This Week In XR: Tech Pledges To Diversify Without An Actual Plan To Do So

Tech companies were among the first to raise their voices in support of the justice marchers but its leading companies are the least diverse in the country. In a way it’s odd because tech companies are largely meritocratic. If you can code it doesn’t matter what color you are. So it begs the question: if the educated black workers aren’t there, what’s tech to do? Here’s an idea: create them. While it’s critically important to voice support and give money to organizations like the BLM Foundation, it would do so much more for tech diversity if the dominant companies (FB, Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft) set up code academies in undeserved high schools and community colleges, with jobs and serious mentorship for students who earn certificates. This is not an extension of the programs Microsoft and Google have created for schools. This would be something new. This would have one very specific and measurable goal: turn out black tech workers and give them access to high paying jobs. Until we make tech education better, tech companies will just be writing checks and paying lip service to diversity while not actually changing itself. That’s my personal opinion. I don’t speak for Forbes. 

Las Vegas re-opened yesterday and the Consumer Technology Association announced CES to be held in Las Vegas next year. The CTA said companies will be able to present both physically or digitally, and that sanitization teams will be working throughout the convention to ensure cleanliness. Other best practices will be followed such as temperature checks, wearing masks, and utilizing mobile payments. This has a chance of working if people marching into casinos right now don’t get sick. Most are reportedly not wearing masks. 

Felix & Paul Studios filming 360 3D film of historic SpaceX launch and astronauts aboard the ISS. The immersive film, Space Explorers: the ISS Experience, will debut in the next year as both a 360 film and a special 2D cut. 

Lowes launches AR powered app Lowes for Pros JobSight in partnership with Streem. The new JobSight app allows professionals to conduct home visits without needing to step inside the home. Homeowners can stream video via their phones which the professionals can markup and use to walk homeowners through next steps. 

Mozilla updates WebXR viewer for iOS to 2.0. This makes the Firefox browser for iOS the first browser to implement the new WebXR Device API on the platform. The new API ensures AR experiences don’t share pictures of a user’s private space with third party Javascript libraries and websites. 

Manus launches Polygon, a full body and hand tracking solution. Polygon uses Vive trackers and finger-tracking gloves to provide a full body tracking system for enterprise. Prices aren’t openly available but you can get a quote from the Manus website.

GIGXR makes its GIG Immersive Learning System available for the coming school year starting this Fall. The learning system includes tools for remote learning, mixed reality applications, and immersive content management. 

Josh Bgad shares his impressions of the new VR title, A Walk in the Woods. Computers are still no substitute for a real life walk, but we are getting closer, he tell us.

What We’re Reading:

Immersive Stories At Virtual Festivals

Oculus For Business Overview

More On The Army’s Development Of The Microsoft HoloLens 

“This Week in XR” is written and edited with Michael Eichenseer.