Last Year at the World Wide Developer’s Conference 2017, Apple talked a lot about the Augmented Reality. The following iPhone X launch had a 15-minute segment of an Apple employee demonstrating the AR capabilities of the new iPhones with the A11 Bionic chipset. It is a known fact that Apple has invested a lot in AR/VR and by 2020, the company could launch a game-changing device. A report has claimed that Apple is working on a standalone AR/VR headset with a whopping 8K display for each eye.
The report comes from CNET and cites a single source “familiar with the matter.” The report also mentions that internally, the project is being referred as ‘T288’. This headset will apparently come with technology that so far does not exist. It will have two 8K displays, one for each eye, which brings the total to a jaw-dropping 16K resolution. For context, even the best in class VR headsets right now barely reach 4K resolution per eye. The HTC Vive Pro, for example, has a resolution of 1400 x 1600 per eye.
HTC Vive Pro
The headset will also have cameras on the outside that will detect its surroundings. The report further claims that the VR headset will connect wirelessly to a dedicated ‘box’ using a high-speed short-range wireless technology called 60GHz WiGig. the source said that the box will be powered by a 5-nanometer proprietary Apple processor that will be ‘more powerful than anything currently available’ in the market.
Apple VR Patent
One of the main issues of the current VR market is that it has too many wires. By the looks of it, Apple could potentially solve that issue with this T288 headset. It is obviously too early to call it but, if the report turns out to be true, expect an eye-watering price for the behemoth of an AR headset.
Xiaomi at an event in its home country launched the new Mi VR Play headset. The Headset which is available to beta testers for just RMB 1 (US$0.15) already has millions pre-registered for it. So if you want one now, you have a long wait ahead.
The Mi VR Play is different because it is made out of Lycra as opposed to traditional plastics, this synthetic and starchy compound is used in clothing to give them more durability and comfort.
It supports 4.7- to 5.7-inch phones and they are held down not by clamps but by zipper. Yes, Zippers! The dual openings on the front allow for slight positioning adjustments and ventilation.You will also get the newly renamed Mi VR app which has content from a bunch of local providers and Conde Nast Traveller.
No Doubt it is a good looking VR headset and it comes in a bunch of colours and designs. But When can one actually buy it without waiting in line. And whatever happened to the Mi TV?
Virtual Reality is the next big thing to happen to technology and every big name out there is getting into the game. Samsung, Apple, Google and many more are all working on VR technology as we speak. When it comes to virtual reality, Oculus is the name that first comes to mind. While the Oculus Rift is one of the more premium VR headsets out there, there is also the Oculus-powered Samsung Gear VR for the general masses that stands as a stepping stone into the realm of virtual reality. Here’s everything you need to know about the Samsung Gear VR.
Design, Features, and Compatibility
Samsung launched the Gear VR headset in India last month at a price of Rs 8,200. The headset is currently being offered for free on pre-orders for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The headset features a large touchpad for control. It weighs about 318 grams and measures 201.9×116.4×92.6mm. The Gear VR comes with an impressive field of view of 96 degrees and houses back, volume, and focus adjustment wheel button for controls.
The Gear VR also packs sensors such as gyro, accelerometer, and proximity, and the device will support Micro-USB charging. The Gear VR comes with soft, flexible cushioning material, and also features adjustable straps for ease use of use.The Gear VR Headset will also support 360-degree videos.
The Gear VR Headset features a wide interface, ergonomic design, and a large touchpad. Gear VR promises convenient and accurate control to enjoy games and videos. At the launch, the company stressed that Gear VR Headset works seamlessly with high-end Galaxy smartphones including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and the new Galaxy S7 series.
Applications
The Gear VR got a major media boost few months ago with Netflix, Hulu and Twitch among the few new services made available for the headset. The Netflix app, for example, creates a virtual living room for the viewer to watch in. The virtual television in front of you will have the Netflix UI on the screen. You simply look to move the cursor and tap the touchpad on the side of the Gear VR to make your selection. And since Netflix is now in India, streaming movies never sounded this good!
The Netflix Experience
As the Gear VR is still a work in progress, applications and uses are still limited. As of February 2016, here are 185 Apps available for the Gear VR on the Oculus Store. Apart from media entertainment, the Gear VR also offers an entirely new gaming experience. After all, virtual reality is all about immersing the user completely in a virtual world for a 360-degree experience.
Notable games include Herobound: First Steps, Ikarus, Dreadhalls, Esper and Proton Pulse. “The new games include “Social Trivia” and “Herobound: Gladiators,” Oculus says. Social Trivia pits you against friends or strangers in a battle of knowledge while Herobound: Gladiators lets you band together in groups of four to battle goblins and demons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4vhtpa8JRA
Furthermore, Oculus is ready to get Gear VR owners a lot more social. Starting today, Gear VR owners will get to set up their own social profiles and connect with other Gear VR friends by searching their Oculus username or real name. You will then be able to kick back and watch movies together and engage with each other in social games.
You also may be aware that Facebook started 360-degree videos a while ago that lets users navigate the video for a complete 360-degree view. With the Samsung Gear VR, you’ll now be able to connect your Facebook account to “Like” and share 360-degree videos from inside it. From next week, Oculus will let users sign into Facebook and get a personalised news feed based on people and pages they follow.
With this, Facebook-owned Oculus is taking the first big step in bringing virtual reality and social media together.
Is There a Downside?
Perhaps the few main problems about a VR headset is that it can make you look silly, which is why users usually prefer to wear it in the confines of their homes, away from the eyes of passersby. VR headsets tend to cause headaches or nausea if worn for too long. But the Gear VR, being on the lighter side, hasn’t caused these symptoms as much as the heavier Oculus Rift has.
Nevertheless, the Gear VR is a great new product from Samsung that promises a good virtual reality experience at an affordable cost.
Samsung is looking to expand its consumer base and is looking to make the Gear VR not just a device for niche audience. It may take a while before people take to the virtual reality experience, but the future of media and gaming technology looks pretty clear. So, for those who want to experience the next season of Daredevil (which begins March 18) in virtual reality can get their hands on the Gear VR today.
Oculus founder Palmer Luckey has voiced his opinion about Apple’s Macs and has clearly stated that the computers just aren’t powerful enough to support the Rift VR headset.
“That is up to Apple and if they ever release a good computer we will do it,” Luckey tells ShackNews when asked about Mac support. “It just boils down to the fact that Apple doesn’t prioritize high-end GPUs. You can buy a $6,000 Mac Pro with the top of the line AMD FirePro D700, and it still doesn’t match our recommended spec.”
Apple’s high-end MacBook Pro laptops come with pretty mighty specifications including dual-discrete GPUs. However, the Macs are primarily designed for professional applications and are not as equally proficient when it comes to gaming. The Oculus Rift, on the other hand, requires intense graphic processors that are gaming focused such as the Nvidia GTX 970.
“If they prioritize higher-end GPUs like they used to for a while back in the day, we’d love to support Mac,” Luckey continued. “But right now, there’s just not a single machine out there that supports it. So even if we can support it on the software side, there’s just no audience of people that can run the vast majority of software out there.”
Despite Luckey’s obvious criticism towards Apple, the Oculus founder also highlights that Apple has been focusing a lot on its professional applications, potentially losing a gaming-centric base that would choose laptops that are superior in graphics processors.
Moreover. Apple has already expressed keen interest in virtual reality and has hired a number of expert for its VR department. If Apple does want to get into the VR game, and indeed it is a technology that is quickly becoming mainstream, then it will have to make some serious changes to its future Macs in the hardware department.
It was reported earlier that Google is working on a virtual reality headset quite similar to Samsung’s Gear VR. While speculators busy themselves pitting the two head-sets against each other, another development has occurred on the Google VR-front. If sources are to be believed, Google is expected to come out with a VR headset that would not require tethering to a computer or a smartphone. Being independent of these devices will definitely give the VR-headset an edge over its Samsung, HTC and Oculus counterparts.
The headset would be launched alongside the other Google VR headset expected to be in the same league as Gear VR, and therefore, providing strong competition to the Samsung device. It is also expected to arrive alongside a new version of Android which would make virtual reality the core of the operating system.
Virtual Reality seems to be the next big thing in the tech world, already making a stable base for itself in the mainstream. Needless to say, this update from Google is bound to get users excited all over. However, the arrival date of this Google device is a little unclear at this point. We can hopefully expect to see it sometime later this year.
Forget VR headsets that simulate concussions or augmented reality that alters the world around you. Here’s a concept of lenses from the future that could work as electronic displays, along with tracking the vital stats of the body. A team of researchers at University of South Australia have come up with a concept of a conductive polymer film coating that is capable of achieving this with future contact lenses.
If the concept is realised into reality, it would be an immensely huge leap for virtual reality. As users do away with cumbersome VR headsets, this piece of futuristic technology would change lifestyles in an unprecedented way.
The idea behind the research is to use water-compatible conductors on contact lenses which would render them capable of measuring glucose levels or creating electronic displays.
Is it time for good-bye already?
Professor Drew Evans describes comments on their research and says, “The trick is to provide power to the contact lens display. We are excited by advances from other researchers showing you can use tear drops to power special batteries. There is a possibility to modify this for use with our conductive coatings.” He further added that the inspiration behind the research came from wearables and their increasing presence in the contemporary world.
Many people who require contact lenses for eye-sight correction, shy away from opting for them because the idea of making the eye under-go any kind of external physical contact is not a welcomed one. But if the future truly offers us electronic displays that could be attached to the eye-ball would you say yay or nay? Let us know in the comments below.
Everyone is moving towards virtual reality. Indeed VR is the next phase for technology and the biggest names in the tech industry have already begun working towards it. We have already seen Samsung come out with its Gear VR, Google with its Cardboard, HTC with its Vive, Oculus with its Rift, and now Apple wants to join in too.
Over the past few months we have been seeing Apple’s growing interest in VR technology. The Cupertino-based giant has made some big acquisitions to boost its VR development. While a proper VR headset is still far away, Apple has released VR binoculars to fill the gap for now.
The View-Master VR binoculars from Apple has made a quite appearance in the App Store for a price of $29.95. The binoculars work a lot like the Gear VR and Google Cardboard. It needs a smartphone – in this case the iPhone – in order to create a virtual environment for the wearer.
The View-Master is not a hands-free device. It requires the user to hold the device up to their eyes just like the old school View-Masters. Like the Google Cardboard, the View-Master lets consumers get a taste of the virtual space. A sort of baby step to know whether consumers are ready for the major VR headsets like the Oculus Rift.
This is just an easy, affordable offering from Apple, which is planning in all likeliness to come out with its own Rift-like VR headset in the near future.
it looks like Apple is joining the bandwagon of companies that are focusing on virtual reality technology. This is suggested by the fact that the Cupertino giant recently hired a man by the name Doug Bowman, the Director of the Center for Human-Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech.
Bowman joins the list of recently hired virtual and augmented reality experts, following Apple’s acquisition of Faceshift, Metaio, and Emotient. Apple is trying to learn as much as it can about the world of virtual reality, seeing that its major competitors like Samsung and Microsoft have already made their mark in that realm.
It not clear in any way as to Apple’s plans regarding VR. Bowman’s experience with creating 3D interfaces could be deployed in AR car control systems, which could be incorporated in Apple’s autonomous car (which in itself is a mystery right now). The other speculation is towards a Samsung’s Gear VR-like headset only using iPhones instead. We’ll just have to wait and see what Apple has in mind on that front. One thing is clear, virtual reality is here to stay.
The Samsung Gear VR Headset, alongside the Gear S2, and Gear S2 Classic Smartwatch launches for a price of Rs 8,200 today to eager Indian customers. The product will be available through the company’s retail stores, as well as through Flipkart.
The focus on virtual reality is growing with every passing day. As more and more important names from the tech industry are coming forward with their products, Samsung too has decided to jump into the fray with its new VR offering for its millions of fans around the globe.
The Gear VR Headset features a wide interface, ergonomic design and a large touchpad. Gear VR promises convenient and accurate control to enjoy games and videos. At the launch the company stressed that Gear VR Headset works seamlessly with Galaxy smartphones. As of now, the Gear VR supports the latest high-end Galaxy smartphones including the Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 Edge. Samsung also added the recently unveiled Galaxy Note 5 Dual SIM to the compatible devices list.
Samsung stresses that the new Samsung Gear VR Headset is 19 percent lighter compared to the previous model. The new VR Headset features a large touchpad for control. It will weigh 318 grams and measures 201.9×116.4×92.6mm. The Gear VR comes with an impressive field of view of 96 degrees. It also houses back, volume, and focus adjustment wheel button for controls.
Samsung’s new offering packs sensors such as gyro, accelerometer, and proximity, and the device will support Micro-USB charging. The Gear VR comes with soft, flexible cushioning material, and also features adjustable straps for ease use of use.The Gear VR Headset will also support 360-degree videos.
Announcing the product Manu Sharma, Director, Marketing said, “Gear VR presents the unique opportunity for consumers to get an immersive virtual reality experience. Samsung will be at the forefront of this exciting revolution to create further ‘wow’ moments in our consumer lives.”
HTC has announced the date for pre-order of HTC Vive as 29th February. The company will start shipping the VR-headsets starting April. Pricing and other details of the gadget will be revealed close to the pre-order date.
The HTC Vive was showcased and unveiled at CES 2016. The launch of the consumer version of the VR-headset was delayed due to what chief executive Cher Wang described as a “very, very big technological breakthrough”. This breakthrough was later revealed to be an all new front camera.
The camera allows the wearer to see the physical room around them, which helps to avoid collisions. The wearable also features room-scale technology. You can also read our heads on with the developer edition of the HTC Vive.
One of the main questions surrounding the HTC Vive was always its affordability. Following Occulus’ price tag of $599 (about Rs. 40,000), we can expect the Vive to be priced around somewhere close to this at $600 or slightly higher, if not less.
CES, short of Consumer Electronics Show, is the place where new and shiny gadgets are revealed that sets the tone for the technology that year. CES 2016 will be no different. The event will take place at in Las Vegas from Wednesday, January 6 to Saturday, January 9, 2016. Here are some of the many technologies that will be unveiled at the four-day conference.
Samsung
Samsung is likely to draw a lot of attention at CES 2016. Or perhaps that may have been the case when it was expected that the company would launch its next flagship Galaxy S7 devices at the event. However, this rumour has been almost completely denied. Samsung’s invitation puts highlight TVs and home appliances as their main showcases.
But this doesn’t rule out a phone launch by the company. It may not be the Galaxy S7, but Samsung has many other handsets in its pockets that are just waiting to come out. It is likely that the Korean-based company will reveal some mid-range devices – possibly the Galaxy A4 and A7 smartphones, or perhaps the new Galaxy Tab Pro and Note Pro tablets. On the TV front, you can expect some 4K and 8K products in the offing.
Camera Tech – BRITECELL
BRITECELL is Samsung’s new camera technology that IS expected in the upcoming Galaxy S7. The technology will be showcased at CES and viewers will get a sneak peek into what they can expect from the flagship handset, at least on the camera front.
Huawei Mate 8
Huawei has been eager to launch the Mate 8 in the U.S and has received the green light for it. The device has already passed FCC and will be unveiled at CES 2016.
For those of you unaware about the Mate 8, the device sports a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB and 128GB storage variants. The Mate 8 has a large 4,000 mAh battery and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
HTC One M10
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the launch of HTC’s next flagship device. The HTC One M10 has been floating between CES and MWC for a while. HTC is still enjoying the launch of the One A9, but fans have already been asking about the One M10, and HTC is likely to reveal the device soon enough.
HTC One M10 Concept
What we know so far about the One M10 is that the handset will likely sport a 5.5-inch screen with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB storage. The device will come pre-installed with Android 6.1, which is a good piece if information. More details will be known as we get closer to the unveiling.
VR
Smartphones and other technology aside, it in VR and autonomous cars that the CES 2016 will revolve around. The two technologies are set to be the highlights at the press conference. We’re slowly moving towards an age of wearable technology and virtual reality is the next big leap. 2015 has already seen the the Oculus Rift and in action, but 2016 will see the official launch of the headgear in the first quarter.
The Oculus Rift will not be the only VR headgear at the CES. Sony’s Project Morpheus, now known as Playstation VR, will also be at the event. Furthermore, Samsung may also reveal a second version of the Gear VR, though nothing has been confirmed on that front. Lastly, HTC is also likely to present a developer version of the Vive VR at CES 2016.
While these were the major names in the department let it be known that there are more than 40 companies presenting VR gear at CES. If that doesn’t tell you how the future of technology looks, nothing will.
Autonomous Cars
Finally, the other major focus at CES 2016 will be on smart cars. A number of players in the automobile industry are set to unveil autonomous or self-driving vehicles. Some of the speculated names include BMW’s i8 Spyder and the Apple Car. Volkswagen is also keen on shifting people’s attention from the the dieselgate scam, which is why the company is also ready to unveil its first all-electric autonomous vehicle. A teaser revealed earlier this month showing a boxy shape front has raised suspicion that VW is ready with its much-talked about microbus revival.
CEO Cher Wang made an exciting announcement about “a very, very big technological breakthrough” at the Vive Unbound developers forum in Beijing yesterday. No other details were divulged except that this upgrade for HTC Vive will be unveiled at CES ’16. This comes as a great comfort after HTC disclosed that buyers won’t get a chance to lay hands on the HTC Vive before April ’16.
Speculations about the retail price of this product have already begun. Once again, the CEO remained tight-lipped and made no mention of even an estimated price. The price will be an important factor with the device already facing competition from many VR-options in the market at competitive prices.
It can be assumed at this point, however, that the kit will cost more than its counterparts because of extra hardware. Wang remains confident this will not be a deterrent for consumers and says, “Why would I buy a handicapped product? You won’t like it.”
Additionally, Vive isn’t only for consumers. Automobile manufacturers like Audi will install it in its flagship stores to create virtual test drives, while other manufacturers are expected to follow suit. It will also be installed in hospitals to get a 3D scan of a patient’s head and therefore prep better for a surgery. We’ll only have to sit back and wait if HTC truly has to offer all that it promises in the realm of VR and 3D tech.
There are many folks who are eagerly waiting for the Virtual Reality (VR) revolution to come in their hands soon. We have seen the Oculus Rift, Sony’s Project Morpheus and others that are some huge headgears. But never would have someone thought that they’d want to look like a B1 Battle Droid from the Star Wars prequel while being in the virtual world. For the few who did, here’s 3D head that you can wear in your battle against the Jedis.
3DHead is really massive; it completely absorbs your head inside it. The visuals are played on an Android tablet that sits on the far end of the wearable, and the 3D is observed through the glasses placed inside the headgear. Just like other VR devices, you can use the device for gaming as well as watching 3D movies.
The 3DHead is impractically large (Source: Uploadvr)
The device also comes with a massive controller that has a slot to place the tablet. It is claimed to have good head tracking so playing first person games would be an immersive experience. 3DHead plays 3D as well as 2D games. The tablet can play the 3D content without the need of glasses. It can be connected to PC’s, Playstations and Xbox’s, and you can play all the games in VR mode. You can play the console games using their controllers. The makers claim that the device provides 2K picture resolution.
Overall the massive size of the device might make it too impractical for consumers to acquire. The hefty price tag of $600 for the headgear and another $600 for the controller might also dissuade people from buying it. But for those who are into Star Wars or Tron Cosplay and also want to have an unreal VR gaming experience, this might not be that bad an investment.
Virtual reality (VR) headsets have gained considerable buzz in the recent past. Oculus brought VR into mainstream, and several others followed soon after. Samsung’s Gear VR was the most prominent of all but to use it, you have to buy a Note 4. This is the reason it’s out of the reach of most enthusiasts. A Kickstarter project called ANTVR showed some promise with its innovative features and controllers. However, it’s Google who might bring the VR experience to everyone with the Google Cardboard project.
As the name suggests, the entire gadget is made up of just cardboard and some other small bits that you can find in your homes itself. You will have the support of Google; that will assist you in making the headset as well as provide software support for it. You can consider this as a gift from Google for all the big data you provide them.
Google has released new SDK for Android and Unity to create apps for the VR headsets. The Google Cardboard project can be considered the heights of jugaad device by a prominent company. The company already provides instructions to assist you in making your own DIY VR headsets. On a page dedicated to the Cardboard project, the company also featured several apps and games for the headsets.
The headsets work with any device and thus is accessible to all.
You can download the Cardboard app to start your VR experience. There are several demos already available in the app including a Google Earth flyby, a tour of Versailles and lets you watch Youtube videos on a virtual massive screen. Apart from this, you can download apps like Paul McCartney’s live performance, The Hobbit VR experience and several other fantastic visuals for your eyes only.
You can also buy the headsets, and they cost you somewhere between $20-$45. This is way cheaper than every other alternative in the market, and you can make it yourself for even less. The company says that it will be uploading instructions to make the device with extreme specifics such as how to cut using a blade, die-cutting or a laser cutter.
It’s great to see Google interested in an open source project for VR technology. The affordability of this technology is really encouraging. As it works with any phone, you don’t even have to buy an expensive new device to make it work. Of course, you might end up with nausea, headache and vertigo but it’s worth the effort to watch Sir Paul McCartney live, isn’t it?
