HTC Vive review
The Oculus Rift may have brought virtual reality into the public eye, but HTC’s Vive, built in partnership with Valve, does it better. Does the Vive still represent the true future of virtual reality, or are there better competitors on the market?
3D Facebook photos jump out of the newsfeed, no glasses needed
You're not seeing things -- that photo in your Facebook newsfeed is 3D. Launching today, 3D Facebook Photos use the depth maps from dual-lens smartphones to add dimension to an image as you move your phone. The effect is an image that pops as you scroll, without any specialty gear (unless you want to use your Oculus).
No longer a gaming novelty, VR gets acceptance letter from Arizona State
Students at Arizona State University are getting an unexpected added extra for their tuition money this semester: A virtual reality headset for their course. Here's why -- and how -- one of the United States' most innovative universities is choosing to embrace the world of VR.
Oculus Quest and Oculus Rift 2: Everything you need to know
The once named Oculus Project Santa Cruz is now officially available as the Oculus Quest. It is designed to offer PC quality VR without the need for a PC, but is it a true Rift successor, or something more akin to the Oculus Go? Really, it's somewhere in between. Here's everything you need to know about the Oculus Quest.
The Facebook Red Manifold shows what 360 content from 16 8K lenses looks like
Hollywood videos are about to get the same movement possible in virtual reality video games. The Facebook Red Manifold is a 6DoF camera that uses 16 8K sensors from Red to capture 3D video with enough data to move in. So what's 6DoF cinema look like? Here's the first video from the Manifold.
The $400 Oculus Quest brings more power to untethered VR gaming
Oculus announced its latest stand-alone virtual reality headset offering, the Oculus Quest, at its Connect 5 keynote. Aimed at bridging the gap between the Oculus Go and Oculus Rift, the new Quest headset is intended to deliver a more immersive VR experience without the need for a powerful PC.
Flying could feel more like going to the movies with VR headsets and headphones
How do you make air travel feel like not flying at all? Put a screen on your face and noise-canceling headphones in your ears. Alaska Airlines is now testing virtual reality headsets for in-flight entertainment. The airline isn't making promises for a big rollout, but is trying the gear out this week.
Tap Strap wearable keyboard gains support for VR applications
TAP System's wearable Bluetooth keyboard and mouse system gains support for virtual reality, now compatible with Windows Mixed Reality, Oculus Rift, and HTV headsets. Type and tap for up to eight hours in VR, sitting or standing, without needing to look at a physical keyboard to accomplish your tasks.
Facebook appears set on crafting custom silicon for augmented reality devices
Facebook is recruiting -- and it's seeking to hire engineers and designers to assist its Silicon team with the process of crafting custom chips for augmented reality (AR) devices and applications. This development seems to support speculation that the company is looking to produce AR glasses.
Firefox Reality wants to bring the ‘whimsical web’ to VR
Mozilla launched a VR-powered web browser today called Firefox Reality. But just what does browsing the web in VR feel like? And more importantly, why would you want to surf the web with a VR headset attached to your face? We went hands-on with this new browser to see how Mozilla imagines the future of VR content.
Oculus Rift review
Oculus inspired a new generation of virtual reality headsets with its incredibly successful Kickstarter. Now that the Rift has been available for a while, is it still the standard, or have successors like the HTC Vive Pro surpassed it? Let's take a look at how the Rift stacks up to its recent competition.
This cockpit-style simulator will make your VR experiences more immersive
Are you a VR fan, who wishes the whole virtual reality experience could be made even more immersive? Do you want a cockpit-style gaming chair that looks like something a Star Trek captain would sit in? If so, this new '3 Degree of Freedom Motion Simulator' may be for you.
‘Star Wars: Jedi Challenges’ review
Disney has partnered up with Lenovo for the Mirage Augmented Reality headset, which lets you play a new game called ‘Star Wars: Jedi Challenges.’ The Dark Side Expansion pack lets you become Kylo Ren and fight characters like Yoda and Rey, and there's a new lightsaber you can nab as well.
Lensless cameras could turn windows into sensors, even pointed the ‘wrong’ way
A research group at the University of Utah is rethinking cameras for machines and not humans. The result? A lensless camera pointed at the edge of a piece of glass, instead of looking through the glass. While there are limitations, the team suggests future use in self-driving cars, security systems, and VR goggles.
Google is making it easier for students to run lab tests in virtual reality
Google and Labster have announced a partnership to bring more than 30 virtual science labs to Google Daydream, allowing students and others interested in science to spend time in a lab or out in the field without having to find and book a lab in real life.
Oculus ‘Santa Cruz’ VR headset may arrive in the first quarter of 2019
Oculus may formally introduce a mid-tier VR headset during the Oculus Connect 5 conference on September 26th and 27th. This is an assumption based on a response regarding the “Santa Cruz” headset that sources now claim will arrive in the first quarter of 2019. Oculus wouldn’t comment on the rumor.
HTC’s new wireless adapter for the Vive arrives in September for $300
Sick of tripping over the HTC Vive’s cord when moving blindly across physical space? HTC’s new wireless adapter is here to help. The good news is that you can eliminate that long tripwire and feel secure that you’ll remain on your two feet. The bad news is that it will cost an additional $300.
Insta360 Pro 2 shoots stabilized 8K VR video that you can watch on 4K headsets
The new Insta360 Pro 2 is the first pro-grade 360 camera to integrate stabilization -- but it also packs in a host of other features, including algorithms that allow its 8K videos to be viewed from 4K headsets and smartphones. The camera can also be controlled wirelessly from up to 1,000 feet away.
VR experience shows caregivers what it’s like to live with Alzheimer’s disease
Los Angeles-based Embodied Labs has developed a VR experience that puts users in the shoes of a person with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia in the U.S. It follows Beatriz, a fictitious math teacher in her 60s, who is experiencing the effects of Alzheimer’s.
Pricing and lack of content are still barriers against the adoption of VR
A recent survey questioned 595 VR and AR professionals about their business growth in the consumer and enterprise markets. It shows that 24 percent of the respondents report strong sales in the enterprise market while only 18 percent show strong sales in the consumer market.
Google enables virtual tour creation via Street View or a smartphone
Google wants anyone to be able to create a virtual tour -- Google Tour Creator is an online program for creating virtual tours with multiple scenes. Anyone can use the program, using new images (like images from the Ricoh Theta V), Street View photos or, now, images shot in the Cardboard Camera app.
Facebook Messenger now includes AR games you can play with your friends
If sending messages wasn't already enough with Facebook Messenger, users can now challenge friends to multiplayer augmented reality games in video chat. With the new feature, currently rolling out, you can play with up to six people at a time from anywhere in the world.
IrisVision uses VR to help people with fading eyesight to see again
A company called IrisVision has created a smartphone-based VR system that can help people with severe macular degeneration to see better. While it doesn’t actually cure blindness, it does enable users with this vision disorder to carry out tasks they would otherwise find impossible.
The Google Daydream View, one of the best VR headsets, is now on sale for $30
If you own a compatible smartphone, then the Google Daydream View is one of the best virtual reality headsets that money can buy. If you've been looking to dip your toes into the world of VR, you're in luck: Verizon has slashed the price of the headset down to just $30.
Google Home too boring? You want Gatebox’s cute virtual character in your life
Do you want to share your life with a virtual character? If so, then your dream is closer to reality due to the impending release of Gatebox. Like Alexa, it will control your smart home; but the character that lives inside the Gatebox has the ability to recognize, interact, and even celebrate with you.
Magic Leap’s augmented reality interface floats wherever you want it
The user interface for Magic Leap's augmented reality operating system will be heavily customizable and come in two specific guises: 2D and 3D. Each will let you choose how they're displayed, but where one will float, the other will conform to the environment around it, allowing for much more intuitive interaction.
Adobe’s next big software secret? An augmented reality tool called Project Aero
Itching to create an augmented reality object? Adobe will soon have software to help. Adobe recently teased Project Aero, an upcoming software that helps design AR objects, including support for Apple's ARKit. The teaser comes with an art exhibit focused on immersive content in San Francisco.
Reality shines into your ‘Minecraft’ escape via Windows Mixed Reality Flashlight
What’s great about VR is that you can get the full building experience in Minecraft given the blocky world consumes your entire view. The drawback is that you don’t have visual access to the real world without lifting the headset or completely removing the device altogether. Microsoft has a fix.
‘Hellblade’ comes to VR, free for those who own the game on Steam
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is already an incredibly immersive game, and it will become even more so when it comes to HTC Vive and Oculus Rift July 31. The VR version will be free for those who own the game on Steam, and you'll be able to play the complete Hellblade experience in virtual reality.
Samsung’s moon-hopping VR experience in NYC is like space camp for adults
In New York City? For the next year, Samsung will let you simulate walking on the moon, thanks to the Gear VR, Galaxy S9 Plus, and a complicated harness system that was developed in partnership with NASA. It's all to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing in 2019.
World’s first VR-augmented waterslide is totally unnecessary, but also amazing
An amusement park in Germany unveiled the world's first waterslide that requires riders to wear a virtual reality headset. The results sound unusual, but also kind of awesome at the same time. Here's what went into making this particular waterlogged VR dream a reality.
Your next virtual reality headset will require just one USB-C cable to connect
VirtualLink wants to simplify the virtual reality experience by replacing all the cables -- USB, HDMI, and power -- needed to connect a VR headset to a PC today with a single USB-C cable. This will help reduce friction in VR adoption and could speed up setup times for those looking to get started with a new headset.
New VR horror game gets scarier if your heart rate isn’t fast enough
In new VR game Bring to Light, players have the option of strapping on a heart rate monitor to help personalize the game’s fear factor. Get too comfortable with the experience, and the game’s A.I. will know to ramp up the terror. Because who wants a relaxing game experience, right?
Nintendo Virtual Boy emulator lets you enjoy VR like it’s 1995 again
Compared with today's VR headsets, Nintendo’s ill-fated, red-tinted head-mounted Virtual Boy display now looks massively dated. However, thanks to modern Oculus Rift headsets, you can now relive it -- courtesy of an emulator that makes you believe it's 1995 all over again.
AT&T to sell the Magic Leap One Creator Edition AR headset in U.S. this summer
AT&T said it signed a deal to be the exclusive wireless distributor of Magic Leap’s products in the United States. First up to bat will be the Magic Leap One Creator Edition headset that will be sold in select stores in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco this summer.
Nvidia’s GTX 11 Series may get people ready for the next generation of VR
Unnamed sources claim that Nvidia’s upcoming GeForce GTX 1180 add-in graphics card for desktops will likely include a proprietary connector for virtual reality headsets to support 120Hz refresh rates over a single cable. This port will likely be based on the current HDMI 2.1 specification.
‘The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’ boss Ganondorf is even scarier in VR
A YouTube user and Unreal Engine 4 VR developer has managed to create the entire Zelda: Ocarina of Time Ganondorf fight in virtual reality, and the results have us hoping for a full VR remake. The same user also created the final Ganon fight in virtual reality, and it's just as impressive.
Try before you travel — Kayak launches virtual reality exploration tool
Not so sure exactly what destination to head to next? Kayak VR is a new Google Daydream app designed to help travelers scope out a new destination ahead of time and pre-plan trips. The app includes travel tips and an audio tour along with a 360 view of hotspots at the destination.