VR headsets can improve your dancing skills, provided you can go beyond just gaming and streaming.

      Dancers can now revisit their previous routines with this VR tool

      Meta

      For years, Virtual Reality headsets have been promoted primarily for video gaming, virtual cinemas, and fitness activities. However, researchers at Cornell are demonstrating their potential as a valuable creative asset. A doctoral student at Cornell has contributed to the development of an extended reality tool named “DanXeReflect,” which allows dancers to utilize VR headsets to analyze and enhance their movements within an immersive virtual studio.

      How DanXeReflect turns dance videos into an effective rehearsal aid

      Cornell Chronicle

      The exciting aspect of DanXeReflect is that it converts standard 2D video into a virtual setting where movements are represented through interactive avatars. This means dancers don't simply watch their footage on a flat screen; they can see the moves from a new viewpoint and compare them with their own body.

      The tool functions like a virtual mirror, allowing a dancer to replicate a pose in front of it, while DanXeReflect assesses that posture against avatar sequences to identify the closest match. The corresponding avatar then appears both in the virtual mirror and beside the user in the VR environment. Unlike conventional video review systems, users gain a rehearsal partner that exhibits recorded movements in 3D.

      Why this is beneficial for dancers

      Cornell Chronicle

      Hyunju Kim, a doctoral student in information science at Cornell Tech, explained that the concept stemmed from the way dancers naturally talk about movement. They often illustrate choreography through physical demonstrations rather than verbal descriptions. Thus, DanXeReflect builds on that method, enabling dancers to try out alternative revisions alongside original movements. It even allows them to explore a library of choreographies by reenacting various poses and attaching time-stamped annotations to specific sections of the virtual avatar.

      The researchers interviewed six professionals from the Martha Graham dance group, which included advanced dancers, directors, and a former dancer. They subsequently recruited nine female dancers from diverse styles such as street, jazz, ballroom, and ballet. Participants used DanXeReflect as a pre-rehearsal video tool, with one noting it enhanced their understanding of 3D movement. Unlike typical VR projects that focus solely on immersion, DanXeReflect demonstrates how headsets can assist individuals in studying and enhancing real physical abilities.

      Vikhyaat Vivek is a tech journalist and reviewer with seven years of experience focusing on consumer hardware.

      Microsoft has developed an AI agent for lawyers in Word. Let’s hope it doesn’t malfunction.

      Microsoft's Legal Agent is now available for reviewing contracts and addressing trust concerns.

      Microsoft Word is introducing an AI legal agent, which seems promising until recalling past issues. This new Legal Agent can examine contracts, propose edits, compare document versions, and identify problematic clauses within Word. While these features seem beneficial and practical on paper, there have been instances of generative AI tools fabricating cases, citations, and quotes, leading to issues for real individuals in actual legal proceedings.

      What capabilities does Microsoft’s Legal Agent have?

      ChatGPT has introduced ads; Google is also considering ads in the Gemini app.

      Gemini might not remain ad-free as ChatGPT introduces advertisements.

      OpenAI has begun testing ads within ChatGPT, and AI companies are exploring whether advertising in an AI chatbot can be effective without irritating users. Google has indicated that Gemini may not be able to avoid this revenue model indefinitely. During Alphabet’s Q1 2026 earnings call, Google Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler was directly questioned about advertisements in the Gemini app. He provided a cautious response, mentioning that Google’s primary focus is on the free tier, subscriptions, and AI strategies, while the company is initially concentrating on monetizing the AI Mode in Search.

      AI excelled in emergency diagnoses compared to doctors during Harvard trials.

      AI surpassed physicians in emergency triage, but there’s no need to dismiss your doctor yet.

      While AI has numerous complicated use cases, emergency medicine might be a sector where it can deliver significant benefits. A study from Harvard comparing AI performance to that of doctors using patient data from emergency room situations found that OpenAI's o1 reasoning model was more effective than human doctors in emergency triage diagnosis, particularly in scenarios where quick decisions were required with limited information.

      What were the study's findings?