What if you could get in a car, put on some VR goggles, and be immersed in a virtual world that's perfectly in sync with the outside world? No motion sickness – just a vast alternate universe ripe for games and entertainment.
That's what holoride promises , and we had a chance to experience it at MWC and SXSW recently. Before we dive into what Holoride looks and feels like, let's discuss the tech behind it.
The VR headset hits the road
In Barcelona, Holoride used a Cupra Born EV (basically Seat's version of the Volkswagen ID.3) for the demo, while in Austin, it used several Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback EVs.
In both cases, the cars were set up with Holoride's developer kit, an HTC Vive Flow VR headset, and an old HTC U12+ smartphone. For our demo, we sat in the Cupra Born's back seat, buckled up, donned the VR headset, and grabbed the phone.
Since the HTC Vive Flow doesn't come with controllers, the U12+ phone was being used as a simple controller. In the future, you'll just use your own phone with Holoride, and maybe even bring your own VR headset, if you have one – though it might be easier to keep VR headsets in the car.
We wouldn't be surprised if some vehicles start getting bundled with VR headsets (or at least feature VR headset storage) in the next few years.
At MWC, Holoride revealed the HTC Vive Flow is the first Holoride-ready VR headset, while at SXSW, the company announced that Audi will ship the first Holoride-ready cars (A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q5, Q7, Q8, e-tron, e-tron Sportback, and e-tron GT) starting June 2022 in the US and Europe (UK and Germany).
Basically, any vehicle with VW Group's third-generation Modular Infotainment Toolkit (MIB 3) will eventually be compatible.
For cars without built-in support, there's the Holoride's developer kit, a hockey-puck sized device which attaches to the front windshield with a suction cup and plugs into a USB port for power.
It features GPS, accelerometers, a gyroscope, a compass, and other sensors that accurately capture the vehicle's data (position, motion, velocity, and acceleration) – plus Bluetooth connectivity to interface with the VR headset and smartphone.
Obviously, in Holoride-ready cars, all of these sensors and the Bluetooth connectivity are built right into the vehicle, for a seamless integration resulting in more accurate data for the Holoride experience.
In fact, most modern cars already incorporate the majority of the hardware needed to become Holoride ready, so we wouldn't be surprised if the company announces more partnerships with other vehicle manufacturers soon.
Two impressive VR experiences
The first Holoride tech demo we tried was a simple, cartoonish game called BeatRider. You're riding on top of a vehicle in a stylized desert-like virtual world.
A cannon tracks your head position, with a reticle that randomly changes colors and always points to where you're looking. Bubbles of various colors appear all around you, and you must shoot only the bubbles matching the current reticle color by tapping the phone's screen.
You'd think that all this visual stimulation and head motion in a moving car would quickly result in motion sickness. But that isn't the case at all.
The motion of the vehicle in the game is accurately synchronized with the motion of the car in the real world, so the virtual world around you delivers visual cues that match what our body is feeling. With such low latency, your brain doesn’t register a disconnect between the two.
The second tech demo we tried was a virtual movie theater. You're sitting in a movie theater watching content on a big screen in front of you, but instead of the theater having walls and a ceiling you see a stylized night-time virtual world around you.
Basically, the entire movie theater moves in sync with the car in the real world, and again, the virtual world around you provides enough peripheral visual cues to prevent motion sickness.
One benefit of this virtual movie theater is that you're looking at a larger virtual screen than anything practical with any infotainment system. A VR headset is likely more affordable, too.
Ultimately, Holoride wants to support a wide variety of standalone VR headsets and a broad range of cars. To this end, the Holoride Elastic SDK abstracts hardware specifics, and lets developers focus on creating experiences using the Unity game engine.
A new kind of in-car entertainment
In all, we were impressed with Holoride's tech demos – especially the low latency between the motion of the car in the real world and the motion of the vehicle in the virtual world, which significantly reduces the opportunity for motion sickness.
As we slowly move towards a future where self-driving cars and even driverless vehicles become the norm, Holoride presents an opportunity for a radical new kind of immersive in-car entertainment.
Having a virtual world that's hundreds of miles or kilometers in size opens up a whole new universe of VR experiences that simply aren't possible when wearing a VR headset within the confines of our homes. And that's what makes Holoride so appealing to developers as well as both VR headset and car manufacturers.
To that end, the company's already partnered with content studios like Mackevision, Rewind, and Schell Games.
So, who knows? Perhaps in a few years your Uber ride might not be quite as boring, and your annual family road trip might be less stressful as you wear the latest generation of ultralight VR (or AR) headset and enjoy a whole new form of in-car entertainment. We're game!
What time is Moon Knight episode 5 released on Disney Plus?
Are you excited for Moon Knight episode 5? You should be.
After the surreal, mind-bending events that took occurred in episode 4, we're sure you can't wait for the Marvel Phase 4 project's next instalment. If you're still baffled by what happened in Moon Knight 's last episode, you'll want to check out our ending explainer and chat with executive producer Grant Curtis for more information.
But we digress – you're here to find out when Moon Knight episode 5 will air on Disney Plus . Below, we'll run you through the exact release date and time for the superhero show's next entry. We've catered for audiences across numerous world regions, too, so you shouldn't have to do much (if any) time zone conversions to work out ahead of Moon Knight's fifth episode landing on your TV or computer screen.
Additionally, we've provided you with a full release schedule for Moon Knight's six-episode run. We're in the show's final act now, so you won't need it for much longer, but it's still handy to have at this stage of proceedings.
So, what are you waiting for? Read on to find out when we'll be reunited with Marc, Steven, and the rest of the Moon Knight gang.
When is the Moon Knight episode 5 release date?
Moon Knight episode 5 will be released on Disney Plus on Wednesday, April 27 at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM BST / 12:30 PM IST / 5PM AEST.
US audiences will need to stay up late (or get up really early) if they wish to watch Moon Knight episode 5 as soon as it's released. Meanwhile, UK Marvel fans might have enough time to catch it before they start work or head to school. You know, if you're working remotely or wish to see it before traveling to school.
Indian viewers should be able to sneak episode 5 in during their lunchbreak, while Australian and New Zealand fans will have to wait until the working day is done.
No matter where you'll be watching Moon Knight episode 5 in the world, you'll definitely want to take precautions before you stream it. There are bound to be numerous spoilers circulating on social media (and on various websites) post-release, and you wouldn't want any of them to be ruined ahead of time.
Our advice? Mute hashtags and words including #MoonKnight, #MoonKnightepisode5, and #MoonKnightspoilers on Twitter and company ahead of time. Alternatively, stay off social media until you've watched the show's fifth episode. That way, you'll be safe. Unlike Marc and Steven, who still need to escape that supposed psychiatric hospital that they were trapped in during episode 4.
How many Moon Knight episodes will be released? Full launch schedule
Here's the full release schedule for Moon Knight on Disney Plus:
As we mentioned in our introduction, there aren't many Moon Knight episodes left – two, to be exact. That's surreal to say in itself, as it feels like the Disney Plus show has only just got going.
It's been a wild ride for Marc/Steven, Layla, Arthur and MCU fans., but all good things must come to an end eventually. Thankfully, we do have two episodes left to go, and we expect them to be intriguing and explosive affairs. Oh, and according to Marvel insider Amit Chaudhari , Moon Knight episode 5 has a 47-minute runtime. So there's still a fair chunk of Moon Knight left to catch.
There's more Marvel content coming in the near future, too, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ms Marvel , and Thor: Love and Thunder all set to arrive by mid-July. As the online saying goes, we'll be dining well on Marvel projects for a while yet.
For more Marvel-based content, check out how to watch the Marvel movies in order . And, if you somehow missed it, read up on Thor 4's first teaser traile r.
Zoom’s new animated avatars are the stuff of nightmares
Zoom has rolled out an update for its video conferencing platform that introduces a new feature that may well fuel your nightmares for weeks to come.
In addition to virtual backgrounds and video filters, Zoom now lets users appear as an animated avatar in animal form, with choices ranging from cat to cow, raccoon, bunny, dog and more.
The avatars not only replace the original video feed, but also mirror the person’s head movements and facial expressions courtesy of a few AI tricks.
Zoom avatars
Zoom set out the rationale for its eccentric new feature in a company blog post , saying the Avatars tool will be useful on multiple fronts, both breathing a bit of levity into meetings and concealing the video feed of those that would prefer not to feature on camera.
“Video communication is a modern marvel, but creating those magical and spontaneous moments that make in-person interactions so special can be difficult in a virtual setting,” the company says.
“Avatars are an easy and entertaining way to engage with attendees and create a bit of fun. They also provide a good middle ground for users who don’t want to appear on camera, but still want to express body language and facial expressions.”
Although the novelty value is clear and users will likely have plenty of fun messing around with the feature, the idea it might be employed in a business context feels farfetched.
Once you’ve seen your co-worker metamorphose into an animated cow, it’s unlikely you’ll care much about the spreadsheet they are presenting. Indeed, you may never look at them the same again.
Although the new avatars are charming enough at first glance, there is also a sinister quality to them. It’s difficult to identify precisely why, but it has at least something to do with the beady little eyes.
In reality, the new feature is more of a marketing stunt than a genuine platform upgrade. If it wasn’t, Zoom would have started with human avatars, which will supposedly land in a future update. But to the company’s credit, the strategy appears to have paid off.
The Avatars feature is available now on Zoom for Windows, macOS and iOS. TechRadar Pro has asked for clarification as to when Android users will gain access to the feature.
Update: A Zoom spokesperson has since confirmed the company is aiming to bring the Avatars feature to Android over the summer.