It’s a big day for remote working. Vyopta announced $1 million in series A funding to improve call quality for those of us who collaborate via video, and Mayor Steve Adler asked us to work from home to put a dent in rush hour traffic.
Adler designated May 11 Austin Don’t Rush Day to repeat the stunt that helped Austinites stay productive while a presidential motorcade and hordes of SXSW attendees choked city streets two months ago.
Assuming you played along today and are feeling smug about plugging away in your bathrobe, a mysterious melancholy may still nag at you.
You may realize sitting in traffic has it perks. The forced meditation. The time to catch up on podcasts. The karaoke practice.
Well, you’re in luck. Someone recreated the experience with virtual reality.
Zeke Brill leads Globotix Industries, a creative tech studio specializing in games and virtual reality applications. He made VR Rush Hour: Austin as a download from the Google Play store that runs on Samsung Gear VR Headsets, which are compatible with the Galaxy S6, S7 or Note 5.
“When I heard about Mayor Adler’s Don’t Rush Day, I called the Mayor’s Office and said we want to help,” said Brill, who has also designed algorithms to help him develop a card game for trading bizarre insults with your friends. “Now, instead of sitting in traffic on I–35 in your car, you can sit in traffic on I–35 from the comfort of your own home."
