Articles about Virtual Reality

With the annual video game mega-trade show, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), just days away, everyone is going crazy over any little new morsel of information relating to the Xbox, PS4, or Nintendo Switch.

It doesn't get any littler than an unexplained trademark filing, but the timing is right for Microsoft's new "Direct Reality" trademark to have something to do with what the company plans to reveal next week.

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It's WWDC 2017 and if there is one thing that you can count on is Apple showing off the new versions of its main operating systems. So, today, we catch a glimpse of macOS High Sierra, which is shaping up to be a pretty impressive upgrade over its predecessor, macOS Sierra.

There are a couple of notable new features in macOS High Sierra, namely the introduction of Apple File System, VR support, a better browsing experience in Safari, faster graphics, and improved video support.

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Take me out to the ballgame, but keep me away from traffic and overcrowded stadium annoyances. With a new partnership between Major League Baseball and Intel, you'll be able to experience what it's like to be sitting up close to the action (or if you prefer, back in the bleachers), no matter where you are.

The partnership involves Intel's True VR app, which is available for the Samsung Gear VR platform, which will broadcast one live MLB game every week for the entirety of the regular 2017 season: beginning next Tuesday, June 6.

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We've all been there. You're testing out your new virtual reality headset, exploring fantastical worlds and immersing yourself in all kinds of 360-degree awesomeness, when you suddenly stop and think to yourself, "If only there was some way I could simulate the process of taking out my credit card and tapping it to complete a purchase."

Well, that will soon become possible if payment processing company WorldPay is successful in getting its new platform accepted by app and game developers.

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Both augmented and virtual reality show no sign of slowing down -- these are certainly technologies to keep an eye on over the next several years. Microsoft and Google have been very public with their projects, while there are rumors that Apple is secretly working on both AR and VR too.

Google's Tango is one of the most ambitious such projects, bringing augmented reality capabilities to Android devices. Earlier today at Google I/O, ASUS announced that the upcoming ZenFone AR smartphone -- compatible with both Tango and Daydream -- will be a Verizon exclusive.

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Google revealed a lot of new features and products during yesterday’s opening two-hour long I/O keynote, including more about Android O, a stripped down OS for cheap phones called Android Go, an improved way to protect users from bad Android apps, and competition for Siri in the form of Google Assistant for iOS.

That’s not the end of things though, as Google has another keynote today.

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Soon every smartphone will be VR-enabled. This will open up the virtual floodgates, making video-based VR experiences more affordable and accessible. Immersive VR will go mainstream not on laptops, smart TVs or games consoles but on mobiles.

Affordable headsets such as Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream View are already gaining traction with early adopters for VR gaming and content streaming via apps such as Netflix VR and HBO Now VR. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. As well as media and entertainment, there is a huge market opportunity for organizations in other sectors to boost engagement with video-based, mobile VR content: fly-on-the-wall corporate training and company events, real estate sales, retail, and virtual classrooms.

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Retail, wholesale and manufacturing companies are turning to Internet of Things (IoT), Automation and Virtual Reality (VR) to drive sales and improve customer experiences.

This is according to a new report by global ecommerce consultancy firm Salmon, which says almost two thirds (61 percent) of European companies in above mentioned industries are investing and believing in IoT.

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While virtual reality has long been expensive, it has become more achievable in recent years. A VR-ready PC is much more affordable, as are the VR accessories. It still isn't a simple affair, however, as there are competing platforms, such as Oculus and Vive. It can be confusing for consumers to know which to choose.

Today, Vive-maker HTC announces that it is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the commercial launch of the virtual reality platform and hardware. To mark the occasion, existing users will get a free game, while new buyers of the hardware will save $100. More exciting, however, the company is launching Viveport Subscription on April 5. For a paltry monthly fee, users get access to a big library of VR apps and games.

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To prove that it's serious about becoming a major player in the virtual reality market, at today's Unpacked event which saw the unveiling of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Samsung introduced a new Gear VR headset and Gear 360 camera.

Samsung changed the port on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, opting for USB Type-C this time round, which meant that it also had to introduce a new Gear VR headset to work with the latest flagships. Meanwhile, the new Gear 360 is promised to be more refined and easier to use.

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In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has captivated our imagination, filling the minds of the masses with potential use cases that seemed straight out of the pages of science fiction films.

While you may instantly think of gaming and entertainment in association with VR, it has tremendous promise for corporate innovation and the workplace of the future. Virtual Reality technology is steadily becoming one of the most sought after pieces of technology that could change the way we host conference calls, present information and collaborate with each other.

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Facebook-owned Oculus must pay half a billion dollars to game company ZeniMax after a Texas jury deliberated in a case about the Oculus Rift headset. The jury found that Oculus co-founder, Palmer Luckey, failed to comply with a non-disclosure agreement.

Although now facing a $500 million bill, not everything in the case went against Facebook. Oculus was found not to have stolen trade secrets from ZeniMax, and the company plans to appeal against the charges for which it was found guilty.

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Microsoft is not giving away too much about the sales figures for HoloLens but goes as far as saying it is "in thousands, not hundreds of thousands". With the augmented reality headset costing $3000, this is perhaps not surprising, and the company is quite happy to take the seemingly low sales figures in its stride.

Speaking at educational technology event the Bett Show in London on Thursday, Roger Walkden, Senior Director and Commercial Lead of HoloLens, acknowledged that the price tag was partly responsible for the small number of sales. Interestingly, though, Microsoft is not bothered by what could be seen as disappointing sales, despite the fact that the company seems to be betting big on HoloLens by adding headset settings in recent Windows 10 Insider builds.

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Virtual reality is rather cool, although it requires money and commitment. To truly experience VR on a PC, you need a powerful computer and, sometimes, a room to be dedicated to it too. After all, the VR mask usually has to be tethered to the desktop PC -- a messy experience, leading to tangled wires. Sadly, it is these wires that really limit the fun of VR on PC.

Thankfully, some PC manufacturers have wisely created backpack computers -- a PC designed to be worn on the user's back. This creates greater mobility while experiencing VR, although it does have the downside of requiring batteries (which ultimately need charging). Today, ZOTAC unveils a new backpack PC, and it looks amazing. Called 'VR GO' it is equipped with two 6600 mAh batteries, allowing up to two hours of game play. You can buy additional batteries and swap them for even longer gaming sessions, however.

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As Windows 10 evolves, Microsoft is incorporating a number of different technologies from 3D to mixed reality. The company's own AR/VR platform, Windows Holographic, has headsets like Oculus Rift, and the minimum spec for connected PCs is slowly starting to emerge.

As noted by the Verge, the latest insider builds of Windows 10 include a Windows Holographic First Run app that gives you the chance to test your computer to see if it is compatible with Windows Holographic. The minimum specs are surprisingly low.

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