As the technology evolved, the world transitioned smoothly from wired phones to pagers, mobile phones, and smartphones. Similarly, the paradigm has shifted in almost every sector- fashion, retail, gaming, events, and whatnot. The growing interest in technological advancements is gauging society for a phenomenon called the Metaverse that promises to boost every life experience in unimagined ways.

A vision that defines the next chapter in the evolution of the internet, the Metaverse is an immersive digital world that allows its participants to interact and engage in many different ways. The term has been in flux for the past few years. Still, in its infancy, the concept is evolving with the passing of time.

Hype or the reality of the future, the interest in the metaverse continues to grow over time. From gaming to NFTs, real estate, tourism, and shopping, the metaverse buzzword keeps repeating itself with newer and fancier versions everytime.

With ample business opportunity involved with Metaverse, prevalent names in the market like Qualcomm, Nvidia, Epic, HTC, and Apple are entering the space innovatively. As a motive to expand the ingression of Metaverse in our lives, Microsoft planned the acquisition of ActivisionBlizzard for $69 billion. World-building games like Minecraft and Roblox, events like the Fortnite concerts, and platforms like Enjin and Sandbox- all these are efforts to gear up society for a ‘Metaversive’ future.

The role of technology in empowering the Metaverse business

A clear understanding of driving technologies enriches the quest for the metaverse to be ethically uniform and fair for all. In other words, creating an interoperable space that is accessible equally to everyone could prevent the limitation of the conventional internet space- the dominance of biggies.  Now, this quest directs the businesses in an impactful way, aiming for a booming digital economy.

Further, understanding the technology behind the Metaverse also governs the economy of adoption of that technology for the business. For instance, currently, the average cost of an app design in the USA is $48,000, which definitely would increase with its demand. This, therefore, is an imperative parameter to factor in.

What started as a gaming space on the internet has now grown into a massive opportunity for almost every vertical of commerce. The nature of the content, thus, has changed altogether in the vast space. Creating quality content that is immersive for the users would entirely depend on the progress of the technology here.

Here are the five major technologies that are empowering the Metaverse towards a brighter future:

Artificial Intelligence

As of late, AI and automation have been broadly applied to our lives. From arranging business procedures to giving out driving instructions, facial recognition, and so on, AI applications include managing operations like anomaly detection, event correlation, and predictive alerting. This can be made even more accurate with the combined use of Big Data and Machine Learning.

Implementation of AI has spread its influence to the formation of vivid metaverses, enhancing user experiences by creating Metaverse assets like buildings, landscapes, avatars, and character routines. AI could be employed to accelerate the software development process. This could be beneficial to creating complex Metaverse assets even when the resources are limited.

AI could also be used for improving efficiency by employing its capabilities to communicate and comprehend the users. Warning, for example, the user to stay alert while performing difficult tasks. This bridges the real-time users closer to the metaverse environments.

Blockchain

A technology built on strong foundations of security and transparency, blockchain provides a decentralised platform that ensures digital collectability, value transfer, governance, interoperability, and convenient accessibility.

Cryptocurrency, the fungible feature of the blockchain, is the primary way to trade for goods and services inside the Metaverse, ensuring no regulations and interventions in transactions. For instance, Decentraland allows the purchase of virtual property using crypto, MANA.

It is also a way to incentivise the users, especially the ones working within the Metaverse. Additionally, Metaverse supports (and enhances) job and business opportunities. This favours the increasing remote working culture across the globe.

AR and VR

Even though Metaverse does not necessarily depend on these two technologies, they offer an enhanced Metaverse experience to the user. While AR utilises digital visual components and characters to integrate the virtual world with the real one, VR provides more immersive features using 3D modelling techniques. Components like optical projection systems, headsets, sensors, gloves, and display systems.

By creating virtual environments, these technologies mimic real-life situations. Meta (formerly Facebook) invested in Oculus quest (VR headsets) to enter their Metaverse. The app can be accessed using smartphones and does not require a computer system.

“Augmented reality will change the world more than a lot of other technologies. Travelling around to meet people will be much less important when you can stand in a room and chat with a virtual representation of a person that’s so close to reality – it’ll be a whole new level.” –Tim Sweeney, CEO and Co-Founder Epic Games.

The harmonious relationship between AR and VR has successfully created an early model for the Metaverse. With the expansion of technology, a more interactive and experiential Metaverse environment will evolve.

Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT enabled devices can help solve some of the real-world problems effectively in the metaverse. This gives an opportunity to accurately integrate the complex systems over the existing framework of technology. For instance, enhancing the user experience by using the 3D user interface over mobile phones and computers, customised as per users’ interests and preferences.

Thus, IoT can bridge the real world with that of the internet, using sensors and devices as the connecting link. These devices have the capacity to send or collect data naturally. Indoor regulators, clinical devices, facial recognition, voice-actuated speakers, thermostats, and many others provide a wider scope of information. The data, thus, collected would enhance the precision for an advanced representation, for example, altering the function of Metaverse collectibles based on current weather conditions. This ensures a better immersive nature of the space.

Big Data and Data Analytics

Even when data science technologies do not contribute to the development of the Metaverse, the data science process definitely will. Data processes like analytics could be helpful in managing Metaverse-based events, like building a 3D avatar, or a virtual stage. Similarly, data collected (like current trends and events) could be used to forecast using predictive analysis tools and also for decision making.

The “Metaversive” future

Rapid enhancement in technology over the past few decades has manifested the notion that nothing is impossible, even the 3D virtual Universe popularly known as the Metaverse.

“The technology will be so good it will be very hard for people to watch or consume something that has not in some sense been tailored for them.” -Eric Schmidt, Google Chairman.

It is not hard to imagine a highly interactive and interoperable space where the users have immense freedom to get immersed in it. Still, in the very early stages, it is hard to predict the development materialises or the impact it will have on society as a whole. As of now, the audience is yet to witness how this realm unfolds itself for its users.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Top 5 Technologies Powering The Metaverse appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

LynKey [www.lynkey.com], a global platform that powers luxury resort and vacation property with Blockchain and AI tech, is hosting its first talk show, on January 26th at 9 pm GMT. The event is specifically designed to help you delve into the prevailing market problems of today, including NFTs opportunities; the Metaverse, how Blockchain tech is finally taking off (and will power the future), smart tourism, VR, AR, and much more.

Learn about how LynKey is the “key” to converting these problems into lucrative opportunities.

LynKey Blockchain-powered ecosystem is tokenising over 8+ billion dollars of premium property/tourism and luxury experiences in Vietnam, Singapore, Australia and other countries in the world. During the live talk show, the company will award 1000 $LYNK to 10 lucky participants! Tune in if you want to get the benefit and be a part of the revolutionary change in real estate.

A pioneer in real estate, the company was created by a team of international industry personalities. LynKey’s solutions make travel rewarding in every way – the platform optimises timesharing, prepaid leasing or licensing of property-based experiences geared towards tourism while offering an exclusive reward system for its users.

With a global token, LynKey efficiently overcomes the need for intermediaries, empowering its users to explore the ecosystem that offers real-time solutions and, soon, also metaverse experiences.

“Using NFTs with AI data-driven protocol sets, the company is revolutionising the travel and entertainment space with smart tourism. LynKey connects the global audience with a Blockchain-powered platform and a token that empowers an ecosystem for time-sharing, and reward solutions at premium luxury tourist spots”, said Dinis Guarda, founder and non-executive Chairman of LynKey and Blockchain, Fintech, AI author, and influencer highlighted by platforms like Thinkers360 and CoinTelegraph.

If you want to know more, give our talk show a go. Tune in on January 26th at 9 pm GMT and catch up with our experts Cindy Tran, Hilton Supra, Charlie Hu, Jonathan Gowen and Michael Terpin. Hosted by citiesabc and openbusinesscouncil founder Dinis Guarda.

#LynKey is hosting its first-ever talk show on 26 Jan. Tune in and catch up with our experts for profound knowledge about #blockchain, #NFTs, #metaverse, etc.
Time: 9 PM (GMT+7)
Venue: Dinis Guarda Youtube / LynKey Facebook
REWARD: 1000 $LYNK FOR 10 LUCKY PARTICIPANTS pic.twitter.com/uoqUAkFgVQ

— LynKey (@LynKey_) January 24, 2022

The guests:

Cindy Tran – Chairwoman of LynKey, Expert in Property Investment and Operation Management

Cindy is a professional in different fields, specialised in Operation and Business development. She used to be the representative of many groups in Vietnam and other countries in the world and earned her expertise in property management as well as various fields, especially trade negotiation in European and American markets. Majoring Entrepreneurship during her Master of Business Administration program at the European University, she gained expertise in Operation Management, Property Development and currently is the Chairwoman at LynKey Global Singapore.

https://lynkey.com/#team

Michael Terpin – Founder/CEO of Transform Group, PR and blockchain expert with 25+ years of experience

Michael Terpin has more than 25 years of PR agency management. He has directly supervised many renowned PR campaigns of the digital media era, including early-stage PR for America Online, Earthlink, Jupiter, Motley Fool, Match.com, and Shapeways, as well as full-service campaigns with established brands, including Alpine, AT&T, Diamond Multimedia, Fujitsu, JBL, Konami, Marriott, Memorex, Philips, Rackspace, Red Herring, and TEAC.

In the blockchain sector, Terpin has led the PR efforts for more than 100 blockchain companies and foundations, including some of the leading token crowd-sales. Client successes include the launches of Augur, Counterparty, Dash, Ethereum, Factom, Golem Network, Lisk, MaidSafe, Tether, as well as ongoing campaigns for Bittrex and Shapeshift.

Terpin co-founded BitAngels, the world’s first angel network for digital currency startups, which now has more than 500 members globally.

https://transformgroup.com/experts/michael-terpin/

Charlie Hu – Managing Partner of LucidBlue Ventures

Big Passion on the future of Web3, Decentralized Technology Platforms and Applications. Currently pushing the ecosystem of Polygon and Web3.

Expert in community building, technology-driven innovation ecosystem development and growth marketing. Experienced in Meetup and Hackathon Events Organization. and Tech related content creation.

Member of World Economic Forum Global Shaper Beijing Hub | Organizer of TEDxHangzhou | Organizer of ThingsCon Shanghai | Alumni of Google Launchpad Amsterdam | Google Design Sprint China | Alumni of Aspire Academy Harvard leadership program.

(99+) Yechuan (Charlie) Hu | LinkedIn

Jonathon Gowen – Founding Partner at Blue Capital Partners Ltd

Senior International Private Banker with over 17 years experience in the Ultra High Net worth and Family Office space. Key trusted advisor and “confidant” to family business owners internationally and on multi-generational governance issues.

Fields of expertise:

• Investment Management and Private Investment Banking for UHNW and Family Offices from Developed and Global Emerging Markets.

• Expertise in offshore structuring for UK Resident Non-Domiciled entrepreneurs and Non-Resident clients.

• Sophisticated networking approach through the Investment Club transactions

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathon-k-gowen-b11779

Hilton Supra – Vice Chairman of ztudium

Hilton Supra is a business and financial industry veteran and thought leader. Hilton has more than 30 years of Finance, Investment, Banking and Asset Management experience in international markets namely London, Europe, Africa and Asia. This while having a passion for growing businesses, fashion and new technologies, especially fintech and blockchain where he has been deeply involved since these technologies inception. Now, Hilton is co-leading the fashion directory fashionabc as well as technology startup Ztudium.

From Quantitative Asset Management, Capital Markets, Trading software, Hedge Funds and Private Equity, Hilton has worked for Morgan Grenfell, Deutsche Bank, AXA Investment Management, EIM Fund of Hedge Funds (responsible for $2.4bn of $13bn)  and Cheyne Capital. Hilton is a graduate in Engineering from Oxford Brookes University and a Master in Finance at London Business School. Hilton has always been on the leading edge of innovation and technology in banking, derivative trading, quantitative asset management, hedge funds and since 2015 the application of FinTech, AI and blockchain to enterprise solutions.

Hilton Supra, is a partner and board member at ztudium, and the co-founder and one of the leading personalities driving techabc, openbusinesscouncil.org and fashionabc.org platforms.

The event will be available live on the YouTube Dinis Guarda YouTube Channel. See you there!

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Tourism and Property Ecosystem LynKey To Launch A New Talk Show On The Dinis Guarda Youtube About The Future Of The Metaverse, NFTs And Travel appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

How will 5G transform the world as we know it?

5G is a milestone in the history of mobile communications. Going back in history, whilst 2G enabled people to connect through mobile voice devices, 3G and 4G empowered the internet. What about 5G? How will it transform our world as we know it?

According to Ryan Ding, the President of Carrier Business Group, Huawei, “The huge potential of 5G is now emerging. The entire industry needs to act now, to build new capabilities and realise the 5G vision”.

This reassuringly benchmarks the potential of 5G connectivity speed as the latest mobile communications technology that can significantly boost many industries’ performance.

While the 5G ecosystem is evolving, we are witnessing a great increase in the integration of augmented reality (AR) with industry applications. In this context, the symbiosis of 5G + AR expands the scope of connectivity and the boundaries of user experience, enriching both our lives and communications.

In that context, we can classify 5G’s capabilities into three areas:

1) Enhanced Mobile Broadband, which enables faster data speeds as total capacity is expanded. This helped the introduction of first-edition 5G smartphones and fixed wireless access (FWA) services;

2) Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Connectivity, which is essential for autonomous driving, industrial automation and remote medical assistance applications; and

3) Massive Machine Type Control, which ensures 5G mobile networks are able to connect millions of devices per square kilometre – essential for the development of connected smart cities of the future.

Resonating with Ryan, Manu Tyagi, associate partner, retail and consumer goods at Infosys Consulting, believes that 5G is not like any other telecoms improvement; with the potential to reach speeds of 10Gbps with minimal latency and pervasive connectivity,

“It opens up an array of possibilities for retailers and their technology teams. 5G will enable them to supercharge innovative consumer experiences and provide highly personalised engagement to consumers, powered by seamless connectivity and ultra-fast response times”.

“The main examples where we expect retailers and leading consumer goods companies to use 5G are smart shelves, real-time merchandising messaging and promotions, personalised digital signage both in-store and in mobile apps, and virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)-enabled technologies like adaptive magic mirrors, which would have an impact for fashion retailers,” he says.

China – the leader in 5G adoption

There is little doubt about China’s leadership in this area, driven by the government’s ongoing investment in better coverage, the offering of new frequencies to reach more areas of the country, as well as a pool of highly specialized tech companies and vendors. Their bet on 5G is going even further this year, with the offering of over 480K 700 MHz 5G base stations.

This investment will boost the number of 5G base stations in China to 1.7 million by the end of 2021, according to Strategy Analysis, This means that Chinese operators will double their 5G base stations in the next 6 months.

Only recently, China Mobile and CBN officially kicked off the procurement process for the base station equipment of a 5G network in the 700 MHz band. It is a significant milestone on the long journey of 700 MHz refarming in China. The 5G network deployments of the Chinese operators have focused on the tier-3 or above cities so far. The 700 MHz 5G will enable China Mobile and CBN to widen the 5G network reach to a broader area in a more cost-effective way.

700MHz – what’s it all about?

As Guang Yang, a 5G expert, explained in his interview with Total Telecom, “We often call this 700 MHz band the ‘Golden Band’ for mobile communications services,” this is because, “This band has much better signal propagation and building penetration than higher frequency bands. With this band, operators can provide nationwide coverage in a very cost-effective way.”

5G delivered through 700 MHz spectrum will be uniquely useful in terms of indoor connectivity. For the 5G networks in the C-band, connection is only possible when being very close to the window. As 700 MHz gets adopted, the indoor coverage will increase significantly.

Huawei at the forefront of the 5G development

Huawei, who currently enjoys the biggest market share in China’s 5G market, is expected to benefit from this strong domestic demand and continue to be the one of the leading vendors in the Chinese market. Huawei won 60% of the 700 MHz 5G network project and around 53% of the 2.1 GHz 5G network project. Huawei’s total contract value in the two projects will be up to more than CNY 33 billion. That is the equivalent of around a quarter of Huawei’s carrier business revenue in the first half of 2021. The fast expansion of 5G networks in China will also benefit the global 5G ecosystem.

Huawei has jumped two positions to rank third in the 2020 EO Industrial R&D Investments Scoreboard, compared to 2019, when the company was ranked 5th. The other two companies that bag the top two positions are: Alphabet (Google’s parent company), and Microsoft.

According to Huawei’s 2020 financial report, “By the end of 2020 Huawei held a total of 100,000+ active patents, across 40,000+ families”. The IP analytics firm, IPlytics, pointed out in its recent research paper that Huawei leads in 5G declared patent families.

Since 2017, 5G development has been critical for these R&D efforts. Huawei has been concentrating its research efforts on the next generation of wireless technologies since 2009.

As the digital foundation of innovative technologies, the ICT industry will support carriers and other industry partners in broadening the horizons of 5G implementation in a wide array of industries, dramatically boosting their performance at all levels and paving the way to endless possibilities and opportunities. Huawei and China are at the forefront of this revolution.

Interview with Edwin Diender, CDTO, VP Huawei:

Dinis Guarda

Dinis Guarda is the founder of intelligenthq.com and an author, serial entrepreneur and CEO of ztudium that manages openbusinesscouncil.org, fashionabc.org, blocksdna.com, lifesdna.com.

He creates and helps build ventures focused on global growth, 360 digital strategies, sustainable innovation, Blockchain, Fintech, AI and new emerging business models such as ICOs / tokenomics.

Dinis is the founder/CEO of ztudium that manages blocksdna / lifesdna. These products and platforms offer multiple AI P2P, fintech, blockchain, search engine and PaaS solutions in consumer wellness healthcare and life style with a global team of experts and universities.

He is the founder of coinsdna a new swiss regulated, Swiss based, institutional grade token and cryptocurrencies blockchain exchange. He is founder of DragonBloc a blockchain, AI, Fintech fund and co-founder of Freedomee project.

Dinis has created various companies namely Ztudium, a tech, digital and AI blockchain startup that builds cutting edge software, big data insights, publishes intelligenthq.com, hedgethink.com, fashionabc.org, openbusinesscouncil.org and tradersdna.com, citiesabc.com among others.

Dinis is the author of various books. His upcoming books “4IR AI Blockchain Fintech IoT Reinventing a Nation“, “How Businesses and Governments can Prosper with Fintech, Blockchain and AI?”, also the bigger case study and book (400 pages) “Blockchain, AI and Crypto Economics – The Next Tsunami?” last the “Tokenomics and ICOs – How to be good at the new digital world of finance / Crypto” will be launched in 2018.

Some of the companies Dinis created or has been involved have reached over 1 USD billions in valuation. Dinis has advised and was responsible for some top financial organisations, 100 cryptocurrencies worldwide and Fortune 500 companies.

Dinis is involved as a strategist, board member and advisor with the payments, lifestyle, blockchain reward community app Glance technologies, for whom he built the blockchain messaging / payment / loyalty software Blockimpact, the seminal Hyperloop Transportations project, Kora, and blockchain cybersecurity Privus.

He is listed in various global fintech, blockchain, AI, social media industry top lists as an influencer in position top 10/20 within 100 rankings: such as Top People In Blockchain | Cointelegraph https://top.cointelegraph.com/ and https://cryptoweekly.co/100/ .

He has been a lecturer at Copenhagen Business School, Groupe INSEEC/Monaco University and other leading world universities.

He is a shareholder of the fintech social money transfer app Moneymailme and math edutech gamification children’s app Gozoa.

Between 2014 and 2015 he was involved in creating a fabbanking.com a digital bank between Asia and Africa as Chief Commercial Officer and Marketing Officer responsible for all legal, tech and business development. Between 2009 and 2010 he was the founder of one of the world first fintech, social trading platforms tradingfloor.com for Saxo Bank. In 2011 he created the B2B platforms socialmediacouncil.org and openbusinesscouncil.org with Jamie Burke.

The post This Is How China Is Leading 5G Adoption By Offering 480k 700 MHz Base Stations In 2021 appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The 5G ecosystem is maturing, and we are seeing a great increase in the integration of augmented reality (AR) with industry applications. In this context, the symbiosis of 5G + AR expands the scope of connectivity and the boundaries of user experience, enriching both our lives and communications. As the digital foundation of innovative technologies, the ICT industry will support carriers and other industry partners in broadening the horizons of 5G + AR and paving the way to endless possibilities and opportunities.

“The huge potential of 5G is now emerging. The entire industry needs to act now, to build new capabilities and realise the 5G vision”.

These words, said by Ryan Ding, the President of Carrier Business Group, Huawei, realize the potentiality of 5G connectivity speed. The latest mobile communications technology that can significantly boost many industries’ performance. 

For starters, 5G’s capabilities are classified into three areas:

1) Enhanced Mobile Broadband, which enables faster data speeds as total capacity is expanded. This helped the introduction of first-edition 5G smartphones and fixed wireless access (FWA) services;

2) Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Connectivity, which is essential for autonomous driving, industrial automation and remote medical assistance applications; and

3) Massive Machine Type Control, which ensures 5G mobile networks are able to connect millions of devices per square kilometre – essential for the development of connected smart cities of the future.

5G is a milestone in the history of mobile communications. Going back in history, whilst 2G enabled people to connect through mobile voice devices, 3G and 4G empowered the internet. What about 5G? How will it transform our world as we know it? 

As quoted in ComputerWeekly, Manu Tyagi, associate partner, retail and consumer goods at Infosys Consulting, believes that 5G is not like any other telecoms improvement; with the potential to reach speeds of 10Gbps with minimal latency and pervasive connectivity, 

“it opens up an array of possibilities for retailers and their technology teams. 5G will enable them to supercharge innovative consumer experiences and provide highly personalised engagement to consumers, powered by seamless connectivity and ultra-fast response times”.

“The main examples where we expect retailers and leading consumer goods companies to use 5G are smart shelves, real-time merchandising messaging and promotions, personalised digital signage both in-store and in mobile apps, and virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)-enabled technologies like adaptive magic mirrors, which would have an impact for fashion retailers,” he says.

What is more, the ability to track and monitor store inventories in real time “is another where the quick response times powered by 5G will make a big difference for consumers seeking great retail experiences”.

5G + AR Applied to Industries

AR device market growth

As was thoroughly explained in the Huawei Better World Summit 2021 and in Huawei’s Insight and Application Practice Whitepaper, AR devices differ and have various use-cases. The more advanced ones are not only more expensive, but also weigh more, which limits design choices, making them unusable in some circumstances.

• Binocular – featuring transparent binocular display, enabling 3D stereoscopic images, these can address any use case. Examples: HoloLens and Magic Leap:  some of the most advanced and expensive devices on the market today. Another option: Nreal Light.

• Monocular – suitable for simple use cases such as notifications or simple navigation.  Examples: Google Glass and Solos. 

• Slot-in – these glasses use the smartphone in a horizontal position with a downward-facing screen reflected in a semi-transparent mirror. Example: Lenovo Star Wars device.

• Contact Lens – Mojo Vision’s AR contact lenses are medical devices made to improve the perception of visually impaired users; currently undergoing clinical trials. 

• Static Holographic Displays – holographic displays with AR for specific use-cases. Examples include the static desktop display from Sony and an add-on smartphone screen from IKIN.

• In-car AR – displays inside cars are becoming more and more popular. Car manufacturers who started using them include BMW and Hyundai. 

As the Whitepaper findings show, the AR headset market is currently still characterised by high price points and low volume. This is despite the fact that the market is growing at a rapid pace. 

Strategy Analytics data for the year 2020 sizes the market with global shipments of just under 115,000 units, generating revenues of $166M. In that, 81% of headset shipments were to the enterprises. In the future, Huawei expects that by 2026, over 53M units will ship globally, and generate revenues worth over $30 Billion. For the market distribution to change, the headsets price will have to go down considerably. For instance, the first Google Glass device was aimed at private customers, but priced at a whopping $1,500. Furthermore, Magic Leap’s standalone device retailed at $3,000. More recently, in 2020, Nreal launched its device at a more consumer-friendly price point of just under $600, achieved by reducing the component cost by tethering the device to a smartphone.

Games

With the incredible success of Pokémon GO, the game-related AR craze started. The game was an international hit, with over 147m monthly active users by May 2018, over a billion downloads by early 2019, and more than $6 billion in revenue by 2020. What made this game unusual was the location-based AR experience. Pokémon (pocket monsters) are located throughout the real world, and players must move around to collect them. 

Later, using the HMS Core AR Engine, Huawei also developed various games with Chinese partners, such as Tencent, NetEase, Perfect World, and Miniwan Technology. 

Education

AR has also been used for educational purposes. A great example of this is the Big Bang AR app from CERN (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire, or the European Council for Nuclear Research) working with Google Arts & Culture. What it does, is the following: “It uses AR to show the story of the formation of the universe from the big bang, using hand tracking to allow users to set off supernovas or hold planets in the palm of their hands. In this way it brings a new level of interactivity to learning”. 

Navigation & Tourism

Navigation is another key area for AR. For instance, Google started providing AR functions in both Google Maps and Google Earth. 

Another example can be the West Lake AR Tour; an innovative application for tourism. It has to do with the West Lake in Hangzhou, China, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a  famous destination for international and domestic tourists alike. 

These are the features of the tour that make it so attractive: “Visitors can now enjoy an engaging and immersive experience through the West Lake AR Tour feature provided on the mobile app West Lake in the Palm. When visitors hold their phones up to a scenic spot, their phone screens will display background stories. The 1.4 km-long AR-enhanced scenic route includes Ping Hu Qiu Yue (Autumn Moon over the Calm Lake), Crane Release Pavilion, Tomb of Su Xiaoxiao, and Yue Fei Temple. The app also provides AR navigation, tour guides, and shopping guides”.

There is no doubt that AR technology is going to be huge in the future, no matter how slowly it is reaching the private customer market. 

“I do think that a significant portion of the population of developed countries, and eventually all countries, will have AR experiences every day, almost like eating three meals a day. It will become that much a part of you” – Tim Cook

“Well we believe that augmented reality is one of those new mediums that could be as big as if not bigger than the web. One of the areas where consumers adopt something new is when it makes something drastically easier. When I think about augmented reality I think about instances like finding your way somewhere, finding your friends in a stadium, or going to a conference and looking around and knowing who everyone is because their LinkedIn profile is hanging over their heads… I think we will start finding a lot of things like that where AR just removes friction” – Scott Belsky

Another 5G technology which is growing at a rapid pace is the technology behind connected drones. Connected drones lengthen our perceptions of space. They are much more than just toys; they can be utilised in high-altitude live video broadcasting, package delivery, emergency medical assistance, and agriculture management. 

“As the digital foundation of innovative technologies, the ICT industry will support carriers and other industry partners in broadening the horizons of 5G + AR and paving the way to endless possibilities and opportunities,” said Huawei in the Huawei Better World Summit 2021. And they were right, with a connectivity speed ranging from ~50 Mbit/s to over a gigabit/s and AR capabilities for enhancing reality and boosting performance, we are at the verge of a new and modern industry.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post The Potential Of 5G & AR For Businesses And Industries appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.