What is on the treat list for this fall?!
NEWS: Updates in the Tech Space!
In our region of the country, the leaves are turning and the Fall decorations are rolling out. From jack-o-lanterns of all shapes and sizes to oversized yard skeletons, Halloween is in the air! This month, let’s explore some tricks and treats across games, science, education, and the tech world!
Photo Courtesy: Meta
The Meta Quest 3:
- Treats: The Meta Quest 3 is a surprise treat packed with all sorts of upgrades that give us yet another glimpse into the future of mixed reality. From real time dynamic occlusion (drooooooooolll!!!!) to a drastically more slim form factor, this headset hits all the right notes coming in at a respectable $500.
- Tricks: Despite having some cool titles for launch, including LEGO’s Brick Tales, the age old question remains: What is the killer app? Another trick lying in wait is, of course, Apple’s spatial web headset due out in a few months’ time.
Microsoft:
- Treats: Anyone who loaded up on Game Pass from the Xbox LIVE days will be set for blockbuster and triple AAA titles. While cross play has been a thing for a good minute, this ensures that people in the Microsoft sphere will be able to enjoy across any platform, perhaps excluding Microsoft’s absence in the mobile arena – remember Windows phones?
- Tricks: Big just got bigger. A lot of titles from Blizzard Activision are already designed to keep players playing through grindy mechanics and microtransactions. This should raise some alarm as the massive corporation that is Microsoft has a lot of extra horsepower to ensure profitability from this 69 billion dollar deal. That’s right, billion, with a “B”.
Photo Courtesy: NASA
NASA:
- Treats: We were treated to some solar and lunar phenomena this month and NASA did a great job of sharing them through live streams and educational opportunities that bring together families to be citizen scientists.
- Tricks: As we’ve learned through the pandemic, live streams don’t live up to the real thing.
- Bonus treat: I proposed to my partner on an eclipse back in 2017 and on Oct 13th, we celebrated our 5th year of marriage. <3
Maker Education:
- Treats: There seems to be a resurgence around Maker Education and playing with real things. Makers have banded together and are sharing their passions for more meaningful and engaging experiences for not only their peers, but also their communities.
- Tricks: With the boom of Maker Spaces and Maker Ed, there has yet to be an established common language, which puts some makers at a disadvantage when trying to connect with other maker communities.
TLDR; From giant mergers, to the latest in XR, to the starry skies above, with tricksters abound as we kick off Halloween, what’s the treat you’re looking forward to sinking your teeth into this festive season?
About the Author:
John Balash was instrumental in Digital Dragon’s launch in 2013 as its first Curriculum Director and is now back in the fold as a consultant on all the latest and greatest in tech education.This is John’s latest contribution to a monthly blog series we’ve launched, Tech News from the Frontier. John is the Director of Educational Engagement at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center. John has worked on educationally-focused initiatives with clients ranging from D.A.R.P.A. to Disney. Working from both sides of the desk, you can find John in classrooms and conferences around the world exploring new uses for technologies in learning environments.