VRMag The Virtual Reality Magazine Blog (BETA)

Annual charity event held in the historic City Hall of Vienna, Lifeball was staged the first time in 1993. A modern and glamorous remake of the Viennese ball tradition, Lifeball celebrates the diversity in the world, meanwhile raising funds, with the help of the several personalities who never miss it.

Sharon Stone, Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Catherine Deneuve, Kelly Ozbourne, Eric Papilaya, Dirk Mach, Liza Minnelli, Kelis, Dita von Teese, Heidi Klum, Dennis Rodman, Naomi Campbell, No Angel, Randy Crawford and several others have supported and still support the event, promoting action against the discrimination against those affected by HIV and AIDS, in a charity event which is the largest of its kind in Europe.

Within the walls of the Vienna City Hall then, are allowed only 4′000 other people (the exclusive holders of the Life Ball tickets) and they enter into a celebration of life which is opulent, sparkling and lively, but even features thoughtful moments, when international partners of Life Ball raise their voice against AIDS.

Stefan Kuzmanov of Vollwertmedia will guide you through immersive virtual panoramas to the event, sharing his emotions here.

Meanwhile explaining his past and current projects, Timothée Eisenegger talks about the potential hidden within VRs.

Rationality and emotion blended together are the ingredients which compose any shot taken by Timothée. Not only he’s always looking for the perfect spot from which a VR could be taken. He’s even looking for new ways to use the technology, in what he has identified as a democratization process, in the adaptation of VR to yet unexplored fields…

While reading this interview, enjoy the panoramic images taken in several places: Savour the Venetian atmosphere; relax on a deserted beach and let yourself be thrilled by Timothée’s abilities…

Tim is guest artist in the latest issue of VRMag.

During a routine visit to his dentist, John had a panoramic X-ray for the first time. Watching the X-ray machine rotating about his head, John’s first thought was: “I bet I can make this into a cool QuickTime VR!” It wasn’t too hard to convince his dentist, Dr. Joe Lever, to give him a copy of the film.

After scanning it into his computer and doing some minor retouching, John thinks he came up with a unique viewpoint, where it seems you are inside his mouth, looking outwards with X-ray vision.

Click here to sit on his tongue and watch his teeth.

Redefining the use of public buildings with a philosophy in mind: what is beautiful has to become impressive.

Ignoring the history of the place, one could think that Roubaix was erected to be a museum. The truth - actually - it’s quite different and the place once upon a time was a swimming pool. So said, it is for sure strange to think to visit a museum within the walls of what once was a swimming pool…Isn’t it?

If you’re ready to discover Geoffrey Morelle’s wonderful panorama click here.

Didn’t we previously say that Dean Karamehmedovic knows the right places to go while in Hawaii?
Well, we were not kidding. Once again he is ready to offer our readers treasured places to visit and…guess what? they are under water!

If you are an enthusiastic diver, Aloha Dean knows the best places where you can spend your time underwater, discovering hidden Hawaiian treasures.
It’s by his words that one can better understand the appeal of the places…

“What a great wreck! It is the only wreck that was not intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. The Corsair was ditched by its pilot during WWII as it ran out of fuel…The pilot safely got to shore and it is said to be alive and well and living on Molokai. The Corsair sits upright and intact at 107 feet down…

Ready for an underwater VR experience ? click here.

It’s the first of March 1906: thirteen men are ready to race from St. Moritz to Chamfèr, on a 9,950 m stretch, pulled along on skis by their horses. The first White Turf has just begun and the discipline of skijoring too. The year after, the competition moves to the frozen lake, with the addition of trotting races with sleds. The St. Moritz Racing Association - founded by the initiators - programs six competitions. Spectators are more than happy to have the chance to bet at the tote. In 1911 flat racing is added to the program and in 1922 steeplechasing is too.

With 2WW there is an interruption to the White Turf races, which are relaunched in 1952 and - by the beginning of the Nineties - the meeting becomes a modern day happening, a sporting event that’s worldwide famous, attracting competitors and public from all around the world, for three unforgettable and exclusive days, that even stage a race which boasts the highest prize money for a race in Switzerland: 111,111 CHF.

You can view the outstanding panorama by Werner Weber freezing the action in VRMag’s article.

Until 1909 the rooms of the Harem of Topkapı were bustling with life. Sultan’s concubines and wives, Sultan validé, the children of the Sultan and the eunuchs all lived in this part of the Palace of Topkapı, whose name “Harem” comes from the Arabic word “Haram”, prohibited, secret, secluded.

The section of the Palace is situated carefully, so that it could not be seen either from the state apartments or from the courtyard, where public affairs took place.
At that time, only the Sultan and his sons could enter into the hundreds of rooms which hosted beautiful girls coming from every corner of the empire, to form the feminine household of the Sultan’s Palace.

Come on! Your sense of anticipation is tangible! Are you looking for an odalisque? Are you asking yourself what will find behind those closed doors? Well, Ylmaz Tufan takes you into those rooms… as well as in many highlights in Turkey in VRMag’s article and interview.

Witek Kaszkin is working and living year-round at the Hornsund Polar Station as IT specialist and field assistant. Since june 2007 he didn’t left the station.
In Poland he’s Tatra Mountain guide and ski instructor and, most important, a passionate fellow panoramic photographer and…aurora hunter.

During his stay on Spitsbergen he has created breathtaking imagery, ranging from still photography to interactive panoramas as well as time-lapse movies, which he kindly shares with VRMAG’s readers.

No other ancient monument ever attracted as much as Stonehenge. In the United States there are several copies of the landmark, which dot Washington, Nebraska and New Hampshire states, to name but a few. Built of concrete, plaster-covered steel and styrofoam they often are a replica…rebuilt with American standards. Carhenge, anyhow, is for sure the most bizzarre copy of all. The idea of creating this unique car sculpture belongs to western Nebraska resident Jim Reinders.

Built in 1987, during a six days’ span by 35 family members, it’s made of 38 cars spray - painted in gray, in a circle of 96 feet in diameter.

You can know more about Carhenge, view the interactive panorama by John Blake in VRMag’s article here.

Matt Nolan is since 10 years professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He spends most of his time studying the changes in glaciers and his projects range from hydrology, limnology, and science outreach, to glaciology, which is his favorite. He spends about 6 weeks per year in research on the field in arctic Alaska and Siberia, requiring several months of organization and planning. He manages to include his family in the researches and preparations, so that they never separate.

Matt kindly agreed to share with VRMAG’s readers some of his field trip experiences, while in the second part of the article you can enjoy an interview, discovering to what extents panoramas are becoming a crucial asset for any research documention. All this and wonderful interactive panoramas can be found in VRMag’s article here.