broadcasting Service to offer 360 coverage of the Games.

BBC Sport said it's taken taken part in the trial to learn more about the tech and understand audience needs, so it can shape future plans for VR content.

"This is an emerging and exciting area, which we will explore further after the games," the BBC...

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Oculus owner Facebook has launched a new custom engineering lab aimed at to testing out and prototyping VR hardware and tech.

The lab, Area 404, will use machine tools, testing equipment and expert model makers to develop hardware in areas including infrastructure and connectivity as well as VR, in the form of its Surround 360 camera rig and Oculus.

The new...

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Virtual and augmented reality have made it onto a list of eight essential technologies CEOs and company owners need to watch out for right now.

According to the PwC report Tech breakthrough megatrend, VR and AR are both ones businesses should watch over the next three to five years.

Artificial intelligence topped the list, with augmented reality coming in second, then blockchain, drones, IOT, robots, virtual reality and...

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Virtual reality in the courtroom could happen a lot quicker than we think, thanks to trials such as the one being carried out by Staffordshire University in the UK. 

The use of VR could not only cut court costs, a leading digital lawyer had previously told VRTech, but really show jurors the full picture of what happened at a particular event and help them make potentially a more informed...

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Virtual reality is helping brands everywhere to enhance their marketing, and it appears to be having a positive effect so far. According to new research by Greenlight VR, over half of consumers say they’re more likely to buy from a brand that sponsors a VR experience.

The VR Consumer Adoption Report surveyed over 1,300 consumers in the US about how they felt toward VR and brands who use it.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost everyone who hadn’t used VR...