The market for videogames has levelled up a lot of times over the last couple of decades and currently is projected to almost be a 100 billion market in 2016. Where this market traditionally was an arcade based market in public places in the early years and a pc and console gaming market for people’s homes in the last couple of decades, it is now shifting more towards a mobile gaming market where you can play everywhere you want.  In addition to this, the market is expected to grow with 6.6% between 2015-2019 from a 91.88 billion market in 2015 to a 118.6 billion market in 2019.  It is also expected that the gaming industry will shift (a little) from consoles & PC’s to mobiles and tablets. Two technologies that are expected to have a huge impact on the gaming industry are Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).

Augmented Reality is the ability to insert and overlay digital information into the real world. Next-generation Augmented Reality systems will display graphics for each viewer’s perspective. So how does it work; Augmented reality applications are written in special 3D programs that allow the developer to tie animations in the computer program to an augmented reality marker in the real world. When a computing device’s augmented reality app receives this information from a known marker, it begins to execute the marker’s code and layer the correct image or images. A popular example of an Augmented Reality game is Pokémon GO, which was a huge hype last summer with about 9.5 million daily users.

Virtual reality is a computer generated reality which can be explored using virtual reality goggles (Oculus, HTC Vive, Sony VR). Using these devices, you can explore and manipulate a virtual world. A virtual world is a computer-based online community environment that is designed and shared by individuals so that they can interact in a custom-built, simulated world. Examples of games you can play in Virtual Reality are the same as current console games as Resident Evil, Valkyrie & Final Fantasy. Virtual reality can be expended by the use of treadmills which will increase the level of sensation of being in another reality(Omni Virtuix).

The main differences between augmented reality and virtual reality are that virtual reality offers more possibilities and potential, however in general is a more expensive technology to develop and thus more expensive to purchase for consumers. Besides that virtual reality is a more expensive technology, there is a higher barrier of entry as new hardware should be bought.  These are the main reasons that virtual reality for now will be more focussed on hardcore gamers and gaming in large, organised settings. John Hanke (CEO of Niantic) believes however that augmented reality has the future: “In a VR situation, you’re isolating yourself from everyone around you and entering this completely virtual space. Augmented reality is designed to add, enhance the things you do as a human being: Being outside, socializing with other people, shopping, playing, having fun. AR can make all those things better.”

In 2012 Google revealed Google Glass with a live sky-diving demo. Google glass was a revolutionary product, that was going to change the way we use technology in our daily lives, or wasn’t it? Almost everyone will know what Google Glass is or at least has heard about it. However, how many people do you know, who own a Google Glass? Probably not that much, if any, since in the four years after the reveal of Google Glass, it never made it to the lives of the mainstream. Google even stopped selling the product. Of course there are numeral explanations for the “failure” of Glass, the product was expensive, it still had some software problems and Glass would be too “Nerdy”.  Does this mean the end for augmented reality goggles for daily life? Is Google improving Glass or are there competitors with a solution for Glass’ problems?

Google itself claims that the project had “broken ground and allowed us to learn what is important to consumers and enterprises alike” and that they are still working “to integrate those learning into future products”.  Which resulted in the introduction of Google Glass 2 for 2016. However Glass 2 is not publicly available and the improvements don’t really seem to solve the mentioned issues. So unless you are working at a company who is willing to invest in the enterprise edition of Glass, it does not look like you will be able to wear a Google Glass in the near future.

If Google is not focusing on the leisure industry, maybe this leaves an opportunity for competitors. Products like Hololens, Meta and Magic Leap have certainly potential in my believe to take over the leisure industry with augmented reality glasses. The main differences between these glasses and Google Glass is that Google tried to develop a pair of glasses that in design looks like a “normal” pair of glasses  and that the purpose of the glass was to take over certain functionalities from your smartphone (f.e. take photos and navigation). Whereas the other companies are more focusing on the visualisation of the augmented reality (interact with 3D designs). Especially as the competitors of Google show more progress and showed amazing demo’s, I believe Google has to step it up to still make Glass succeed. However it is still Google we’re talking about and they might surprise us soon!

Nowadays there are multiple live-streaming apps available (like Periscope and Livestream), with which it’s easy to share, in real-time, the finest moments of your life via social media. What if these live-streaming capabilities that your Smartphone has, can be used to save your life. That is the premise behind Parachute, an app that will contact preset emergency contacts and broadcast your location, audio and video to them by just one click.

 
What makes Parachute differentiate from other live-streaming app is that instead of streaming via social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), the stream will be sent out to designated contact via e-mail and text messages. Besides that Parachute enables you to record discreetly by blacking out the screen while broadcasting and Parachute keeps track of your altitude.

 
In my believe Parachute can be game-changer in the emergency reporting business (which is basically the standard 911 at the moment). Especially if larger organisations or government institutions start working with this technology. It looks like Parachute is already going towards this directing within their latest updates, since they’ve launched the Parachute platform which opens up Parachute access to organisations. Organisations can add virtual hotlines, this lets users add the organisation as emergency contact. As an extra feature organisations can also route incidents to their own systems.

 
Of course there are also a few drawbacks of the app that have to be considered. For example the discreet recording function, this is an important feature if you don’t want the attacker to notice that you are streaming. However used in the wrong situations the discreet recording function can conflict with privacy of the people around you. Let’s say that instead of using Parachute as an emergency streaming app, it enables you to “secretly” stream private/sensitive situations to a group of friends or “partners in crime”. Besides the above mentioned possible drawback of the app, Parachute lowers the barrier of contacting emergency agencies. As “fake” 911 calls are already an issue, Parachute makes it now even more easy to call in for an emergency (which includes accidentally pressing the Parachute button on your phone). As there is a live video and audio stream send with the emergency call, it still means that it can take away valuable time and more pressure on the officers/families/etc. to judge if there is truly an emergency.

I believe there is great potential for Parachute as it uses more capabilities available in emergency situations and correctly used it can save lives. What do you think? Can live-streaming be a game changer in emergency situations or are there too many complications for it to actually work?