Futurelawyer

Yesterday, Peru. Today, Mont Blanc and Everest

Yesterday, I spent an enjoyable hour walking around Machu Picchu in Peru, and then went back to work. This morning, when I woke up, I watched a crazy mountain climber take photos on Mont Blanc in France, and then walked around at the top of Mount Everest in the Himalayas. Then, I had breakfast. I know, a lot of travel for two days. But, this morning, with the benefit of VR, I got to experience, a little, what it is like to be at the top of a snowy mountain. It was sad to hear the climber/photographer talk about his best friend, who fell off of a mountain and died. But, thanks to his courage, I was able to feel a little of the wonder. This 2D version of the Oculus TV experience doesn't come close to the coolness of watching it in 360 degrees of VR. The best part? No travel. Little expense.And, I am not tired at all. Maybe later, I will go into space, and shoot down some aliens.

I Think I Will Go To Machu Picchu, Peru This Morning

Now that I can't go anywhere, I think I will go to Peru and see Machu Picchu. It is on my bucket list, and thanks to National Geographic, I can go and walk around the ruins. I will have an expert guide, and it won't cost anything. No airfare, no expensive hotels, no long, exhausting travel. Through the amazing Oculus Quest headset, I can travel like a StarTrek transporter user. See you on the other side, you poor homebound soul.

 

All Work And No Play Makes Rick A Dull Boy

ProPutt Goes Lefty. As many of you know, I am a fan of the Oculus Quest VR headset, and love testing new stuff. I have posted about the beta I am running from TopGolf, ProPutt VR, which brings golf to the VR genre. ProPutt is the first foray into VR golf, and it is a hit. The new update I installed yesterday allows me to play from my natural left handed side, and it is amazing. Imagine yourself in an immersive VR cartoon world, with mountains and streams and deserts and you are standing on, and walking around on a virtual putting green. I can't wait until TopGolf creates a complete golf course. I am driving Diane crazy by making her move the living room furniture so I have more room. Who needs to leave the house? And, now, on the first tee, it is the FutureLawyer. The crowd is in a hushed silence as he approaches the ball. He steadies himself over the putt, swings and taps the ball towards the waiting hole. The crowd cheers as the ball falls into the cup. On to the next hole.

Pro Putt VR - Location, Location, Location

Here are some shots of the great places you will be able to go when you play Pro Putt VR. It's like going on vacation in your head. Keep in mind that, in VR, you are actually standing in these places and walking around, with a 360 degree view. It's really like being there. And your mind suspends your disbelief and it feels like you are in a cartoon.

Golf In The Middle Of A Pandemic

ProPuttVR. After I got home from work today, I needed to zone out from news coverage and law practice. I have signed up for the beta version of a new VR game, Pro Putt, by TopGolf. Before that, however, I watched a VR version of a Chernobyl documentary, in which you are guided by a tour guide who was 9 years old when the 1986 accident happened. It is eerie to be in the middle of the town where it happened. In VR you really get a feel for the place, 35 years later. But, that is as depressing as watching news coverage of the Pandemic. So, VR golf is a flight into a fantasy world, in which you stand over a golf ball with a putter (the Right controller), and strike it while you are standing in the middle of a VR landscape. Very cool. Robert Holzhauer, the Director of Operations, is very proud of the progress they have made. The game beta, Version 5, is feature filled:

Overview of Beta V5:

- 3 Courses, with 2 Difficulty Modes per Course

- 4 Gameplay Modes per Course (Campaign, Stroke Play, Play a Bot, and Multiplayer)

- Topgolf Putting Lounge

- Practice Green

- Leaderboards

 

I can't wait for a VR version of a full golf course. I may never have to fight the Florida heat again. (I'm kidding). But, for now, this is as close as I am going to get to a golf course, since, as a high risk old person, it isn't smart for me to be outside a lot. Thanks, Robert. Keep up the good work. The rest of you, if you haven't sprung for an Oculus Quest headset yet, you are missing out on the next computer revolution. Now, where is my putter?

ProPutt - How To Spend Your Time In A World Gone Mad

ProPutt. Locked up in your house? Avoiding traffic and people? Trapped with your family, most of whom you have had no contact with for years? Well, now is the perfect time to dust off your VR headset, and and head to the virtual links for a round of virtual golf. What, you don't have a VR headset? Sorry, but I have been preparing for this moment for several years. With the Oculus VR headset out for a year now, and collecting virtual games and entertainment for a lot of that time, I am ready to lose myself in a virtual world where nobody dies; at least, not permanently. Enjoy your life. You only get one in the real. And, it will end. Today, I go home early, and VR golf.

FutureLawyer Takes Command Of A Starship

Last year, I bought myself an Oculus Quest VR headset, which is a marvelous bit of tech that really transports the user into another reality. This year, I purchased the Star Trek Bridge game for it, and it is amazing. Your controllers are your hands, and you actually punch buttons on the control panel, and interact with the crew. It isn't the Enterprise, but the Aegir (Copyright concerns, no doubt); but, you can really get lost in this game. I am not much of a gamer; but, the VR simulations of geographical locations, museums, and fantasy environments are a marvel to navigate in. Check out the demo to get a flavor of the game; but, you won't really get it until you put a headset on yourself. I can't wait to try this game after a couple of Jamesons.

 

Oculus Quest All-in-one VR - The Best Xmas Gift Ever

Amazon.com: Oculus Quest All-in-one VR Gaming Headset %u2013 64GB: PC: Video Games. Since I gave myself an Oculus Quest for Xmas last year, I have traveled all over the virtual world; and, while I am not a gamer, I have sampled some pretty realistic simulations that transported me out of reality for a while. I have also experienced movie theater like viewing of movies and TV. If great writing allows the reader to, for a moment, suspend their disbelief, then the Quest does the same for virtual reality. Santa Claus recommended. FutureLawyer recommended. This is a great gift for the kid in all of us. It is a bonus that these things are being used in training in all sorts of industries, and in the health fields for Doctors and patients in all settings.

Oculus Quest Gets Hand Tracking

How to enable Oculus Quest hand tracking | Android Central. I have really enjoyed the Oculus Quest virtual reality headset. I am not much of a gamer; but, I enjoy watching TV and movies in VR, and enjoy the environment simulators, and the virtual tourism stuff. The best part of the affordable VR Quest, however, is the freedom not to be tethered to a cable and to be able to walk around. Up until now, this was somewhat limited because the hands were restricted to choosing options on screen. But, Oculus keeps improving the software, and I am looking forward to true hand tracking inside the simulators. Want to escape your reality for a few minutes? Get a Quest. Sorry, you can't use mine. I had my prescription lenses made to insert in the Quest. See you in the next reality.

WalMart Uses Oculus Go VR In Training

Walmart Expands VR Training with Oculus Go | Oculus. I have often speculated about the use of VR in professional scenarios. The glasses are able to create realistic alternate realities, and thus are uniquely positioned to provide training environments for all sorts of classrooms. WalMart is now using them to train employees in the situations they may face at work, and I think they are ideally suited to training law students and lawyers as well. While my Oculus Go glasses are used primarily for scenic wandering and some of the tamer video games, I am always thinking about other uses. I have long wanted to fly airplanes, and the simulations available are really fun. What uses can you imagine VR glasses for?