ARVORE, the studio behind the Pixel Ripped game series, announced it’s releasing a sequel this summer called Pixel Ripped 1978, which aims to take us back for another immersive trip down memory lane.
To bring the latest entry in the Pixel Ripped franchise to life, the Sao Paolo, Brazil-based Arvore has struck a major branding partnership with iconic gaming house ATARI.
In the trailer, you’ll see an Atari 2600 and a number of games, such as Crystal Castles (1983), Fast Freddie (1982), and Yars Revenge (1982).
While not the most influential titles to grace the console over its 15-year lifespan (1977-1992), the partnership is essentially allowing the studio to dispense with the ‘Pretendo’ and ‘GearKid’ soundalike consoles and near-beer versions of classic games, offering up a more direct homage to late ’70s and early ’80s gaming.
Here’s how Arvore and ATARI describe Pixel Ripped 1978:
Dot must join forces with “Bug,” the quirky visionary who developed the original Pixel Ripped series. Help Dot maneuver through multidimensional challenges to protect Bug’s childhood memories from the evil Cyblin Lord, a villain able to break through the screen and invade the real world. In the game. The setting? The intense burst of creativity that vibrated through the San Jose suburbs in the late 70s and early 80s. Feel the mighty effects of how the Pixel Stone alters reality itself!
The franchise’s titles are standalone experiences, which also includes Pixel Ripped 1989 (2018) and Pixel Ripped 1995 (2020).
Atari CEO Wade Rosen says Pixel Ripped 1978 is also aimed at “fans of Pixel Ripped and […] the broader Atari community.”
Pixel Ripped 1978 is slated to launch on PC, PSVR 2, Meta Quest 2, and PlayStation 5 at some point this summer.
Polyarc, the studio behind the Moss franchise, announced a new competitive multiplayer VR game currently in development.
Polyarc isn’t saying much beyond that—we still don’t even know it’s name—however a look at the game’s concept art shows a definite influence from Moss‘ style and characters, including the Reader and a number of plucky mice heroes.
Although we can’t read too much into it, retrofitting Moss’ third-person platforming view into a multiplayer battle game may mean the studio is pursuing something very similar in feel to Moss, albeit with multiple classes and weapons. In the concept art we see a gilded Reader and a number of different mousey classes: a tank, archer, knight, wizard, and even some evil leafy dudes.
“It’s apparent observing the community of players out there and receiving some of our own feedback that there are a lot of gamers in VR who are looking for and want to play more competitive multiplayer games,” said Tam Armstrong, co-founder and CEO, Polyarc. “We are excited about this opportunity, as VR offers interesting considerations for multiplayer games. The ability to read the other player’s focus and intention as they move their head and hands are some of the elements that make playing games in person so compelling. We are looking forward to sharing what we’ve been working on and the fun we’ve been having playing it.”
Coming off the success of Moss and Moss: Book II, Polyarc says a competitive multiplayer is “something the team has been excited to develop since the studio’s inception in 2015, but first the player base needed to grow large enough to support multiplayer games of this nature.”
The game, which is still unnamed at the time of this writing, is set to run closed playtesting on the weekend of April 14th-16th. Here’s how Polyarc describes the first round of closed beta testing:
We’re working on lots of cool, new stuff and want to see what happens when we get it in the hands of real players. Each playtest will focus on a different aspect of an in-development game and your feedback will be important to help us make the best final product(s) possible. And we’re here to test the game; we’re not testing you as the playtesters. So please don’t feel like you have to do anything besides play the game. If you are having fun, we want to know! If you aren’t having fun, then we also want to know. And we will ask you all about every juicy detail in a survey at the end.
The studio hasn’t announced target platforms yet, however playtesters will require a Quest 2 to participate. If you’re interested in joining, signups are available starting today.
Virtuix, the company behind the Omni VR treadmill, launched a crowd-based investment campaign in 2020 to fund Virtuix Omni One, an at-home VR locomotion device targeted at consumers. Now the studio has revealed the final version, pricing, and the news that it’s now shipping out to early investors.
Omni One units are now headed out to early investors (re: not backers) prior to the device’s planned consumer launch, which is said to arrive at some point later this year.
The company says its currently has a waitlist for Omni One of “more than 35,000 subscribers.”
Here’s a look at what Virtuix says is the final version of the hardware:
Image courtesy Virtuix
Virtuix says 900 of its equity crowdfunding investors have applied to buy Omni One beta units, which will be extended to late 2023, however unit quantities will “start small and gradually increase as the program proceeds.”
Similar to other parabolic VR ‘treadmills’, Omni One requires you to wear special low-friction shoes and strap into a harness system which keeps you in the center of the base’s parabola.
And although marketed as a consumer-targeted device, Omni One’s introductory price will be $2,595 plus shipping, which also includes the Pico Neo 3 Pro standalone headset. The company is however also offering a financing plan that could bring it to as low as $65 per month.
Over its lifetime, Virtuix has raised $35 million. The company says it’s now shipped over $16 million worth of products, which includes over 4,000 Omni Pro systems across 45 countries, and than 70 Omni Arena systems to US venues such as Dave & Buster’s.
While the tech downturn rumbles on, investment in nuclear fusion remains strong — in 2021, over €2.7 billion was injected in this field alone. More recently, the UK Space Agency committed £2.9 million to have Rolls-Royce develop a nuclear reactor that could work on the Moon and power future settlements there.
Back on Earth, nuclear technology has a significant role to play in achieving global carbon neutrality and limiting global warming to 1.5°C. In its 2022 report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) flagged its importance in improving multiple sectors including power, which is responsible for more than a third of global energy-related emissions.
The report stated: “With one of the lowest carbon footprints among low carbon technologies, 24/7 availability, and the ability to operate flexibly, nuclear power can make an important contribution to the stability and security of a fully decarbonised power system, and a good complement to renewable sources.”
In December, a major scientific breakthrough was made by the US Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration, who announced the achievement of nuclear fusion. This milestone opens the door to further advancements in national defence and the future of clean power.
When it comes to the latter, UK projects are working hard too — scientists at the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project are developing a prototype plant, which they hope will create an unlimited supply of clean energy by 2040. In addition to that, the country has recently launched a competition for small modular nuclear reactors to power its energy transition.
Back to the present day, the energy crisis continues — in part due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Governments are now looking to invest in new and innovation-led ways to power homes and businesses across their nations.
A new way of thinking
The innovative approach to creating technology and the ‘new way of thinking’ that is synonymous with startup culture makes it perfect to disrupt the age-old nuclear technology industry. But what exactly can startups offer when it comes to nuclear?
“The nuclear sector has evolved substantially over the past few years, with the next generation of startups transforming the way the industry works,” says Elisabeth Rizzotti, COO at London-based nuclear technology company Newcleo. The startup is working to generate safe, clean, and sustainable nuclear energy by developing Generation IV reactors — a technology internationally recognised as the next step in the evolution of nuclear power plants.
Elisabeth Rizzotti, Newcleo’s COO. Credit: Newcleo
“Much like space exploration, the industry is moving away from being limited to research and what is received from government funding, to embracing an entrepreneurial spirit and showing an increased dynamism that is attracting significant amounts of private investment.”
So, what are some of the key terms surrounding nuclear? Here are four to aid your understanding:
Nuclear fusion is a process where two light atomic nuclei combine to form a single heavier one, which releases massive amounts of energy.
The 4th generation of nuclear fusion — an area often tackled by startups — encompasses a system of reactors and nuclear fuel cycle facilities, like fuel fabrication plants and reprocessing facilities. This system could manage the weaknesses often associated with nuclear power, such as poor fuel efficiency, accidents, and high costs.
Nuclear fission is when a neutron hits a larger atom, forcing it to split into two smaller atoms. When each atom splits, a tremendous amount of energy is released. This reaction is used at all nuclear power plants.
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
Thriving in the sector
European startups flourishing in this industry include Danish company Seaborg Technologies, which has a mission to make nuclear energy generation inexpensive and sustainable. It has created compact molten salt reactors that it hopes will become one of the most sustainable sources of energy in the world. Last summer, Seaborg was chosen as a recipient of an EU innovation grant that saw 74 startups share €382 million in grants and/or equity investments. The sum for each startup was dependent on their needs, with a cap of €17.5 million.
Another startup to watch is Sweden-based LeadCold, which is developing a small nuclear reactor cooled by liquid lead. The startup hopes to have its first reactor ready for commercial use by 2030.
“Considering the unique features of the industry, we are looking for startups that can leverage on solid fundamentals and have assets to compete,” says Maria Cristina Odasso, Head of Business Analysis at LIFTT, an Italy-based VC that has raised over €58 million and invests heavily in nuclear startups. Its portfolio in this notoriously expensive sector includes Seaborg Technologies, LeadCold, Copenhagen Atomics, Moltex Energy and Newcleo, with the latter closing a €300 million equity raise last year and planning to raise £900 million more.
“This includes a strong scientific base, the expertise and heritage of the team and management, intellectual property and technology know-how, and a network of key stakeholders.”
Odasso notes that there is currently an interesting trend of new projects and startups around the world encompassing the so-called ‘new nuclear’.
“There are several startups and industrial projects working around 4th generation nuclear fusion and on the SMR concept,” Odasso adds.
Regulations and knowledge sharing
Despite the potential that startups offer the nuclear industry, operating in this highly-regulated field is a huge challenge. Safety and security are the first priorities of the sector, with international regulatory requirements adding an additional layer of complexity.
As of March 2023, the IAEA has 176 member states, all of which must adhere to its comprehensive regulatory frameworks that ensure the safety of nuclear installations throughout their lifetime. Its safety standards and the code of conduct on the safety of research reactors lay out the international requirements and recommendations for developing regulatory systems, which inevitably create significant, but essential hurdles for startups to overcome.
“It is challenging,” admits Odasso. “From the beginning, resources and skills for the regulatory process must be planned and secured. Otherwise, the company will never leave the research world to start a concrete industrial project.”
Newcleo’s Rizzotti believes that governments and policymakers have a key role to play, particularly in terms of initiatives and policies that promote investment and growth in the sector, but so does education.
“Beyond regulations, this goes all the way through to schooling and STEM education as we look to build the next generation of nuclear talent,” she says.
Rizzotti emphasises that Newcleo takes a strong stance on knowledge transfer and looks to its more experienced team members to work alongside those newer to the industry to ensure that their expertise is merged with the latest approaches and practices.
While it will take time, she believes this is the best way to ensure a positive future for the nuclear industry — adding that the hurdles faced by the next generation working in nuclear won’t be fixed by just a single player, but from a collaborative approach across the entire industry.
A new offering
Startups are thriving in the challenging nuclear industry and creating innovative technology that is proving to be disruptive.
“The compact nature of SMRs is a long way from the large plants of the past, offering shorter and easier build times and much more achievable delivery plans,” says Rizzotti.
“For Newcleo, our key evolution rests on closing the fuel cycle with the use of mixed oxide (MOX) fuels, which utilise existing nuclear waste. This will decrease the environmental and financial cost of disposing of such waste, reduce proliferation risk, and avoid the need to mine for new nuclear fuel.”
While innovation ramps up for nuclear startups around the globe, so too does a new demand for expertise in the field. Skills shortages in tech globally have been widely discussed, and the nuclear sector is no different. While innovators and founders may have the ideas, a lack of experts could stunt growth.
“It is likely that our biggest challenges are yet to come, and probably will be in the form of clearing the regulatory hurdles for a type of technology that has not been built before, despite it being based on existing and proven technologies,” adds Rizzotti. “But we feel well-positioned to overcome them with the scientific talent, skills, business framework and financial set up that we have.”
New beginnings
The nuclear startup ecosystem is set to continue to evolve in 2023, with France-based nuclear fusion startup Renaissance Fusion already announcing a €15 million seed round this year, in addition to numerous similar announcements beyond Europe.
Odasso predicts that in 2023, we will see new startups emerging in both the fusion and fission market segments and a huge amount of funding from both private and public funding will be put in place.
Considering the latter, she expects to see significant improvement for some existing players in the next 18-24 months, who are consolidating their projects as key industrial players in the field of SMR.
For Newcleo, 2023 will see the startup expanding its global team even further, and hopefully securing the acquisition of sites in both the UK and France that will allow it to start fully setting up for the deployment of its technology and producing the necessary amounts of MOX fuel.
“The next decade will be fundamental for the future of energy security, independence, and the planet we live on. Clean, inexhaustible energy must become readily available,” concludes Rizzotti. “We are absolutely determined to do our part to make it happen.”
Search interest in ChatGPT has reached a 2,633% boost in interest since last December, shortly after its launch. For the artificial intelligence and machine learning industry, and for those working in tech as a whole, OpenAI’s chatbot represents a true crossing of the Rubicon.
A generative form of AI, it uses prompts to produce content and conversations, whereas traditional AI looks at things such as pattern detection, decision making, or classifying data. We already benefit from artificial intelligence, whether we realise it or not—from Siri in our Apple phones to the choices Netflix or Amazon Prime make for us to the personalisations and cyber protection that lie behind our commercial interactions.
ChatGPT is just one of an increasing number of generative AI tools, including Bing Chat and Google Bard. DeepMind’s Alpha Code writes computer programs at a competitive level; Jasper is an AI copywriter, and DALL-E, MidJourney and Stable Diffusion can all create realistic images and art from a description you give them.
As a result, generative AI is now firmly embedded in the mainstream consciousness, with much credit going to ChatGPT’s easy to use interface, and its ability to produce results that can be as sublime as they are ridiculous. Want it to produce some Python code? Sure thing—and it can generate you a funny Limerick too, if you’d like.
How generative AI will impact the job market
According to Salesforce, 57% of senior IT leaders believe generative AI is a game changer, and because it is intuitive and helpful, end users like it as well.
While your job may be safe from AI (for the moment), ChatGPT-generated content has gotten into the the top 20% of all candidates shortlisted for a communications consultant role at marketing company Schwa, and it has also passed Google’s level 3 engineering coding interview.
Roles that are likely to resist the advent of generative AI include graphic designers, programmers (though they are likely to adopt AI tools that speed up their process) and blockchain developers, but many other jobs are likely to be performed by AI in the (near) future.
These include customer service jobs—chatbots can do this efficiently. Bookkeeping or accounts roles are also likely to be replaced as software can do many of these tasks. Manufacturing will see millions of jobs replaced with smart machinery that does the same job, but faster.
But, while AI may replace some jobs, it will also generate a slew of new ones.
The World Economic Forum predicts that the technology will create 97 million new jobs by 2025. Jobs specifically related to the development and maintenance of AI and automation will see growing adoption as AI integrates across multiple industries.
These could include data detectives or scientists, prompt engineers, robotics engineers, machine managers, and programmers, particularly those who can code in Python which is key for AI development. AI trainers and those with capabilities related to modelling, computational intelligence, machine learning, mathematics, psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience will also be in demand.
Healthcare looks set to benefit too, with PwC estimating that AI-assisted healthcare technician jobs will see an upward surge. A sector that is already creating new jobs is automated transportation with Tesla, Uber, and Google investing billions into AI-driven self-driving cars and trucks.
If you want to work in AI now, there are plenty of jobs on offer. Discover three below, or check out the House of Talent Job Board for many more opportunities.
Staff Data Engineer, Data & ML Products, Adevinta Group, Amsterdam
Adevinta is on the lookout for a top-notch Staff Data Engineer to join the team and make a global impact in an exciting and dynamic environment. You will build and run production-grade data and machine learning pipelines and products at scale in an agile setup. You will work closely with data scientists, engineers, architects, and product managers to create the technology that generates and transforms data into applications, insights, and experiences for users. You should be familiar with privacy regulation, be an ambassador of privacy by design, and actively participate in department-wide, cross-functional tech initiatives. Discover more here.
AIML – Annotation Analyst, German Market, Apple, Barcelona
Apple’s AIML team is passionate about technology with a focus on enriching the customer experience. It is looking for a motivated Annotation Analyst who can demonstrate active listening, integrity, acute attention to detail, and is passionate about impacting customers’ experience. You’ll need fluency in the German language with excellent comprehension, grammar, and proofreading skills, as well as excellent English reading comprehension and writing skills. You should also have excellent active listening skills, with the ability to understand verbal nuances. Find out more about the job here.
Artificial Intelligence Product Owner – M/F, BNP Paribas, Paris
As Artificial Intelligence Product Owner, you’ll report to the head of the CoE IA, ensuring improvements to data science tools (Stellar, Domino, D3) to integrate the needs of data scientists and data analysts in particular. You will also participate in all the rituals of Agile methodology and will organise sprint planning, sprint review, retrospective, and more for team members. You will also be the Jira and Confluence expert. If this sounds like a position for you, you can find more information here.
Most of us share huge amounts of personal information online, and Big Tech companies are in many ways the gatekeepers of this data. But how much do they share with the authorities? And how often do governments request user data?
According to new research by VPN provider SurfShark, the answer is a lot, and a lot again.
As detailed in SurfShark’s new report which analysed user data requests that Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft received from government agencies of 177 countries between 2013 and 2021, Tech giants get a lot of requests for user data, and the majority of the time, they comply.
Of the four Big Tech companies studied, Apple was the most forthcoming, complying with 82% of requests for user data, compared to Meta (72%), Google (71%), and Microsoft (68%). Interestingly, Big Tech was more compliant in the UK than when compared to global figures, disclosing user data 81.6% of the time.
The report shows that the US and Europe make the most requests for user data, making up 60% of all cases between 2013 and 2021. Germany came in second globally after the US, with 648 requests made per 100k people. The UK government stands at fourth place, requesting seven times more user data from Big Tech companies than the global average. Looking at the top 10, five countries are from the EU, with the US, Singapore, the UK, Australia, and Taiwan comprising the rest.
Governments are requesting this information more and more, presumably in response to the spike in online crime in recent years: the number of accounts requested more than quadrupled from 2013 to 2021, totalling 6.6 million. This data is often used to aid criminalinvestigations, but it can also help settle civil or administrative cases where digital evidence is needed. This can include specific user information, from IP addresses to locations of devices.
Governments are requesting user data more and more each year. Credit: Surfshark
Besides requesting data from technology companies, authorities are now exploring more ways to monitor and tackle crime through online services, says Gabriele Kaveckyte, Privacy Counsel at Surfshark.
Last year, the EU proposed a regulation that would require internet service providers to detect, report, and remove abuse-related content. While a noteworthy cause, some expressed concerns that the new laws would undermine end-to-end encryption and, hence, user privacy.
“On one hand, introducing such new measures could help solve serious criminal cases, but civil society organisations expressed their concerns of encouraging surveillance techniques which may later be used, for example, to track down political rivals,” says Kaveckyte.
Over the past few years, Big Tech has engaged in a tit for tat between each other and the authorities over the confidentiality of data. Fears of state surveillance prevail, as do doubts over tech companies’ ability to keep data safe – especially in light of a number of high profile leaks.
Future astronauts living and working on the Moon will require robust technologies that store and deliver continuous, reliable energy.
But with no wind, no combustible fuels, no water (as far as we know), and two weeks of darkness at a time —the Moon isn’t exactly the best place to set up a solar or wind farm.
British aerospace company Rolls-Royce believes it has a solution to this conundrum: nuclear micro-reactors.
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) seems to agree. It announced last week £2.9m of funding for Rolls-Royce’s lunar micro-reactor project. This follows a £249,000 study funded by the agency last year.
With the fresh funds, the company hopes to have a modular micro-reactor demonstration model ready to deliver to the Moon by 2029.
“All space missions depend on a power source, to support systems for communications, life-support and science experiments,” said the UK Space Agency in a press release on Friday.
“Solar power would seem an obvious choice but the Moon’s rotation results in a two-week day followed by a fortnight of darkness or night time,” Dhara Patel, space expert at the National Space Centre in Leicester, England, told CNBC.
A nuclear reactor, on the other hand, could enable “continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight, and other environmental conditions,” said the UKSA. This could “dramatically increase” the duration of future lunar missions and their scientific value, and provide a source of always-on, clean power, it added.
Scientists and engineers at Rolls-Royce will collaborate with a number of organisations to deliver the demonstrator, including the University of Oxford, the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC.
The project is part of Rolls-Royce’s £500m small modular reactor (SMR) programme, which received £210m in government backing last year, and aims to build, scale, and rollout the technology across the UK, and beyond.
These reactors would be compact, modular and factory-built, producing far less energy than typical nuclear plants but at a fraction of the cost, proponents say.
“Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for technologies we need on Earth.
Rolls-Royce expects to complete its first Earth-based unit in the early 2030s and build up to ten by 2035, with four potential sites in the UK already earmarked. Once up and running, each reactor is expected to produce more than 400 megawatts of electricity, enough to power at least 400,000 homes.
However, commercial viability is still a long way off. SMRs are not cheap to build and, with material and energy prices spiking, licensed SMR manufacturers are struggling to keep their projects on budget. Earlier this month, Rolls-Royce stated that its current programme funding will run out by the end of 2024, and requested negotiations with the UK government to find fresh investment, Reuters reported.
Last week, the firm was thrown a lifeline when British finance minister Jeremy Hunt announced the launch of a competition to boost investment in SMRs, and funding if the technology proved viable.
While the details of the competition have yet to be revealed, it is thought that about six companies or consortiums will submit bids. The race is likely to pit Rolls-Royce, currently the UK’s frontrunner, against contenders such as London-based startup Newcleo, which recently announced plans to raise €1bn to deploy SMRs across the UK, and TerraPower, an American startup backed by Bill Gates that is developing a class of ‘travelling wave reactors.’
While the competition is a step in the right direction, it is still a long shot from the hard cash Rolls-Royce needs to meet its targets. But perhaps the Moon will prove to be an ideal testbed for the scaling of micro-reactors closer to home, and the backing from the UKSA, a springboard to maturation of the technology.
As George Freeman, Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, highlights: “space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth.”
The UKSA recently made £51m available for UK companies to develop communication and navigation services for missions to the Moon, to allow future astronauts and equipment to communicate, share large amounts of data, and navigate safely across the lunar surface. All these technologies will need a power source, and nuclear energy could hold the key.
2022 proved to be filled with ups and downs for the global tourism sector. At the beginning of the year, the challenge lay in attracting tourists back by providing social distance-friendly amenities and processes. Then, as regulations eased, “revenge travel” kicked in bringing with it a sudden flood of tourists. Yet, many businesses struggled to accommodate this surge in demand with fewer resources.
Technology emerged as one answer that helped us navigate these different challenges, from solutions that supported social distancing regulations to tools that helped boost capacity, with fewer staff.
As we head into 2023, it’s time to take stock of the changing trends across the sector and the emerging technologies that could provide both new solutions and opportunities for Singapore’s tourism businesses.
Here are four travel tech trends we believe will make a splash in 2023:
Extended reality meets company retreats
Business travel will be back in full force in 2023. Booking.com’s Seven Predictions for the Reimagination of Travel in 2023 survey predicts that ‘survivor’ themed company retreats will help to rebuild team spirit and camaraderie after years apart. In fact, according to their survey:
44% of the global workforce is looking forward to ‘real life’ team-building work trips
51% would like savings on remote/hybrid working models spent on corporate travel or retreats
Going more in-depth, American Express Global Business Travel published a white paper this year entitled Why travel is the centre of the new company culture. In it, they explain how the switch to hybrid and remote work, the growing need to address burnout and employee wellbeing, and the never ending challenge to attract and retain key talent will make business travel a pivotal moment for building company culture.
According to the group, a successful company retreat will: focus on employee wellbeing, include personal development, emphasise company values, and, most of all, drive a strong sense of company culture.
So what kind of technologies can support company culture driven retreats?
Extended reality is a growing tech trend which we already reported on last year. From Augmented Reality (AR) treasure hunts, where teams need to race across the city to discover company value related clues, to full on Virtual Reality (VR) experiences that help build teamwork and leadership skills, this tech offers new opportunities to create unique activities centred around company culture.
While this technology has been around for a while, the market has evolved with more and more companies offering solutions that are both customizable and accessible to businesses of all sizes. Xctuality, CityGuyd, and SmartGuide are three cohorts of Singapore Tourism Board’s Accelerator program who conducted pilots with STB partners this year, enabling them to build virtual experiences for guests and customers.
Read more about how you can create more immersive visitor experiences here.
Generative AI enters the tourism sector
Artificial intelligence is a technology that’s already being widely adopted by tourism businesses. AI based customer service robots, online chatbots, and customer data analysis tools are helping speed up response times, relieve overburdened staff of certain tasks, and generate deeper insights into customer satisfaction in a matter of seconds.
Generative AI, also known as generative adversarial networks (GANs), is now taking the technology’s potential to the next level allowing AI, not just to copy and replicate, but to create original text, images, and more. Some of the most popular early examples include GPT-3, a language model that can produce fake stories in the style of famous writers, and DALL-E, an AI model that can create original images based on prompts.
While this technology is still in its infancy, there are a number of exciting new opportunities Generative AI could offer travel businesses.
For example, the hospitality industry could use Generative AI to design new hotel concepts and layouts or develop virtual tours of their facilities for potential customers. MICE planners could use this technology to generate a number of personalised itinerary options for customers in just a few clicks.
For both conference planners and attractions, being able to easily generate different layouts could help them to find the best options for minimising congestion at events, identify potential security concerns, and encourage foot traffic to certain locations.
Making payments frictionless with biometric technology
The adoption of biometric identification and payment systems is a growing trend identified by Amadeus in their 2023 Travel Trends Report. With these smart systems, guests can check-in, upgrade their seats, and even shop with a simple fingerprint or retinal scan.
For example, food and beverage provider Hudson has opened a number of “nonstop shops” across US airports using Amazon One biometric technology. With these systems, customers can pay by simply holding their hand over the kiosk sensor.
You can’t get more personalised than that.
Not ready for biometrics quite yet? Digital payment solutions, such as payment apps, digital wallets, buy now pay later, and account-to-account (A2A) payments, are making it even easier for customers to spend while on vacation. And that’s exactly what they want: effortless transactions.
If you’re looking to adopt new technologies this year but don’t know where to start, Tcube can help you identify the right partners, develop a technology roadmap, and launch a successful pilot program. Learn more here.
This article was originally published on Singapore Tourism Board’s Tcube website.
The VR gaming market is constantly evolving and has grown significantly in the past few years. With key developments in VR technology, hardware, and software driving the market forward, VR game revenues are projected to increase sixfold in five years, from $0.5 billion in 2019 to $3.2 billion in 2024.
However, declining sales of VR headsets dampen this positive outlook. In the United States, sales in 2022 dropped by 2%, from a year earlier, to $1.1 billion in December 2022. Moreover, 2023 is expected to be another slow year for the VR market, with a weak economy and inflation causing non-essential purchases like VR headsets to be put on hold.
Now many are wondering what the near-term future holds for VR. Marcus Segal, CEO and founder of ForeVR Games, shares his thoughts on the current state of VR and what’s in store in the future.
Dissecting the Decline in the VR Gaming Market
Asked about why VR sales have declined in the US despite the launch of Quest Pro and other highly-anticipated VR devices, Segal said that there are many factors at play. According to him, the decline could be due to a recession or a market correction following COVID-19.
“When all signs point to a financial downturn, people hold on more tightly to their money,” Segal told us. Or it could be the excitement about new headsets coming from Sony, Apple, Pico, and HTC that is keeping potential buyers on the sidelines.
Then we also have to factor in the return to in-person social gatherings, so VR gaming now has to compete with movie theaters, concerts, and other live experiences as the world returns to in-person social gatherings.
Like in any other industry, the recent decline in VR sales is disheartening, but, according to Segal, this is not uncommon in nascent industries.
It is worth noting that the market is not as bleak as it appears. Despite the seemingly downward trend, a flood of new VR headsets is coming from Sony, Pico, Apple, HTC, and more. Competition between manufacturers means better products, lower prices, and a larger user base for VR gaming in the future.
Segal suggests “try before you buy” mall installations, immersive classroom settings, and other creative efforts to drive consumer awareness.
Barriers to VR Adoption
Segal also notes that while VR has made significant progress in recent years, there are still some barriers to adoption, including cost and the need for powerful hardware. He believes that the biggest barrier to VR adoption is still the form factor. New headsets’ design must be lighter and less bulky to become more appealing and comfortable to use.
According to Segal, discoverability is also a challenge for VR. Traditional forms of advertising are not as effective, and manufacturers need to get headsets into the hands of consumers who haven’t tried VR yet. He stresses that sustaining and improving engagement is critical to VR’s success.
Lastly, Segal stressed how crucial accessibility is for VR adoption. Games must be playable for people of all ages and abilities. ForeVR Bowl is an example of this, designed to be played with a single button in a seated or standing position.
The Role of Content in Driving VR Adoption
One of the biggest drivers of VR adoption is compelling content. Segal believes that game developers have a critical role to play in shaping the future of VR. “Game developers need to reach new audiences, and that requires manufacturers promoting new games and hidden gems,” he said. “We as developers also need retention features and content to motivate players to pick up their headsets and plug in more frequently.”
As a former Zynga executive, Segal witnessed the power of social games, like FarmVille, to connect hundreds of millions of people of all ages. “In my view, play is one of the best things about being alive,” he said. For ForeVR Games, the focus is on taking the feeling of connection in play to the next level with VR, allowing players to feel as though they are in the same location regardless of their physical distance.
Customization is also key, allowing players to have fun while improving their skills over time. Segal explains, “Today, we believe that the most successful VR games and experiences are those that are easy to pick up and play, but also offer depth and complexity for players who want that option.”
A Future of Growth and Innovation in VR Gaming
The world of VR gaming holds immense potential for growth and innovation. As game developers like ForeVR Games continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in VR and advancements in hardware technology emerge, entrepreneurs have many reasons to be optimistic as they venture into VR gaming.
However, success in VR gaming requires a passionate team that sees challenges as opportunities to further what is possible, and the ability to listen to and incorporate feedback from the player base.
As the VR industry continues to evolve, those who are willing to take on the challenges and embrace the opportunities can shape the future of this exciting and dynamic field.
While Oculus doesn’t offer much publicly in the way of understanding how well individual games & apps are performing across its Quest 2 storefront, it’s possible to glean some insight by looking at apps relative to each other. Here’s a snapshot of the 20 best rated Oculus Quest games and apps as of March 2023.
Some quick qualifications before we get to the data:
Paid and free apps are separated
Only apps with more than 100 reviews are represented
The first app to integrate GPT-4’s image-recognition abilities has been described as ‘life-changing’ by visually-impaired users.
Be My Eyes, a Danish startup, applied the AI model to a new feature for blind or partially-sighted people. Named “Virtual Volunteer,” the object-recognition tool can answer questions about any image that it’s sent.
Imagine, for instance, that a user is hungry. They could simply photograph an ingredient and request related recipes.
If they’d rather eat out, they can upload an image of a map and get directions to a restaurant. On arrival, they can snap a picture of the menu and hear the options. If they then want to work off the added calories in a gym, they can use their smartphone camera to find a treadmill.
“I know we are in the midst of an AI hype cycle right now, but several of our beta testers have used the phrase ‘life-changing’ when describing the product,” Mike Buckley, the CEO of By My Eyes, tells TNW.
“This has a chance to be transformative in empowering the community with unprecedented resources to better navigate physical environments, address everyday needs, and gain more independence.”
