Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1493914
W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 M A R C H 6 , 2 0 2 3 F O C U S E M E R G I N G I N D U S T R I E S he tech world has an array of terms. Alakazam, which is profiled later in this issue, is a Portland-based software service for 3D website building and hosting. Its platform allows users to use pre-built virtual world templates, talks about the immersive web, 2D versus 3D, AV, VR, WebXR. But what do all those terms mean? Here is a glossary to help. T WebXR is software that enables the creation and hosting of VR and AR experiences on the web. The software allows developers to access input and output data from VR and AR devices for integration with an immersive website. An immersive website is a virtual world experience hosted in the web browser. There is no applica- tion to download or requirement for a virtual reality headset. You can use your computer, mobile phone or tablet, or virtual reality headset web browser to access digital worlds for virtual events, online stores, e-learning, virtual tours, and collaboration. 2D versus 3D — The Internet is a two-dimensional world that we navigate by scrolling and clicking links to move between pages and places on the screen. The immersive web is a three-dimensional web- site that you can use with a conventional internet browser. With a headset, it can support virtual real- ity. Sometimes these 3D worlds are social, where other users are represented by avatars and you can use your voice or chat to communicate, while others are similar to traditional websites in that it's a 1:1 relationship with the 3D content only (like a real estate tour, for example). Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated envi- ronment with scenes and objects that appear to be real, making the user feel like they have been immersed in their surroundings. This environment is perceived through a device known as a virtual reality headset or helmet. Augmented reality (AR) allows us to access this con- tent and place it into our real world using a mobile phone or tablet to interact with it in our own spaces. You may be browsing a popular car manufacturer's immersive website and have the ability to scan a QR code with your phone to visualize the vehicle in your driveway as part of your buying decision. B y A l e x i s W e l l s