Virtual Reality – The Future of Our Home Entertainment?

June 11, 2015 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past year or so, you definitely know that virtual reality is knocking on our door. Some big names have taken upon themselves to challenge the empty throne. Google, Microsoft, Sony, Valve, HTC, GoPro, and even Facebook wants to be known as the reigning king.

Is this a trend that will fail miserably? Or is it the future of our home entertainment?

Facebook-owned Oculus Rift has announced that they will start shipping their virtual reality headset sometime in early 2016, and that it will cost about $400, but you’ll need a proper PC that can run it. Oculus Rift CEO Brendan Iribe has said that a PC-build that now normally costs about $1500 should be more than enough to run their headset. In 2016, the price will most likely drop – you’ll notice a significant change.

Oculus Rift development kit

Microsoft’s HoloLens is most likely going to be Oculus Rift’s main competitor, along with SteamVR – the love child of Valve, and HTC, also called The Vive. But everything seems to cost hundreds of dollars, and if you aren’t a virtual reality enthusiast, these prices will scare the living hell out of you. More on this later when we talk about FullDive – the most affordable virtual reality product. Kudos to Giovanno Yosen Utomo, one of the co-founders, and Marcus Missirlian, member of FullDive’s operations team, for making time to discuss details about their product.

The interview regarding FullDive can be read at the end of article.

The majority will want a headset that will satisfy their curiosity about virtual reality gaming. Some virtual reality games are available, but they aren’t that great. The only one that sparks my curiosity is The Forest – available on Steam; users have reported feeling nauseous after playing it while wearing virtual reality dev gear. Others haven’t yet seen the light of day – keep your eyes out for Eve: Valkyrie.

EVE: Valkyrie

Oculus Rift announced that they managed to pinpoint the problem, and successfully fixing it, but what does this mean then? Do games need to be built with virtual reality in mind? Do developers need to adopt a new strategy when building this sort of games?

Developers around the world think that when you build a game for virtual reality, you need to focus on it first, and then think how you want to port it for the traditional medium. Joe Ludwig, programmer at Valve Software working on the Team Fortress 2 team, and a crucial key-developer when talking about TF2 in the virtual reality medium isn’t that happy with their port.

When Joe talks about the Lesson learned while porting Team Fortress 2 to virtual reality, at a 2013 Game Developers Conference, he pinpoints the fact that latency poses as a crucial element in solving the nausea mystery, and that other third-person adventure, and shooter games, even MOBAs, will be hard to tackle in the virtual reality medium.

Team Fortress 2 VR mode

We have no information regarding Sony’s Project Morpheus at the moment, and to be honest, the name makes me think about virtual reality porn – an idea that isn’t that far fetched. Be sure that if the trend explodes, virtual reality sex will dethrone the traditional medium in which we satisfy our primal needs – your fetish just a click away? Whoever finds the perfect method to market this will be a billionaire.

Virtual reality technology has come a long way since its inception, and Microsoft’s Build 2015 showcased a HoloLens that could be used around the house as your new portable entertainment system – plastering YouTube videos on walls, and setting them to follow you sounds like a phenomenal idea. You can cook, and watch a cooking guide from the internet at the same time without worrying that you’ll spill something on your laptop, or tablet.

Microsoft’s HoloLens

But wearing a blocky, and huge device on your head isn’t my ideal dream for VR usage. Google has tried to make something out of virtual reality in the past that seemed more practical. Remember Google Glass? Or how I like to put it Virtual reality goggles for the NSA lover. They launched it at the worst time possible, when everyone was terrified that the NSA knows everything about them – and sure enough, the leaks showed exactly that.

What is virtual reality and is it dangerous?

Can we get addicted to virtual reality?

The virtual reality definition, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, says that it’s – ” an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one’s actions partially determine what happens in the environment; also : the technology used to create or access a virtual reality.”

The computer generated environment immerses the person within its world fooling the player by giving him the false mental state that he is capable of manipulating, and distorting virtual existence.

The TV show Community has aired a pretty interesting episode where one of the characters used a virtual reality treadmill so much that he ended up thinking he was the God of his realm, and that subsequently led to him never wanting to leave the place. Dean Pelton spent a couple of hours in the VR world, but he’s a doofus, so better to ignore him.

Serious questions arise. Are we going to endanger ourselves by using virtual reality? Are we going to love the false world so much that we’ll hate the real one? I can’t answer these questions, and only time will tell if VR is indeed a gift, or a curse. Take it as food for thought.

Virtual reality therapy

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Somewhat debunking those serious questions that I asked earlier, virtual reality exposure therapy is a real thing, and it helps people who suffer from certain phobias like Ophidiophobia – fear of snakes; Acrophobia, or Altophobia – fear of heights; and those who suffer from depression, and other mental illnesses. Amongst other uses.

According to the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, virtual reality therapy is – ” Currently found at over 60 sites, including VA hospitals, military bases and university centers,” helping those who suffer from PTSD. ” ICT’s Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan exposure therapy approach has been shown to produce a meaningful reduction in PTS symptoms.”

Virtual reality therapy helping those who suffer from PTSD.jpg

Marines from the 2d Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, train with the Future Immersive Training Environment

Treatments aren’t available for home users, and if you experience issues that don’t allow you to get out of the house, and into a facility that offers this kind of service, unfortunately, you can’t use virtual reality therapy. Why? Because you need a trained therapist that will guide you through the steps of your recovery.

You don’t want to start this journey on your own because a) you have no idea how you will react to the virtual stimuli, and b) you will end up deteriorating your mental state even more. Do not try this alone!

FullDive – an affordable VR option!

A couple of weeks ago I was chatting on Quora, and by sheer luck, I might add, I met Marcus Missirlian. We talked about books, and TV shows, and I ended up discovering that he works for a virtual reality company that is currently developing the most affordable headset on the market. Called FullDive, it’s a nifty little thing that immerses you into a dream-like world.

I immediately fell in love with it, and I asked him if we could set up an interview. He introduced me to one of the co-founders, and the rest is history.

The virtual reality headset is lightweight, and adjustable to fit any noggin – it also fits the user perfectly if he wears glasses; this is a big plus in my book.

It comes with a smart controller that helps you surf into your desired world – ” FullDive’s mixed reality controller allows your digital content to blend with reality as holograms.”

Full Dive’s team consists of virtual reality enthusiasts – some product designers, and engineers have worked for Tesla, and Google X; and founders Giovanno Yosen Utomo, and Ed Ow, are UC Berkely grads – which immediately makes me think that the entire team is comprised of sheer talent.

How do you use it?

Simple as pie. You download the app from Google Play – the iOS version will be available soon; you start it up, slide your phone into the headset, and you enjoy the experience. In the first 8 weeks of launch, the FullDive app witnessed over 50,000 downloads, and 1,450 reviews – the average rating was of 4.5 stars.

Their Kickstarter campaign hasn’t started yet, and it’s due this July – but you can pre-order their headset right now on their official website. It costs $29 for you early birds.

The headset offers a high quality affordable VR experience, unlike other virtual reality companies that make you cough up a lot of cash. You can use it to take photos, and record videos in the VR medium. Development is on-going, and expect to see FullDive enabling streaming of movies, and TV shows using Netflix, Hulu, and Roku.

The guys and girls over at FullDive are preparing their product to be available starting December of 2015. For more info, read the interview with Marcus Missirlian, and Giovanno Yosen Utomo just down below.

Q: Will FulDive support JellyBean, and KitKat, or it will focus on Lollipop, and the newly announced Android M? – on your website it only says that it works on all Android phones.

M: We are working to make sure the application functions properly on all versions of Android software, new and old, and actively stress test the application on different models of phone. The newer the software and phone, though, the better the application will function, because the application relies on the phone’s processor. Newer phones naturally have better processors, which allows the application to perform at its peak. As for the version of Android, we see this providing no impediment to the functionality of the application.

Q: The same goes for iOS. Which versions will it support?

M: The same goes for iOS. It will support iPhone 5 and above.

Q: Can you give any additional info regarding the Smart Controller? ” FullDive’s mixed reality controller allows your digital content to blend with reality as holograms.” How does it work exactly? Will I be able to control said holograms? Can I give them certain commands like plaster this YouTube window on the wall, and set it to follow me? Something on the lines of what HoloLens can do. If yes, what are its limitations?

M: Because we are still building out the functionality of the Smart Controller, we don’t yet quite have a read on what its limitations will be. Ideally, we want capabilities on par with Hololens and that is what our engineers are striving to produce. Additionally, there will be basic commands, like move the controller forward to confirm.

Q: With the Smart Controller do you think that games such as Minecraft will be playable?

M: That is the ideal situation and what we are working to provide with the application. The controller will be able to be used in place of, say, the pickaxe or a sword.

Q: Are there any specific games recommended for the FullDive product? What about apps? Or you can just watch movies, and surf the web using the FullDive VR app?

M: While streaming media and surfing the web would be the primary purpose, we are providing the tools to produce games for the FullDive application. We are hoping this will encourage the proliferation of FullDive as users create and share their games with their friends. We ourselves are working to produce games to get the ball rolling. Additionally, any virtual reality application downloaded through Google Play or the App Store is compatible with the headset and can be launched through our FullDive application. Our vision is an affordable headset that offers a one-stop-shop virtual reality experience, and using the application as a landing site for all virtual reality applications on your device aids us in this aim.

Q: Virtual reality is facing some problems at the moment. Oculus Rift users have reported feeling dizzy and nauseous after using the VR gear. Is this a problem that FullDive has encountered? If yes, how did the team manage to get rid of it?

M: A few users have reported feeling off balance, but we have tried to alleviate this problem by making sure that screens are stable at all times through head tracking and use dark colors such as black and dark blue to guide users through our selection of apps. The FullDive VR design team is working hard to ensure that users have a comfortable VR experience.

Q: It’s been marketed as an affordable product even for third world countries, but what about first world ones? Do you think the public will accept it with arms wide open? Or will they flock to other products like Facebook-owned Oculus Rift, Sony’s Project Morpheus, HTC and Valve’s Vive, Microsoft’s HoloLens, and Samsung’s Gear VR?

M: The main problem with VR right now is its accessibility. The public wants to experience virtual reality but is waiting on these headsets to come out sometime within the next couple years. With FullDive, users already have everything they need, a smartphone to download our FullDive app. For high-end users who want to upgrade their computer or use VR for intensive gaming, the other headsets will have to be optimized with a powerful graphics card. It’s the same concept with laptops: there are your light users who want to daily use for school and work and those who buy laptops specifically for gaming. If the case was every user wanted the most powerful device, there would be no market space for a laptop like the Chromebook. There is a massive market for both sectors, and we have received a lot of enthusiasm about our affordable pricing.

Q: Google has announced their partnership with GoPro, and they too will tackle virtual reality. Do you think that the market is becoming overly saturated by so many VR products?

M: While a lot of companies are tackling producing virtual reality headsets, a clear leader in the value space has yet to emerge. There are a great number of headsets, but each one is attempting to differentiate itself in a different way. The market we are attempting to tackle, the casual/light user projected to be the largest virtual reality consumer, still has a lot of room left for us to establish a significant presence.

Q: On your official website it reads that the kickstarter campaign starts this June. Do you have any information that you can share at this moment? What’s the initial goal? What are the rewards?

G: The kickstarter was originally planned at the end of June, but since we have some challenges on the hardware designs – we are pushing it to July. We will pledge $50,000 but we are hoping to get more than that!

Q: What motivated you to start FullDive?

G: I was originally from Indonesia, a 3rd world country. Throughout my 5 years stay in the US, I feel the huge gap of technology; and this motivated me to bridge the technology gap by making a product that can be accessed by everyone. Internet sure does help, but it is not enough. We need that infrastructure. That is where VR comes in. I personally think that VR is a cutting edge technology that fits with my vision, to create an infrastructure can help people to have a better life.

Q: What is it you’re hoping to achieve with FullDive?

G: I want everyone, yes everyone around the world, to be connected and start experiencing VR. That is my vision of the company. We will overcome this challenge by creating a set of products (software and hardware) that is affordable to most people and made accessible through our distribution networks. Basically, it would make me happy if everyone can experience this new technology, and I believe that FullDive will bring a big step of evolution to how people enjoy media, socialize, and do businesses.

Q: How do you see the virtual reality trend evolving? Do you think it will wither in a couple of years, or are we witnessing our new form of home entertainment?

G: I am a keen believer that through VR and AR (augmented reality), we are approaching a new form of way of interaction with our daily live, not only for home entertainment, but also education, research, industry, etc. It will make all human’s life easier if we can utilize VR in parts of our daily lives. For example, surgeons can be assisted during surgery, by making sure that they are cutting the right spot; golfer will have the ability to see the speed of wind and distance projection, and it will help their decision on their shot. People can share their 360 experience with their family, instead of the usual a face to face video conference. These are just some of the examples that I can think about.

Q: Any thoughts on the behemoths of the industry? Oculus Rift, HoloLens, and Valve’s, and HTC’s SteamVR ( also called Vive).

G: I don’t think them as our competitor, but more of a big brother. They are the ones who are creating the cutting edge technologies, which will come with huge cost and not mobile – and not everyone can afford it. We are creating the simple technology, which is accessible to everyone. Think about having a super-power computer which cost $1000 you must be installed at home; or a mobile smartphone which cost less than $200.

We don’t really know that the future will hold for virtual reality, but it sounds interesting. I’m going to stick with the trend, and I’m surely going to pre-order a FullDive headset of my own, once their Kickstarter campaign starts. How about you?

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

The Most Important Announcements from Google I/O 2015

May 29, 2015 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Google I/O 2015 started yesterday, on the 28th of May, and the big G decided to focus on Android.

We’ll most likely see more news today regarding their self-driving cars, and Project Fi, which wants to be Google’s wireless carrier. We’ll update this article as soon as we get the news, so check on us periodically if you want to stay up to date with Google’s plans.

Google I/O 2015 Android Everywhere!

I’m not that surprised that I/O 2015’s first day focused on Android – it’s a really big project. We discussed some of the Android M rumours in a recent article, and I’m happy to say that we hit it right on its head! Remember, this isn’t an revolutionary piece of software, it’s just the next logical evolutionary step.

You’ll notice how it looks like its previous iteration Lollipop, but with improvements in power optimization, new services, and how apps interact.

App permissions

Android M won’t annoy you with a wall of permission requests, like previous updates are currently doing – it’s a little bit frustrating to say the least; whenever you install an app, you have to go through its permissions and accept, or deny them. Now, everything is going to change.

You won’t be needed to look at them after you installed an app. Permissions will be prompted when the developers calls them up, and you can look at what a specific app can access, and deny its clearance – I’m a little bit paranoid when it comes to apps taking a look at my photo gallery, or calendar.

Chrome is your new in-app browser overlord

I was expecting this. Now, when you click on a link within an app it moves your view to the browser, or an in-app website – which is poorly made, and suffers from optimization issues. At Google I/O 2015, the company announced that there’s going to be a new feature that will involve custom Chrome tabs in-app – it will load web pages faster by pre-loading certain elements like passwords, and user-names.

Also, Google has decided to make it easier for other apps you use. If you spot a tweet, and click on it, the Twitter app will open, instead of a webpage.

Improvements to battery life and USB-C

This is what I was hoping to hear at Google I/O 2015. Android M will feature Doze. A new feature that will put your smartphone into a deep sleep – it uses motion detection, and if it senses that your device is inactive for a long time it will trigger the feature. It sacrifices app freshness, as Google likes to call it, for better battery life.

I seriously don’t have one problem with this, and I fully applaud their initiative. While Doze is active, the user can still receive messages, and notifications – alarms also have a priority.

When compared with a Nexus 9 running Lollipop, the Android M device lasted twice as longer – this makes me all giddy!

USB Type-C will be fully supported by Android M.

Google Now on Tap

Google Now will become your personal assistant. It’s going to get a ton of new improvements, and it doesn’t seem to be stopping here.

The new addition to the already present feature will be called Google Now on Tap. It’s really simple. Let’s say that you get a message from a friend asking you if you want to go to the new Mad Max movie. Now on Tap displays a couple of cards once you hold the home button – they will prompt you to the trailer of the movie, information about it, reviews, and so on.

Those cards can let you set up a to-do list if you receive texts about dinner, or laundry. Also, it gives you map routes, restaurants near you, and Yelp listings.

Even better. When tested, in the demo, by asking ” What’s his real name?”, Google Now searched on spotify the artist that was currently playing, and brought up Skrillex’s real name – without needing to specify what’s Skrillex’s real name.

Free online storage for Google Photos app

The cloud war started a couple of days ago, and Google seems to be winning battle after battle. They just announced that the Google Photos app will get a revamp, and it will also feature free unlimited online storage – photos up to 16-megapixels, and videos up to 1080p.

And you know what? It’s available right now for Android, iOS, and the web. You can also better organize your memories by pinpointing them on a timeline, or by certain locations – this is me on the beach, this is me near the beach, this is me taking my fifth selfie on the beach.

Offline Google Maps and Chrome

In an attempt to optimize their apps for poor developing countries, Google now let’s you save maps to use in offline modes, and also webpages through Chrome.

In a strategy to let people who have poor connectivity get their desired information, Google has built a new algorithm that will display fewer images on a webpage, or in a search, for those who lag.

In offline mode, Google Maps will be able to give proper turn-by-turn indications, show reviews, and list information.

Android Wear gets a needed polish

Google has reported that since its Android Wear début more than 4,000 apps have been developed for the smartwatch OS. The library of apps is constantly growing, and it has just received a couple of new needed apps like – Uber, Forsquare and Citymapper amongst others.

Google knows that the smartwatch screen is always-on, and apps should be always-on too. Your chosen apps will be feature on the screen in a white, and black low power usage icons.

When navigating Google Maps, directions will be constantly available on your screen, so you can glance at them easily.

Project Brillo to take care of your home

Project Brillo is Google’s attempt to automatize meaningless tasks like setting your thermostat, locking your doors, or lighting up the room.

It’s going to be available for developers sometimes in Q3 of this year. What we do know is that it’s derived from Android, and it only takes its most basic features – like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, so it can offer low energy usage, but still maintain a weave of communications.

This Weave of communications will let Brillo devices talk to each other.

More info will be announced in Q4 of this year!

Android Pay

Let’s see if the next iteration of Google Wallet will actually work – hopefully, it won’t prove to be a failed next step. Android Pay is Google’s counter to Apple’s Pay, and the company promises that more than 700,000 stores will feature Android Pay – Dunkin’ Donuts, and Chipotle to name just a few.

More so, the feature will come pre-installed if you purchase your device from Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T.

Android Pay will only run on KitKat or higher, so those of you who still have a device that features JellyBean should consider moving up.

HBO Now

We were hoping that Google would announce something about their Android TV, but this would have to do. No more Apple exclusivity, HBO Now is coming to Android – the streaming-only service will let you watch your favourite HBO shows like Game of Thrones, and Game of Thrones, and of course Game of Thrones. Let’s not forget True Detective, but especially Game of Thrones.

Google I/O 2015 Virtual Reality

Yup, Google is going to massively tackle virtual reality now – it’s already a big trend, and every day I hear new companies announcing their plans regarding virtual reality development, whether they are cameras, and lenses, software, and apps, or just simply VR gear!

Google Cardboard gets remodelled!

Last year Google released their Cardboard, and now, the remodelled version will be able to sport six inch devices – it’s also iPhone compatible!

In order to garner fans from the enemy, Google will be releasing its SDK for Android, and iOS – a dedicated app was just launched on Apple’s App store.

Expeditions is Google’s new virtual reality education tool. It will permit teachers, and students to perform trips using the VR Cardboard – teachers will be able to control the experience with a tablet.

VR camera rig for everyone

GoPro just announced at the Re/Code conference that they are planning on building a new spherical camera rig for virtual reality. Now, Google has announced that they are teaming with them in order to build a vr camera rig that will be available for wide usage.

It’s going to be a circular 16-camera rig, that will be like a kick-start to the VR era, and it will offer everyone the possibility of filming VR-compatible video.

For more info regarding today’s schedule check out Google’s I/O 2015 official website.

We’ll be updating this list as soon as more info is announced.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

GoPro is Building a Spherical Camera Rig for Virtual Reality

May 28, 2015 By Michael Turner Leave a Comment

I was beginning to wonder when GoPro would announce to the world that they too are tackling virtual reality – in some way or another.

This doesn’t come as a surprise at all, and it really seems the logical thing to do when you’re known as one of the industry’s best camera manufacturers.

Not only virtual reality, but also drones. These two things are in the company’s sights. The spherical camera rig that they just announced will be built with virtual reality usage in mind, and another model is being built to offer the best view possible when mounted on drones.

GoPro CEO Nick Woodman announced these two thrilling projects at the Code conference during an interview. Just imagine the interviewer’s face – Oh, so, you’re going to revolutionize the industry once again?

I would have had the biggest beaming grin on my face after hearing the news.

We already knew that GoPro was aiming at building a spherical camera, because they announced it last month when they also bought Kolor – a virtual reality company that is known for bundling up footage to offer the supreme VR experience. The hints were there, and as I said before, this comes as no surprise.

Take a look at the footage released last month. Remember that you can rotate the view!

That was just extraordinary. For a man that is really really scared of heights, GoPro is letting me experience something that I couldn’t have done all by myself.

The six-camera spherical array will be available for purchase later this year, and the GoPro Quadcopter will be released sometime in 2016 – there is no official date at this moment. There are rumours that the GoPro done will cost something between $500 and $1000.

I would definitely buy a Quadcopter from GoPro so I could use it to take some fabulous footage, but for $1000 – worst case scenario – I would rather take a trip to Italy, and experience beauty with my own eyes.

What are your plans? Do you have any intention in buying these new toys?

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VR-ready PC for Oculus Rift Will Cost About $1000!

May 28, 2015 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

Oculus Rift will begin to ship sometime in early 2016. This means that you have all the time in the world to upgrade your PC so it can run the VR toy.

Oculus Rift CEO Brendan Iribe has been reported of saying at the Re/code conference that – ” We are looking at an all-in price, if you have to go out and actually need to buy a new computer and you’re going to buy the Rift… at most you should be in that $1,500 range.”

This isn’t bad to be honest.

Previous Oculus Rift development kits have been priced at $350 – we don’t expect it to go any higher than $400; so a $1000 PC rig sounds more than decent.

These are the technical specifications that you need to base your new PC on.

NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD 290 equivalent or greater

Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater

8GB+ RAM

Windows 7 SP1 or newer

2x USB 3.0 ports

HDMI 1.3 video output supporting a 297MHz clock via a direct output architecture

With time, we expect those pieces of hardware to drop their price, and you can bet your hiney that in 2016 you’ll pay less than the $1000 mentioned cost.

Oculus Rift Chieft Architect Atman Binstock has said earlier this month that these specifications will apply for the entirety of the product’s life span, and consumers shouldn’t worry that besides upgrading their VR gear, they should also upgrade their PC. It is unknown at the moment if Oculus Rift owners will have to upgrade their device’s components with time.

It’s all in a mist at this point – nothing is clear. We truly hope that these are the specifications, and that the price is cemented, but who really knows?!

Can Oculus Rift deliver?

What we do know is that Oculus Rift is trying to gain the lead. The company has recently bought a firm that reconstructs 3D scenes in real time – Surreal Vision. It sure comes in handy when big daddy Facebook opens its pockets. Their official blog post reads – ” Great scene reconstruction will enable a new level of presence and telepresence, allowing you to move around the real world and interact with real-world objects from within VR.” Sure Oculus, buy everything you can – just release a proper product.

I’m no that sceptical, and I’m not that optimistic either. When it comes to jumping on the hype-train I rather remain suspicious on where we’re going, and how long the trip will last. At this point, we’re seeing so much news regarding virtual reality. It seems like every big industry behemoth has a virtual reality gear in the makings.

“We’re developing breakthrough techniques to capture, interpret, manage, analyse, and finally reproject in real-time a model of reality back to the user in a way that feels real, creating a new, mixed reality that brings together the virtual and real worlds.” it concludes the blog post.

And I proclaim myself the king of Sweden. Big expectations Oculus Rift, really big expectations.

Can the Facebook-owned VR company deliver? Or we’re being grotesquely lied to?

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Ubisoft is Going to Tackle Virtual Reality

May 15, 2015 By Kenneth Scott Leave a Comment

One of the gaming industry’s behemoths, Ubisoft is going to tackle Virtual Reality – but how?

They aren’t planning on releasing a Virtual Reality headset. There are too many headsets planned to be released in 2015, and 2016. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against having a vast array of headsets to choose from, but I don’t want the market to be over-saturated with them. More products will mean a tougher competition, and in the end the user is the one to profit, but at the moment, we also need to support the developers that are taking a hit, financially, because they don’t really know if their products will sell enough to comp the money that was put into their production.

In time, I’ll be more than happy to see 20 headsets just ready to be bought – but I don’t want the trend of exclusive games, and apps to be on the rise. I don’t want to have to buy 5 different headsets just because apps aren’t universal.

They are planning on releasing VR-compatible video-games.

Now let’s get back to Ubisoft and their big announcement. Yves Guillemot, CEO of Ubisoft, during a conference call with analysts revealed that – ” We believe a lot in virtual reality because we see that it is really giving a chance for gamers to be more immersed in worlds, and we are developing a certain number of games that are going to take advantage of this new possibility.”

Yves Guillemot has also noted that the company is working with different VR creators in order to take advantage of all the opportunities that the marketplace has to offer. Attempting at the same time to ensure that gamers will not suffer from the negative side-effects that come with using VR headsets too much – as you might know by now, a high percentage of users have reported that they get motion sickness, feel nauseous, and get headaches during, and after using VR gear.

Now we just have to wait, and hope that the big guys know what they are doing.

Microsoft and Valve haven’t announced a release date for their Virtual Reality headsets, but we do know that Sony’s Morpheus is going to be available in the first half of 2016, and Facebook-owned Oculus Rift has its consumer launch set for the first quarter of 2016.

Only time will tell if the new technology will be a huge part of our lives, or if it will flop hard.

If they don’t fix the negative side-effects soon then nobody is going to buy them – or at least, it won’t be financially plausible.

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Steam Punk Augmented Reality Shooter From Magic Leap

May 5, 2015 By Deborah Campbell Leave a Comment

Google-backed Magic Leap is making the internet go crazy with their latest YouTube trailer titled – Just another day in the office at Magic Leap. Their augmented reality steam punk shooter is fresh, and crisp, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves and fall in the band wagon just yet. It’s not the first time we were promised a superb AR, or VR game only to be left outside in the rain – the only place where nobody can see you cry.

“This is a game we’re playing around the office right now (no robots were harmed in the making of this video),” said Magic Leap PR head Andy Fouché.

CEO Rony Abovitz was supposed to appear at a TED talk to speak about the game two months ago, but they pulled out unexpectedly – the reasons are still unknown to why the event was cancelled.

The video game bears Dr. Grordbort’s emblem – it’s a line of steam punk guns, comic books. It was created by an artist at the Weta Workshop, who is known to be a long-time partner of Magic Leap.

The whole game is basically a first person shooter where the player can use real steam punk weapons to fend off a swarm of crazy bloodthirsty robots that possibly want to enslave humanity. YOU are the only one standing in their way.

Pretty cool mechanics if you ask me – turning decorative guns into virtual weapons, and the virtual enemies are projected in into your physical space. Although this mean that you must buy the said decorative weapons from the Weta Workshop, and you’ll need a pretty big space for you to play in.

The prototype has been kept under a tight sealed lid, and nobody actually knows anything about its technological capabilities. What we know is that Google, Qualcomm, Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins have invested $540 million.

At first glance, you can say that Magic Leap is trying to build Google Glass on steroids, but we all know how Google’s product resulted – a mediocre device that didn’t fulfil even the tinniest of promises.

A similar product is Microsoft’s HoloLens, and we’ve seen it in action at Microsoft Build 2015 – also, check out our article regarding the top announcements made at Microsoft Build 2015.

Here’s the YouTube trailer that involves having way too much fun at the office.

Besides just having mindless fun, you can see that Magic Leap’s gear can interact with Gmail and YouTube, and you can plaster the apps anywhere. Probably even make them follow you around.

Image Source: 1, 2, 3

Haptic Glove Adds Touch to Virtual Reality Headsets

April 29, 2015 By Cristopher Hall Leave a Comment

Every week we hear more and more awesome news regarding virtual reality headsets. This time, I’m going to tell you about the new haptic glove that adds touch to virtual reality headsets!

Researchers at RICE University have created a new sort of glove, a haptic glove, that uses air to inflate bladders located underneath your fingers to offer a more realistic experience – imagine that you can grab a weapon, let’s say a sword, and wield it in a virtual reality game!

“What we’ve made is a glove that uses air to inflate bladders underneath your fingers, so you can hook this up to a video game and when you reach out and grab a virtual object, it feels like you’re actually grabbing that object,” said mechanical engineering student Thor Walker.

The glove wears about 350 grams – it’s more than enough for users to not feel it bothering them.

” We had our own constraints based on testing to determine the amount of perceptible weight that could be strapped to your fingers, arms, legs and limbs — the maximum weight that is perceptible to users — and we came up with 660 grams on the forearm and much less than that on the back of the hand or on the fingers.”, mechanical engineering student Koch Kevin has stated.

The glove is only right-handed at the moment, and being wireless it was designed specifically to be unobtrusive – it’s going to make you forget you’re even wearing a glove.

It’s a good thing that other companies are jumping on the band wagon. Oculus, HTC, Valve, Samsung and Sony are prioritizing on their headsets – offering a one of a kind audio, and visual, experience is their main goal. We’ll most likely see more gear popping up from other developers in the near future.

Virtuix, the company behind the VR treadmill, is sponsoring the whole project with the intent of making it available for commercial use, and not just a prototype discarded on a shelf somewhere at an University.

Virtuix and the haptic glove’s developers have an agreement on not sharing how it was built, and only to offer software support for those who want to create apps, and games to use with the new touch glove.

It’s gotten a cool name too – Hands On Omni Glove. Take a glimpse at the video down below, and see for yourself the magic RICE University students have unleashed upon the world.

Image Source: 1, 2

Gear VR headset made by Samsung to hit stores today

March 27, 2015 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

Best Buy is the first retailer to put Samsung’s Gear VR on shelves starting today – in over 100 stores all around the country. It was available to purchase for a short time earlier this year also, at the price of 199,99$ – we expect the price to remain the same. The official name for the virtual headset is Gear VR Innovator Edition – a model designed specifically for developers, but that doesn’t mean a home user can’t try it out.

If you’re planning on buying one of these bad boys you’ll need to have the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. The phablet works as the VR’s eyes and ears – think about it as the screen and processor that helps the VR function properly. The Gear VR was developed using the same software as the Facebook owned Oculus Rift.

Some users have stated that they made the VR headset also work by pairing it with Note Edge, but Samsung doesn’t recommend any tinkering to its hardware, nor software – they do not offer support for any smartphone, or tablet, except the Galaxy Note 4.

Samsung has hinted that the Gear VR Innovator will be also available to Samsung S6, and S6 Edge users – at this moment the company is performing extensive tests regarding the compatibility of the software.

In a strategy to somehow take the spotlight from Oculus Rift, and engulf all of their fan-base, Best Buy will set up demo stations in over 100 stores so potential customers can give it a try before deciding whether or not to buy it.

Virtual Reality headsets can immerse you in a 360° video environment allowing you to explore new alien worlds, sing along on-stage with your favourite performer, watch movies like you are a part of them, and experience a video-game from a complete new perspective.

There are also some warnings regarding the usage of Virtual Reality headsets – some users have reported feeling nauseous, and entering a state of dizziness for a couple of minutes, while wearing the Gear VR Innovator, or other VR devices. Not all owners have reported such problems, and it seems to be random – depending on person to person. Rumours have it that adding a virtual nose, so its users sees it constantly, will alleviate these issues by adding a balance compass.

Is this a trend that will eventually pass? Or are we witnessing the revolution of home entertainment?

Image Source: 1

Newest Virtual Reality Gadgets at the Beginning of 2015

March 24, 2015 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

If you are looking for an experience as close as possible to the real world, then a Virtual Reality gadget is the only thing you need. None if the activities that you are seeing or hearing are really happening while you are wearing a virtual-reality device, but you could swear that you are already there.

In such scenarios, you are affected by these immersive destinations and all of them are unveiling right in front of you. To the outside viewers, you are only a person with a technological system who sees the world through it.

1. Google Cardboard

The more down-to-earth device based on VR experiences that we encounter is Google Cardboard. It is, simply put, a virtual-reality headset designed for anyone of us. And it allows everyone else to have fun while being lost in their own world for just a little while, but without spending a lot of cash.

Google Cardboard is designed for use in brief sessions, so it does not have attaching straps to keep it on for a longer interval. Its viewing experience is also shown on your smart phone’s display. Different sounds come from the main sound system designed into the phone and it is functioning with the Android operating program and devices based on it, such as Android version 4.1 (Jellybean) and newer, and software especially designed for Google Cardboard.

The iOS from Apple is also working, but it is not fully supported, so activities might vary for different users. In addition, there are more then 250 applications for Cardboard available in the Google Play store, in contrast to a much wider variety of iOS programs listed in App Store especially for VR devices.

Rather than being designed from high-end components and materials, Google Cardboard carcass is made from darkish and corrugated pieces of cardboard and a few elements that can be bought in any shop. The DIY users can follow online tutorials for making one of their own. Complete offers, with a set of recommendations printed right onto the carcass, can be found in the specialized stores on the Internet.

Google specialists designed this device during their freethinking time — the time when the company encourages its employees to spend it for creative projects that present an interest to them.

In the place where the smart phone is used to perform as a VR viewer, Google Cardboard has its near field communication (NFC). When the telephone with NFC is inserted in the slot, the tag is able to recognize it. A distinct sound beeps in the Cardboard application that is used, and the software immediately switches on viewer mode, displaying two images on the stereoscopic landscape’s viewpoint. The phone is kept in its place with a Velcro band that is attached to the VR device.

2. Gear VR

Gear Virtual Reality, or Gear VR, has a large fan base in gamers or techies who are willing to pay for the latest gadgets, since they analyze every detail about devices like Galaxy S6 or Facebook’s Oculus Rift. VR technologies like these are advanced, for the passionate ones and might cost up to a couple of hundred dollars — but starting at reasonable prices without the extra elements —, while headsets from other top companies are still in a developing stage.

Gear VR is a gadget used in the tests presented in tech conferences and it is incredibly fun during its use. You can experience exclusive trips like walking through places in different locations at your choice and doing fun stuff live driving sports cars and traveling in entire unknown places.

The resolution and perception problems found in the previous versions of Samsung’s VR devices are reduced in the latest edition of Gear VR. While, at a brief glance, this new version does not seem to be very different from the others compatible with Galaxy Note 4, after the device is attached to its owner, the experience is indeed much improved.

To begin with, the whole device is significantly lighter, due to the aspect that Galaxy S6 is weighing less than Galaxy Note 4. The ties are more relaxed but still fit firmly, and there is a release on the left part of the headsets that decreases lens’ clouding. Overall, the company has really achieved the sensation of complete comfort for the person wearing it.

The other main problems resolved by VR Gear and Facebook’s Oculus is improving the display’s quality, which is a serious problem for all creators of VR devices, since there is needed a larger resolution for today’s gadgets, and even more in the future. But, for now, the 1440p in Gear VR looks really excellent.

Galaxy S6 has 5.1” screen that is smaller than its 5.7” predecessor inserted into the Galaxy Note 4, but this improvement indicates the pixels’ density is clearly greater — a 577 ppi in comparison to only 515. It might not seem like a lot, however it makes quite a difference when it is used in real life.

3. Morpheus

Last but not least, Sony reveals a prototype for a new VR headset, called Morpheus, that will be launched in 2016, this being model of the ear phones that will bring significant developments as opposed to previous models that have been released last year.

This version model has an improved display RGD OLED of 1920 x 1080 with a refresh rate of 120Hz for very low latencies and more ergonomic appearance for a simpler and relaxed use.

The gadget will be functioning with the PlayStation 4 console. The company is normally looking for creating a VR game that can be compatible with their Project Morpheus and they already have a VR movie studio room.

As a little drawback shown for this prototype is that things can bring light headaches sometimes when they are used, and redirecting in some programs can be a bit tricky without some experience.

Plus, the VR software might be consuming for the owner due to its massive technological advancements.

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

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