I love covering this industry, the pace of innovation is awesome, and watching companies large and small vie for market share with powerful and revolutionary tech is inspiring. We have come a long way. Better, lighter, untethered HMDs: Check. Cheaper, easier to use VR solutions: Check. Better access to good VR content: Check (mostly).

And now we have high-resolution VR with hand and eye-tracking which is an important step towards breaking down a barrier that has been holding VR back from broader adoption in some industries. Low-resolution VR might be fine for games and low interaction immersion, but when you are training for one of the most complicated and dangerous missions mankind has ever faced, every detail matters.

Low res VR might be fine for games and low interaction immersion, but when you are training for one of the most complicated and dangerous missions mankind has ever faced @BoeingSpace know every detail matters
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The latest HMD launched by Finnish company Varjo steps into that gap by offering industrial-grade “human-eye resolution” plus hand and eye-tracking. The company has just announced a new partnership with Boeing on a VR training program using its new VR-2 Pro headset for astronauts on the Boeing Starliner program preparing for missions to the International Space Station.

The VR-2 Pro is the latest professional iteration of Varjo’s initial VR-1 model and after extensive development with partner pilot companies including Audi, Volkswagen, and Saab, it features improved Ultraleap hand tracking and 20/20 Eye Tracker tech as well as easy integration with affordable SteamVR content and peripherals as well as the OpenVR development platform from Valve.

“We are proud to be delivering the technology that is pushing industrial training applications to their furthest reaches – even to space,” said Niko Eiden, CEO and co-founder of Varjo. “With our devices, astronauts can see and virtually interact with the switches and control panels inside their Starliner capsule and read the real-time data on their crew displays. Advancements like this have the potential to transform the way any pilot is trained.”

The Boeing Starliner has been developed in partnership with NASA and when the first crewed mission aboard the CST-100 Starliner takes place in 2021, the crew will have banked hundreds of training hours for each phase of the entire mission – including launching, docking, re-entering the atmosphere and landing phases – using Varjo’s human-eye resolution VR devices. Chris Ferguson, the company’s first corporate astronaut, and Starliner commander will soon start using the Varjo VR training system regularly in preparation for the program’s Crew Flight Test, which will be the first Starliner mission with humans on board.

When the first crewed mission aboard the @BoeingSpace CST-100 Starliner takes place in 2021, the crew will have banked hundreds of training hours using @varjodotcom human-eye resolution VR devices
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For the VR training to be effective, astronauts need to be able to read all the displays simultaneously while operating the simulated aircraft with their hands or controllers
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Imagine approaching the ISS in the Starliner spacecraft. Your speed is relatively low, but the ISS weighs about 420,000 kilograms. That’s the equivalent of more than 330 cars. And even though the ISS is weightless in space, it still has mass. And the spacecraft needs to be steered to a fine point at the docking port by following a cone-shaped path. Projecting the display panels and trajectory data precisely is crucial if VR is to be an effective training tool for such a vital operation.

I‘ve recently managed to get some hands-on time with a VR-2 Pro test unit and seen for myself what a huge difference Varjo’s high visual fidelity makes when interacting with control panels and virtual objects. It’s easy to see how this seemingly simple advancement – namely the ability to read text, displays, and buttons as you would in real-life – is crucial in making it possible to train for dangerous and precise procedures such as docking a space ship from inside a complex cockpit.

The spacecraft’s crew console consists of two displays, each about the size of an iPad, which shows mission-critical flight data such as the velocity and trajectory of the aircraft as it moves in space. For the VR training to be effective, astronauts need to be able to read all the displays simultaneously while operating the simulated aircraft with their hands or controllers. With earlier VR headsets, reading the displays in the immersive training environment was only possible when leaning in very close to the displays – but then the astronauts couldn’t see their hands, making it unsuitable for training.

With earlier VR headsets, reading the displays in the immersive training environment was only possible when leaning in very close to the displays but then the astronauts couldn’t see their hands, making it unsuitable for training
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The most important psychological effect of this human-eye resolution, however, is ‘full immersion’ by which I mean how real-life levels of detail better convince the brain it is operating in a real-world situation so that your brain is not wasting any effort suspending disbelief.

It stands to reason that full immersion like this should vastly increase the effectiveness of group practice for unplanned events and working together in simulated dangerous situations, while building the team’s responses and decision-making abilities, without ever putting the astronauts in danger. The Starliner team can thus perform all the routine interactions, voice, and switch commands, while being immersed in the same surroundings they’d see when sitting in the actual spacecraft.

The Varjo VR-2 is the only device to deliver immersive content in pixel-perfect clarity. This allows training for even the most challenging and safety-critical procedures of spaceflight, such as docking to the International Space Station, to be conducted in virtual reality. Further, the system extends the astronaut training program by enabling training through the two week-quarantine period in crew quarters before launch.

The most important effect is ‘full immersion’ by which I mean how real-life levels of detail better convince the brain it is operating in a real-world situation so that your brain is not wasting effort suspending disbelief
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The Varjo VR-2 Pro is the only device to deliver immersive content in pixel-perfect clarity allowing training for the safety-critical procedures of spaceflight, such as docking to the @Space_Station, to be conducted in VR
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Before I dive into my experience of using the headset, let’s look at the device specs for the VR-2 Pro. The HMD features a next-generation Bionic Display with resolution at over 20/20 vision (over 60 PPD / 3000 PPI), flicker-free screen refresh at 60/90 Hz. Combining two 1920 x 1080 low persistence micro-OLEDs and two 1440 x 1600 low persistence AMOLEDs.

Basically this means that each eyepiece uses two screens, one higher resolution in the center and one that covers the peripheral vision. The two are cunningly blended digitally with foveated rendering and optically transmitted through the carefully engineered glass lens in the headset. These combined optics feature a contrast ratio of (over 10,000:1) enabling the deepest blacks and individually calibrated colors, for outstanding accuracy and image quality across an 87-degree field of view. The lens design combines different refractive index lenses for minimal color aberrations, zero ghost rays, and minimal reflections and each surface coating has been designed to maximize the brightness and clarity of the light needed to achieve human-eye resolution.

The real power of the Varjio solution, however, is released when this amazing image quality is combined with their advanced stereo 20/20 Eye Tracker and the integrated Ultraleap hand tracking. Eye-tracking is now faster and more accurate with automatic user calibration – industrial-grade, sub-degree accuracy plus integrated 100hz stereo eye-tracking delivering unmatched accuracy and precision. The hand tracking technology in the VR-2 Pro is especially impactful for interacting with physical controllers and switches as part of their VR training but also makes VR navigation and freehand tasks easy, all together delivering a very natural and intuitive immersive experience.

The real power of the @varjodotcom solution is released when this amazing image quality is combined with their advanced stereo 20x20 Eye Tracker and the integrated @ultraleap hand tracking
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I tried out several demos which were impressive in very different ways and served to highlight various aspects and potential use cases for the tech. And perhaps surprisingly, the sheer impact of the VR-2 Pro’s resolution came across best in some of the most mundane settings. I was able to walk up and down a supermarket aisle checking out the products on the shelves, their prices, and label information while the eye-tracking monitored where my gaze was resting, highlighting which products I was actually examining at any given time.

I was blown away by how immersive that experience felt, perhaps because the setting was so familiar and relatable, as well as so beautifully reconstructed in VR. I could read every brand label and price tag from center aisle and as I approached the shelves it really felt like I could “reach out and touch” the various items level of reality. Tins, packets, and bottles of the familiar products were so crisp and well-lit I was staggered. Somehow even more impressive than this was the rendering of the shelves themselves and the packing crates the sugar was stacked on. The lighting, shadows and textures were so well rendered I spent quite a while pacing up and down just exclaiming “wow.”

The intuitiveness of the interface made the experience feel natural and much more immersive, as if you weren’t in VR at all, leaving you free to concentrate and learn the tasks at hand
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The next demo I tried was set in an airport control tower, where eye and hand tracking played a crucial role. Standing in a control tower you could look around the control center and out through the 360 windows while planes taxied around, took off and landed. Once your eye settled on a plane, terminal or control surface relevant info popped up and control interactions became possible through pinching your fingers. I could look at the computer screen and bring up the weather report, look at a taxiing plane and bring up its flight number and info. I could reach out to switch between feeds on the security monitor and identify parts of the terminal building and related information. The intuitiveness of the interface made the experience feel natural and much more immersive, as if you weren’t in VR at all, leaving you free to concentrate and learn the tasks at hand.

“Being able to see in high fidelity and interact without controllers revolutionizes professional VR. Varjo’s human-eye resolution visual fidelity is unprecedented. So is the accuracy and low latency of Ultraleap’s hand tracking. explained Steve Cliffe, CEO of Ultraleap, “The Varjo VR-2 Pro is the best integration of the two technologies and sets a new standard for natural user experience in VR. We’re very excited about the value it will unlock for demanding use-cases such as training, simulation and industrial design.”

I also got a taste of the astronaut training through a few airplane cockpit experiences, although they didn’t contain any interactive elements. The reason Boeing chose to work with Varjo on the Starliner training program became clear as the level of detail on the control panels was stunning. From a pilot’s seated position I could read every button’s tag and easily perceive the angle and position of flick switches. I could also clearly read the computer screens and the detailed flight info they displayed.

“We have seen first-hand what the power of human-eye resolution in VR can offer in terms of expanding the realm of applications for the enterprise,” said Urho Konttori, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Varjo. “Today we bring the Resolution Revolution overnight to nearly all industrial applications, unlocking the next level of professional VR. With VR-2 and VR-2 Pro, professionals can benefit from the industry’s highest visual fidelity and the most precise eye tracking joining forces with the leading hand tracking technology.”

Overall the quality of the tech was outstanding, also bearing in mind it was running off one Nvidia 2080 Ti GPU in a small but powerful micro PC. However, a few things stood out to me that are worth pointing out. The complex foveated rendering with the multiple screens and lenses was mostly unnoticeable while interacting in VR but when looking at static scenes I became much more aware of the separation between the crystal-clear center of my vision and the peripheral areas, the different resolutions displayed and the joins between these areas.

Today we bring the Resolution Revolution overnight to nearly all industrial applications, said @konttori Urho Konttori, Co Founder and Chief Product Officer of Varjo unlocking the next level of professional VR
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Building on Varjo’s advanced 20/20 Eye Tracker technology, the new products offer even faster and more accurate calibration performance, giving professionals access to precise eye data for applications such as consumer research or safety-critical training while delivering the most natural visual experience needed when designing cars, architectural projects, advanced simulations or research scenarios.

The effect was also noticeable when purposely pushing the boundaries of the eye-tracking but still small when you consider the amount of complex stuff going on and just like everything the next generation will be better. On the plus side, I experienced virtually no eye strain, even after a few hours of use and the HMD itself was cool and comfortable to use. Again considering the amount of tech packed into this headset it felt surprisingly light.

The reason @BoeingSpace chose to work with @varjodotcom on the VR-2 Starliner training program became clear as the level of detail on the astronaut control panels was stunning
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“The highest visual fidelity of Varjo’s HMDs enables a trainee to perform optimally within these safety-critical training simulations in VR. For instance, pilots are able to easily read all the gauges, dials, and switches in a virtual cockpit. With Varjo’s 20/20 Eye Tracker, we are able to accurately track and capture where trainees are looking, allowing us to measure and compare performance over time and across a student population. enthused Scott Schneider, CEO & Co-Founder of HTX Labs, “And with the VR-2’s built-in hand tracking technology, our users can train more naturally and effectively, removing the friction of controllers.”

The sheer improvement in resolution is amazing and enough to put the VR-2 Pro at the top of the list for any mission-critical use case. Yet the main significance of this technical accomplishment is how users will be more deeply immersed in the experience because their eyes and brains won’t be struggling to interpret a pixelated digital environment. The smooth and intuitive implementation of hand and eye tracking will also deepen the felt immersion and therefore improve the outcome for the user. Using both these technologies Varjo has delivered the most natural and intuitive VR UX I have yet experienced. If it looks real and feels real, our minds quite quickly accept that what we’re experiencing is real.

Hand and eye-tracking also deepen the felt immersion and improve the outcome for the user. Using both these technologies Varjo delivers the most natural and intuitive VR UX I have yet experienced
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If it looks real and feels real, our minds quite quickly accept that what we’re experiencing is real. The @varjodotcom VR-2 Pro is a game-changer
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The VR-2 and the VR-2 Pro are available for $4,995 and $5,995 respectively, sold together with Varjo’s software and support services starting at $795. Varjo truly is at the cutting edge of immersive technology and a company to keep an eye on as we all step into an augmented future.

This article originally appeared on VRScout.

The Varjo VR-2 Pro Boldly Goes Where No VR Headset Has Gone Before via @R3Digital https://t.co/fsrV8osRJL pic.twitter.com/X0FR4wKc5f

— VRScout (@VRScout) June 11, 2020

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Tom Atkinson is Reviews & Dep. Editor at Tech Trends. Follow him on Twitter @techtrends_tech

The post Varjo VR-2 Pro – High Res VR appeared first on Tech Trends.

Protecting your online privacy is important, and data collection by companies and government agencies is highly concerning to many of us
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Luckily, the internet is full of free tools that will help you secure your online privacy without spending a penny. While you should avoid free versions of some essential privacy tools like VPNs (virtual private networks), as these could potentially log and sell your data, in this article we look at the various online privacy tools you can safely use for free.

While traditional browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are sufficient for most users, those who are especially concerned about online privacy will want to consider using browsers with built-in security features
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Best free browsers for online privacy

While traditional browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox are sufficient for most users, those who are especially concerned about online privacy will want to consider using browsers with built-in security features

• Tor Browser. The Tor Browser is an essential cybersecurity tool for maximum privacy when browsing the web. It routes all your traffic through TOR (The Onion Router), a network of servers that make web traffic almost impossible to trace. While Tor is the most secure browser, the major drawback of it is that it can make browsing the web painfully slow. As such, most users limit their usage of TOR to only when they want maximum protection.
• Avast Secure Browser. Although most famous as an antivirus software provider, Avast has broadened its reach to also offer a secure web browser too. The Avast Secure Browser is their answer to issues surrounding not just keylogging and data tracking, but also helping users block out ads during browsing and watching videos online. The browser’s customisable, letting users toggle when to block ads – and how intensively – when to safeguard bank details being typed in, and so on. Avast also claims that their browser doesn’t sacrifice speed for safety.

it is a good idea to use security-focused operating systems when traveling abroad in a country with internet restrictions
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Best free operating systems for online privacy

While switching from Windows or Mac to an entirely new operating system for online privacy may seem like overkill, it is still a good idea to consider using security-focused operating systems in certain situations – like when traveling abroad in a country with internet restrictions.

• Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a Linux Debian-based operating system that routes all connections through the TOR network. When using Tails there is no risk of any internet activity ever bypassing TOR, ensuring full online privacy. It also functions as a live operating system, meaning that you can run it straight from a USB-stick or a DVD – a good thing to factor in if hard drive hogging operating systems are a bugbear of yours.
• Qubes is a free Linux-based operating system that separates all of your programs into virtual machine compartments. This means that if your ‘personal’ virtual machine is compromised by malware, for example, your ‘professional’ virtual machine will still be safe. And of course, keeping professional and personal computing separate in this way is often good to ensure no crossover of sensitive data, passwords or company files from one area of your digital life to the other. Qubes can also run together with Whonix, an OS that uses TOR to secure all network connections.

VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are handy privacy and cybersecurity tools
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Best free data leak tools for online privacy

VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are one of the most important privacy and cybersecurity tools – but they are not all alike. There are two major types of data leak that can expose your internet activity even from behind a VPN, which are WebRTC leaks and DNS leaks. Luckily, these two tools below let you easily check if you are vulnerable.

• WebRTC leak tools. HMA!’s free WebRTC leak test lets you discover if you are vulnerable to having your IP address leaked through WebRTC in just a matter of seconds. The test also gives you instructions on how to prevent WebRTC leaks if you are vulnerable.
• DNS leak tools. Use the accompanying free DNS leak test to check if your DNS (Domain Name Server) requests are being leaked by your browser, and allowing your internet service provider to see your web activity even from behind your VPN.

While Google is by far the most popular search engine, there are some major privacy concerns associated with it
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Best free search engines for online privacy

While Google is by far the most popular search engine, there are some major privacy concerns associated with it. Google does not hide the fact that it makes most of its money by collecting data about its users and allowing advertisers to target their ads using this information. If you are concerned about having your search history and other data collected, consider switching to a more private option.

• DuckDuckGo is a privacy-first search engine. It does not track your search history or allow targeted advertising, allowing you to keep your online activity private from marketers.
• StartPage uses Google’s search algorithm – allowing for great search results – but unlike Google, does not collect personal data or filter search results based on its idea of what you would like to see.

Common and easy-to-guess passwords are a serious security risk
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Best free password tools for online privacy

Common and easy-to-guess passwords are a serious security risk. They make it easy for any cybercriminal to gain access to your accounts and expose your data – if not steal your money, too. Creating and remembering secure passwords is hard, but luckily there are many tools available to take the stress away from remembering passwords.

• Although it also has a premium version, users can get a decent amount of cost-free protection out of LastPass when it comes to storing and recalling passwords. Nowadays we are expected to remember more login credentials for more websites and services than ever — yet LastPass collates those into one secure service. Notably, the free version of LastPass still enables users to implement two-factor authentication, as well as having a password generator that removes the potential for forgetfulness, human error or simply being unable to think up an uncrackable password on your own.

• Have I been pwned. Many people reuse their passwords across multiple sites, which is convenient but also a serious security risk. Have I been pwned is a site which lets you enter your email address and then see if sites you have signed up to with that email have been compromised, exposing your login details. If any results come up, you will know that it is high time to change the rest of your passwords.

Many online users believe that submitting their safety to free tools alone will offer them less protection than paid solutions and tools
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Should you pay for online protection?

It’s the age-old question – many online users believe that submitting their safety to free tools alone will offer them less protection than paid solutions and tools.

Yet online security is an issue that is always shifting, and relying on the old adage of getting what you pay for isn’t always the best approach. Often, free tools such as those discussed will have everything you need to stay safe in whatever corner of the web you choose.

There are frequently premium options if you want to bump up the support and peace of mind, but there’s no reason to feel as though throwing money at the problem is all that’s required to solve it – there are some fantastic cost-free solutions out there for every netizen today.

The post Best Free Tools for Online Privacy appeared first on Tech Trends.

“Mozilla has taken advantage of the Quest’s higher performance capabilities to deliver the best VR web browsing experience to date,” says Janice Von Itter, Staff Program Manager at Mozilla.

This follows from the release of the Firefox Reality browser for other 6DoF (Six Degrees of Freedom) headsets including the HTC Vive Focus Plus and Lenovo Mirage.

Firefox Reality is available in 10 different languages, including Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, with more on the way
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Firefox Reality is available in 10 different languages, including Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, with more on the way. Voice search is also enabled to make browsing faster and easier.

Voice search is also enabled to make browsing faster and easier
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Whether you’re watching immersive video or meeting up with friends in Mozilla Hubs, Firefox Reality takes advantage of the Oculus Quest’s boost in performance and capabilities to deliver the best VR web browsing experience.

You can now try the new featured content on the FxR home page or build your own to see what you can do in the next generation of standalone virtual reality headsets.

Firefox Reality takes advantage of the Oculus Quest’s boost in performance to deliver the best VR web browsing experience
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Like all Firefox browser products, Firefox Reality is available for free and users can get it now from the Oculus Quest store. In the coming months Firefox will also be rolling out support for the nearly VR-ready WebXR specification, multi-window browsing, bookmarks sync, additional language support and other exciting new features.

Like all Firefox browser products, Firefox Reality is available for free
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Privacy Please

Enhanced Tracking Protection on the Firefox Reality browser automatically blocks sites from tracking you, and the icing on the cake is that all these protections work unobtrusively in the background and actually make the browsing experience faster.

“To protect our users from the pervasive tracking and collection of personal data by ad networks and tech companies, Firefox Reality has Enhanced Tracking Protection enabled by default. We strongly believe privacy shouldn’t be relegated to optional settings,” says Von Itter.

This is part of a broader move by the company to make all of its browser versions much more privacy (and user) friendly and set a new standard for the industry where it come to protecting our data
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“What if I told you that on nearly every single website you visit, data about you was transmitted to dozens or even hundreds of companies, all so that the website could earn an additional $0.00008 per ad!” asks Peter Dolanjski. Product Lead, Privacy & Security at Firefox, who says their research has shown that Firefox users are seeking out privacy protection, particularly through the use of Firefox’s Private Browsing mode. In fact, nearly 25% of web page loads in Firefox take place in a Private Browsing window. The good news for these users is that Firefox’s Private Browsing mode has long put users first by blocking tracking. Yet privacy features such as Chrome’s Incognito mode do not actually prevent third-party tracking, and a recent study found that users don’t understand this and think their data is being protected, when it is, in fact, anything but.

The hope is that by setting a new standard they will force the tech industry at large to also change and put the user’s interest first
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This approach will not come as a surprise to anybody familiar with Mozilla. A while back Tech Trends covered a story about The Glass Room – Mozilla’s Black Mirror-like installation in London – which used a range of creative installations to force users to confront their complex relationship wth data, privacy and identity, and to open their eyes to how closely the companies they interact with are monitoring their every move.

The burden of due diligence, according to the Mozilla ethos, needs to shift from the consumers to the companies
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The burden of due diligence, according to the Mozilla ethos, needs to shift from the consumers to the companies whereby the complexity of privacy settings shouldn’t be placed on users to figure out. The approach taken by Firefox is beautifully simple: align your product with customer expectations rather than the other way around. They are now rolling out enhanced tracking protection on the browser, so that new and existing Firefox users will have much stronger privacy protection on their default settings from the moment they install. The hope is that by setting a new standard they will force the tech industry at large to also change and put the user’s interest first, because, as they put it, “consumers deserve better.”

After Cambridge Analytica and other debacles over recent months and years, I don’t think many people can disagree with that.

Tech Trends offers a broad range of Digital Consultancy services to guide companies, individuals and brands in effectively leveraging existing and emerging technologies in their business strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR and Digital Transformation Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Firefox Reality Launches on the Oculus Quest appeared first on Tech Trends.