Author name: Rejus Almole

workplace-surveillance-in-the-eu:-here’s-what-you-need-to-know

Workplace surveillance in the EU: Here’s what you need to know

Future of Work, Insider / /
Workplace surveillance in the EU: Here’s what you need to know

Elaine Burke

Story by

Elaine Burke

Elaine Burke is an award-winning journalist, editor and broadcaster covering science, technology and media. She previously served as editor Elaine Burke is an award-winning journalist, editor and broadcaster covering science, technology and media. She previously served as editor of Silicon Republic and is currently the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production of The HeadStuff Podcast Network and Silicon Republic.

Last September, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella identified an issue that was eating away at managers: productivity paranoia.

This was on the back of Microsoft research spanning 20,000 people across 11 countries, which found a disconnect between workers feeling productive in hybrid and remote environments and managers straining to “see” productivity in this new context.

About as many workers reported being productive as leaders reported a lack of confidence in that productivity (87% and 85%, respectively).

Intrusive micro-management

Unfortunately, to bridge this divide, some business leaders have turned to a new and intrusive form of micro-management. With employees working out of sight, managers are sourcing alternative ways to achieve the old “watchful eye” approach they had in the office.

These tools were especially appealing to managers forced to adapt to a new way of working without due preparation, and so it should come as no surprise that Google Trends indicates that searches for “remote employee monitoring” reached a peak in the spring of 2020.

So came the rise of interest in authoritarian-sounding employee monitoring software such as StaffCop and Time Doctor. Some providers reported increased demand for their software, with business tripling after the outbreak of the pandemic.

Employee monitoring can be as simple as creating attendance records and automated timesheets, or it can extend to screen monitoring, keystroke logging, and even location tracking. Some, like Time Doctor, can even enable a computer’s webcam to take a picture of the user every 10 minutes.

A 2020 report by Eurofound, the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, found that more than one-quarter (27%) of organisations in the EU were using data analytics for the monitoring of employee performance and that the use of such techniques was trending upwards.

Though there are no specific rules for employee monitoring software in the EU, GDPR is applicable because it involves the processing of people’s data.

And, unlike some data protection laws in the US, GDPR offers protections for employee-related information.

Lawful grounds

One of the key pillars of GDPR is consent to data processing, and this consent must be achieved without duress on the subject. Because of the imbalance of power in an employee-employer relationship, it’s considered that consent, in this case, cannot be freely given, and so employers must find further lawful grounds to justify their data processing.

Most employers will justify employee monitoring as a “legitimate interest”, though that doesn’t give them free rein for intensive surveillance. Any aspect of monitoring must be shown to be necessary, legitimate, and proportionate to the risk of any perceived threat (such as the unauthorised sharing of confidential information).

There must be a clear case that no other means of supervision, such as simply blocking certain websites or apps on company devices, is sufficient. And only the data necessary to achieve these justifiable aims should be captured.

Apart from rare exceptions that typically involve a criminal investigation, employers must disclose their monitoring practices to employees, detailing the data that will be processed, how, and for what purpose.

Some EU member states may have privacy and labour requirements that are even stricter than GDPR, which allows member states to institute their own specific rules for personal data processing within employment. Countries such as Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain, for example, have instituted a right to disconnect.

But rules and regulations are not the only reason employers should tread carefully when it comes to workplace surveillance. A recent survey from IT outsourcing firm 1E revealed that almost half of IT workers (48%) would turn down a good job if they knew a company was engaged in such activity.

If you’re uncomfortable with your current employer’s monitoring practices, you can always search for new opportunities on the House of Talent Job Board.

Microsoft, which has been preaching for practices that better support and enable productive hybrid work, is one of many companies with roles currently available in Germany, Ireland, the UK, and further afield.

Eurofound’s recent research revealed that employee performance monitoring is most common in Croatia and Romania, and least of all in Germany and Sweden. Large companies of 250 or more employees were most likely to use it, while small businesses of 10 to 49 employees were the least likely.

If Germany appeals to you for work, Hero Software is a mid-size SaaS business based in Hannover which is currently seeking a DevOps Engineer.

Stud-IT is a small-scale IT business with offices across Germany that is currently filling several junior roles.

And, if you’re among almost three-quarters (73%) of IT managers surveyed by 1E who were uncomfortable installing productivity-monitoring software for their teams, you can search for new opportunities such as this one at sustainability-focused consultancy Metabolic in Amsterdam, or this one at BeCap Consulting in Rennes, northwest France, which offers a flexible work policy blending time in-office and remote work.

Search for more available roles now on the House of Talent Job Board

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The future of Dutch aerospace? Meet Fokker Next Gen’s hydrogen plane

Corporates and innovation, Europe, Next Featured, Sustainability / /
The future of Dutch aerospace? Meet Fokker Next Gen’s hydrogen plane

Linnea Ahlgren

Story by

Linnea Ahlgren

Dutch aerospace pioneer Fokker is looking to make a comeback. This time however, it won’t be polluting Jet A fuel propelling the company’s aircraft. Instead, in the revived guise of Fokker Next Gen, it is playing the long game and joining in on the clean-burning hydrogen hype. 

With €25 million in funding from the Dutch government, and an additional EU Clean Aviation grant of undisclosed amount, Fokker is aiming at a 2035 entry into service of a clean-sheet aircraft design operating on liquid hydrogen. The plane’s intended range is 2,500 km, meaning it could fly across Europe from London to Kyiv – without generating any CO₂ emissions.

Fokker Next Gen intends to be done with the conceptual design stage of the aircraft by 2027, with a critical design review coming up three years later. Assembly of the new plane will happen in 2032, with the first prototype flight scheduled for 2033. That is, if everything goes according to plan, which is seldom the case with new aircraft projects. 

Meanwhile, the envisioned timeline is understandable, given that 2035 is the year proclaimed by European aerospace giant Airbus as the arrival of its ZEROe hydrogen-powered commercial aeroplane. 

Spacious and quiet

Looking at the first digitally generated images of the airframe-to-be, Fokker Next Gen is  hoping to build a dual-aisle aircraft with 2-3-2 seating, most closely resembling the layout of an Airbus A330. 

Airplane seats rendering
Flexible display panels will offer “customisable views or entertainment options” (that middle seat isn’t going anywhere though). Credit: Fokker Next Gen

It is difficult to glean the total passenger capacity though, as there is no length specification. What’s more, plenty of space in the fuselage has been dedicated to the storage of the hydrogen – one of the trickiest puzzles to solve in making hydrogen-powered commercial flight a reality, considering volume and weight constraints. 

What we do know is that Fokker has opted for liquid hydrogen and direct combustion, as opposed to hydrogen-electric fuel-cells favoured by a majority of startups in the clean aviation space. Furthermore, it has already found an intended engine partner in the UK’s Rolls-Royce.

Rendering of hydrogen storage and engines
The hydrogen would be stored in the back of the fuselage. Credit: Fokker Next Gen

Meanwhile, just in case there won’t be enough green hydrogen to go around (a projected future constraint in the scaling of the technology), Fokker Next Gen has safeguarded its commercial appeal by designing the plane to also be able to fly on both good old kerosene and sustainable aviation fuel. 

Much more investment needed

Of course, €25 million is not going to cut it when it comes to delivering a brand new plane with tremendous R&D demand. Billions more will be needed in investment to hit the intended target of 150 units rolling off the final assembly line per year. But, as Fokker Next Gen CEO Juriaan Kellermann told Luchtvaartnieuws over the weekend, “We think it’s realistic.”

Meanwhile, building both an entirely new airframe and propulsion architecture at the same time would be a tall order. As such, the company will first convert one of its Fokker 100 regional jets. In fact, Fokker Next Gen has already begun adapting the plane to run on liquid hydrogen. The first test flight of the modified jet is currently scheduled for the start of 2028.

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the-20-best-rated-&-most-popular-quest-games-&-apps-–-may-2023

The 20 Best Rated & Most Popular Quest Games & Apps – May 2023

best meta quest 2 games, best oculus games, best oculus quest 2 games, best oculus quest games, best quest 2 games, best quest games, Feature, News, quest 2 games, quest games, Top List, top oculus games, top quest 2 games, top quest games, VR Gaming / /

While Oculus doesn’t offer much publicly in the way of understanding how well individual games & apps are performing across its Quest 2 storefront, it’s possible to glean some insight by looking at apps relative to each other. Here’s a snapshot of the 20 best rated Oculus Quest games and apps as of May 2023.

Some quick qualifications before we get to the data:

  • Paid and free apps are separated
  • Only apps with more than 100 reviews are represented
  • App Lab apps are not represented (see our latest Quest App Lab report)
  • Rounded ratings may appear to show ‘ties’ in ratings for some applications, but the ranked order remains correct

Best Rated Oculus Quest 2 Games & Apps – Paid

The rating of each application is an aggregate of user reviews and a useful way to understand the general reception of each title by customers.

Rank Name Rating (# of ratings) Rank Change Price
#1 Moss: Book II 4.89 (594) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"≡"}">≡ $30
#2 The Room VR: A Dark Matter 4.89 (12,603) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"≡"}">≡ $30
#3 Puzzling Places 4.87 (1,770) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"≡"}">≡ $15
#4 Walkabout Mini Golf 4.86 (10,195) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"≡"}">≡ $15
#5 I Expect You To Die 2 4.85 (2,757) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"≡"}">≡ $25
#6 Swarm 4.82 (2,341) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 3"}">↑ 3 $25
#7 COMPOUND 4.81 (473) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"≡"}">≡ $20
#8 PatchWorld – Make Music Worlds 4.81 (160) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 3"}">↑ 3 $30
#9 I Expect You To Die 4.81 (5,269) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 3"}">↑ 3 $25
#10 Moss 4.8 (6,534) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 3"}">↑ 3 $20
#11 DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate 4.8 (368) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↓ 1"}">↓ 1 $20
#12 Ragnarock 4.8 (1,277) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 4"}">↑ 4 $25
#13 ARK and ADE 4.8 (139) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 2"}">↑ 2 $10
#14 Cubism 4.79 (795) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 3"}">↑ 3 $10
#15 Red Matter 2 4.79 (1,174) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↓ 1"}">↓ 1 $30
#16 Ancient Dungeon 4.79 (915) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 2"}">↑ 2 $20
#17 Eye of the Temple 4.79 (144) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"New"}">New $20
#18 GOLF+ 4.79 (18,143) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 4"}">↑ 4 $30
#19 Into the Radius 4.78 (4,134) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"≡"}">≡ $30
#20 Pistol Whip 4.78 (9,508) 0,”↑ “&abs(R[0]C[-7]),R[0]C[-7]<1,"↓ "&abs(R[0]C[-7])))" data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"↑ 1"}">↑ 1 $30

Rank change & stats compared to April 2023

Dropouts:

Breachers, Vermillion, The Last Clockwinder

  • Among the 20 best rated Quest apps
    • Average rating (mean): 4.8 out of 5 (±0)
    • Average price (mean): $23 (±$0)
    • Most common price (mode): $30 (±$0)
  • Among all paid Quest apps
    • Average rating (mean): 4.2 out of 5 (±0)
    • Average price (mean): $20 (±$0)
    • Most common price (mode): $20 (±$0)

Continue on Page 2: Most Popular Paid Oculus Quest Apps »

The 20 Best Rated & Most Popular Quest Games & Apps – May 2023 Read More »

eu-fines-meta-record-e1.2b-as-feud-over-data-transfers-to-the-us-escalates

EU fines Meta record €1.2B as feud over data transfers to the US escalates

Corporates and innovation, Data and security, Government and policy, Next Featured, Startups and technology / /
EU fines Meta record €1.2B as feud over data transfers to the US escalates

Thomas Macaulay

Story by

Thomas Macaulay

Senior reporter

Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on deeptech, startups, and government policy. Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on deeptech, startups, and government policy.

In a seminal moment for international data flows, the EU has fined Meta a record-breaking €1.2bn for privacy violations.

The penalty is the largest ever for a violation of GDPR, which was introduced to protect personal information. According to EU regulators, Meta broke the rules by transferring user data from the bloc to the US for processing.

The Facebook owner made these transfers on the basis of standard contractual clauses (SCCs), which govern the flow of personal data. But an EU investigation determined that SCCs don’t provide enough protection from US surveillance.

Andrea Jelinek, chair of the European Data Protection Board, called the infringement “very serious” because the transfers were systematic, repetitive, and continuous.

“Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive,” she said. “The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organisations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.”

Meta called the fine “unjustified and unnecessary” and said it would appeal the ruling.

Data borders

The intervention could prove pivotal for data transfers more broadly. Lawmakers in the EU and US are currently developing a new transatlantic Data Privacy Framework that would clarify the requirements for moving information across borders.

Nick Clegg, Meta’s head of global affairs, said the new ruling had disregarded the progress being made on this issue. He called it “a dangerous precedent” for data transfers that imperils the foundations of an open internet.

“Without the ability to transfer data across borders, the internet risks being carved up into national and regional silos, restricting the global economy and leaving citizens in different countries unable to access many of the shared services we have come to rely on,” said Clegg.

Naturally, Clegg has a vested interest in easing data flows to the US, but he’s not alone in wanting the removal of digital borders. According to Janine Regan, Legal Director for Data Protection at law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, there’s political agreement on both sides of the Atlantic to resolve the issue. 

“It’s likely that an alternative transfer mechanism will be ready over the summer so that Meta does not have to completely suspend transatlantic transfers, but this will be little consolation for a company facing such a record-breaking fine,” she said.

Dangerous times for data violations

The new ruling also serves as a warning to other companies that transfer data. Chris Linnell, Principal Data Protection Consultant at cyber security firm Bridewell called it “a stark reminder” that SSCs alone don’t adequately protect personal data.

He advised all organisations to undertake transfer risk assessments when processing personal data outside of the EU. In addition, he recommends regular ongoing reviews of compliance and potential risks to data subjects.

“Ultimately, contracts in place between parties will not act as a safeguard when recipient organisations have their own legal obligations to fulfil when it comes to national surveillance laws, such as FISA in the United States,” said Linnel.

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how-to-turn-university-spinouts-into-commercial-success:-a-must-see-talk-at-tnw-conference

How to turn university spinouts into commercial success: A must-see talk at TNW Conference

Deep tech, Ecosystems, Next Featured, Startups and technology / /
How to turn university spinouts into commercial success: A must-see talk at TNW Conference

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Story by

Ioanna Lykiardopoulou

Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainabili Ioanna is a writer at TNW. She covers the full spectrum of the European tech ecosystem, with a particular interest in startups, sustainability, green tech, AI, and EU policy. With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.

Krijn de Nood, Julie Hawkins, and Stephanie Klein Nagelvoort-Schuit will be speaking at TNW Conference, which takes place on June 15 & 16 in Amsterdam. If you want to experience the event (and say hi to our editorial team!), we’ve got something special for our loyal readers. Use the promo code READ-TNW-25 and get a 25% discount on your business pass for TNW Conference. See you in Amsterdam!

Renowned university spinouts such as chip designer Arm in the UK and immunotherapy pioneer BionNTech in Germany have proven the importance of bringing scientific innovation to real-world industries. But the road from academia to enterprise is no bed of roses.

Back when I was in uni, I was part of a project that I hoped would place me and my fellow team under the “tech startup to watch” radar. But my dreams were quickly shuttered when I asked the leading professor if he would consider commercialising our tool outside of the university. His answer was succinct: “It’s far too complex.”

With outstanding academic institutions, Europe has the potential to emerge as the most attractive spinout ecosystem in the world — especially in the fields of computing, engineering, bioscience, and deep tech.

Although the number of spinouts on the continent has increased over the years with many deep tech startups in particular having strong university roots, it seems that founders still have to tackle considerable challenges: from high equity demands and a long spinout process, to securing later stage funding and cultivating entrepreneurial skills.

At TNW Conference, navigating the challenging journey from academia to startup gets the spotlight it deserves. On day one of the event, a group of leading experts and entrepreneurs will take the stage to discuss the crucial steps needed to bring academic innovations to market.

These are Krijn de Nood, CEO of Meatable, the trailblazing lab-grown meat startup; Julie Hawkins, General Partner at UK early-stage VC firm Local Globe; and Stephanie Klein Nagelvoort-Schuit, VP at University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) and founder of abcdeSIM, an e-learning spinout company from the Erasmus University Medical Center.

De Nood, Hawkins, and Klein Nagelvoort-Schuit will explore success stories of university spinouts and delve into some of the most significant challenges these startups face, such as bridging funding gaps and developing go-to-market strategies.

So if you’re a potential founder who wants to learn about the unique hurdles associated with university-born ventures and aspires to usher your own spinout into commercial success, make sure not to miss their talk! I know I won’t — and perhaps I’ll get inspired to go into academia again.

Navigating the spinout process is among many startup growth topics that will be explored at TNW Conference. You can find more on the event agenda — and remember: for a 25% discount on business passes, use the promo code READ-TNW-25.

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Crypto payments can now be traced like bank transfers under new EU law

Data and security, Government and policy, Investors and funding, Next Featured, Startups and technology / /
Crypto payments can now be traced like bank transfers under new EU law

Siôn Geschwindt

Story by

Siôn Geschwindt

The EU Parliament agreed last week on the world’s first comprehensive set of rules to regulate the transfer of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, as it looks to crack down on money laundering and illegal transfers in the bloc.

From 2024, all crypto transfers, regardless of amount, will be covered by the so-called ‘travel rule’ — information on the source of the asset and its beneficiary will have to travel with the transaction and be stored on both sides of the transfer. 

The regulation requires firms that want to issue, trade, and safeguard crypto-assets, tokenised assets, and stablecoins in the 27-country bloc to obtain a licence.  

“Recent events have confirmed the urgent need for imposing rules which will better protect Europeans who have invested in these assets, and prevent the misuse of the crypto industry for the purposes of money laundering and financing of terrorism,” said Swedish finance minister Elisabeth Svantesson. 

MiCA — as the new regulation is known — is designed to ensure that crypto transfers within the EU can be traced in much the same way as ordinary bank transfers. Furthermore, they are meant to protect investors by increasing transparency and putting in place a comprehensive framework for issuers and service providers including compliance with the anti-money laundering rules. 

The new rules also require crypto-asset service providers to share mandatory information with tax authorities through an automatic exchange. However, they do not apply to person-to-person transfers conducted without a provider or among providers acting on their own behalf. 

Additionally, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) will be given powers to step in and ban or restrict crypto platforms if they are seen to not properly protect investors, or threaten market integrity or financial stability.

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin trace transactions via a blockchain record. While all transactions are recorded in a publicly-accessible ledger, they can only be traced back to a user’s public key, not their real-world personal information. This pseudo-anonymity is what drew many to invest in crypto in the first place, but it poses a number of risks. 

Currently, when dealing with crypto-assets, people are not covered by EU consumer protection rules and risk losing money. Furthermore, the EU fears that the widespread use of crypto could drive financial instability, market manipulation, and financial crime. 

In 2022, the amount of cryptocurrency obtained either illegally or for groups or individuals to use for illicit purposes — including terrorism and human trafficking — stood at just over $20bn, according to Chainalysis, a platform that provides data on blockchain technology.

The technology also uses vast quantities of electricity: the energy consumption of bitcoin is estimated to equal that of a small country. 

‘World’s first comprehensive crypto rules’

So far, policies worldwide have ranged from ignoring to fully banning the use of cryptocurrencies. The UK has outlined a phased approach, starting with stablecoins and broadening out to other crypto-assets later on, but there is no firm timeframe. Meanwhile, the US has taken somewhat of a ‘case by case’ approach to the matter like prosecuting individuals or working to recover ransomed funds. 

In a departure from the global trend, MiCA is slated to be the world’s first comprehensive set of rules to regulate crypto-assets. This is part of a package of legislative proposals to strengthen the EU’s anti-money laundering and countering terrorism financing rules, presented by the Commission in 2021. The package also includes a proposal to create a new EU authority to fight money laundering.

MiCA also addresses environmental concerns surrounding crypto, with firms forced to disclose their energy consumption as well as the impact of digital assets on the environment.

Rather than scaring away crypto firms, MiCA is expected to attract both startups and prominent businesses, setting the stage for more healthy competition. 

According to Reuters, crypto firms say they welcome the “certainty in regulation”, putting pressure on countries to copy the EU rules, and on regulators to come up with global norms for cross-border activity. 

Brinda Paul, director of compliance at Australian crypto-asset firm Banxa, told CryptoPotato that he believes MiCA “sets a high standard for consumer protection”, which will create a more reliable and trustworthy crypto market and “benefits customers immensely.”

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[industry-direct]-varjo-celebrates-best-headworn-device-nomination-with-$300-discount-on-varjo-aero

[Industry Direct] Varjo Celebrates Best Headworn Device Nomination with $300 Discount on Varjo Aero

Sponsored Newsletter / /

Industry Direct by Varjo

Industry Direct is our program for sponsors who want to speak directly to the Road to VR newsletter audience. Industry Direct posts are written by sponsors with no involvement from the Road to VR editorial team. Links to these posts appear only in our newsletter and do not intermix with our on-site editorial feed. Industry Direct sponsors help make Road to VR possible.

Augmented World Expo (AWE) showcases the best of the best in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality with their esteemed Auggie Awards. Last year, Varjo took home the ‘Best Headworn Device’ award with the Varjo Aero headset, and this spring, Varjo XR-3 Focal Edition is one of the finalists in the same category.

To celebrate the nomination for Best Headworn Device, we’ve also launched a special spring promotion available to all Road to VR readers. People who order a Varjo Aero headset online before May 24 now get $300 off the price.

If you’re hesitant about whether the Varjo Aero is the right choice for you, we’ve collected some of the industry feedback below on why it’s one of the best VR headsets out there.

Why People Love Varjo Aero

Varjo Aero has made waves among professionals and advanced VR users, especially VR pilots and racing drivers. The ultra-high visual clarity of up to 35 pixels per-degree is an eye opening-experience, showing the true potential of VR for gamers and professionals. With dual mini-LED displays, crystal-clear aspheric lenses, and a 115° field-of-view for stunning edge-to-edge clarity, the device offers a massive step up in visual fidelity over consumer-grade virtual reality headsets.

A review of Varjo Aero by Pie in the Sky Tours, a flight sim YouTuber

Varjo Aero offers a generational leap in visual fidelity. The headset has received rave reviews from tech media and VR enthusiasts alike. As Pocketlint stated after testing Aero with experiences like Half-Life: Alyx, “if you want the very best VR experiences then you need a headset like this.”

With a future-proofed optical design, stunning dual mini-LED displays, and automatic interpupillary adjustment powered by built-in eye tracking, Varjo Aero is the lightest & brightest professional-grade headset ever made. The visual clarity and comfort of Aero ensure VR users can enjoy excellent immersion—even for hours on end.

As mentioned by VR Flight Sim Guy, a flight sim YouTuber who has used Varjo Aero for more than 1,000 hours, in one of his videos, “literally, for a moment, I actually thought I was there—I think I was in some sort of flow state with VR, and the aircraft, and the headset, and I just felt like I was there—I was just in disbelief. I have never had that moment in any other headset before.”

Varjo Aero Feature Highlights

Varjo Aero has several best-in-class features that make it an excellent choice for all demanding VR users. Here are just a few key characteristics that make Varjo Aero one of the best VR headsets you can buy.

  • Dual mini-LED displays with 35 PPD peak fidelity, 150 nits of brightness, and a 115° field-of-view for stunning edge-to-edge clarity.
  • Crystal-clear, variable resolution, aspheric lenses offering a massive step-up in visual fidelity over consumer-grade Fresnel optics.
  • Automatic IPD adjustment and ultra-fast, built-in eye-tracking at 200 Hz for a tailored, optimal experience to every user, every time.
  • Premium lightweight comfort with a 3-point precision fit headband, active cooling, and optimized ergonomics for long-duration usage.
  • Full access to Varjo Base software updates, including a high-definition virtual desktop with Varjo Workspace, as well as premium Varjo support.

Read more about our limited-time discount offer here – only available until May 24.

Varjo Aero is the Headset of Choice for Even the Most Demanding VR Users

Sim racing is one of the most demanding applications for a VR headset as it requires excellent visual clarity and performance from the device. Varjo partners with several players in the sim racing industry.

For example, we are an official VR Partner of Alpine who uses Varjo Aero headsets to offer immersive experiences to fans and drivers. We also partner with several leading sim racing equipment providers such as Next Level Racing and Simucube.

Dare to race to the finish line? Claim our spring offer now to upgrade your sim racing setup with Varjo Aero.

Explore the Future of Mixed and Virtual Reality at AWE 2023

If you’re attending AWE 2023, you’ll also have a chance to attend a keynote by Varjo and NVIDIA where we explore real-time ray tracing, the holy grail of 3D visualization. This technological breakthrough will make mixed reality experiences look and feel even more real than ever before. While aimed at business users, this is a great panel to watch if you want to see what the future beholds for advanced XR visualization.

Don’t forget, if you want to get $300 off the price of Varjo Aero, order yours by May 24. Visit the campaign page to learn more.

[Industry Direct] Varjo Celebrates Best Headworn Device Nomination with $300 Discount on Varjo Aero Read More »

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Quest’s Favorite Rocket League-style Sport ‘NOCK’ Coming to PSVR 2 Soon, Trailer Here

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NOCK, the Rocket League-inspired VR sport that arms you with bow and arrow, is coming to PSVR 2 next week, bringing its fast-paced action to cross-platform online play.

First launched on Quest 2 in in early 2022, developing studio Normal says Nock will arrive on PSVR 2 on May 25th.

The studio says in a PS blog post that Nock will run at 90hz on the highest resolution with no foveation or reprojection. To boot, the team says there was enough leftover compute to render a second camera, letting live observers watch a match in progress, or stream to other platforms.

Nock on PSVR 2 is set to arrive with a free season pass, letting you unlock over 30 skins, bows, and blocks as you progress through the game.

The studio says its supporting cross-platform play with all major platforms. The game is currently available on Quest and Pico headsets, and is marked as ‘coming soon’ on Steam for PC VR.

You can wishlist the game on the PS Store here.

Quest’s Favorite Rocket League-style Sport ‘NOCK’ Coming to PSVR 2 Soon, Trailer Here Read More »

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Quest Update Includes More Home Customization, In-headset App Notifications & More

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The latest software update for Meta Quest, version v54, is now rolling out, bringing with it a few new quality-of-life features, such as new customization options for Home environments, in-headset app notifications, and better tracking for Quest Pro’s controller.

Customizable skyboxes let you change the sky above your head in your Home space, so you can choose from a number of presets, or even upload your own skybox to get the perfect atmosphere. Meta says its goal is to make Home Environments more personalized and customizable in the future.

The update also introduces in-headset notifications for 2D apps, such as Messenger, letting users interact with these apps without leaving their current game or app.

Meta says you’ll also be able to consolidate messages from the same source to streamline your notification feed, toggle a ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode, or disable notifications entirely for specific 2D apps. App notification are an opt-in feature that should prompt the first time you open a compatible app, so you won’t just start randomly receiving stuff, which is reassuring.

Additionally, Meta says v54 has improved Quest Touch Pro controller to enhance positional accuracy. Meta says these updates are gradually rolling out to all headsets.

Quest Update Includes More Home Customization, In-headset App Notifications & More Read More »

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Build Wild Contraptions in ‘Rube Goldberg Workshop’, Now Available on Quest

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Rube Goldberg Workshop is now available on Quest, letting you make tons of different crazy—dare we say—Rube Goldbergian machines.

Built on Quest’s Presence platform, users can choose to play either in virtual reality or mixed reality, the latter allowing you to use your own room and surfaces to build your creations.

The game includes over 80 different components, including toy cars, gears, books, rubber balls, bowling pins, and cannons. There’s no time limit or scores, only your own imagination to build whatever your please.

The game was developed by Free Range Games in association with the Rube Goldberg Institute, which helped the team pattern their components off Rube Goldberg’s actual drawings—illustrating contraptions intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overly complicated way.

“Certain objects [Goldberg] loved to draw, like the extending boxing glove, are iconic. We have a fun update coming very shortly after launch with a bunch of new objects inspired directly from his cartoons,” Free Range Games Producer Stephen Scholz says in a Meta blog post.

You can find it on Quest 2 and Quest Pro today on the Meta Store, priced at $10. As you’d imagine, only the Quest Pro packs colored passthrough, which is featured in the trailer above.

Build Wild Contraptions in ‘Rube Goldberg Workshop’, Now Available on Quest Read More »

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Emerging with $61M in Funding, This “AR laptop” Aims to Close the Loop on Virtual Desktop Productivity

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First it was the desktop. Then the laptop. And now, the… spacetop? That’s the category that Sightful hopes to carve out with its new “augmented reality laptop” which combines a pair of augmented reality glasses with a keyboard, allowing you to put a huge virtual desktop in your backpack.

Stealth startup Sightful today revealed Spacetop, an “augmented reality laptop” that turns a pair of AR goggles into a large virtual desktop computing environment. The company announced that it is soliciting interest for those who would like to be part of the product’s early access launch, which will cost $2,000 for the complete Spacetop computer. Purportedly only 1,000 units will be available at the outset, with shipments beginning this July.

Sightful, which was previously called Multinarity, says it has raised $61 million in funding to date, with its lead investors being Corner Ventures and Aleph Capital.

While we’ve seen many other ‘virtual desktop’ applications in the PC VR and standalone space, Sightful is trying to close the loop on making virtual desktop productivity… well, actually productive.

Image courtesy Sightful

The company is hoping its all-in-one product—which essentially consists of the bottom half of a laptop, a pair of tethered AR goggles, and a custom software environment—will make for a streamlined virtual desktop experience that’s easy to use. Spacetop has a sort of dock in which to stow the glasses, and a ‘lid’, allowing the entire unit to be portable.

Image courtesy Sightful

Sightful says Spacetop uses a pair of customized Nreal Light AR goggles with 6DOF head-tracking, a 53° field-of-view, and 1,920 × 1,080 resolution per-eye.

Inside the Spacetop base (which includes a full keyboard, trackpad, and USB & DisplayPort ports) is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, along with enough battery for a claimed 5 hours of work. There’s even a built-in webcam for video calls (though you might look a little strange wearing sunglasses with a cord coming out of them while you’re on video).

Image courtesy Sightful

And yes, you read that right; with a Snapdragon processor this won’t be running Windows but rather the company’s own ‘Spacetop OS’, which we presume is built atop Android, though the company hasn’t said anything about compatibility with Android applications; instead it seems the first version of Spacetop will run almost exclusively on web apps, providing an essentially unlimited virtual desktop upon which to place them.

If you’ve ever used a Chromebook, you’ll know that you can actually get quite a bit done these days operating purely on web apps, but anyone hoping for serious desktop productivity and applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, or Blender, you won’t see them on Spacetop any time soon.

For what it’s worth, the company isn’t trying to hide that fact.

“Sightful is encouraging people who love to be first and look into the future, who work on the go, who live largely in Web apps to come and purchase […] Spacetop,” the company says in its announcement. “Potential customers looking for a hard-core gaming rig or a video-editing monster machine would be better served to wait for a future generation.”

Image courtesy Sightful

The company also says at this point it isn’t focused on leveraging the unique 3D or spatial capabilities that come with AR (no 3D models floating in the air in front of you), nor are they working on any novel inputs (no special gestures to move windows with your hands); all of which is a good idea in my book—its good to walk before you run.

While Spacetop’s focused features and all-in-one design may have some benefits for virtual desktop productivity, the key challenges to unlocking this use-case are about more than just about creating a dedicated software environment and packaging everything together.

Over the years I’ve tried countless variations of XR headsets and virtual desktop software, including using them with a dedicated keyboard, mouse, and even a full Mac and Windows environments. Despite having all of the actual computing power and features I need for my daily workflow, core issues relating to the displays remain; notably: field-of-view, resolution, sweet spot, and comfort.

While the Nreal goggles aren’t terribly heavy, their relatively tiny field-of-view is in direct conflict with the idea of having a massive virtual desktop ready whenever you go. Instead of rotating your head and eyes just a bit to see one monitor or the other with real side-by-side monitors, you’ll need to move your head way more to bring a comparatively sized virtual window ‘into frame’, which can become uncomfortable quickly.

This issue is often amplified by a small sweet spot on many headsets which means that as you rotate your eyes the display becomes blurrier at the edges, meaning you need to nearly center your entire head on any window you want to see at maximum fidelity.

And considering the Nreal goggles use transparent displays, this makes resolution and legibility a challenge because the windows floating in front of you will always have some level of transparency.

As someone who has tried many similar solutions over the years, the pros have yet to outweigh the cons. I don’t personally see Spacetop (or for that matter, any virtual desktop application) catching on in a big way until it’s capable of essentially a perfect replication of a basic 1080p laptop display as it would look in real life right in front of you, let alone an unlimited virtual desktop with a plethora of application windows floating around you.

Emerging with $61M in Funding, This “AR laptop” Aims to Close the Loop on Virtual Desktop Productivity Read More »

5-ways-europe-can-reduce-the-risks-of-ai-replacing-jobs

5 ways Europe can reduce the risks of AI replacing jobs

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5 ways Europe can reduce the risks of AI replacing jobs

Thomas Macaulay

Story by

Thomas Macaulay

Senior reporter

Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on deeptech, startups, and government policy. Thomas is a senior reporter at TNW. He covers European tech, with a focus on deeptech, startups, and government policy.

It seems barely a day goes by without a new report of artificial intelligence replacing jobs. On Thursday, BT added the latest bad news, when the UK telecoms giant announced plans to replace 10,000 staff with AI.

Across Europe, predictions on automation’s effect on jobs vary wildly,  but all agree that major changes are inevitable. With the impact already being felt, the need for government action is becoming urgent.

Here are five interventions they can take.

1. Retraining the workforce

The concept of a “job for life,” was disappearing even before AI’s relentless march into the workplace. Increasingly, we’re becoming accustomed to refreshing our skillsets.

Government policies can ease the transition. Italy, for instance, launched a new fund this week to help retrainin workers. The country has allocated €10 million to boost the skills of people whose jobs are at risk of automation.

It’s not the biggest funding pot, but it’s a start.

2. Adapting education systems

As well as upskilling the current workforce, governments need to prepare students for the future of work.

To support them, analysts have recommended a variety of education priorities. They range from STEM skills for jobs in tech to soft skills that will make people adaptable throughout their working lives.

One popular approach is prioritising “21st-century skills,” such as creativity, critical thinking, and communication. Another is creating highly specialised training. Finland, for example, has launched a free online course on AI, because if you can’t beat the robots, you might as well work with them.

3. Wage supplements

Technology doesn’t always replace jobs; it can also cut a sector’s salaries. The rise of Uber, for instance, didn’t reduce the number of taxis on our streets, but it did push down the wages of salaried drivers.

One way to mitigate a loss of earnings is by improving wage supplements. The idea is to “make work pay” for people on low-paid jobs, which can offer little more than subsistence-level welfare benefits. Providing supplements — such as better child care, higher income tax credits, or wage insurance for earnings lost to automation — can make their wages go much further.

It won’t come cheap, but it could still be cheaper than financially supporting unemployed people. It could also provide more fulfilment and societal benefit.

4. “Good job” creation

If workers are displaced by AI, governments could help them get “good jobs” to replace the ones they lost. 

Harry Holzer, a former chief economist for the US Department of Labor, argues that “good jobs” should pay well, offer advancement possibilities, and provide some security.

“Tax and subsidy policies for “good job” creation can encourage employers to improve job quality,” Holzer said in a blogpost for the Brookings Institution. “Mandates on employers can be effective as well, though such mandates must not be so severe and costly that they speed up employer incentives to automate (like a $15 minimum wage might do in low-wage regions of the US).”

5. Universal basic income

No list of responses to automation would be complete without a mention of Universal Basic Income (UBI).

At heart, UBI is a simple concept: every citizen gets a fixed payment, paid equally by the government, that’s enough to support their basic names. Proponents argue that it could end poverty, improve well-being, and redistribute wealth, while critics warn that’s too expensive, heightens inequalities, and removes incentives to work.

Love it or hate, the concept is gaining traction across Europe. A recent poll by YouGov found strong support in all seven European countries surveyed. Respondents in Germany, Spain, Italy, and Great Britain were all more in favour of UBI than against it. Sweden was split, while France and Denmark expressed more opposition.

It’s far from the only social welfare option, but it merits a spot on this list. If you have a better idea — or just want to slate ours — let us know via the usual channels.

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