I wanted to put MentraOS's open-source commitment to the test. So I decided to clone one of their official apps—Mentra Note—and host it locally on my DGX Spark at home.

Mentra Note is an audio memory app that transcribes everything the glasses hear and uses AI to create summary notes.

As part of this test, I made several changes: I switched to a local LLM and disabled all external data sharing.

Getting Started

Check out the MentraOS developer docs to get started:
https://docs.menttraglass.com/app-devs/getting-started/overview

MentraOS offers a platform where the main MentraOS application manages and runs mini-apps built in JavaScript and React. These mini-apps can be hosted on your own server or computer.

A standout feature: MentraOS includes a built-in Speech-to-Text mobile app and shares it with the mini-app. This means you don't need to run your own STT model.

How Mentra Note Works

The Mentra Note app keeps the microphone open and listens for speech. When it detects speech, it grabs the transcription, saves it to the database, and summarizes it with AI.

My Fork of Mentra Note

I created a fork of Mentra Note to add local-first capabilities:
https://github.com/AfterNow/Mentra-Notes-local

I used OpenHands to automate the changes I wanted:
https://github.com/AfterNow/Mentra-Notes-local/pull/2

What Changed

The original Mentra Note app uses Cloudflare R2 for file storage and Claude or Gemini for summarization. I made the following modifications:

• Added local file storage — replacing AWS and Cloudflare R2
• Added local LLM support — using Ollama and llama.cpp
• Improved privacy — removed all usage/analytics trackers to prevent data leaks

Setting Up llama.cpp on My DGX Spark

I set up llama.cpp on my DGX Spark using these instructions:
https://build.nvidia.com/spark/llama-cpp/instructions

After downloading the Gemma 4 model, I started the server with:

cd /home/afternow/app/llama.cpp/llama.cpp/build
./bin/llama-server \
  --model ~/models/gemma-4-31B-it-GGUF/gemma-4-31B-it-f16.gguf \
  --host 0.0.0.0 \
  --port 30000 \
  --n-gpu-layers 99 \
  --ctx-size 8192 \
  --threads 8

MongoDB Setup

I tried running the app without MongoDB, but that didn't work. So I started a Docker container with MongoDB:

docker pull mongo
docker run --name mongodb-ainotes \
  -e MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_USERNAME=rootuser \
  -e MONGO_INITDB_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpassword \
  -e MONGO_INITDB_DATABASE=ainotes \
  -p 27017:27017 \
  -d mongo --bind_ip_all

Development Workflow

OpenHands wrote the code and pushed it to GitHub. I pulled it into a dev container in VS Code to test.

To create an external HTTPS URL, I used Cloudflared and started a tunnel inside the Docker dev container.

Deploying to MentraOS

Once I had a publicly accessible URL, I set up the app on the Mentra Developer Portal:
https://console.mentraglass.com/

Important: You need a web-accessible URL where your app is running—whether on your computer or your own server. Mentra suggests using ngrok, but I used Cloudflare to create a tunnel from my Docker container:

cloudflared tunnel run --token mytoken

In addition to a web-accessible URL, you'll also need a logo or icon for your app.

Once that's done, the app shows up in your MentraOS app.

One Gotcha

After fixing a few bugs, I discovered an issue with the WebUI URL in the developer portal. It suggests a URL with /webview/ at the end—but for the AI Note app, this isn't needed. Removing it resolved the problem.

Final Thoughts

It all worked, and I was impressed with the result. It's straightforward overall. Gemma 4 on the Spark is a bit slow, but it works.

Conclusion

This experiment proved that a privacy-first AI glasses experience isn't just possible—it's practical and accessible today.

With MentraOS's open platform, you're not locked into any single company's ecosystem. You can fork, modify, and self-host your own mini-apps. Your data never leaves your hardware. No cloud dependencies. No corporate surveillance.

The stack is simple: open-source glasses, open-source software, your own hardware. That's it.

If privacy matters to you—and it should—this is the path forward. The tools exist. The code is out there. All you need to do is take control.

Want to build your own privacy-first mini-app? Start with the MentraOS developer docs linked above. The community is growing, and contributions are welcome.

What will you build?

Prez 2.0 is coming and available in beta on Meta Quest Applab.

A lot of new features and usability improvements.

Install Beta 2 on Quest

Prez 2.0 is available in Beta on Quest.

To install it on your Quest, go to the App Lab page:

Once on the App Lab page, scroll down to Additional Details, and in the Version, select Beta_2.0
That's it!, now put your Quest on, and in your library, upgrade Prez.
If it doesn't give you the option to upgrade, uninstall Prez and re-install it.

New Features

Here are a few of the new features on Prez 2.0

New home with featured presentations

Now when you open Prez, you can directly start watching one of the six featured presentations.  We rotate the presentation monthly for now. If you have an excellent presentation you think should be featured, please get in touch with us.

New hand and controller menus

Now all the features are available directly in the palms of your hands.  

Background & environment editor

You can now upload a 3D model and 360 pictures to create compelling environments for your presentation. We create a new in-device editor that will allow you to scale and place the environment and the ability to rotate the 360 pictures.

New elements manipulations

We have redesigned the interface and logic for scaling and placing 3D models in 3D space. The new features are designed to make it easier and faster to place objects in your presentation.

Emoji

During a live presentation, you can send emojis to the rest of the audience to express your current mood or emotion.

New technologies are now making it affordable and valuable to create immersive experiences for your trade show booth or experience center.

Join us on Wednesday 5th of October for a learning session on creating AR or VR experiences to increase sales.

This free one-hour learning session will share our experience creating successful immersive experiences at live events and tradeshows.
We will use new hybrid technology so that you can join the free session from your Quest, Hololens, or regular computer with Zoom.

Join us for a memorable and instructive experience.

Registration

Register with the form below, it's free, but space is limited.  Lock your seat today.

Topic covered

• Benefits of VR/AR experiences
  • Dedicated attention
  • Memorable experience
  • Increase perceived value
  • Extend engagement post-show
• Setup and User Experience
  • User Flow
  • Line and wait time
  • Hardware setup & charging
  • Sales support
  • Headset cleanup
  • Display on TV the experience
• Most effective experiences
  • Multi-user table-top visualizations
  • Narrative immersive tours
  • Detail product descriptions
  • Large & complex products
  • Data visualizations

AfterNow Prez is an end-to-end software solution for making and distributing curriculum in augmented reality and virtual reality.

Prez for educators features a drag & drop interface based on traditional tools like Google Slides and PowerPoint. With seamless onboarding and a minimal learning curve, it’s easy to bring course material into a new dimension.

There are many reasons why transitioning from 2D to 3D learning is beneficial to educators and students alike:

Preparing Course Material is as Easy as Drag & Drop

Rather than creating text-heavy and time-consuming powerpoints, use only visuals and a few keywords for each lesson segment.

Just as you save a .jpeg or .png, then drag and drop it into a 2D presentation, it’s possible to find ready-made, freely accessible. Pre-animated 3D assets through platforms like Sketchfab, the process is the same for AfterNow Prez to drag and drop 3D assets.  

The only difference? Improved delivery of a lesson and less work to do so.

For example, demonstrate scale, color, positioning, movement, and contrast by using ready-made 3D assets. See below for a model of the solar system that conveys in one 3D experience what would otherwise in a 2D presentation require numerous bullet points, text, and image blocks to deliver the same lesson.

The same principles apply to science, math, literature, engineering, history, architecture, computer science, medicine, economics, and the law.

Create course material with simple drag & drop templates and short text blurbs to save time and deliver education with impact.

All Students Receive a One-On-One Session

Our software enables educators to simultaneously deliver a premium one-on-one lesson to any number of students. When students enter your presentation, they are immediately situated in a custom, distraction-free, and avatar-free learning environment.

Every student sees content from the same point of view and hears the same audio quality.

When you raise your hand in AfterNow Prez, your hand movement is recognized, and the presenter is notified. No need to discover a menu or become distracted by complex interfaces. The entire focus remains on the lesson being presented.
As everyone becomes a digital native, particularly generations entering their first year of higher education, top-tier universities will need to accelerate digital adoption to remain relevant throughout the education lifecycle.

Recruiters from Fortune 500 firms are looking for talent who can prepare their company for the next paradigm shift in how we live and work, with augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D thinking playing a crucial role in day-to-day proceedings.

Presentations are central to communicating information. It all starts with that first step and a principle ingrained in AfterNow Prez's features: clear and concise messaging designed for immediate and long-lasting comprehension.

With AfterNow Prez, deliver a one-on-one lesson to any number of students simultaneously, and prepare your students to become leaders in a 3D digitized world.

Equal Learning Opportunity for On-Campus and Remote Students

Augmented reality and virtual reality presentations made with AfterNow Prez can be delivered live, pre-recorded, and self-guided. For educators and students alike, this enables the material to be prepared and delivered at any moment, anywhere, with no disadvantage for students joining remotely.

Whether on campus or engaging through remote learning, every student has the same opportunity to receive a high-quality education.

The onboarding process is seamless for students, with even fewer steps when compared to logging in through an on-campus or remote-learning portal. Students can put on their headsets, select the app for AfterNow Prez, enter the course’s unique presentation code, and begin their journey.

These are only a few of the benefits that 3D presentations bring to educators, students, and even educational institutions that gain a competitive advantage and more distinct positioning in the market.

From complex post-doctorate material to elementary level courses, AfterNow Prez equips educators with the tools needed to make and deliver premium curriculum in augmented reality and virtual reality.

AfterNow Prez is a software suite that lets anyone create stunning augmented reality and virtual reality presentations.

Our code-free, drag and drop interface resembles Microsoft Office PowerPoint and Google Slides, making it seamless to bring your sales pipeline into a new dimension.

Use ready-made 3D assets from online stores like Sketchfab, or import custom assets.

Innovative sales strategies are more in demand from investors, partners, and customers. Augmented reality and virtual reality presentations provide your audience with a one-of-a-kind and memorable experience that stands out from the competition, showing that your approach and vision are ahead of the curve.

When to use Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Sales

Augmented reality and virtual reality presentations for sales are best used to demonstrate complex designs and bulky products that would otherwise be expensive to ship or show like cars, yachts, factory machinery, and medical devices.

Ideal use cases include internal sales initiatives, such as onboarding new sales representatives, and business development associates, and preparing teams for conferences and events where your company will have just a few days to make an impression with the global market.

AR and VR presentations are also valuable when it comes to showcasing data that can be a key part of the decision-making process. Show cost savings, ROI, energy consumption in comparison to competitors, or the lifetime of components and business impact, or even market projections and opportunity. These concepts can be difficult to communicate in a high-stakes sales meeting or on the sales floor, but in augmented reality and virtual reality, data in proportionate scale and color is comprehensible at a single glance.

The Future of Sales is 3D

Audiences are interacting with 3D content more and more, and expect to see it as a part of the consumer experience or sales process. According to the 2021 report by Snap and Deloitte, Ar boasts a 94% higher conversion rate, and 76% of people expect and desire to use AR as a practical tool in their everyday lives.

Further, research by the University of Maryland shows a 10% higher recall achieved with AR and VR content and that 85% of augmented reality and virtual reality presenters agree that immersive presentations have a positive impact on their audiences.

Technavio released in-depth market research of AR and VR, predicting that the market growth in AR and VR will accelerate at a CAGR of almost 46%:

Especially in the last year, our digital habits have changed. Digital innovation strategies that were previously thought to take five years, have already taken place. Sales teams, their customers, calls, and conferences are happening online and remote more than ever before, a trend that will continue.

Having a highly effective sales strategy to stay ahead of the competition means integrating virtual reality and augmented reality into the sales pipeline, training key stakeholders, and deploying AR and VR headsets in the workplace to easily make impactful 3D presentations, practice delivery, and ship for high-value sales presentations.

AfterNow Prez seamlessly integrates into sales processes. Sign up for a demo, and start making AR and VR presentations today, or work with our team for bespoke presentations.

We also offer a 3D thinking workshop to get your team ready to take your sales into a new dimension.  

The best way to capture the past is to leverage the capabilities of the future. New tools and technologies enable us to tell stories in new ways, bringing content to life in a context that is most natural to the way we experience the world— in three dimensions.

Augmented reality and virtual reality are the first mediums that allow visitors to fully immerse in an experience. Whether the Cambrian Age, the first cities emerging in Mesopotamia, or maybe events even closer to the present day like World War II,  we can relive moments in time and space with augmented reality and virtual reality, or see things from new perspectives like scale and size in science and analytics.

With the recent developments in computing technology such as faster processing speeds, the miniaturization of hardware, and advances in display technology, virtual reality and augmented reality are already being deployed across numerous cultural applications.

In this blog post, we’ll outline the core benefits of using augmented reality and virtual reality for museums and exhibitions.

Why use Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality for Museums and Exhibitions?

Technology isn’t just adding new elements to museums and exhibitions, it’s challenging the very idea of what it means to be a museum or exhibition today by bringing the past to life, and adding new perspectives to the present.

In this section, we’ll look at a few core benefits of using AR and VR for museums and exhibitions:

Revitalize Existing Content and Create New Experiences

Formerly passive spaces, technology is adding new elements of interactivity and entertainment, where audiences are active participants, gaining a deeper understanding of history and where we might be going in the future.

Overlay existing exhibitions with informative content and audiovisual narrative. With AR and VR, audiences can pass through an immersive museum or exhibition on their own time, with a personalized experience that caters to their interests, knowledge, language, and level of comprehension.

Moving from one marker to another where digital experiences are activated, audiences become deeply engaged in content and emotionally invested in the narrative, forming a long lasting impression that encourages audiences to share their experience and attract more visitors.  

It’s not just the experience that counts, but what happens afterwards too via experience and knowledge sharing that revitalizes culture, and the museum and exhibition economy.

Bring Narratives To Life

In addition to creating richer learning experiences by immersing audiences in digital environments, AR and VR present entirely new ways for audiences to experience existing content by bringing age-old narratives to life.

While much of history is lost to time, physical remnants like fossils, ornaments, tools, art and architecture remain. Blur the lines between the real and digital by blending augmented reality and virtual reality content with physical elements.

Allow audiences to go to places that were previously inaccessible, like tombs, protected sites, places in the world that no longer exist or, to see relics that are extremely rare, and visit potentially dangerous places.

In augmented reality, create audiovisual stories that compliment physical spaces. With virtual reality, design physical spaces that audiences can touch, bringing digital content to life.

It’s through our senses that we experience the world. Adding multisensory elements to augmented reality and virtual reality transports your audience to other places and times, creating an entirely new simulated reality.

Digital scans of people, objects or places revive history. Capture traditions of peoples from across the world. Bring credibility to content by recreating historical figures, enabling them to share the stories they fought for during their time.

Achieve Unparalleled Accuracy

Museums and exhibitions inform how we situate ourselves in the world, and our understanding of it. Huge amounts of research goes into recreating natural history and scientific demonstrations, and even animating extinct creatures or creating historical sets.

Today, 3D scanning technology is incredibly precise. Computing power is accurate enough to handle highly detailed content, with the power to take audiences to places that no longer exist.

As 3D scanning technology and 3D tools become commonplace, so does the availability of highly accurate models, and creators who are able to make custom assets.

Augmented reality and virtual reality take things to the next level, where designs can be recreated with ultimate precision using game engines, and highly accurate animation can be done based on algorithms or motion capture.

Already, doctors are using augmented reality and virtual reality to explore the human body- just one indication of how ready the technology is for advanced and high stakes applications.

Setting up Your Gallery with Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality

In terms of setup at a gallery or exhibition, we recommend three simple steps of the process:

1. Create a prep room where people are fitted with the HoloLens or other device
2. Next, audiences enter the exhibition space to physical and virtual elements that can be elements can be pictures, videos, 3D models, animations, or 3D volumetric captures (depending on the goal of the exhibit)
3. Finally, create an exit area where visitors can leave the HoloLens or other device with a staff member who returns it for charging and the next group of visitors

Just like that, your museum or exhibition augmented reality or virtual reality experience is ready to go! Not only that, but there’s no demand on visitors other than to walk and look— a familiar part of the visitor journey.

Start Today with AfterNow Prez

There’s a world of opportunity with AR and VR to compliment existing spaces, adding new elements of interactivity, enhancing storytelling and knowledge dissemination, and showcasing historical and scientific elements with the utmost accuracy.

With AfterNow Prez, easily make and distribute augmented reality and virtual reality content for galleries and exhibitions with a drag and drop interface that resembles familiar programs like Microsoft PPT or Google Slides. Drag & drop 3D assets, audio, and text and iterate just as easily, with updates published in real time.

Get started today, or work directly with our team. As your exhibition or museum develops, easily iterate, update, adjust or change content along the way.

In this blog post, we will outline four key benefits of augmented reality and virtual reality as a medium for presentations. We will also look at market growth and industry reports on AR and VR as an indication of urgency to implement 3D communication strategies across high-stakes meetings, sales, and conference presentations.

3D Thinking: The Benefits of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

There are many benefits to using augmented reality and virtual reality as a tool for presentations:

AR and VR is More Effective than 2D Presentations

Presenting 3D visual material means that content can be better understood. Interactive 3D models improve engagement, comprehension, and recall.

By presenting information visually first, audiences have access to a more accurate picture of new or complex concepts and can grasp information quickly, providing an in-depth understanding of a concept and its applications in real life.

In a survey conducted by Samsung, 85% of teachers agreed that VR will have a positive effect on students and 68% of teachers said they want to use VR to supplement course curriculum to help students better understand course concepts. The same principles apply when delivering a presentation in a commercial setting.

Improved Memory: Stronger Emotional Reactions are Created in Immersive Environments

Immersive experiences involving our senses affect our ability to form memories and emotions. Learning effectiveness is strongly correlated with engagement in these areas, where targeting the senses reinforces neural connections to develop our long-term memory.

A study by researchers from the University of Maryland focused on whether VR affects a person’s ability to recall information. It was explored whether participants learn better in a virtual environment in comparison to traditional platforms like desktop computers or tablets.

Researchers found that participants scored at least 10% higher in recall ability when using virtual reality. This means your audience is more likely to remember your presentation when it’s done in augmented reality or virtual reality.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Improve Focus

AR and VR is a distraction-free zone. In comparison to desktops, mobile devices, and conference rooms or lecture halls, AR and VR completely focus an audience’s attention on the material being presented.

In the study by the University of Maryland mentioned above, full immersion improved participants’ overall focus and helped them perform better. Researchers found that all but two of the 40 participants also actually preferred using virtual reality for the study compared to a regular desktop.

Virtual reality captures focus, enabling participants to learn and process information more effectively.

3D Presentations Provide a Premium Experience

Adopting the latest communication tools for presentations positions your company at the forefront of a competitive market. When you only get to make one first impression, AR and VR stand out from the field and demonstrate a forward-thinking approach to business and innovation.

When working with Maureen Boyle-Henninger, Client Executive, National Accounts at Anthem Healthcare, we received the following feedback from her team:

“Working with the AfterNow team was a true game-changer in the development of our proposal presentation to our largest client. We needed to be creative in a different, bold and unique way….a way we didn’t even know was a possibility until we met with the AfterNow team!

Not only did the team help us create a value story, but then transformed it into an amazing augmented reality experience of which we had not seen before. The AfterNow team showed us how to create this by drawing pictures, taking images and 3D  models and synthesizing this into an incredibly compelling story where the user could then “feel” the experience and not just have to be “told” about it.

This part of our Finalist meeting was one of the key highlights for the client, consultant, and our team as well. By doing this, we were really able to show our clients what we wanted them to feel, rather than telling them. The experience became real, an experience, rather than just a discussion.”

When done strategically and creatively, presentations in augmented reality and virtual reality play a substantial role in the decision-making process, winning clients, elevating brand positioning, and earning recognition in a competitive marketplace.

Getting Ready for Growth in the AR and VR Market

As we’ve seen with the data and examples above, augmented reality and virtual reality make their mark in the delivery, engagement, and conversion of content.

Tony Parisi, Global Head of AR/VR Ads and E-Commerce at Unity Technologies, writes in a guest post with AR Insider, “[a] just-released report by Snap and Deloitte sees the technology moving to ubiquity by 2025 and promises unprecedented business outcomes, citing a staggering 94% conversion rate on purchases in some cases.”

Additionally, the report identifies that 76% of people expect and desire to use AR as a practical “tool” in their everyday lives.

“As AR evolves, it will revolutionize our lives and will become as significant of a technology shift as the web or mobile was to society, changing how we view and interact with the world around us,” says Allan Cook, Digital Reality Business Leader at Deloitte Digital.

The benefits seem nearly too good to be true, but so did the internet when it first became a reality. Snapchat is investing heavily in hardware to make AR more accessible to various industries, announcing the next generation of Snap Spectacles- with the aim to revolutionize how we interact with computing in our world.

Facebook is gearing up the Oculus to be positioned as an enterprise headset, and Pico and HTC are making similar moves with their recent launches and announcements.

Augmented reality and virtual reality content, including presentations, have a positive impact for professionals in on-the-job training, high stakes presentations, conferences, and sales presentations- helping people to learn and retain information more effectively.

Early adopters of 3D presentations will emerge as market leaders in their respective fields. There is a blue ocean of opportunity in augmented reality and virtual reality, with presentations being a core middle ground for the dissemination of ideas in this brave new world.

Here is a step by step tutorial on getting AfterNow Prez installed and joined a presentation.

Installation

AfterNow Prez is not yet on the Oculus Store. It is on Oculus App Lab, to install it you will need to follow this link:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/3434684843326642/

Click on the "Get" blue button. If you are not login it will ask you to login with Facebook and authorize Oculus aka MetaQuest.
Once the button display in dark blue with "Purchased" it means the app as been added to your app library in your Quest.

Starting the app

Go in your Quest look for the 9 little squares button to open your app's library. On the top-right drop-down, select Not Installed, look for AfterNow Prez Beta, and click on it, it will install and start.

Choose a presentation

If you already have a presentation ID for the presentation jump to Join a presentation.

We have a list of featured presentation the Presentation menu above.

Join a presentation

Once the app open, you will see the Login Menu. To join someone else's presentation, you can either log into your User Account or uses Guest Access.

The quickest way to attend someone else's presentation is to join as a Guest. To do so:

• Select the Guest Access tab.
• Enter your name (optional)
• Enter the eight-digit Presentation ID.
• Click Visit Presentation.

Start and navigate the presentation

Click here if you are using your hands instead of the controllers:
https://youtu.be/BYYwqQ91QN4

Someone sent you a presentation id and asked you to join their presentation. That's great. An AfterNow Prez presentation is something you don't want to miss, and we suggest experiencing it with a VR or AR headset.

Here is a step by step tutorial on getting AfterNow Prez installed and joined the presentation.

Installation

AfterNow Prez is not yet on the Oculus Store. It is on Oculus App Lab, to install it you will need to follow this link:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/3434684843326642/

Click on the "Get" blue button. If you are not login it will ask you to login with Facebook and authorize Oculus aka MetaQuest.
Once the button display in dark blue with "Purchased" it means the app as been added to your app library in your Quest.

Starting the app

Go in your Quest look for the 9 little squares button to open your app's library. On the top-right drop-down, select Not Installed, look for AfterNow Prez, and click click on it, it will install and start.

Join a presentation

Once the app open, you will see the Login Menu. To join someone else's presentation, you can either log into your User Account or uses Guest Access.

The quickest way to attend someone else's presentation is to join as a Guest. To do so:

• Select the Guest Access tab.
• Enter the eight-digit Presentation ID.
• Click Join as Guest.

Start and navigate the presentation

Click here if you are using your hands instead of the controllers:
https://youtu.be/BYYwqQ91QN4

Open the Spectator menu

If you have your controllers put them down to initiate hand-tracking.
You should now see your hands, look at the palm of your hand to reveal the hand menu button. Click on it with the index finger of your other hand.

If you want to use your controllers press the X or A button to popup and hide the menu.

Once summoned, the menu will pop up in front of you and look something like this:

In this menu, you will find the following:

• Slide Number - "Lobby" is used  here before the presentation has started.
• Presentation Title & ID - which you entered to access the session.
• Leave Button - to exit the presentation once the meeting is done.
• Participant Count & Mute Button - to disable your microphone, if desired.
• Raise Hand button - to get the attention of the speaker.
• Relocate Button - to adjust the presentation's placement, if desired.
• Close Button - to hide the menu again; you can also press A or X again.

To use any of the buttons in the menu, you can aim at it with either controller and use the trigger, or (with hand-tracking enabled) simply aim with your hand and perform an AirTap by pinching your index finger and thumb.

Changing your Location

The presentation's placement is determined by where you were standing/sitting when it initially loaded. Please take moment to look down and notice the location pad underneath you. Although you are free to move around, of course, we recommend using this positioning during the presentation for the best experience. In case the initial location does not work well for you, please select a new location and heading (i.e., the direction in which you are facing) and press the Relocate button in the menu. You can perform this adjustment as many times are you want.

Self Guided presentations

Most of the presentation will have a presenter and a live audience.  But some presentations are designed to be viewed and experienced without a presenter. We call them Self guided presentations. In those presentation, will you need to start the presentation yourself and possibly move through slides on your own.
On a Self Guided presentation, the menu will look like this:

You can use the menu or do an AirTap/Pinch or press the trigger on the controllers to move through slides.

We created a series of new graphs with a new visual concept to grasp the gravity of the Covid 19 pandemic.
This first version is in the United States of America. We display a column of deaths composed of monthly rings for each state. The size of the ring is proportional to the number of deaths.

The original metaphor is smoke going up. Each monthly ring is a cloud going up containing all the death that month.

We have an animated version in a Prez presentation with an alternate view on Per 100k instead of totals.

Watch this data visualization in your Quest with Prez.  

Presentation ID: 57318778

Install AfterNow Prez from this link:
https://www.oculus.com/experiences/quest/3434684843326642/

Then open AfterNow Prez in your Quest and enter as a Guest Access presentation id: 57318778   No need to create an account.

Create your own 3D datavisualization

We are working on a new application to create 3D datavisualization.

Find out more and join our early access list:  
Immersive Data Visualization with Viz

We often get asked the question, what is the difference between Prez and Spatial?

Simply put, AfterNow Prez focuses on the creation and delivery of a polished presentation to an audience, while Spatial is primarily a meeting platform.

Spatial might be where the ideas are formed and brainstorming sessions are held, but Prez is the platform where final concepts are designed and delivered.

In fact, there are many instances where our team begins ideation and holds meetings using Spatial, and then jumps into Prez for the production and delivery stage.

Let’s look at Prez’s core differentiators in more detail below.

AfterNow Prez is a Communication Platform to Create and Deliver Premium Presentations in AR and VR

While working with the likes of Anthem, Boeing, Hersheys, Hyperloop and TMobile, we have seen one consistent pain point across all use cases that Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality presentations solve for: communication.

Whether it’s communicating an internal initiative, a new product, a proposal or training, AR and VR provide a medium for messages to be communicated effectively, standing out from the field of content and ultimately delivering results that exceed expectations.

AfterNow Prez is the result of these learnings, an accessible, code free and easy-to-use platform designed specifically for presenters to create and deliver premium content for clear and concise communication.

Team leads can take everything that has been deliberated and discussed in collaboration tools such as Spatial, and create and deliver the ultimate presentation experience in Prez.

How We Differ: Our Approach to 3D Presentations

When you arrive in a presentation powered by AfterNow Prez, you will notice right away that the look and feel is very different to that of Spatial. It’s a more formal setting with a customized environment, and a singular point of focus (the presentation).

There are a number of unique approaches we take into consideration for design that include the following:

Presentation Mode is Focused on the Formal Delivery of Content

In AfterNow Prez, the focus is solely on the presenter and content of the presentation. Every attendee arrives in the same space oriented in a perfect position to view the presentation, examine 3D models, read text, and each receive the same quality of audio that is spatialized to draw focus to the content of the presentation.

Audio is Uniform and Controlled by the Presenter

In Prez, the presenter has primary control of audio. They can toggle between their voice only, or enable audience members to speak. This enables organized, one-at-a-time exchanges to prioritize concise and attentive communication.

Attendees can raise their hand to speak, and the presenter is simultaneously notified.

Point of View (PoV) Puts Everyone in the Front Seat

There is no back seat to our presentations. Each audience member is front and center. The look and feel is that of a one-on-one presentation no matter the audience size. For executives, potential clients, or pupils in a large class, this delivers a consistent message to each attendee- that they are the one the presenter is speaking to.

It’s an effective way to deliver content in an inclusive manner, to win the attention of each audience member, and to encourage active participation when the floor is open for questions.

No Avatars Means No Distraction

Audience members see their hands only. This removes any point of friction on the onboarding process, as a user simply arrives in the presentation without having to go through additional avatar customisation menus. It also means there are fewer distractions as a user's eyes are solely on the presentation taking place.

Custom Environments for Every Context

When delivering the presentation in virtual reality, custom environments can be easily selected or uploaded to create the ideal setting for each presentation.

Importing, Sharing and Viewing 3D Objects Made Easy

Prez enables users to upload GLB and GLTF files, pictures, video, audio, and animated 3D objects. This makes presentations memorable and tangible, which is highly effective for memory recall.

Deliver a Message Within Time Constraints

While brainstorming sessions can go on for hours, Prez focuses on delivering content in efficient time constraints, focusing first on the presentation of information, and then on questions or exchanges to clarify communication for the decision making process.

A Seamless Experience for First-Time AR and VR Users

Prez’s interface is an all-in-one solution where presentations can be made and deployed. It’s a code-free AR and VR presentation builder that anyone can use.

We leverage the advantages of virtual reality and augmented reality to create an optimized setting for the communication of content and ideas. User onboarding, experience and interfaces have all been simplified to achieve just one goal, the delivery of a premium presentation.

When to Use Each Platform:

Our users, including Fortune 50 companies, come from the worlds of engineering, healthcare, consumer goods, aerospace, education, transportation, and telecommunications. In many cases we use Spatial for the ideation phase, and ArterNow Prez to deliver the final premium content piece.

Here are some examples of which stage or activity we will use Spatial, and when we use AfterNow Prez:

Today we’re introducing AfterNow Viz, a new software product in our suite of AR and VR presentation tools.

With augmented reality and virtual reality presentations, show your audience what data means in one simple 3D and interactive experience to deliver a winning communication strategy.

At the core of our digital transformation is data, enabling us to make unprecedented advances in machine learning, anthropology, science, geology, astronomy, chemistry, physics, and psychology, just to name a few.

It used to take entire rooms of machines to process the amount of data that our computers can now run in just a few minutes. It would take specialists years to become experts in data science, extracting meaningful insights from massive amounts of data, and then communicating it to the world.

Augmented reality and virtual reality take these complex and fascinating data modules and, with a single glance, make these insights accessible to everyone.

3D Presentations: A Winning Communication Strategy for Data Insights

Any presentation whether for sales, financial projections, inventory analysis, scientific research or product visualization is backed up with data.

For example, show customers the lifetime value of a car in comparison to competitor models. Or, create 3D financial projections that your customers can easily grasp for long-term investment planning. Demonstrate the results of a complex scientific study with 3D charts that are easy to understand in the context of scale and color.

Create visually compelling and interactive data experiences that leave a long-lasting impression for internal and external initiatives.

Use Cases

Take a moment to think about the amount of data you encounter each day, in your professional and personal life. Whether that’s charts and graphs in reports, to simple likes and share counts on social media profiles. These numbers are abstract on a 2D page, but imagine these as rich 3D data models that can empower data-driven decision-making.

The following are only a few examples of the infinite possibilities of 3D data visualization, and how it can be used to communicate with impact:

Identify Trends for Long Term Planning	Aggregate Data for Decision Making	Develop Premium Reports for Clients and Executives	Evaluate Market Opportunities for Growth
Overlay data on 3D maps that demonstrate the scale of trends over a specific geographic area, or even the entire world.	Collate data from various sources, such as sales from multiple regions, and visualize this in the context of color and scale to understand market needs, business weaknesses and strengths.	Show your client and team the results of a campaign, research, or collaboration, visualizing the before and after impact, or the process of achieving key milestones and what this means with data.	Identify new market opportunities at a glance by importing market data over time or regions, and visualizing it in terms of scale and projections to make data-driven decisions.

Data Visualization with Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Drives Results

Augmented reality and virtual reality presentations bring context to content. Immerse your audience in a data-driven and interactive experience, enabling them to easily understand impact and scale, and connect with data in a meaningful and memorable way.

AR and VR data visualizations deliver high value, standing out from 2D content, strengthening emotional engagement, and recall. Create immersive and interactive environments for your clients or team, with personalized touches and deeper insights into business initiatives.

Our clients have closed multi-billion dollar deals with augmented reality and virtual reality presentations. Today’s audiences are multidimensional, and using 3D communication tools places your company at the cutting edge of digital strategy— a pathway to success.

User Interface: As Easy As Drag & Drop

AR and VR presentations are about making data-driven communication easy and accessible. Our interface is comparable to those such as Google Docs, and Microsoft Office.

In just a few easy steps, import your data in CSV into Viz, choose a template for the style of 3D data experience, and export the results into augmented reality and virtual reality.

From there, share your 3D data visualization with a simple access code for a guided or self-guided presentation.

Preview data on your mobile phone, then deploy to your audience using augmented reality or virtual reality devices.  

Sign up for Early Access

Sign up for early access! We’ve been speaking closely with our customers, refining our data visualization software, and can’t wait to see what you make.

Need help developing your idea or delivering a bespoke presentation?

Don’t hesitate to contact us.

In medical practice, accuracy and precision can be a matter of life and death. Each day, doctors are learning new techniques and adopting new tools to become even better at what they do: save lives.

Central to this is high-level communication between medical practitioners. Comprehension is a must. Technology is enabling doctors to establish better communication with their patients, and also with professional colleagues.

Advancing the development of communication for medical purposes, AfterNow Prez is a software product to make premium augmented reality and virtual reality presentations that drive professional development and collaboration. With a drag and drop, code free interface - that resembles Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides- you can make your own presentation using custom or ready-made assets from scans or 3D assets stores, or collaborate with our team for bespoke projects.

From scanning technology to 3D tools, augmented reality and virtual reality, these technologies are bringing new perspectives to complex medical cases and providing the resources to share unique insights that can ultimately result in a higher standard of care.

Doctor Collaboration: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Presentations are Helping Medical Professionals Communicate

Medical professionals around the world gather to exchange critical knowledge and skills. As medical care is becoming more personalized, and precise, having the tools and resources to present hyper-real demonstrations are becoming even more important.

Presentations in augmented reality and virtual reality make it easy to share and display interactive 3D models that assist with visual comprehension of human anatomy, procedures and medical processes, drawing from imaging such as MRI scans, CT scans, and DiComs.

Doctors can use models based on real human anatomy for the utmost accuracy. With augmented reality and virtual reality presentation software, medical professionals can view and interact with complex models, draw attention to specific components, and show how everything in the body is interconnected.

3D brings context to content as the next big transformation in medical technology.

Medical practitioners are able to better understand what was happening in the body with 3D models, even getting a first-time glimpse at the movement of inner organs, and then being able to understand exactly what’s going on in the body when they encounter rare medical conditions in the field.

More recently, medical institutions have used the HoloLens for remote collaboration and surgery assistance, achieving results that surpassed expectations:

Medical Training: AR and VR Presentations Drive High-Level Education Results

Access to 3D models has catalyzed the development of new surgical tools and techniques, including contouring templates and implant sizing models that can be used to size implants in the operating room, helping surgeons reduce time and increase the accuracy of complex procedures (source).

Integrated medical learning with 3D models from imaging such as MRI scans, CT scans, and DiComs in augmented reality and virtual reality presentations enable medical practitioners to see the body and interact with anatomy like never before. 3D presentations foster collaboration, open communication, and comprehension during in-person and remote educational opportunities.

As complexity has increased, it takes longer to acquire case-specific knowledge and to gain expertise in surgical procedures. So much so, that the existing system of surgical training is starting to show cracks, as up to 30% of graduating general surgery residents are unable to operate independently (Statnews).

In a study, which was recently presented at the annual meeting of the Western Orthopedic Association, medical practitioners who were given VR training for a procedure completed it 20% faster and completed 38% more steps correctly than those in the traditionally trained group,” wrote Justin Barad, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and co-founder and CEO of Osso VR (stat news).

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Medical Use Cases

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly found primary liver tumors and one of the most common cancers worldwide. One of many deployments of virtual reality in pre-surgical planning is to display a virtual 3D liver model. Studies done by researchers have shown that pre-surgical planning tools aid surgeons in planning surgery procedures for HCC as well as increasing post-surgery survival rate (IEEE).

Similarly, congenital heart disease (CHD) is complex and requires the understanding of highly specific anomalous hearts. In this area, 3D models are invaluable for surgical planning (The FASEB Journal).

The Benefits of AR and VR Presentations for Professional Development in Medical Practice

3D scanning is becoming easier, highly accurate, simple, and seamlessly accessible to upload into 3D spaces like augmented reality and virtual reality, revolutionizing the way doctors can collaborate in person, and remotely.

It reduces time and cost in the operating room, producing long-term benefits for medical practitioners, and their patients, resulting in improved patient satisfaction, reducing anxiety and recovery time.

With 3D collaborative presentations, doctors can achieve greater accuracy in determining the course of treatment in a highly specialized area of medical practice. Dissemination of knowledge becomes more accessible and more consistent. It’s easy to update, share, and present worldwide, such as in the case of surgeon conferences.

Doctors can use augmented reality and virtual reality presentations to learn anatomy in the context of what they need to know clinically, precisely drawing attention to specific areas of a model, and speeding up the process of learning material by presenting it in an intuitive and naturally engaging way.

Virtual reality and augmented reality is rapidly accelerating professional development, collaboration, and applied results.

For a limited time, our team is offering custom demos at no-cost. Experience the benefits of augmented reality and virtual reality presentations in the context of your professional endeavors.

Setting your products and services apart from the competition has never been more challenging and yet more essential to your business. AfterNow Prez allows your first impression to move from “just another sales presentation” to a singular experience for your prospects.

Even more, before the sales process begins, there is a great deal of work to do. 3D presentations can be used for critical initiatives such as demonstrating complex parts and mechanics that are otherwise inaccessible during the sales process, including product visualizations and advanced engineering demos that showcase your product’s strengths.

AfterNow Prez is a software product to make premium augmented reality and virtual reality presentations that deliver results. With a drag and drop, code free interface - that resembles Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides- you can make your own presentation using ready-made or custom assets, or collaborate with our team for bespoke projects.

In this post, we’ll introduce you to augmented reality and virtual reality for wind turbine sales. The same techniques will apply for the sales and demonstrations of complex technology such as engines, land and air vehicles, and many more examples.

Drive Sales With Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

Augmented reality and virtual reality are becoming more prolific in the workforce for remote collaboration, a trend rapidly accelerating as a result of the pandemic. In the next few years, it will become mainstream as the technology is widely adopted.

Today, these cutting-edge technologies have a novel effect that impresses your prospects and sets you apart from the competition. Getting immersed in a premium AR or VR experience leaves a memorable feeling of wonder and clearly differentiates your company and products as leading-edge.

AfterNow Prez makes it possible for anyone to easily create and remotely deliver a product or service presentation in virtual or augmented reality. Get your client excited and in awe at your products by presenting at scale in 3D with lifelike models:

Bring Your Products to Life in 3D: Virtual Demonstrations

Cutting-edge technology and complex products are perfect to demonstrate in augmented reality and virtual reality. Allow customers to fully experience your products and services and immerse themselves in the vision of your product. Bring emotions and excitement to remote meetings, and enable your engineering team to demonstrate their work.

Wind turbines represent an incredible opportunity to deliver renewable energy, contributing to sustainable development. Upfront, it’s a significant investment, but the return on investment for energy and the environment presents a wealth of opportunity that is easy to demonstrate in 3D.

Virtual Demonstrations

One major challenge in wind turbine sales is enabling access to the more complex infrastructure of a turbine on site, or during the manufacturing process as this is often outsourced. Presenting in AR and VR is highly effective in alleviating pain points and barriers in the sales process such as this that can make a significant result in the closure of a deal.

With Virtual Reality, your prospect can visit the inside of their future wind turbine before manufacturing it. It is enabling a better understanding of its properties, values, and operations.

Aside from demonstrating the structure and function of a wind turbine in virtual reality and augmented reality, there are additional factors to consider in the sales of wind turbines such as demonstrating:

• maximum install capacity (grid connection)
• site boundary
• ‘set back’ – from roads, dwellings, overhead lines, and other buildings
• environmental constraints
• location of noise-sensitive dwellings and assessment criteria
• location of visually-sensitive viewpoints
• flickering shadows cast by rotating blades that may affect local dwellings• turbine spacing

While secondary, these factors also impact project approval, and can be complex to understand on a 2D map or screen, but are easily brought to life in 3D in augmented reality or virtual reality to demonstrate to a non-technical audience.

Hyper-real maps, and life-size models can be viewed and interacted with during a presentation or remote meeting using augmented reality or virtual reality headsets.

At a glance, it’s possible for respective stakeholders to visualize the project, the mechanics of the wind turbine, its technical specifications, economic benefits, and give peace of mind that the well-being of the community has been carefully considered.

Engineering

Wind turbines are made of many assets from manufacturing hardware to electrical components. These designs vary per wind turbine manufacturer and can be key to differentiating from competitors.

Using augmented reality and virtual reality to visualize the various parts and components of a wind turbine and its mechanics is easy with 3D still and animated models. Take prospective clients through an augmented reality or virtual reality presentation that showcases rotor blades, electrical systems, energy production, and performance. Show how your product works and the difference that your design makes.

Whether this is a part of an internal initiative where engineers share their cutting-edge work, or as a part of the sales process, 3D visualizations have a powerful impact on comprehension, memory, and recall.

AfterNow Prez: A Frictionless Sales Process That Delivers Results

Research has shown that immersive experiences using AR or VR increase attention, retention, and satisfaction for education, training, and sales.

Get a significant edge over your competition and win more business. Our clients are using AR experiences to close billion-dollar deals in highly competitive markets.

Our frictionless experience enables anyone to experience mind-blowing immersive experiences, with no technical expertise required.

We start with an all-inclusive service to create your sales experience in VR, then manage all the headset logistics for your meetings. Rental & shipping service brings ready-to-use AR or VR headsets to your prospect for the meeting.

It's as simple as delivering a PowerPoint over a zoom meeting.

Demo: Experience Wind Turbines in 3D

To experience our wind turbine demo presentation, install Prez on the Quest (click here for instructions) or HoloLens (click here for instructions)

Once Prez has installed start Prez on the login prompt select Guest access and enter the Prez ID: 57617179

For newcomers to Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and 3D, this three-step guide to getting started is for you. This means jumping from a 2D screen to a 3D environment, your new space to think, create, share, and boost your creativity.

The goal of the 3D Thinking™ articles is to provide exercises, tools, technology, techniques to unlock a new dimension in your brain.

Because you’ve spent most of your life in front of 2D flat screens like computers, tablets, TV, or phones, it’s likely that your mind’s natural 3D thinning capabilities have been limited.

Today, we have 3D technologies that break 2D limitations, enabling us to create and communicate in 3D, leveraging the full spatial capabilities of our brain.

This is the second article in the series (you can read the introduction here).  In no time at all, you’ll be well on your way to creating a premium presentation and delivering results with AfterNow Prez:

1- Choosing an Augmented Reality or Virtual Reality Headset

The first step is to choose the right headset for your use case.

Augmented Reality headsets are just like a large pair of glasses, enabling you to continue to see the world around you, and then adding digital content into the real-world environment. It may be more comfortable for clients or first-time users at a conference or in a public setting. It’s also ideal for in-person meetings, enabling individuals to remain connected in their physical space throughout the experience, but also fully engaged with content.

Virtual Reality headsets are more like a pair of ski goggles, and completely immerse you in a computer-generated environment. When absolute focus is required, for remote meetings, investor presentations, and high stakes presentations we often use virtual reality.

For all your business needs, AfterNow Prez is available on the HoloLens 1 and 2, Quest 1 & 2, and VR mixed reality headsets.

You can always get in touch with our team to discuss the best approach for your business:

To get started today, we recommend ordering the Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset. It’s easy to set up as a standalone VR headset, meaning it can be used without a computer or phone. It’s also perfect for remote presentations, demos, and has a great deal of content that you can explore while becoming familiar with 3D design.

2- Playing Games to Develop Your 3D Skills

Whether it’s a presentation or game, the same skills are used to develop spatial awareness in digital 3D environments.

When your Oculus Quest 2 arrives, we recommend starting out with these fun games to get a sense of space, motion, and the potential of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality:

1. Beat Saber is a unique VR rhythm game where your goal is to slash beats (represented by small cubes) as they are coming at you. Every beat indicates which color saber you need to use and also the direction you need to match.
2. Vader Immortal invites you to step inside a galaxy far, far away. You’ll navigate the dangers of a fortress, hone your lightsaber skills, and meet new characters along the way in this Star Wars VR series.
3. Shooty Fruity is an award-winning multi-tasking fruit shooting game. Shooty Fruity combines job simulation with exhilarating combat. Take on new roles and unlock weapons to fight your way through your career. Scan shoot repeat!
4. Superhot VR is a multi-award-winning, smash-hit that blurs the lines between cautious strategy and mayhem action. Time moves only when you move. Superhot VR’s signature is slow-motion combat.

Virtual Reality is one of those things that once you try it, you’ll never look back.

AR and VR is transforming the way we think, transferring us back into a 3D world that is more intuitive than our 2D interfaces, and transforming the way we do business, increasing productivity, comprehension, and performance.

On this journey, these games will help you master 3D Thinking™ and spatial awareness.

3- Apply Your 3D Skills with These Fun VR Creator Tools

Now that you’re a pro at navigating 3D experiences, it’s time to get started making your own, taking 3D thinking to 3D making.

With these four easy-to-use creator tools, you can create your own 3D content while in VR:

1. Tilt Brush lets you paint in 3D space with virtual reality. The possibilities are endless.
2. Gravity Sketch is about thinking and creating in 3D. Communicate ideas in 3D at each stage, capture work as an image or model to use in other phases of your workflow.
3. Maquette makes spatial prototyping easy, quick, and immersive. It’s a comprehensive toolset for spatial prototyping in VR.
4. Sketchbox allows you to instantly bring your 3D content into an infinite, collaborative workspace.

The goal here is to become accustomed to moving around in a 3D environment, and designing a 3D environment with 3D content. Next, try each of these steps in the above programs:

1. Make simple shapes in 3D including a cube, prism, and sphere
2. Position these at varying heights and distances in space
3. Walk around the objects within your space
4. Explore moving the objects around to learn about positioning and scale
5. Imagine if instead of shapes, you were presenting and positioning data. Consider how you could use 3D for communicating data in the context of scale.

Finally, set up a parkour obstacle course and go through it by physically moving through space. Ensure you have an open and clear floor for this step.

When you’re confident with the setup, share the experience with a colleague or friend. This is an opportunity to share what you have learned, and also to become familiar with onboarding new users.

Now, you’ve just mastered the basics of spatial thinking, and are familiar with key tools to make 3D content while in virtual reality.

You can also use ready-made 3D models available on platforms like Sketchfab, with integration into your AfterNow Prez presentation as simple as drag & drop, no coding required.

If you are ready to onboard your team, whether that’s in enterprise training, sales, remote collaboration, investor presentations, or other applications, we offer customized 3D Thinking™ Workshops for each use case.