CyberEdge On-line, First VR Website, Redesigned For Ease Of Use.

CyberEdge Information Services celebrates 10-year anniversary of website by re-launching with new content, navigation, design

The first, and longest continuously published website covering virtual reality (VR) and visual simulation (VizSim) was re-launched today with a new look, new content, and new navigation designed to make finding information faster and easier.

CyberEdge On-line went live in 1995, and since then has served hundreds of thousands of pages to visitors from around the world. The site features articles, links, a glossary of VR terminology, a Health and Safety Section, reviews of VR books, many illustrations, and much more. It provides one of the richest stores of VR and VizSim information on the Web, and all of the content is free of charge.

Said Ben Delaney, President of CyberEdge Information Services, Inc., “We are thrilled to see the newest incarnation of CyberEdge On-Line go live after several months of development. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of our website. The new design by CK Kuebel (www.kuebel.com) is outstanding, with easy to use navigation, and a clean, modern look that is attractive and functional. I think our new site will be even more useful to the thousands of visitors we welcome every month.”

CyberEdge On-Line also provides detailed information about CyberEdge Information Services, one of the leading sources of market data and marketing services for VR and VizSim companies. Publishers of the much-cited annual market study, The Market for Visual Simulation/Virtual Reality Systems, CyberEdge Information Services has provided consulting services, presentations, market research, and other communications services to an international who’s-who of VR and VizSim companies. Their clients include EDS, HP, IBM, Kodak, KPMG, LG Electronics, SGI, Siemens, SONY, SUN Microsystems, and many other well-known organizations.

CyberEdge Information Services invites you to visit CyberEdge On-Line at www.cyberedge.com. For more information, visit the website, email to “info at cyberedge.com”, or call 510 419-0800.

Update on Immersion's Touchsense technology

I just got back form a visit to Immersion to take a look, er, feel, of their new TouchSense system, which I wrote about last week.

Mike Levin, VP Industrial and Gaming, showed me the system. In a word, or two, it works. I was amazed at how the touchscreen buttons felt like real objects when I pushed them. The demo was simple, based on a control panel for an automobile. Each button had a distinctive feel. Some were used to select functions, such as the heater or radio, which opened a second-level screen. The second-level screens replicated controls – volume, channel, temperature, etc. Each of these controls had a slide with detent feel, and they also signaled end of range with a different vibration. The system is slick and obvious, and to me, seems like an excellent application for haptic feedback.

While I was there, Mike also showed me a VibeTonz-equipped cell phone. This system replaces the simple vibration common in cellphones with tunable vibrations that can be attached to ring tones, used in games, or assigned by the user to different numbers, just as one assigns different rings. This system also works well, and seems definitelyy useful. The first Samsung phones with VibeTonz were released in April by Verizon Wireless.

(Disclaimer: I own a bit of Immersion stock and have consulted with them in the past.)

Annual market study seeks participants

We are about to start the survey for the 7th Edition of our annual report, the Market for Visual Simulation/Virtual Reality systems. We are actively seeking members of the VizSim/VR community to join our research panel. People who complete the 49-question survey will receive a free copy of the Executive Summary of the report, which we expect to complete in late fall. Participants also receive a discount on their purchase of the full report. Signup closes 15 June.

If you wish to participate sign up here: Join the Research Panel