Skip to main content

VR experience re-creates the Anne Frank House as it looked during WWII

Anne Frank House

VR can be used to transport us to amazing new worlds, which could never exist outside of virtual reality. Now it’s also being used to help take us closer to a world which tragically did exist, so that we can better understand what it was like. The world in question is the Nazi-occupied Netherlands of World War II — and specifically the plight of one of the many Jewish families who went into hiding there, prior to their extermination as victims of the Holocaust.

Announced this month, the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam is launching a virtual tour of the Anne Frank House, where the famous diarist and her family hid from the Nazis. The launch of the VR tour was timed to coincide with what would have been Anne’s 89th birthday. It was created as a collaboration between the Anne Frank House, Force Field VR, and Oculus Studios — and offers viewers the chance to tour the rooms in the Secret Annex, re-created to look as they would have during WWII.

Recommended Videos

“The real Secret Annex is empty,” Annemarie Bekker, who handles communications for the Anne Frank House, told Digital Trends. “The furniture was removed by order of the Nazis after the arrest of the eight people in hiding. It was the wish of Otto Frank, Anne’s father, to leave the rooms of the Secret Annex empty. Otto Frank was the only one of the eight people in hiding to survive the war. The VR tour gives people all around the world the opportunity to explore Anne Frank’s hiding place as it was in July 1942 to August 1944, the period when Anne Frank was forced into hiding and wrote her diary.”

Anne Frank House

We have no doubt that some will find the idea of re-creating the experience in virtual reality controversial. When the VR project was announced a couple of years back, it was the subject of criticism in some places. This is the same (understandable) criticism that often accompanies attempts to grapple with horrific world events in mediums more commonly associated with frivolity rather than academic solemnity. It’s certainly not for us to judge people’s reaction — either positive or negative to this idea. Nonetheless, if it’s able to introduce Anne Frank (and, by association, her wider experience) to an audience who might not otherwise be exposed to her, surely that’s a good thing, right?

Initially, the VR experience is being installed at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam for visitors with limited mobility. Later, it will be rolled out to other sites including the Anne Frank Zentrum in Berlin and Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect in New York.

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more