Articles about Virtual Reality

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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It used to be that if you wanted a powerful gaming PC, you would need a monstrous tower with many loud fans. Nowadays, you can build a Mini-ITX system that offers impressive specifications in a tiny package.

What if you want something even smaller? Zotac has a new VR-Ready mini PC that is shockingly tiny. Inside the diminutive 'MAGNUS ERX480' barebones box is an Intel Skylake Core i5-6400T and an AMD Radeon RX480 (4GB GDDR5 256-bit). It supports DDR4 RAM (1866 or 2133) up to to 32GB and an M.2 connector for storage. For convenience, it can also be had with both RAM and storage installed from the factory. You can choose to have Windows 10 pre-installed too.

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Windows 10 Mobile is a solid smartphone operating system with two big flaws -- lack of both apps and developers. This has lead to such low market share, that many consider Microsoft's mobile operating system to be irrelevant. With that said, not everyone needs a lot of apps. If you mostly do things like text messaging, surfing the web, and accessing email on the go, a Windows 10 device is a brilliantly secure way to do so.

Today, Alcatel officially announces the previously leaked IDOL 4S with Windows 10 (there is an Android version too). Not only is the inexpensive device beautiful, but chocked full of solid specs and wonderful features too. Best of all, it comes with a virtual reality headset in the box!

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San Diego, Calif. As a general rule I never connect to public WiFi networks, which is fine except when attending an event at a hotel ballroom where T-Mobile cellular is like an apparition dancing around a Halloween grave. So as Wendell Brooks, CEO of Intel Capital, begins his speech, I sit typing narrative offline rather than tweeting live. There’s irony, I suppose, reporting old style, about investments in new innovations.

Welcome to the trials and travails of the Intel Capital Global Summit, which kicks off today and goes through October 26. Looking at the lineup, I expect to hear about newfangled tech that would make news reporting so much easier if available—although 4G cellular data would be good enough for today.

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It is tough being a Galaxy Note7 user. First, Samsung tells customers to exchange their units for a safe one, following reports of exploding batteries. Next, the "new" Galaxy Note7 devices start catching fire too, after it was revealed that their batteries have issues as well. And, now, Samsung decides to stop production altogether, discontinuing its latest Android flagship across the globe.

What's more, because the Galaxy Note7 is clearly not safe to use, Oculus has dropped support for the Android flagship, introducing a forced update for the app that enables the Gear VR headset to work with the device.

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The experiences of others can be difficult to understand -- do you see green in the same way as me? But things are even harder -- and more important -- to grasp in the world of medicine. Just what is it like to have dementia, for example? It's much more than just memory loss and confusion.

Understanding what the world is like for someone with the condition can help others to learn how they can help sufferers more effectively, and Google has created a new virtual reality experience with this precise aim in mind. "A Walk Through Dementia" is a Google Cardboard-compatible experience, although any VR headset will do the job, it can also be viewed on YouTube.

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Virtual reality is sure to be wildly popular -- eventually. Currently, it is a bit too expensive. Not to mention, there is still a lot of uncertainty about which platform to purchase. On the PC, VR content is not always cross-compatible, making a decision between, say, the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift difficult.

For now, a console-based virtual reality solution could make more sense. Sony's PlayStation VR will hit stores next month, and many PS4 owners are chomping at the bit to get it. Today, Sony releases an official unboxing video for the device.

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Google's dream of bringing virtual reality to the masses just took another big leap forward. The popular Cardboard Camera app is now available for iOS, giving iPhone users the chance to capture and share VR photos.

For many people Google Cardboard has been all about finding a cheap way to enjoy virtual reality experiences that other people have created. Cardboard Camera gives you the chance to create your own.

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At the Hot Chips conference this week, Microsoft has shed some light on the hitherto secretive specifications of its augmented reality HoloLens. Now that anyone with $3,000 spare is able to buy a headset, there's never been more interest in what's actually inside the case powering the AR goodness.

The holographic processing unit (HPU) at the heart of HoloLens is a seriously multi-cored beast. The Register reports that it is a "TSMC-fabricated 28nm coprocessor that has 24 Tensilica DSP cores". Of course, there's much more to the device than just this chip.

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Believe the hype and you're probably under the impression that virtual reality, augmented reality, or some hybrid of the two is where the future of computing lies.

Microsoft certainly thinks that AR/VR has an important role to play and today the company announced that an update to Windows 10 next year will bring Windows Holographic to everyone. The company is working with Intel to come up with the specification for mixed reality ready PCs and head mounted displays.

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Last year, Microsoft announced that a virtual reality version of Minecraft was in the works. Today Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta gains VR support, as Microsoft works with the Oculus Rift team to produce a more immersive version of the game.

In terms of controlling the VR version of Minecraft, you have the option of using a keyboard and mouse, or sticking with your trusty Xbox One controller. There are also a host of new VR-specific options to work with.

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Xiaomi is getting ready to enter a new market, as today it unveils its first virtual reality headset, called Mi VR. Just like most other devices of its kind, it relies on a smartphone to work, but what sets it apart from the crowd is its unique design.

Mi VR features a case made of Lycra, which is said to provide "long-lasting comfort" to the wearer. The smartphone is held with by a zippered cover, which gives users a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to the size of the device that they want to use with Mi VR.

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When Microsoft announced its entry into the world of augmented reality with HoloLens, there was a great deal of enthusiasm from the technology community. But while HoloLens is undeniably exciting, there was a problem -- it was only available to a very select few.

Now that changes. Anyone who has $3,000 to spare, and who lives in the US or Canada, can get their hands on a headset right now. It's the Microsoft HoloLens Developer Edition that's up for grabs, but you don’t (really) have to be a developer to buy one.

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Back in 1996, I attended the greatest concert of my life. I was only a teenager -- not yet old enough to drive -- so I got a ride from Long Island to Randall's Island in NYC. The show was Lollapalooza, and the lineup was epic -- Metallica, The Ramones, Soundgarden, Wu-Tang Clan, and more.

Back then, concertgoers didn't have smartphones and other such modern technologies -- we stared at the stage, not a screen. In 2016, however, things are very different. The upcoming Lollapalooza concert -- the 25th anniversary of the festival which is being held in Chicago -- will have a more high-tech feel. Why? There will be virtual reality onsite -- and offsite too. The VR technology will be supplied by Sasmung's Gear VR.

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Both virtual and augmented reality, machine learning and big data analytics, as well as the Internet of Things, are the most in-demand skills, according to a new report by Packt.

The report, titled "Skill Up", polled more than 11,500 worldwide developers and IT professionals. Besides identifying the most sought-after skills, it also says that security is one of the highest-paying industries in 2016, especially for freelancers.

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