Virtual reality massage is the ultimate way to chill out

BERLIN — In Fragments of a Hologram Rose, William Gibson's first published short story, the protagonist has insomnia. To induce sleep, he uses a virtual reality tape that takes him to a yoga class on an exotic beach. 

I remembered this story as I leaned into a massage chair and put on a VR headset that took me to a similar beach, a masseur in front of me telling me to relax and showing me how to breathe properly. 

The five-minute experience, courtesy of a health-oriented, German company called Medisana, was not long enough for me to completely forget that I was actually surrounded by dozens of people visiting the IFA trade show in Berlin, but it was definitely one of the better uses of VR tech I've experienced.  Read more...