VR

I’ve been active in the VR community for a while, being one of the original kickstarters for the Oculus DK1 VR headset. I was totally sold on the tech since E3 2012, thanks to John Carmack’s DOOM 3 ski goggles tech demo. I’ve owned about every Oculus headset and dev kit since then. This eventually led to a contract with HTC, the Taiwanese electronics giant behind the popular VR headset HTC Vive. In collaboration with a Taiwanese filmmaker, we built a small VR game to raise awareness of the Air Quality Index (AQI) and Taiwan’s pollution problem, an issue ironically tied to the country’s massive electronics manufacturing. ...

One of my favorite movies is Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. I love the the characters, the story, the atmosphere, and especially the music. It’s a masterpiece that I’ve re-watched many times over the years. Chihiro and No-Face board the spirit train. My favorite scene is the train ride through the flooded countryside, where Chihiro and No-Face travel to meet Zeniba. The music is solemn, and the scenery passing offers a glimpse into the spirit world beyond the bathhouse. The scene lasts for quite a while, and nothing really happens, yet it’s one of the most memorable parts of the movie for me. ...