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The VR Fund: Entertainment VR investments jump 79% in second half of 2017
December 17, 2017
The Fund’s latest report is based on the results of about 450 companies developing VR/AR games, architecture, ecosystems.In his year, AR and VR is founded for more than $2.3 billion. This is the highest result compare to other years.Augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality (a blend of both) becoming more popular at the Hollywood. The Venture Reality Fund, a venture capital fund that tracks investments in the sector, reported that the number of investments in the entertainment sector in the second half of 2017 is up 79 percent compared to the same period a year ago.“Global investment in VR and AR is tracking higher than any previous period, and at a more accelerated pace,” said Tipatat Chennavasin, cofounder and general partner at The VR Fund, in a statement. “The VR industry is healthy and growing steadily, and we are seeing increased investor interest from traditional venture funds and new VR and AR-focused funds alike.”The trend is that investments in VR/AR entertainment was to 79 percent up in the second half of 2017 compared to the year ago. Enterprise investments are up 69 per cent.The VR Fund evaluated more than 3,000 companies for the VR landscape: HBO, Netflix, DreamWorks Animation, Disney,Sony Pictures, and Viacom, drove growth in the entertainment category. At the report we see that the games category rised by 40 percent. The Fund said that global companies entered the enterprise VR space, such companies as HP and Cisco Major amount of investments come to the next-generation reality rue VR is replacing 360-degree video . Other thing to mention, is that new all-in-one, standalone devices, such as the Oculus Go and HTC Vive Focus.
Daily workout with VR
December 7, 2017
Can you imagine that playing virtual reality games can replace a regular work out? First of all, you need to know that this concept is exploring the VR Institute of Health and Exercise partnered with San Francisco State University. This is an innovative study with aim to prove that VR experience could be the same or even better effective then a sports training. According to the website the institute was created In 2014 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention identified hours playing video games as one of the risk factors for low physical activity in the United States. The institute rate games based on how many calories person burn per minute: “Resting, walking, elliptical, tennis, rowing, biking, swimming” and “resting.” Games were tested thoroughly and all data is availble on the Intitute's website. Actually, you can even find the results of the test for your weight group due to find out what kind of results to expect from the training. You can also submit a game to be ranked. To find the most recent rating follow the link.As you can see VR experience does increase physical activness. Some of them can just help you top move instead of sitting while others can be rather challenging such as sprinting. This experience will ought you to sweat actively, pay attention that with playing this games you will burn about 15 calories per minute! If you are interested in details of research methods and performed experiences. Explore the video about the work that have been already done. All rankings are based on research by SF State’s Kinesiology Department, who measured and converted the oxygen consumption of 40 HTC Vive gamers to metabolic equivalent scores (METs) to determine average intensity and calorie burn.“We found the games, depending upon which game you were actually looking at, to be anywhere from mild exercise to strenuous exercise,” said Kern in an SF State YouTube video.The VR Health Institute also aims to be a hub for the VR community interested in the broader impact and the role of virtual and augmented reality in a healthy lifestyle.
Cultural institutions will gain VR experiences from the Vive Studios
November 29, 2017
Vive is permanently developing VR for different spheres. Developers believe that VR is not only about games that are why “Arts” section on Viveport has become a perfect addition to company vision. Cultural institutions are aiming to show artifacts and masterpieces in an interactive way due to attract attention from the new generation of visitors. There is no doubt that VR experience is highly helpful to move the visitors into other era and see the breathtaking exhibits. That is the reason why Vive Studios started the project of VR Arts in order to help cultural institutions to change the concept of museum education. London’s Royal Academy of Arts, St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum,Taipei’s National Palace Museum, Washington D.C.’s Newseum are already using VR experience on the temporary and permanent exhibitions. The investment program already has strong partnerships due to developing this experience further.“With the launch of Vive Arts, we are driving virtual reality’s influence in art and providing access to our world’s cultural heritage,” said Joel Breton, vice president, VIVE Studios. “We are empowering artists to create, and consumers to experience and interpret, art and culture in new ways.”Vive Arts remind about their current project with Tate Modern’s major exhibition, Modigliani. It has opened in London on November 23rd. The exhibition is integrated with VR experience to gallery-goers. Vive Arts content is available on Viveport starting today, with 15 to 20 more experiences will be developed next year.
Disney Pixar’s released the first VR experience
November 21, 2017
Disney Pixar’s released the first VR experience ever! With cartoon premier Coco Pixar also intoduce Coco VR. This game is not the average one. It has not a set of goals that the player shoud reach during the game. This game is unique because the story moves you to Mexico in order to observe and feel the authentic spirit of the place. This is visual masterpiece made as "soial VR" to make the game as a part of leisure time for company of friends or family members. Coco takes place on the annual holiday Di de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The film follows the musical ambitions of a young boy named Miguel, who stumbles across a portal that transports him to the Land of the Dead, where he meets the souls of his ancestors, and explores his love for music. According to a Pixar representative, “It’s a film about family and remembering our ancestors.”In an interview with VRScout, Flip Phillips, who was Pixar’s First Animation Scientist said that, “VR made it’s first debut but at that time it was mainly in the domain of flight simulators and it was terribly slow…but there were people at Pixar who had fantastic ideas about VR.”With experience in Coco VR, you actually take part at the film’s story. You play the role of skeletar and follow Miguel in the death world. There you can explore you can explore almost every part of this beautifully constructed virtual reality! Interact and dance with other skeletars or ride the train. The best part of the game is to try is participate in a show, be ready to yell as loud as you can it will be your main goal! If you are convinced that watching someones playing a VR game is weird, that means that you need to watch your best friend yelling during the game. Coco VR is easy to travel throughout the underworld by teleporting yourself with controllers. Do not forget to look around while you playing the game, you will be totally astonished with the amazing view! Remember it is the place where you can do what your main goal is to enjoy the game!P.S. Disney Pixar created Coco VR with Magnopus. For oculus Rift the game is working for four players at a time, while Gear VR allows for two people.
Does this armchair fit your living room?
November 7, 2017
Ikea, Houzz, and Target already have made AR-view of products Amazon itime has come. s now the latest retailer to make it easier to buy. This is an update to the Amazon iOS shopping app which enables to drop a virtual item to your home surface. Thanks to AR now it is easier to buy new items for home with understanding whether it fit or not. The feature is available on iPhone 6S devices and higher running iOS 11. AR View library includes goods like furniture, electronics, games, and home decor. You can choose any object and fit it in suitable place, rotate, move or try another one. Ofcourse it is no significant difference when you are going to buy microvave or a book. But there is a differece when it goes to furniture, definately AR is useful.To activate the feature within the app, you can press the camera icon at the top of the app interface, tap AR View and select a product. The app will provide a list of the virtual items available to preview within the mode. It is a strong tendence thay AR tools like this one from Amazon will become the norm. The future when we will use AR products visualize the aesthetic and fit of products is just around the corner.
New secure way for customers to pay for items with AR
October 25, 2017
The AR shopping experience expanded from browsing items and reading about the product details to checkout process. It uses eyes for customer authentication due to pay for a product.MasterCard, ODG, and Qualcomm created a project with technologies to give a hands-free shopping experience. It transcends both in-store or online shopping experience.It consists of three steps:the digital payment service from MasterCard called Masterpass with Identity Check Mobile, which uses biometrics for payment authorization.ODG’s R-9 Smartglasses to deliver an AR experienceQualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform Customer puts digital items in the shopping cart. Then they use Masterpass and secure process implements authentication to verify the customer. After completing your purchase, the item(s) can be shipped directly to your home or picked up from participating stores. All this happens with the help of ODG’s R-9 Smartglasses. The system offers a full immersive experience. ODG’s dual stereoscopic see-through displays and 5MP cameras allow you to see the products in a degree of depth not possible online or via smartphone. Nevertheless ODG Media presented a demo it explained that it won’t necessarily stay that way. The media expert explained that there is absolutely a demand from online shops.
Immersive VR at Facebook
October 12, 2017
On Oculus Connect 4, Facebook’s VR industry conference were announced astonishing immersive VR all-new products . The social media announced major updates to Facebook Spaces ( the integration of Quill including 360° and live-streaming) and Oculus Home (a “Minority Report-like interface” via Rift Core 2.0 and Dash).Another big announcement was about 3D Posts.News feeds are ready for posting 3D objects what gives a user a great opportunites for communication.As with the other announcements, 3D Posts will upgrade the in-VR experience and viewing capacities for desktop/mobile audiences. Oculus Medium or Spaces (via marker drawings) can export their work directly to the News Feed in full 3D. On flat screens, users can drag around the object.Headset will make it able for users to to see these as native VR objects . Even more, you can bring these 3D objects from News Feed into Facebook Spaces for communication, working and having fun.In an Oculus announcement post, Facebook Head of Social VR Rachel Franklin also is going to support for “more VR content types,”. VR is becoming a natural part of social meadia for many fields it is great to see this transformation and to be part of it.
Apple announced AR-games
September 19, 2017
With introducing iPhone 8 Apple also announced three coming augmented reality apps. Senior VP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller took the stage to introduce a few apps coming to the App Store later this month, which left us wanting more.Schiller introduced four AR apps we hoped for twice more but still there are astonishing news for AR sphere. Nevertheless, there’s likely plenty more apps and games are coming. The company have been working with IKEA, Lego due to create AR apps to the App Store. The MachinesThis is thr competitive multiplayer RTS. It lets you to compete with your friends in the same room in AR. With new iPhone 8s the developers quick but extraordinary game was showed off.Warhammer 40k: Free BladeFor playing to Warhammer 40k: Free Blade you need to activate a special AR camera mode. It will bring characters from the game into the real world. The game happens right where you are!Sky GuideThe most educationally fascinating app updates is Sky Guide’s new AR function/ This app helps learn the constellations by looking at the sky with the screen of your phone .
’The People’s House’ 360 Video Wins an Emmy
September 11, 2017
The People’s House: Inside the White House took the 2017 Emmy for ‘Outstanding Original Interactive Program’. Film was made by Felix & Paul Studios ifamous for creating highly polished VR videos. Company has many projects, one the most popular is made-for-VR performances for Cirque du Soleil.You can download Felix & Paul’s Emmy award-winning video on both Oculus Rift or Samsung Gear VR. It can also be streamed to Google Cardboard, Google Daydream, and traditional monitors via YouTube.
VR players will feel the game
August 23, 2017
The suit tracks the movements of the body and synchronizes it’s position with headset.We wrote earlier about various gadgets, which help in feeling VR better. It was shoes, gloves and mechanism transmitting the taste of the game. Now Startup NULLSPACE VR developed suit, which is called HARDLIGHT VR and outwardly resembles the armor of Batman.Creators noted that this project will not solve all problems because it supports only 15 games for Vive and Oculus Rift. In the future developers plan to wide the “armor’s” opportunities of interoperability with other games. HARDLIGHT VR has function of audio mode, which converts the sound from the game to feelings. Also suit tracks the movements of the body and synchronizes it’s position with headset. It’ll make feelings more realistic during the game. However, the suit connects only by USB. So you won’t have as much freedom as you wished.Developers started crowdfunding company on Kickstarter. The price of initial project will start from $500.NewsApr 26, 2017Google Announces New VR CameraAs developers argue, the new Google camera JUMP is lighter and smaller than the previous devices. This novelty is called YI HALO and is based on the action-camera YI Technology, a subsi...Apr 19, 2017Facebook SpacesSocial network called “Spaces” launched by Facebook in beta last month, is already available in Oculus store.Apr 2, 2017All Vive Trackers have sold outThe sale started last week and already the HTC Vive sold out of its first initial batch of Trackers created for developers. Despite this, the company is accepting new orders for future...
Apple vs. Facebook in AR Wars
July 12, 2017
The tech industry of today is a modern day battlefield, times are as competitive as they could get and every big name is ready to pounce on the latest innovation to get a hold of the first mover advantage or come out with the ‘next big thing’. With the progression of AR technology in recent years, it is not surprising at all to witness tech giants from different spheres of the industry combatting for the number spot.However, the top two contenders for this position are definitely Apple and Facebook. It is rather obvious to a common reader that Apple surpasses Facebook in almost every domain, the former has creative, technical and marketing expertise that go a long way back and have withstood the test of time. Even in the most complex and gloomy scenarios, Apple has managed to rise above, but as the market for its main products such as the iPhone becomes a red ocean amidst the announcement that the company will be finally discontinuing the production of its beloved iPod Shuffle, the question arises what’s next?It seems that Apple has definitely shortlisted a couple of destination where it wants to spend its big bucks and one of them is – augmented reality. On the other hand, the knight of Silicon Valley has held this vision for some time now. As it entered into the realm of augmented reality, Facebook vowed to enhance the availability of this experience to developers with one catch – it had to ‘live’ within the Facebook app for the masses to fully benefit from it.Unfortunately, Facebook is not the one to learn from its mistakes. Compare the mobile apps market that both companies championed and you’ll realize the difference. Facebook’s move to develop its own HTML5 gaming platform was a bust because it was integrated into the native application. However, Apple adhered to the exact opposite move and saw its project flourish. Perhaps, the point where Facebook lost this battle was that it was not able to comprehend the psyche of developers who did not want their efforts to be overshadowed or buried under a load of Facebook’s app which is something that Apple realized and understood in due time. The results for both, companies are open for everyone to see.The breakthrough for Facebook in this arena came with the success of its Camera Effects platform which makes use of the phone camera to give a taste of augmented reality to users – it is a fun experience, to say the least, but in no way is it life changing or revolutionary. Furthermore, users have already been getting a flavour of Facebook’s existing technology with Snapchat albeit, with a lower value of innovation, it is still insanely popular and captured the hearts of a huge market in the form of teens and young adults. Facebook cannot expect to take over their minds unless it comes up with something that can at least surpass the experience of Snapchat. Some would even say that time is running out fast on this one…Apple, however, is known for its disruptive innovation. Which comes with a storm and takes over the market. The company knows where its success lies – let the developers thrive and so will your platform, is their motto. If they begin to restrict the creative freedom of developers then this decision can come back to bite you. With its ARKit, Apple has re-integrated the approach it held with its mobile app market and offered developers to benefit from its technology and connect AR technology within the applications.In this way, there are no limitations placed on where developers want to take their applications. The set of regulations and guidelines that may discourage individuals to enter into the world of Facebook’s AR become less and less appealing because of this factor. No doubt, Facebook’s AR campaign started out with a bang with big names such as Nike and NASA coming on board, however, Apple’s learnings from residing within the industry for decades and actually witnessing the ruthlessness of the market have allowed the company that it is the masses that matter the most.Apple has already moved on to step two by showing the world how AR technology reacts with its mobile operating system. In addition to how flexible it can be, the company has essentially displayed its usability. Nonetheless, both companies have the ability to hold their own in this battle, but Facebook faces the bigger challenge with having to encourage users to experience AR on both mobile operating platforms but within the native Facebook application.The biggest stakeholder in this combat are the developers and their decision will decide the fate of both companies when it comes to the capitalization of AR and leveraging on their technologies to build the ultimate experience and help this vision reach the epitome of success. If developers prefer to go with Apple’s decision which allows them greater flexibility and embed AR within their applications, then Facebook would definitely be at a loss. Nonetheless, the company still has the benefit of already having millions of users on board who will try the applications whenever they are released by default simply because they are Facebook users.What we need to wait for now, is the verdict of developers – at this point, the decision seems to be leaning in favour of Apple and based on past trends. This is not surprising at all. What Facebook needs to do now, is to act fast and either change the course of its current decisions or have enough faith in the power of their users.It is definitely an interesting development in the field of AR and something that industry watchers will keep a close eye on. One thing is for sure though, whoever wins this battle will have tapped a technology that has potential to become the ‘next big thing’ and isn’t this what the tech industry is all about?
The Real Estate IN VR – the top 3 things you need to know!
June 28, 2017
Fast forward to 2017, and VR has definitely moved past its love affair with the gaming industry and is no longer a product or experience that the innovators falling under the law of diffusion of innovationstand by. In fact, the penetration of VR has reached to an extent where it has even moved past the stage of early adopters and moving towards acquiring the minds, hearts and wallets of the early majority.As is the case with any product which reaches its stage of growth and eventually maturity, the present experimentation in the field of VR is no longer occurring with the technology itself, but with its possible uses. The place where VR has quite surprisingly or unsurprisingly taken flight is real estate.1.VR puts you in the middle of the actionHouse hunting is all about the experience, you cannot expect to find the perfect abode without stepping foot into the building and feeling like ‘this is it’. With the hundreds of classified websites that have popped up in recent years, prospective home owners and tenants have resorted to checking out images of places and closing the deal online which unfortunately leads to dissatisfying results later. VR however, puts you in the centre of the action. Just pop up a pair of the latest gear and in the blink of an eye, you will be witnessing the place you may call home in the future.2.VR customizes the house hunting experience for ‘YOU’The arrival of virtual staging technology enables users to add their personal taste and flavours to each and every property they visit. This is a revolution in the industry, to say the least – even the smallest unique and personal touch can spark up a place like no other. Who knows, a piece of furniture or new lighting can change customer decision in a jiffy and that too in your favour!3.VR is here to stayVR is the disruptive innovation which has already taken the real estate industry by storm. The production of a house hunting experience, coupled with the ability to customize and control each and every bit of this element is not to be taken lightly if you’re a part of the real estate industry but are yet to plan your move into the arena.If house hunters and prospective tenants continue to make their final deals based on the virtual representation of their heavenly abode, then they need to plan out traditional open-house visits will vanish before you know it!What does it mean for the industry?As prospective home owners continue to have a sparking demand for inspecting properties through VR, they need to physically inspect the house, at least during the initial stages will become less and less popular. As a realtor, you may have to think out of the box to attract clients and make them agree to come out and check out the property if they’re hooked onto the VR experience of exploring real estate.
Walmart made VR-training for staff
June 7, 2017
Walmart have begun using VR situations to educate new employees.Walmart staff have to cope with many duties during workday.Thus company launched ‘Walmart Academies’ to train existing and future staff on the details of their expected duties in a comfortable and cost-efficient manner. With the great success of pilot program currently being tested several locations, Walmart is planning to train about 140 000 employees by the end of 2017.Walmart created training platform Strivr where in VR workers perform most current situations with uses an Oculus Rift headset.Those education VR-centers helps to transfer theoretical training materials into practical one. This real-world scenarios in VR helps to make education process rather effective because situations are not obstructive anymore obstructive. Especially it is helpful when the season of sales is coming.For this reason trainee program was created just before the Black Friday.The academies where was engaged the pilot program have had positive results/ Walmart reported that employees who were trained with using showed far better results in real situations. Top managers were impressed with this results and made a decision to provide all 200 Walmart Academiesown VR simulators by the end of the year.Each VR education session lasting round 5 to 20 for every person. Those employees who are waiting for their turn can watch experience live on a separate monitor. This allows instructors to educate class members not currently engaged in VR.Other giant market players such as Lowes and Amazon are already taking their own unique approaches towards embracing VR as well. Will it influence on average customer and the future of AR and VR shopping is coming? Allow time.
How to make 360 degree video
May 31, 2017
360-degree videos, also known as the spherical or immersive video is a truly unique visual experience where a video is recorded at every possible angle, all at the same time. The equipment used to record this experience has advanced significantly over a short period of time, but some noteworthy mentions in this domain include Samsung’s Gear 360, Ricoh Theta and 360Fly. What you need:For users that are just starting out, the best recommendation is to play around with the setup, use your imagination and learn to manoeuvre the equipment to get the best angles.An important piece of equipment to build your setup is a camera rig. These rigs should be able to hold multiple Go Pros. You can even purchase customized camera rigs that possess this capability. The second piece of equipment is your trusty Go Pro (about 6 to 10 of them). The idea is to set up the device in a way, that it is able to capture all angles while recording a scene simultaneously thereby, living up to the very definition of a 360-degree footage which shows what’s going around in full circle.Get Creative with the PlacementThe number one rule is that there are no rules, test out what works best as per your requirements, vision and needs.The key here is to get creative with the placement and try out various angles. You cannot expect to put the camera straight up as is the case with regular videos and let it capture what’s in front of it. The same consideration applies for deciding upon the camera location. For instance, an aerial shot might require you to hang the equipment from the ceiling while you can choose to mount it somewhere at a higher angle when trying to capture someone who is tall.Things to Watch Out for!During the testing phases of filming the video, you should find out about the ‘bugs’ that may distort the final output, for instance, in a moving shot which is being filmed in a car, through a drone or while walking, do check out for items that can appear in the shot and hide them. There is a higher chance of experiencing such issues when making a 360-degree video because each and every angle is covered.Other thing to watch out for is movement itself, remember you are trying to create an experience for the viewer where they will be able to immerse themselves in the video. Using too much movement or motion techniques can be dizzying, therefore, try to strike a balance with reference to this concept.Rather than purchasing expensive equipment when you are in the learning phases, it is always better to use existing equipment and build a setup to get a feel of how this works. Once you can get the hang of it, creating immersive videos will unleash a new potential of creativity within you. There is so much to explore and so many techniques to try out!
Short 360-degree film nominated for an Oscar
May 11, 2017
Pearl became the first VR film nominated for an Oscar. The nomination is in the category "best short animation". This VR short 360-degree film was created in 2016 within the Google Spotlight Story project framework.Pearl, as it called, tells the story of a father-daughter relationship. Immersed into the film, the audience watches how the characters’ lives have been changing. For 5 minutes they witness various situations.As it is a 360-degree film, the viewer feels close to main characters, giving them an opportunity to look at the world through their eyes. The film was directed by Patrick Osborne, who was received an "Oscar" for the cartoon "Menu" in 2015.Pearl was posted with free viewing on Youtube. You can watch it on your browser or on Youtube’s mobile app, however, it is easier to watch through a VR headset.VR in real estate is not a dream anymore.
WordPress websites will support VR content
April 26, 2017
According to the latest information of W3Techs laboratory, 25% of the websites works under the guidance of WordPress.Now WordPress supports VR content, for example, panoramic photos and videos. Given WordPress’ wide usage, many blogs and forums will now be able to show VR.It is possible to watch VR video using a computer, laptop, mobile gadget or virtual reality headset. This function is adapted for the best viewing experience on each device. For example, when clicking the pointers on a computer, you can watch video in 360 degrees on YouTube. The usage pattern for VR headsets is the same: just turn your head. On mobile gadgets, just move the screen.
Earlier users had to enclose a link to YouTube or other platforms to show VR content. New function has become available thanks to integration of WebVR technology into WordPress.
Japanese company presents VR shoes called “Taclim”
January 18, 2017
This device was shown at the CES 2017 conference by Japanese company Cerevo. The new gadget has a set of motion controllers built into special shoes called “Taclim”.The main characteristic of these shoes is its physical devices, which are placed in the front (two of them) and in another in the back. This will allow a player to both feel surfaces in virtual reality and distinguish between snow, tree bark, metal, soil, etc. Each of these will create a special effect when walking. Also, a player will be able to act using their feet (kicking objects, for example).The product will be released in the fall; for the moment it is still in development. “Taclim” will be designed for commercial use. The cost of the controller set will be $1000 – 1500.
Social app “VRchat” will appear on the 1st of February
December 3, 2016
“VRchat” will appear on the market in addition to other social VR services such as High Fidelity, AltSpaceVR and vTime. Its release is planned for the 1st of February as part of Early Access. VRchat will be supported on the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and the OSVR. At first release the platform will be free to use.The primary focus of this app is to create the opportunity to communicate. Using “VRchat” people will be able to create avatars, events or even worlds, inviting everyone they want. This platform makes it possible to choose various locations from the jazz bar to a campfire, configure a personal avatar, chat using voice or text messages. Using “VRChive”, users can share a 3D, 360° panorama.Steam presents all the opportunities of VRchat. Here are some of them:‘Express yourself with hand gestures, emotes, and emojiPlay Capture the Flag, Battle Discs, Bowling and more including community built gamesChat, collaborate, draw, sculpt, or watch videos with family and friends’It is worth noting that thanks to an integration with Unity, players will be able create their avatars from the beginning. You can reproduce your own physical self, stylize your character or create something new. There is another advantage of using Unity. Because of its plugin, lip movements are synchronized with speech which makes the platform even more credible.The release date of the final app has not yet been announced.