Walmart and Target to Use Virtual Reality for Promotions - http://clapway.com/2016/01/11/walmart-and-target-to-use-virtual-reality-for-promotions-123/

Virtual reality is taking on advertising. Recently, Microsoft announced a partnership with Volvo to showcase new cars with the HoloLens. Are Walmart and Target next?

Virtual Reality is a Growing Hub

With the release of headsets like Google Cardboard and the Samsung Gear VR, there’s no denying that there is serious cash in virtual reality. The potential of this technology is already a part of video games and general entertainment. Advertisements could be next.

Every year the whole world waits for the famous Super Bowl commercials to come out. Maybe the next big step is to bring virtual reality to the game. We could soon enough be watching the game like we’re actually there. The biggest corporations in America will likely take the next step. Companies like Walmart and Target may be the first to integrate virtual reality onto their ads.

What Would VR Ads Mean for Walmart and Target?

Getting with technology is a magnet. If Samsung, Sony, Facebook and Google are already making major marks in the world of virtual reality, so can Walmart and Target. In fact, this will increase their value significantly. Young people are very attracted to virtual reality, and if Target and Walmart can, for example, design VR apps, young people will be more inclined to shop there.

A virtual shop through VR apps is certainly possible. Samsung has already done this in a smaller way, putting a virtual grocery store on their newest refrigerator. A great next step would be to design VR apps that let you walk through racks of clothes or shelves of books or aisles at supermarkets. There is too much that can be done with VR to just be implemented into video games.

Virtual Reality Possibilities are Endless

Walmart, Target, Walgreens and Costco are among the highest grossing retailers in the entire United States. They are packing serious capital, and it’s possible that they will start using the newest technology. It’s only a matter of when. There is no denying that this will make the stores more attractive to young people and that the only possible negative they could face is that not enough people own VR headsets. Although that will not be a problem for very long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLBrMZph92I

Walmart and Target to Use Virtual Reality for Promotions

Google Project Tango Has it"s Own Version of the HoloLens Minecraft Demo - http://clapway.com/2015/12/28/google-project-tango-has-its-own-version-of-the-hololens-minecraft-demo-123/

Google Project Tango is bringing in awareness of space to Google and all their related devices. The technology is set to be more precise than any other technology currently available.

Why Did Google Make This Pre-Announcement?

The prototype technology was named Project Tango in early 2014. It was first announced as something completely different from what the giant’s other projects are about. Google is used to planning ahead and sticking to deadlines and testing things with the public actively. With this project, it was more about doing now and thinking afterwards.

Project Tango’s trajectory seems to be a lot vaguer than other ventures like Project Loon or Google Glass. So this announcement is a call to arms for developers that are interested in the technology. They are likely looking for ground-breaking applications for this kind of technology. Video games, or for assistance to the visually or hearing impaired are a good contender. In the end, Google has shipped out the 200 prototypes it has to developers.

New Google Approach: Build Now, Find Uses Later

This is taking artificial intelligence one step further by making a device aware of its position and what’s around it. The prototypes feature a huge number of sensors, a front and back camera, a gyroscope and an accelerometer. There’s a new infrared emitter next to the rear camera. This picks up the reflections the grid makes.

This is a little like how Microsoft’s Kinect works. Except instead of being a commodity for the user, it is a commodity for the device. This, combined with the other sensors and the accelerometer, gyroscope and barometer give the phone all the tools it needs to build a map of the world around it and its precise location in it.

Future Versions of The Google Project Tango Will Be Game Changers

For developers, the device has seen incredible growth. Its most recent iteration is more fit for tablets than for mobile phones. According to developer accounts, the heights that the technology has reached are almost scary.

Google Project Tango Also Has a Minecraft Demo

Like the Microsoft HoloLens, Google has also gotten its hands on a Minecraft demo, and it took developers on a real joyride. They were quoted as having described the experience as almost real as if the device was perfectly aware of this virtual world as they were of the real, physical world.

Testing for this device proved to be a great adventure. It allows for shooting down enemies, sprinting, ducking and stepping into a portal to the Jurassic period. The bite of a T-Rex brings the demos to a close. It surely sets Google in gear to compete with the big guys once they find a proper application for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe10ExwzCqk

Google Project Tango Has it"s Own Version of the HoloLens Minecraft Demo

Virtual Reality: VirZoom Makes You Exercise and eJaculator Helps You Masturbate - http://clapway.com/2015/12/22/virtual-reality-brings-virzoom-to-workout-and-ejaculator-to-mastrubate-123/

Finding motivation to go to the gym can be a real struggle for some people. Keeping up with technology trends is less hard, and virtual reality is looking to be the solution to couch potato syndrome.

Virtual Reality Brings Us VirZoom

VirZoom is a new virtual reality game that lets gamers work out as they set new gaming records. They have to pedal to get themselves through parts of a series of games, like powering a horse in a race, or battle in tanks, or to propel a fire-breathing dragon.

The VirZoom platform is pretty unique, but it turns the stationary bike into something different entirely. The software isn’t looking  to distract people from the fact that they’re working out, it wants to make them work out to play. This makes the act of working out almost effortless.

Stationary Bike Plus VR Equals VirZoom

All users need to do is connect the platform’s dongle into a USB port in a PC or a PS4 gaming console. The Active Play app launches the game. Then users need only to sit on their stationary bike and put on their headset. VirZoom is compatible with the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or Playstation VR headsets. The team behind the VR platform will be incorporated as more VR apps and headsets support position tracking.

VirZoom Won’t Make You Sick

VirZoom is distinguishable from other VR gaming platforms because of four reasons. One, it doesn’t give gamers locomotion discomfort, and it doesn’t feature unintuitive controls. It puts safety first and uses a user avatar to work. In order to accomplish this, the platform measures the user’s pedaling speed. The faster gamers move in the stationary bike, the faster they move in their interactive VR game. The design of the bike and the VR interface should be keeping motion sickness at bay, which is a very common complaint among headset users.

Special Promotion if You Want This VR Platform Now!

The bike and VR platform will be going on sale for $249.99, but the campaign has a sale going on where customers can get the unit at $199.95. This price includes the bike, access to their growing folder of games and a lifetime subscription to VirZoom plus. Once this sale is over, the subscription will cost $9.95 per month. VirZoom units are set to start shipping in early 2016.

VR Is in the Health and Wellness World in More Ways than One

Virtual reality is arguably everywhere. As there is technology to keep people active, there is also technology that keeps people sexually active. This year, a campaign was launched for a VR game and product called eJaculator, the first VR sex toy for men.

This sex toy literally takes gamers on a journey. It features a silicone sleeve that men can insert, and then they can plug into the eJaculator app, press play on the video of their choice, and the sleeve does the rest of the work. The gadget can even help men build stamina and also allows them to explore their sexuality from the platform.

Devices Like These Will Change the Way We Experience Everything

Virtual reality will start to reshape our every experience soon enough. There’s no telling what’s next. They’ve gotten into the gaming industry, the health and wellness industry and the adult content industry. Virtual reality will revolutionize the way we see recreation, and will also bring us to places we can’t physically be in.

Though the technology is still very young, it has a lot of promise. There’s a lot that still needs development, as VR headsets still cause some problems for users and there are barely any VR apps out in the market, but it will grow. Its development will become exponential, and hopefully, it will also be beneficial to all societies.

Read: VR can take you to the White House; say ‘Hi’ to virtual Obama

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KpE5O6Q6ss

Virtual Reality: VirZoom Makes You Exercise and eJaculator Helps You Masturbate

Microsoft HoloLens is For Work, Oculus Rift and HTC VIVE for Entertainment - http://clapway.com/2015/12/17/microsoft-hololens-is-for-work-oculus-rift-isnt-123/

Microsoft is taking the business world by storm to market the Microsoft HoloLens. Microsoft flagship store in NYC was host to an event that took attendees on a journey. The product showcase was split into three parts: HoloLens for gaming, for storytelling and for creating.

Clapway

Windows HoloLens Will Join Hands with Windows 10 For Developers

Google and Microsoft have a similar approach when it comes to their VR headsets. They want to put their device in the hands of developers and see what happens. So far, developers have revealed that even though the Microsoft HoloLens was released 11 months ago, it still needs a lot of work.

 

Microsoft Collaborated with NASA, Volvo, Dassault Aviation and Cleveland Clinic

Despite the many collaboration programs the HoloLens is a part of, there are some things that the device needs to enhance to be able to work with businesses. First of all, according to developer testers, Microsoft needs to tune out the gestures that the device picks up.

The HoloLens also needs work with voice commands and an upgrade to its learned vocabulary. After wearing for more than 40 minutes, some developers felt the headset was too heavy, though better than the first generation of the HoloLens. Hopefully, the headset will be more compact and light before its release to the general public.

The Concept of Microsoft HoloLens Augmented Reality PowerPoint is Compelling

The HoloLens storytelling experience caught a lot of attention. The idea of walking through a product while it is being presented should interest many companies. There’s also a feature in this experience that allows users to see what people view in a presentation. This would make life easy for any sales executive. A heat map would identify where the selling point is, and the sales person can adjust accordingly.

Another super plus for the Microsoft HoloLens is that it doesn’t cause headaches. There is the chance of hurting the eyes. However, the Microsoft HoloLens was manageable for the most sensitive developers. This has been a very common complaint of many headsets, as well as dizziness. Developers didn’t share a significant amount of complaints about this.

What About the Playstation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive?

Sony PlayStation VR will work to its own advantage. Sony would benefit most from creating a headset that is best for gaming. As for the HTC Vive, which was delayed again this year, it will also revolve around gaming and entertainment functionalities. The Oculus Rift might be a surprising take, though. Facebook has revealed intentions to make the Oculus Rift as something that will make you present anywhere. Be it at a business meeting or at a meeting with friends, the Oculus Rift will cover more bases.

Mark Zuckerberg has a lot of ambition when it comes to virtual reality. He may bring the strongest competitor to the Google Glass and Microsoft HoloLens. Facebook’s headset is set to release sometime in 2016, like the HTC Vive.

All Work And No Play or Some Work and Some Play

The new headsets will have many different uses. Microsoft is aiming for business because it is what it knows best. Facebook will target the masses and make their headset social. HTC might work best for the smart device world. All of these businesses will be working to hit their target demographic and basic user profile.

It’s too early to compare these devices in terms of quality. 2016 will be filled with a lot of competition. All of these devices will go head to head. It’s going to be an exciting year for technology, and there will be many upgrades to come. We could even expect the next Avatar movie to come in VR!

Read: AuraVisor Brings the First Wire-Free VR Computer

Read: FLYBi Drone Uses VR to Make You Superman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DilzwF90vec

Microsoft HoloLens is For Work, Oculus Rift and HTC VIVE for Entertainment 

Taiwanese Technology Company HTC Delays HTC Vive Release - http://clapway.com/2015/12/09/taiwanese-technology-company-htc-delays-htc-vive-release123/

Taiwanese technology company HTC has set a delay for their HTV Vive VR headset to April of 2016, and will be releasing as many as 7,000 developer kits in the first quarter of the year. This is the second delay announced by HTC, who promised to release the headset in the last quarter of 2015.

This is A Dangerous Move by Taiwanese Technology Company HTC

Samsung has already released their Samsung Gear VR, so it’s quite dangerous for HTC to issue another delay on their head-mounted virtual reality display. The Vive headset is the product of the collaboration between HTC and Valve Corporation, the world’s largest digital video game distribution company. Hopefully, April 2016 is a date that the company can tie down to.

HTC and Valve Corporation Are Committed to Bring the Best Headset Possible

Both companies have announced that they’re trying to reach as many developers and gamers possible, and that the Vive will provide the consumer with the best experience. HTC will be hosting a developer conference on December 18th in Beijing to help accomplish this goal. There will also be a second HTC Vive Developer Kit launched at the CES 2016 trade show in Las Vegas.

The company is already going through significant losses thanks to the two delays it has set on the new gadget. Both fans and investors are hoping that when the headset is actually released, these losses can be made up for.

Virtual Reality Will Likely be the Top Trend of the Next Five Years

The very concept of virtual reality will take over a lot of the new technology world. With the release of different headsets, VR video games and VR applications, it’s only a matter of time before the VR headset becomes a household item. Hopefully, the HTC Vive will launch in time to compete with the Samsung Gear VR and Sony’s Oculus Rift.

Taiwanese Technology Company HTC Delays HTC Vive Release

Sony PlayStation VR will start taking over the game world Next Year - http://clapway.com/2015/12/08/sony-playstation-vr-will-start-taking-over-the-game-world-next-year/

Sony has made no doubt that they are set to unleash the gaming world with an epic device in 2016. The Sony PlayStation VR has been known for a while and is much anticipated by the gaming world. The president of Sony, Shuhei Yoshida, has stated that there are many features about the VR that people do not know yet.

SONY PLAYSTATION VR TO HAVE MANY MORE FEATURES

Yoshida has announced that the VR will have many more features available than just virtual reality. However, he stated that they do not want to unveil those yet. He did mention that they are working hard to prepare for when they do reveal this information. He also said that the actual release date and the retail price will be announced with that information. Yoshida continues and says that the people are looking forward to what the PlayStation VR will offer outside of playing the games. Sony is killing their fans with anticipation.

SONY PLAYSTATION VR WILL AFFECT PS4

The two major things that the world knows is that this is a headset for the PS4 and that there will be virtual reality. Since this is a headset for the PS4, the unveiling of the VR could have many users who do not have a PS4 to get one. The PS4 sales could receive a massive boost whenever the VR is released. It will also be interesting to see if Sony creates a PS4 bundle with this. Nothing has been announced like that, but they might want to consider it.

SONY FANS EXCITED FOR 2016

Besides the PS4 having an impressive game lineup highlighted by Ratchet & Clank PS4, the unveiling of the VR will have all Sony fans excited for 2016. Also, pay attention to the next couple of months as more news will most likely be released for the VR. Sony fans will soon be able to play games with the use of virtual reality. Are you excited yet?

Sony PlayStation VR will start taking over the game world Next Year

Rock Band VR Could Be Far Ahead Of Guitar Hero Live - http://clapway.com/2015/12/04/rock-band-vr-could-be-far-ahead-of-guitar-hero-live/

Harmonix has officially announced their newest version of Rock Band, and this one could blow them all away. They have announced that Rock Band VR will be released on the Oculus Rift. The reason why this game might be the best music genre video game to ever be seen is because they state the implementation of virtual reality.

ROCK BAND VR COULD BLOW GUITAR HERO LIVE OUT OF THE WATER

There is no doubt that Rock Band and Guitar Hero are the two leaders in the music genre of video gaming. Both are very popular, but Harmonix may soon blow anything either franchise has done out of the ballpark. The company states that Rock Band VR will put their users front and center on a virtual reality stage. Not much official gameplay has been revealed, but it sounds like it will maintain the typical Rock Band experience while adding in virtual reality. Even though details are minimal, the simple fact of bringing a game like Rock Band into the world of reality should make it awesome. There has also been no word yet on the track listing of this upcoming game.

CAN VIRTUAL REALITY ALONE MAKE ROCK BAND VR SUPERIOR?

So, can one simple feature make this game better than Guitar Hero Live? Well, if every other gameplay element of the game is awful, then virtual reality will not make the game better by itself. However, as long as they keep the same formula and add virtual reality it might just be. The adding of this feature should give the spice that Rock Band needed. It is also not like Guitar Hero Live was the game of the year. Multiple review sites gave this game a positive review, but some criticized the “live” aspect of the game as having an awful soundtrack and lack of a multi-player mode.

WHEN TO EXPECT ROCK BAND VR

The company has stated that this game will be released sometime next year. There has been no official word on what date it will be released, but 2016 is known to be the date. Many Rock Band fans are probably very excited because soon they will be able to play Rock Band in a virtual reality setting.

Rock Band VR Could Be Far Ahead Of Guitar Hero Live

Lytro VR Camera Can Easily Beat Nokia’s Ozo VR Camera - http://clapway.com/2015/12/01/lytro-vr-camera-can-easily-beat-nokias-ozo-vr-camera123/

The Lytro VR Camera has been announced by the company and it looks like they are diving into the world of virtual reality. This is certainly not the only device like this that is on the market or that will be on the market. Nokia has also announced that they are releasing a similar device next year alongside the Lytro VR Camera. So why could the Lytro VR Camera easily beat Nokia’s Ozo VR Camera? The price tag.

ozo.nokia.com

WHY THE LYTRO VR CAMERA CAN BEAT NOKIA’S OZO VR CAMERA

As mentioned earlier, the price tag is the main reason why the Lytro VR Camera could easily beat Nokia’s Ozo VR Camera. According to Nokia, they will release their Ozo VR Camera for $60,000. Yes, that price was indeed heard correctly and is not a joke. While the Lytro VR Camera was announced by the company that it will be available to rent on a daily basis. They said that it will be anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 a day. Even though the Lytro VR Camera will not be cheap, the fact that it can be rented instead of bought is the kicker. This would allow people that only need it for a few days to spend less than $10,000 rather than spending $60,000 for Nokia’s Ozo VR Camera. The main reason this is important is $60,000 is just way more than any average person can spend on one device.

Both of these cameras are going to be dealing with virtual reality and both of them have been announced by their respective companies as having multiple layers that will shoot in extremely high resolutions. 2016 will be an exciting year for people interested in virtual reality cameras as these two are looking to be amazing. As mentioned earlier, the main aspect that will lead to sales is the fact that one company is offering people the opportunity to rent their camera, while the other is not.

Lytro VR Camera Can Easily Beat Nokia’s Ozo VR Camera

Apple"s Faceshift to Take Over VR World - http://clapway.com/2015/11/25/apple-buys-faceshift-to-take-over-vr-world123/

Apple has confirmed the purchase of Faceshift, a motion capture company that was used for the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Faceshift software can capture facial expressions and make them into digital avatars in real time.

Apple Buys Facial Shift Software

The company has naturally not disclosed why it acquired the company or for what purposes, but there are many theories that can be drawn from the purchase. It’s very likely that it gets developed into a series of apps, either for consumer use in a fun app or as an add-on to an existing app, much like Snapchat lenses.

Is Apple Creating a VR Trifecta?

This could also go into virtual reality technology and the development of augmented reality software. With Googe, Microsoft and Facebook dealing with VR already, it’s only natural that Apple also steps in that direction.

Apple has also acquired Polar Rose, a facial recognition form, back in 2010. There could be a possible fusion between these two firms, and Apple could even bring in a third company, Metaio, to implement augmented reality into the mix.

Apple Has Disclosed Nothing About Their Intentions

None of these companies have given Apple anything other than acquisition documents, but it’s possible that Apple may jump into the VR train in a very big way. Knowing the company, which never does anything lightly, we can expect something bigger than what Facebook, Microsoft and Google have released in the near future.

 

Apple"s Faceshift to Take Over VR World

Samsung Gear VR Games Show Potential - http://clapway.com/2015/11/21/samsung-gear-vr-games-show-potential123/

The Samsung Gear VR was released to the market loaded with video games that are immersive as well as one-of-a-kind. In partnership with Oculus, which has been acquired by Facebook, The Samsung Gear VR is set to lead the way to a customer market that makes virtual reality affordable but also offers great entertainment.

Oculus and Samsung Will Change the Way We See Video

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that the Oculus’s goal is to bring the world new ways of experiencing life, be it while playing video games, watching a movie or simply communicating with friends and loved ones. There’s a large selection of video games that are compatible with the Samsung Gear VR headset.

samsung.com

Samsung Gear VR Presents: VR Karts, Bandit Six: Salvo and Land’s End

The VR Karts racing video game, which calls for a controller, puts the individual right in the vehicle driver’s seat and also creates the fast, dizzying strain of auto races. For people that look for shooter games, Bandit Six: Salvo would certainly be their best option as the video game enables gamers to unleash mortars at tanks and ships merely by though gamers’ head movement. Land’s End is best played from a swivel chair so that the gamer can move via and check out the game’s awesome landscape.

Like With Everything, There’s A Catch

The Samsung Gear VR is currently only compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+ and Galaxy Note 5. This way Samsung can guarantee that they’ll bring their new VR technology straight to smartphones while gaining a lot of profit.

This new Samsung Gear VR has a soft foam, to ensure that even individuals who wear glasses can be comfortable with the gadget for at least 45 minutes at a time.

Despite the Exclusivity, The Samsung Gear VR Looks Really Promising

To allow for the immersive experience, the headset uses both a gyrometer and also an accelerometer to efficiently turn the gamer’s head into a controller. Samsung’s Gear VR headset costs $99 and can be bought through Amazon.com and Best Buy.

Samsung Gear VR Games Show Potential

VRGO Brings the Very First VR Chair - http://clapway.com/2015/11/17/vrgo-brings-the-very-first-vr-chair123/

A team out of Bristol, England, is bringing the world VRGO, the first ever versatile VR chair to optimize the virtual reality gaming experience. VRGO is a wireless chair that can connect to Mac or PC computers as well as smartphone HMD headsets through Bluetooth.

VRGO

VRGO is Light Enough to Carry and Makes VR Gaming Even More Awesome

This VR chair connects at the touch of a button, functioning as both a keyboard and mouse/joypad input, and it’ll be compatible with any console and any game that requires a keyboard and mouse/joypad. It’s completely hands-free so it gives gamers no baggage.

The chair was designed with gamer movement in mind, so it moves naturally with the body. It was developed with a tilt-to-move system that follows natural movements, and by leaning in the direction gamers want to travel, the VR experience responds in kind. This makes for the most organic VR gaming experience currently available.

As A Joypad, the VRGO Emulates Walk, Sprints and Jumps

The VR chair has been adjusted so that a small movement in the chair will emulate larger movements in the console, and this sensitivity can be adjusted according to the players’ preference. This makes for a unique product, although it is not the only one to attempt to try to achieve a more seamless virtual reality gaming experience.

VRGO Brings VR the One Thing it is Missing

The one complaint when it comes to VR gaming as it currently stands is that there is no full body immersion yet, and VRGO brings it one step closer. The campaign hopes to bring the VRGO VR chair to the market as soon as April 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q06RwINHhAs

 

 

VRGO Brings the Very First VR Chair

Envelop VR to Compete with Samsung Gear VR - http://clapway.com/2015/11/10/envelop-vr-to-compete-with-samsung-gear-vr123/

Envelop VR, an enterprise software company that deals in virtual reality, is looking to compete with the Samsung Gear VR to bring consumers a way to develop VR content straight from the headset. The company has hired J. J. Hoesing as its Principal Software Engineer and John Root as Director of Developer Relations.

samsung.com

Envelop VR is looking to make its first product launch in the final months of 2015 or the first quarter of 2016, and Hoesing has been given the task to aid in the development of a software tool kit for developers to create VR content from their VR headset. Prior to being hired by Envelop VR, Hoesing was a VR engineer at Epic Games, so he has experience with PS4, Xbox One and Android platform engineering.

Root, on the other hand, is one of the co-founders of the Virtual Reality Foundation, and he will be responsible for Envelop VR relations. He was previously the motion capture lead at Magic Leap, and has experience working for Epic Games, ID Software, Disney and Midway Games.

Envelop VR was founded in 2014 and it’s already looking to compete with the big boys. After it’s first products are launched it will be put to the test against products like the Samsung Gear VR; only time will tell how this young company will fare.

Envelop VR to Compete with Samsung Gear VR

Virtual Reality Apps Can Damage Your Eyesight - http://clapway.com/2015/11/06/virtual-reality-apps-can-damage-your-eyesight123/

Virtual Reality apps are becoming increasingly popular, and there is much to be said about how this new technology can damage our eyesight. This past October, the New York Times announced that they’d be joining hands with Google to make a series of virtual reality films, and it has since then launched it’s VR app.

The films, seen through Google’s Cardboard VR headset, show the astounding journalism that is commonly associated with the New York Times, but some viewers found that one of the films, subtitled in English because the cast were not English speakers caused a difficult strain in the eyes and made the experience difficult to enjoy.

The move toward Virtual Reality and Virtual Reality apps is a predictable step for both companies. It’s only a matter of time before virtual reality apps start to become more and more widespread, and more VR headsets hit the market to cater to specific people. However, with this technology comes new dangers. We all know that staring at backlit screens for extended periods of time causes eye strain, headaches and a decrease in alertness, and having a screen three or four inches can do some significant damage. VR headset makers insist that it causes less strain due to the panoramic nature of the experience, but the virtual reality experience already causes dizziness and general strain, and even a new phenomenon called virtual reality sickness where gamers feel nauseated and disoriented.

Since VR gamers and users are usually in their early to late teens, they’re at risk for early onset myopia, not to mention at risk for migraines and chronic virtual reality sickness. So before grabbing hold of a pair of headsets, users may need to evaluate how Virtual Reality or any Virtual Reality apps may affect their eyesight.

 

 

Virtual Reality Apps Can Damage Your Eyesight

Lytro Will Bring Virtual Reality Movies in 2016 - http://clapway.com/2015/11/06/lytro-will-bring-virtual-reality-movies-in-2016123/

Lytro is introducing Lytro Immerge, the world’s first virtual reality cinematic camera. It’s designed for professional videographers, and it will be available to rent in the first quarter of 2016. Its 360 degree sphere design combines virtual reality and the best cameras on the market to bring the world the first set of virtual reality movies within the next few years.

Lytro

The Lytro Immerge has five layers, each one with a ring of cinematic video cameras capturing footage at a high rate and resolution, and as it fuses these two technologies it also bears Lytro’s sigil proudly with the light-field mathematical model that the company is famous for. The company will kickstart the rising buzz about virtual reality popping up in every media industry. The Lytro Immerge will also be able to let videographers choose their preferred device from which to playback video from their virtual reality movies. It’s compatible with Google Cardboard, Oculus Rift, Sony Playstation VR, Microsoft HoloLens, HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and more. The Lyrtro Immerge can also be managed through a Wi-Fi connected tablet.

Lytro hopes its mathematical model and natural light flow process can make it so no matter where consumers are looking, standing or moving, every frame is as real as life itself. It was only a matter of time before virtual reality movies came to life, and with Lytro, it’s possible as early as 2016. Since the equipment is far too valuable to be bought, prices scaling the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Lytro Immerge will be available for renting.

 

Lytro Will Bring Virtual Reality Movies in 2016

You Have to Be Fit to Play VR Games - http://clapway.com/2015/11/05/you-have-to-be-fit-to-play-vr-games123/

HTC’s Vive Virtual Reality Headset can put you in the world of John Wick, and this will only be the beginning for virtual realities and movies fusing together. One more giant step for humanity and one more hyper immersive experience for fans from all over the world, this development is sure to make some big changes in the way technology and the movie industry interact.

This new adventure lets users go through the eyes of John Wick himself, exploring the Continental Hotel. The experience is packed with missions to bribe a concierge, find clues and dodge bullets when a hotel room is attacked. Users can move freely in the space provided, and can even crawl when gusts of bullets start to fly around. HTC Vive’s controllers will allow users to interact with objects in the hotel. This is the product of a partnership between Lionsgate and Wevr, a VR startup.

What does this tell us? The days of sitting on the couch to play your favorite games or, in this case, to be in your favorite movies, are over. Virtual Reality is bringing back the notion to break a sweat to play a good game. This John Wick demo forces players to move and to feel the experience more viscerally; no time to be couch potatoes.

While the VR market finds its place and exactly where it stands, Lionsgate will keep the project to demos and for roadshows. Peter Levin, president of Lionsgate’s Interactive Ventures and Games commented that virtual reality is a game-changer in many ways, changing how content is experienced in a massive scale, but it still hasn’t found a solid footing. Even so, the John Wick VR project has a sequel currently in development, so it’s only a matter of time before fans all over the world can experience it.

You Have to Be Fit to Play VR Games

Sony to Launch their PlayStation VR in 2016 - http://clapway.com/2015/11/05/sony-launch-playstation-vr-2016/

Sony has been talking about their new virtual reality concept and now it seems it is official. According to Sony, they are going to release a virtual reality head mounted display compatible with their PlayStation 4 console in the first half of next year. Sony has stated however that they would like to build their new PlayStation VR as an entirely new platform instead of just an add-on to their PlayStation 4.

playstation.com

WHY CREARE THE PLAYSTATION VR?

The world of virtual reality is quickly adapting and soon virtual reality will become an integrate part of the world and especially video gaming. Sony has stated how there are a number of elite companies that are experimenting and working with virtual reality, but Sony’s studio president Yoshida Shuhei said in a recent press conference that Sony has the advantage. Shuhei stated how Sony has the advantage in integration hardware and software as they produce not only virtual reality devices, but also system software and game consoles. Now whether this is true or not is up for debate, but Sony is indeed one of the very few companies in the world that can say this. Sony has stated that they want to give their gamers a brand new experience with this new PlayStation VR. They describe this new PlayStation VR as allowing gamers to go into the the game’s world firsthand.

NOW WHAT NINTENDO AND MICROSOFT?

With Sony already enjoying a great advantage in the console wars versus Nintendo and Microsoft, this new PlayStation VR will only help further them from Nintendo and Microsoft. Now obviously Nintendo and Microsoft are not just going to roll over and die for Sony, but after Sony has officially announced their PlayStation VR is coming in 2016 they need to respond. Nintendo has already announced they are working on their newest system entitled the Nintendo NX and Microsoft, although not video games, has officially released their new operating system Windows 10. All of these companies will always stay competitive with each other. Sony has always had a brilliant mind when it comes to video games and the PlayStation VR can be expected to be a tremendous device in 2016 and maybe eventually turn into its own console.

Sony to Launch their PlayStation VR in 2016

FLYBi Drone Uses VR to Make You Superman - http://clapway.com/2015/10/22/flybi-drone-uses-vr-to-make-you-superman123/

One of the most sought after fictional superpowers is the ability to fly. We have planes and helicopters, skydiving and parachuting, but there’s nothing even remotely close to what we’ve seen great fictional heroes have done by punching a fist in the air and willing it to take them to the skies.

Courtesy of FLYBi

With the FLYBi, we might be just a little closer. No laser eyes and no superhuman strength, but this new gadget gives you the ability to feel like a bird in flight.

The FLYBi Combines Virtual Reality and A Drone to Bring You An Out of Body Flying Experience

It’s nothing like we’ve seen before. The FlyBi is the world’s first drone designed to capture and immortalize everything they see, and cast it right back to your own eyes. The gadget is composed of a small flying drone, controlled by remote and a pair of goggles.

The FLYBi is 14″x16″ and weighs 2.2 lb., flying at speeds of up to 50mph for about 30 minutes at a time.

The FLYBi drone is equipped with a 12 megapixel camera that captures 1080p quality footage, and it moves according to your own movement to capture exactly what you want to see when you want to see it.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/141334773

You can capture photos or video on the fly, and the FLYBi drone also has integrated WiFi and remote storage to file all of your adventures and daily routines.

Courtesy of FLYBi

The FLYBi drone and wrist remote are meant to be used alongside the FLYBi app, which allows users to set a flight path for your drone to follow, so obstacles like unexpected cars can be perfectly avoided by a slight alteration of their path from your phone. Other more obvious obstacles like utility poles will be automatically avoided by the FLYBi’s obstacle avoidance sensors.

The FLYBi is Guaranteed to Give You A Unique Bird’s Eye View of Wherever You Want It To Go

The FLYBi drone comes in four colors and has different add-ons in the package, like a HeliDeck that acts as a charging station and a landing pad, and a Carrying Case that protects your drone from any hazards. Once your FLYBi is in need of recharging, just opening the HeliDeck will prompt it to return and begin charging immediately, so having a FLYBi is almost like being a warg or having a familiar spirit.

The FLYBi drone requires no learning curve, it’s a matter of unpacking and putting to use immediately. No need for instructions, just for the app, your drone, your googles and just a pinch of vicarious wanderlust.

Check out their campaign and pre-order yours now here!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTuL0nLmBw8

FLYBi Drone Uses VR to Make You Superman

The #Facebook #virtualreality app hopes to integrate #VR with social media. - http://clapway.com/2015/09/14/facebook-virtual-reality-app123/

Facebook is developing an independent smartphone app that would allow users to take 360-degree “spherical” videos, in which viewers could tilt their phones to get a different perspective. The development would launch Facebook to the forefront of virtual reality technology, without the use of a headset.

The news came from workers at Facebook familiar with the project, speaking on the condition of anonymity since the project is still in early development. Presumably, the Facebook virtual reality app hopes to integrate VR with social media.

Virtual Reality Is Already Going Mainstream

Last year, months after buying WhatsApp for $19 billion, Facebook made another game-changing purchase: Oculus VR, perhaps the biggest name in virtual reality technology. For $2 billion, Facebook now owns the rights to their software as well as their “goggles,” the headset with which Oculus emerges its users into a virtual reality.

The announcement of the Facebook virtual reality app coincides with the first Emmy Award for a virtual reality experience. The Sleepy Hollow Virtual Reality Experience, produced for the Oculus Rift DK2 headset, won an Emmy for the category of “Interactive Media, User Experience, and Visual Design.” From this and other VR “experiences” that Oculus has produced, the company hopes to soon develop full-length interactive games. A consumer version of the Rift headset should be available in the first quarter of next year.

Big Deal, Video Games. Give Me Something “Real.”

Virtual reality isn’t limited to gaming. The news and entertainment industries are already exploring the potential of using technology to immerse viewers in rare, real-life experiences (unlike Oculus, which wants to show you what it looks like to be decapitated by a headless horseman). VICE News and The New York Times teamed up to develop Vrse, a virtual reality method of news that allows a 360-degree view of current events, like Liberia during the Ebola outbreak, or the Black Lives Matter protests.

YouTube has launched an account called #360Video, a series of videos in which viewers can scroll around to view a scene from all angles, scenes including an underwater kelp forest and a Duran Duran music video.

Taylor Swift even developed an app that allows fans to experience her concerts from back-stage or tour her mansion. What a thrill.

Since Vrse, #360Video, and T-Swift rely on smartphones and tablets rather than headsets, some VR-purists denounce it as not true virtual reality. Then again, denouncing virtual reality as not true reality usually shuts them up.

Facebook Virtual Reality App Will Make Your Every Experience VR-Worthy

Many virtual reality pioneers, like those at Oculus, see little market outside hardcore gamers, at least in the short-term. But Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has different plans.

He has previously expressed his belief that virtual reality will become the next big “computing platform” after mobile devices. Beyond gaming, he foresees his Facebook virtual reality app being used for immersive Skype-like hangouts, virtual doctor appointments, experiencing courtside seats at a basketball game, and more.

He also thinks the “purists,” who require a headset for virtual reality, are holding the platform back. Making virtual reality available on mobile devices will introduce it to an extremely wide audience, reducing widespread skepticism about the technology as a whole.

Just imagine: once people get used to video-chatting their friends from all angles at once using their mobile devices, they’ll be eager to buy an over-priced headset so they can literally plunge into social media and forget about the world around them. Won’t that be the day!

Google, Samsung, and Sony are all investing in virtual reality headsets of their own. But Facebook may be a trailblazer when it comes to mobile-based, social media virtual reality—a road that must be paved for the headsets to catch on. Welcome to the future!

How would you use the Facebook virtual reality app or any other type of VR? Share your foresight!

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VIRTUAL REALITY ISN’T ALWAYS EXPENSIVE. TRANSPORT YOURSELF WITH THIS HEADSET:

Facebook Virtual Reality App in Development

Discovery VR Tells Stories With Virtual Reality #discoveryvr #vr #virtualreality - http://clapway.com/2015/08/28/discovery-vr-virtual-reality123/

Virtual reality (VR) offers users a unique, “immersive multimedia experience,” by transporting users into real, or often times, imagined worlds. The technology works by replicating physical environments and artificially creating sensory stimulants. Discovery, known for digging “deep into our world’s mysteries,” is now utilizing VR to take viewers on adventures like never before. Its Discovery VR service will offer users point-of-view movies that can be watched on both conventional screens and headsets.

DISCOVERY VR TAKES YOU ON THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME

For decades, Discovery has “told stories like no one else,” sparking the curiosity of millions of people around the world. Now, modern technology is paving the way for these stories to be told in an entirely immersive manner. To capture these videos, cameramen utilized virtual reality cameras, which can record 360-degree footage, according to PC Mag. A few of the movies viewers can choose from include a tour through shark-infested shipwrecks to a free-boarding adventure down Lombard Road, the windiest street in the world.

To watch the movies, users can implement a variety of different media-viewing platforms, such as a computer screen, a smartphone device or a standard virtual reality headset, such as the Samsung Gear VR or the highly popularized, Oculus Rift. The Discovery VR app for iOS and Android can also be downloaded.

According to Conal Byrne, Discovery Communication Inc.’s senior vice chairman of digital media, the purpose of the project is to find out what works and what doesn’t on the rising platform. Users, for example, can frequently feel ill or dizzy after experiencing virtual reality and this needs to be factored into consideration in order to further advance the platform.

“It must be repeated that we’re experimenting quite a bit,” Byrne says. “There are borders and limits that we’re actually going to attempt to push.”

In the meantime, Discover VR will continue to upload a host of new content each week for the next 12 months at the very minimum, according to Suffield Times.

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Let virtual reality take you on the adventure of your dreams. All you have to do is slip on a headset and tune into Discovery VR:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTCwx6CgWBI

Discovery VR Tells Stories With Virtual Reality

Can Virtual Reality Treat Alcoholism? - http://clapway.com/2015/06/24/can-virtual-reality-treat-alcoholism765/

Another Way to Treat Alcoholism?

A recent study in South Korea showed the potential role virtual reality can play in helping those who struggle with alcohol dependence. This study was led by senior researcher Doug Hyun Han, of the Chang-Ang University Hospital. Though the study had a relatively small number of people tested, those people were found to be craving less alcohol than when the virtual reality testing began. It’s a beginning step to what could hopefully be a technological breakthrough in helping those who struggle with addiction.

What Occurred In the Study?

Han and his team’s study had 12 patients being tested. For five weeks, these 12 people, who were being treated for their dependence, underwent a total of 10 virtual reality therapy sessions, broken down into two sessions a week. In these sessions, the patients were faced with three separate virtual realities. The first scene they were dealt was a calming environment meant to relax the patient. The second scene confronted alcoholics with a simulation of a restaurant in which others were drinking, which was referred to as a high-risk situation wherein cravings could possibly be triggered. The third virtual reality the patients were confronted with is known as an aversive situation, as they were subjected to both the sight and sound of drinking too much. Vomit was, unsurprisingly, heavily featured in this situation meant to showcase the least appealing and lowest points of heavy drinking. The simulation even involved a drink that tasted like vomit.

The researchers had the patients undergo PET ad CT scans both before the virtual reality therapy began and after the five weeks had been completed. What they found in the second scan was that the patients’ limbic circuits in the brain had seen a decrease in activity. The metabolism of the brain had also slowed down. Han theorized that this could result in a reduced craving for alcohol.

What Does This Mean Going Forward?

This study has the potential to be a big step in the treatment of dependence, but even the researchers themselves warn to not get ahead of ourselves. Larger studies will need to be done going forward. But optimism is strong in the researchers after their virtual reality findings.

 

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Can Virtual Reality Treat Alcoholism?