2024.08.07 XR Weekly & Portal - Vol.20 + 1st issue of XR PORTAL
What happened in XR and AI industry last week, & đĄ observation on apps this week
đ° XR & AI Newsletter coming,
𼽠XR industry & what happened in AIGC last week,
đĄ New column talking about my observation on apps/ industry weekly (At the END).
ăXR Weeklyă Â
Microsoft, Sony, Shutterstock & Hunan Mango Innocreative Technology to Join OpenUSD;
https://aousd.org/news/alliance-for-openusd-announces-new-interest-groups-new-members-and-core-specifications-updates/
visionOS 1.3 Now Available For Apple Vision Pro Users;
https://bgr.com/tech/visionos-1-3-now-available-for-apple-vision-pro-users/
Apple Vision Pro Can Now Be Controlled With Brain-Computer Interface;
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/07/30/vision-pro-can-now-be-controlled-with-brain/
Hackathon for visionOS Apps Set for September;
https://www.visionoshackathon.com
Quest v68 Brings Lower Latency, Adaptive Brightness, Download Improvements, Layout App;
https://www.uploadvr.com/quest-v68-update-and-layout-app/
Acoustic Ray Tracing Introduced to Audio SDK by Meta;
https://developer.oculus.com/blog/acoustic-ray-tracing-audio-sdk-meta-quest-developer-social-presence/
Explore New Augmented Reality Features in Google Maps;
https://blog.google/products/maps/immersive-ar-content-google-maps-paris/
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Google Mapâs AR Paris Experience
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ăAIGC & Other Tech Newsă Â
Google Debuts Gemma 2 2B & Gemini 1.5 Pro;
https://developers.googleblog.com/en/smaller-safer-more-transparent-advancing-responsible-ai-with-gemma/?_bhlid=5811c5dce25719cc96adfd54bc6818d0aa07cc11
Meta Debuts SAM 2 (Segment Anything Model 2) ;
https://ai.meta.com/blog/segment-anything-2/
https://github.com/facebookresearch/segment-anything-2
GPT Advanced Voice Model Starts to Roll Out to Some GPT+ Users;
https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/30/24209650/openai-chatgpt-advanced-voice-mode
https://dataphoenix.info/openai-silently-tests-gpt-4o-long-output-alpha-and-advanced-voice-mode-pilot/
Previous Stability AI Member Debuts Open-Source Image Gen AI Flux;
https://replicate.com/collections/flux
https://huggingface.co/black-forest-labs
Character.AI Acquired by Google, Team Join Deepmind;
https://blog.character.ai/our-next-phase-of-growth/
Stability AI Debuts Stable-Fast-3D;
https://stability.ai/news/introducing-stable-fast-3d
AI Video Gen Vidu Available Now;
https://www.vidu.studio/
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ăPuffinwalkerâs XR Portală Â
Beyond Cards:
Hidden Ace of VisionPro's Solitaire Stories
Hey there! I don't usually find myself buried in card games, but I have to say, Solitaire on VisionPro really caught my attention in a way I didn't see coming.
Even though it could've just gone with the usual iPad or Mac vibes, Solitaire stepped it up and got all exclusive on VisionPro. The intro with cards flying everywhere? So cool! They stack up and then spread out to reveal the playing field. Feels like a hook already. It's not just about showing the devs put in work; it's all about that game-starting ritual.
Talking gameplay, it's old-school (guys my age have totally messed with FreeCell & Spider Solitaire maybe). The rules are as clear as day: all you gotta do is line up the cards in order through a sequence game.
The rules are straightforward, so jump-in is a breeze, and it's got a solid player base (though, gotta side-eye the tutorial for skipping over the rules. It's all about the interface, but come on, not everyone's a Solitaire pro from the jump, maybe especially for GenZ or Alpah?).
The game's got this thing about taking chaos and making order, which is built-in, but it also flexes on strategy and logic to win. That strategic brain-tease gives a sweet sense of satisfaction, and the neat end result? Double win. Plus, it's chill. The single-player mode is all about flexibility, play at your own pace, save when you likeâperfect for killing time in bits.
Once you're in, the eye-tracking for quick card picks is spot-on, and they use native gestures directly so need to learn new stuff (though, bare-hand interaction precision can be a bit off sometimes).
Apart from the classic Solitaire, it's got a main storyline too, where you level up to save the universe. The table design and soundtrack are all retro, like an 80s arcade vibe but with cosmic twists (rhythmic retro electronic tunes and card art that's out of this world). For those not into the story, there's a one-click switch to a more traditional, laid-back mode. And hey, there's this "ghost mode" that vanishes the table for a home-game feel.
It's all good for single play and online (multiplayer? Haven't tested the waters there).
The UI is slick. The main action's right there on the table, and the high-frequency buttons for game actions are part of the retro table design, up topâpause, hints, settings, all up in the left corner, and the score, time, and all that eye candy in the right corner where your gaze naturally goes. The less frequent stuff like BGM volume and mode switch are on the sides, out of the way but easy to hit when needed.
Now, let's talk about music and art style. My take on the whole vibe is relaxed and retro-digital, reminding me of the 80s arcade scene (lots of card and pinball games, space-themed hits like Space Invaders).
The overall interface (let's call it the "machine") has that "Jukebox" sleek look, and the space series art is straight out of the Arcade Cabinet's old-school style. From the machine, background, music to the cards, both modes have their own complete matching designs, with the casual mode going for chill and the mainline kicking it up with rhythm and psychedelia.
When you start the game (default to casual mode, here's my question, why not dive right into the main story, but make users hit a button to switch? Is that for an "Aha!" or "Eureka" moment?), it's all about the easy, soothing music and the felt tabletop that quickly gets you in the zone. The spots that want clicks are lit up with particles and halos (humans, we're just evolved monkeys, always loving the shiny stuff), and dealing and placing cards come with crisp sound effects.
Two small details I love: "Ghost mode" fades the control panel with a "dissolve" effect, making the appearance and disappearance smoother. And the "settings" pop-up? It's not your usual frosty glass background; it goes with the overall art, a black blur background with solid color buttons to highlight the icons. It's not the official way, but it fits.
Overall, Solitaire isn't about blowing your mind in any one area, but the thoughtful details and little touches make for a smooth and joyful gaming experience. If you're into card games or got a thing for retro styles, Solitaire is totally worth a shot.
If u got curious about the game but not available with the device now, feel free to watch the video I recorded here:
https://x.com/Clarepuffinw/status/1820810807976030526
App Info
Name: Solitaire Stories
Platform: Apple Vision Pro
Type: Arcade
Features:
Solitaire Stories offers all of the classic gameplay that fans of the card game have come to know and love, from classic Klondike Quick Play games, to Draw 3, thrilling features like online Multiplayer, as well as the beloved Spider game mode!
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