Wi-Fi 7 represents a big speed boost over Wi-Fi 6E. // Image: Wi-Fi Alliance

The announcement from the Wi-Fi Alliance emphasizes that Wi-Fi 7 surpasses existing standards, particularly excelling in high-bandwidth streaming and low-latency wireless gaming. This is deemed crucial as virtual reality gains increasing popularity.

Kevin Robinson, the CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance, informed The Verge that Wi-Fi 7 is the “first generation built from the ground up” specifically for the 6 GHz band, representing the faster and wider portion of the wireless spectrum initially utilized by Wi-Fi 6E devices.

“Over the past two and a half decades, Wi-Fi has revolutionized the way we interact and function as a society. It stands as the foremost technology for daily connectivity. We are still at the dawn of the 6 GHz era, heralded by Wi-Fi 6E and we are poised to unlock unprecedented wireless user experiences. Wi-Fi 7, which is the next step of this evolution, signifies more than an incremental upgrade – it’s a leap into a realm where speed, capacity, and reliability converge to meet the insatiable demands of our connected world.” – David Coleman, Director of Wireless in the Office of the CTO, Extreme Networks

Netgear, TP-Link, and Eero have already released routers into the market, with the initial offerings from the first two hitting the shelves several months ago. However, it remains uncertain whether these routers will receive certification. Notably, Eero’s current Wi-Fi 6 routers are absent from the alliance’s Certified Product Finder. While this absence doesn’t necessarily imply that they won’t be compatible with Wi-Fi 7 devices in the future, certification provides companies with the assurance that their devices will indeed function seamlessly.

The Wi-Fi Alliance highlights various aspects of the new standard that promise increased efficiency, throughput, and stability. Wi-Fi 7 devices are designed to be backward-compatible with earlier versions of Wi-Fi. While older devices may not immediately reap the benefits of the new features offered by a Wi-Fi 7 router, the anticipation is that new laptops and phones will soon capitalize on these advancements. For the present, it’s apt to view a new Wi-Fi 7 router as enhanced infrastructure, laying the groundwork for future advancements.

The investment will be used to accelerate the company’s growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and to fund expansion into the North American market as the company leads the way in the new enterprise virtual reality as a service (VRaaS) training space.

“In the digital age, Gemba is an impactful solution to the biggest challenge faced by transformational leaders—the roll-out of powerful and effective training at scale, in a compelling and cost-efficient way,”

said Gemba CEO, Nathan Robinson.

Through its proprietary Virtual Reality (VR) offering combining software, content, and service, Gemba helps global enterprises seeking to train distributed workforces across multiple sites through highly immersive learning programs, simulated factory walks, and live training events – simply by putting on a VR headset.

“Gemba is set to change the way global organizations train their workforces across all critical learning and development areas – from interactive, on-the-job skills training and safety all the way to leadership training.”

added Gregg Hill, Co-founder and General Partner, Parkway Venture Capital.

On January 20, Microsoft announced it was shutting down an early metaverse-like VR app it acquired a few years ago, AltSpaceVR, after transferring much of the useful metaverse technology to its enterprise mixed reality tool, Microsoft Mesh.

As far as enterprises are concerned, training is probably one of the most obvious wins in the commercialisation of virtual reality. Actually practicing new skills in VR, especially hands-on skills in the field or in highly specialized fields like medicine, is likely to attract more visual learners.

In particular, Gemba seeks adoption among employers with multiple operating locations, virtual reality being a standardized, hands-on approach that doesn’t make executives hard pressed for time travel to learn.

The particular post explains that the company’s even bigger ambition now is a more open, accessible and safe form of immersion in the metaverse.

“Looking to the future, we see opportunities for VR to spread beyond consumers into enterprises. We hope to create a platform with Mesh that provides the most opportunities for everyone involved, including creators, partners and customers”

reads the post.

One of the first virtual reality social networking apps is AltspaceVR, which allows users to join 3D chat rooms, play games, watch movies and attend events using headsets and online platforms.

Microsoft acquired the firm as part of a goal to create its own mixed reality ecosystem when it was on the brink of failure in 2017 due to financial issues. The tech giant said customers can now pull their data and content from the VR platform as AltspaceVR has ceased operations.

With its Mesh platform, a tool for creating collaborative apps for users in augmented reality, Microsoft is still in the race for the metaverse.

Gaming accessories include headsets, joysticks, controllers, headsets and webcams.

The growing popularity of video games among the younger generation as well as the introduction of new technologies in the gaming sector are important factors driving the growth of the gaming accessories market.

Gaming accessories give players a high level of comfort, allowing them to play games more efficiently, resulting in market growth.

The emergence of new gaming content with high graphic requirements is driving the gaming accessories market growth. Gaming on consoles is migrating to on-demand visual content, which has already begun. Furthermore, a big driver of the gaming accessories market opportunity is the dropping prices of these items.

Increased usage of smartphones and tablets, as well as fast expanding technology such as virtual reality and artificial intelligence, are fuelling market expansion, globally.

Furthermore, the rise in popularity of e-sports boosts demand for gaming accessories such as improved gaming keyboards and gamepads, as well as other gaming equipment. The pandemic alongside Covid-19 is also a major reason this industry has flourished, because people are spending more time at home.

Key players operating in the gaming accessories industry include Nintendo Co., Ltd., Logitech International SA, Razer Inc., Corsair, Sennheiser, SADES Technological Corporation, Alienware, Plantronics, Google Inc., Cooler Master.

The prototype is called “Typealike,” and works through a regular laptop webcam with a simple affixed mirror. The program recognizes the user’s hands beside or near the keyboard and prompts operations based on different hand positions.

Different gestures and different combinations of gestures can be programmed to carry out a wide range of operations. This aims to make user experience faster and smoother, with less need for keyboard shortcuts or working with a mouse and trackpad. Nalin Chhibber, a recent master’s graduate from the University of Waterloo‘s Cheriton School of Computer Science, commented:

“It started with a simple idea about new ways to use a webcam. The webcam is pointed at your face, but the most interaction happening on a computer is around your hands. So we thought, what could we do if the webcam could pick up hand gestures?”

The study led to the development of a small mechanical attachment that redirects the webcam downwards towards the hands. The team then created a software program capable of understanding distinct hand gestures in variable conditions and for different users. The team used machine learning techniques to train the Typealike program. Fabrice Matulic, senior researcher at Preferred Networks Inc. and a former postdoctoral researcher at Waterloo, noted:

“It’s a neural network, so you need to show the algorithm examples of what you’re trying to detect. Some people will make gestures a little bit differently, and hands vary in size, so you have to collect a lot of data from different people with different lighting conditions.”

The team recorded a database of hand gestures with many research volunteers. Volunteers also did tests and surveys to help the team understand how to make the program as functional and versatile as possible. Daniel Vogel, an associate professor of computer science at Waterloo, said:

“We’re always setting out to make things people can easily use. People look at something like Typealike, or other new tech in the field of human-computer interaction, and they say it just makes sense. That’s what we want. We want to make technology that’s intuitive and straightforward, but sometimes to do that takes a lot of complex research and sophisticated software.”

The researchers say there are further applications for the Typealike program in virtual reality where it could eliminate the need for hand-held controllers.

Recently, evidence of harassment of children under 18 in a popular third-party VR chat application was found by a campaign group.

Maybe this is the reason that The Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) would like to talk to Meta about how its VR business Oculus will reflect on children’s code as the code’s aim is provide online services which are expected to protect children of inappropriate content while using the app. Meta explained:

“We’re committed to meeting the obligations under the code, and to providing young people with age-appropriate experiences.”

The firm’s safe centre’s webpage says that a user needs to be over 13 years old and suggests adults to monitor the way their children use Oculus devices. The ICO said:

“We are planning further discussions with Meta on its children’s privacy and data protection by design approaches to Oculus products and virtual reality services.”

However, while Microsoft is still at its $2.5 trillion, Apple has reached the $3 million mark. When it comes to some other companies, Google, along with Amazon and Tesla are at a market valuation of more than $1 trillion.

Apple has tripled its value for only four years. Four years ago, the company reached the $1 trillion mark. A CBS report says that in August 2020, the company reached the $2 trillion marks.

According to the report, Tim Cook’s vision is the main reason for this growth. In his opinion, the company should focus on its services rather than its hardware. The interesting part is that now, the services of Apple are worth $1.5 trillion which is exactly half of the company’s total value.

The structure of the human eye is really complex and it contains more than two million interacting parts. It’s a serious challenge restoring someone’s sight, but now, thanks to all tech advances and many scientists’ hard work, this task is not an impossible one anymore. The bionic eye probably sounds familiar to you because of all the sci-fi movies and TV shows out there which you know very well. Well, it is now a reality – human sight may be restored.

Serge Picaud, who is a director at Institut de la Vision, a leading research center on eye diseases in Paris, France, said:

‘Enabling a patient to see again is our dream. A dream that we believe can come true,’

At this point, Picaud is coordinating entrain vision, a network of experts from all key sciences which are related to visual restoration. Together with 15 early-stage researchers, they are working and giving their best for restoring patients’ vision.

Firstly, the idea of electrically stimulating the human visual system was described more than 200 years ago. However, the advances in neural engineering and micro-electronics have paved the way for more advanced cortically-based visual prosthetic devices. Picaud explained:

‘The idea is to use a type of electronic device to electrically stimulate the remaining nerve cells. So, after having lost part of the “circuit”, you replace it with an electronic device,’

Recently, one of the partners succeeded in implementing a microelectrode array, which was composed of 100 microneedles, into the visual cortex of a blind woman. Thanks to that, she was able to recognize some lines, shapes, and simple letters.  Picaud said:

‘These results are very exciting because they demonstrate both the safety and efficacy of this technology and can help to achieve a long-held dream of many scientists: to transfer information from the outside world directly to the visual cortex of blind individuals, restoring a rudimentary form of sight. This work is likely to become a milestone for the development of new technologies that could help to transform the treatment of blindness. However, more studies are still needed.’

What actually is optogenetics? 

It is a biological technique that uses light to control nerve cells or other cell types. This technique was developed about 21 years ago. Picaus shared a story from his professional experience, explaining that there is already one patient in France who can see using this. This patient was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative eye disease retinitis pigmentosa, which affects more than two million people worldwide, and completely destroys their retinal photoreceptors. However, because of the research with Gensight Biologics, the patient’s sight has been partially restored.

There is one more technology that has been set by the researchers. It is based on virtual reality. Picaud commented:

‘In Paris, we have a setting like a movie theatre (Street lab) where we can test a patient’s vision. It could be, for example, a room full of obstacles. So, once the patient has a device implanted, we can test it using this platform. However, it’s not easy to validate a device in other centers outside of Paris, because the platform cannot be easily recreated elsewhere due to its size. This is where virtual reality steps in.’

Users can be allowed to experience the same conditions as those in the Paris theatre anywhere in the world by the virtual headset. Picaud added:

‘It can also help us understand what the most important parts of an image are for a patient so that they can recognise their friends or ways to move about a room.’

However, have we ever thought about what happens when a human being loses not only their sight but also their hearing?

For many people with different kinds of disabilities, the sense of touch is really important and it is the only way to interact with the world. Nasrine Olson, who is a senior lecturer at the University of Borås and also a coordinator of the SUITCEYES project noted:

‘Being informed and able to communicate is central to everything we do, but you cannot interact with your environment if you are unable to gain information about it or communicate with people and your surroundings. So, we focused on improving communication for people with deafblindness.’

A smart, tactile interface that extends the perception and spatial orientation turned out to be a result. It makes it possible for them. When it comes to technology, it was nominated for an Innovation Radar Prize. Olson also added:

“Being informed and able to communicate is central to everything we do, but you cannot interact with your environment if you are unable to gain information about it or communicate with people and your surroundings. So, we focused on improving communication for people with deafblindness. “

How does computer vision help capture the environment? 

Olson explained:

‘First, our “haptic intelligent personalized interface” also known as HIPI captures the environment using computer vision and sensor technologies. The camera, sensors, and computer vision algorithms collectively detect and recognize objects, scenes, and faces. An object can be “a chair” or “a cup”, a scene can be “a corridor” or “an office” or “a bathroom”. The system also detects faces and whether they are known to the user or not. The sensor technologies also observe the distance between things.”

In other words, if the user is looking for their cup of coffee, for example, the HIPI will observe that it is on a table three meters away, to the left of the user.

Also, in Olson’s words, the haptograms they created were actually a haptic pattern that carries a meaning, for example, “happy” to the user. It does this by using vibrotactile actuators, which are small electronic devices that vibrate. They can be placed on different parts of the body. Then, various prototypes have been developed with the aim of integrating technology into clothing. Olson said that this included a range of vests, as well as a dress to show how the technology can be worn while looking fashionable.

Technologies have their advantages and disadvantages and there is no doubt on that question. Do they actually have the power to change the future? Of course. But the most important is that technologies make the impossible possible. And when it comes to healthcare it makes it more powerful than ever.

The research in this article was funded by the EU.

The details come from the newsletter Power On by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. He noted:

“Apple’s first headset will have a complex, expensive-to-build design, complete with interchangeable lenses. The company will likely need to work with governments globally on possible prescription lenses and partner with a bevy of manufacturers on complex technologies that neither side has shipped before.”

Gurman has also added that the Apple headset will have both AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) capabilities, which is where these interchangeable lenses could come into play. That means it could be used for immersive VR applications and mixed reality experiences where the digital elements interact with the real world in some way.

Mark Gurman expects the introduction of this headset to be a major announcement that could rival that of the original Apple Watch.

“Apple will want to have such a breakthrough new category in public view before exposing it to leak risks when it gets into the hands of more Apple employees and partners who will need to contribute to it before release.”

The Apple Watch was announced over 200 days before its official release. That means we could see a 2022 announcement followed by a 2023 product launch for the mixed reality headset.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has talked about augmented reality and mixed reality, claiming that they are critically important to the future of the company. It could even end up being the final new product released on his CEO position before retiring.

The timing of a launch in 2023 was suggested earlier this year by an Apple analyst according to who, it would run a Mac-level processor and would not need an iPhone to operate, not unlike the Oculus Quest 2.

MachineFi’s main objective is to transition traditional IoT and machine verticals into MachineFi decentralized applications (Dapps) that will enable millions of users to participate in the machine economy with billions of smart devices.

The world has witnessed the boom of smart devices and automated machines, including smart home devices and smart cars. However, few have noticed inter-machine communication is significantly increasing. IoTeX CEO and Founder Dr. Raullen Chai, explains:

“Today, numerous machines have already started collaborating, producing, and distributing, and they consume information and resources collectively, forming a heterogeneous network of machines.” 

According to a McKinsey report, the Internet of Things (IoT) could unlock a global economic value of up to $12.6 trillion by 2030. Techjury estimates that over 125 billion devices will be connected to the Internet by the start of the next decade, powering that machine economy.

Dr. Chai explains that the convergence of artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, edge computing, the Internet of things, 5G, computer vision, and augmented/virtual reality pushes human society through the next digital revolution wave.