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Google Developing Standalone Virtual Reality Headset, Upgraded Cardboard Viewer
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Not sure I see the humor but okay, marketing can be funny at times. If by "special" you mean free...
You're right, you can easily DIY cardboard. Google actually encourages it. They also allow you to sell your creation to the public. Cardboard has built a nice little ecosystem.
Apple sold more iPad Pros than Google did '$2 pieces of cardboard' and people complained that sales were low.
If this were gonna be big, they'd have sold a LOT more pieces of cardboard.
All you're doing is thinking about yourself. The catch with this is:
1) You NEED an Android. Sure that's the majority of users... but most people get an Android because it's the cheapest default phone with their plan. Their intention is to make phone calls... nothing more.
2) You NEED the person to be a passionate 3D gamer who loves technology and doesn't feel weird wearing 3d goggles.
IMO it's a bit like Google Glass... an idea... not a new idea... and not something that will take off in a big way.
We've had 3d games for ages (even purpose built graphics cards) and this isn't what the iPod was to the Nomad. It's just another Google thing aimed at creating hype that won't take off.
You are focused on specific models of VR hardware. I'm talking about VR technology itself.
For VR to be in such an early stage with limited content, and still be as good as it is already. It's a no brainer.
I personally don't care who will lead the VR hardware race. The more manufacturers that get on board, the better.
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I tried samples of VR porn. It really is the next level, it's like they are actually there.
If it will be a success at all the porno industry will make it that!
Sorry, I see somebody above me mentioned that already.
Except tons of companies have invented millions/a couple of billion into VR - so it's not Google driving the train or trying to hype. But I'm looking at the data, and you're probably just stating your opinion
Careful saying that around here. You've just described most of the Apple lineup.
A bunch of car makers have already shown AR windshields, so they're definitely a coming thing.
They've also shown off non-AR features such as "see-through" camera displays built into the window and door posts, so your view isn't blocked in any direction. Imagine if they did that to the roof as well, so from the inside it looked like you were in a convertible all the time.
VR or augmented reality. One of these or (more likely) a weird as yet un-fathomable combo of both is literally the near future of computer interface.
Anyone who disagrees is either an idiot or some sort of post-luddite luddite type. Everyone is working on it; for good reason. Whoever figures out the correct UX for whatever this VR/AR thing is wins the next 10 years. This is where we need a Steve, but even a Steve wouldn't get this right first time
Anyone who disagrees is either an idiot or some sort of post-luddite luddite type. Everyone is working on it; for good reason. Whoever figures out the correct UX for whatever this VR/AR thing is wins the next 10 years. This is where we need a Steve, but even a Steve wouldn't get this right first time
It's not bad, and works well with an iPhone. Gear VR is [obviously] better, especially with some good wireless headphones (and it of course, Samsung specific).
I've used all the major products, and have been engaged in some development, including some stuff coming down the pipe, and there are some products that really "free" you in terms of forgetting about the equipment (due to refresh, resolution, weight). With Sony, MS, we're going to start seeing an acceleration to more mass consumer acceptance - will that be 2016? 2017? It's closer than some people might believe.
Some great things happening over the last couple of days here:
http://visionsummit2016.com
I watched the Keynote, interesting. The Playstation VR design looks like something straight out of Sci-Fi. I would purchase a PS4 just for that.
VR has been around since the 80s (at least). Every decade multiple companies explore it and do cool stuff but see no mainstream commercial success.
You can't compare the 80s and 90s to present day. Home and mobile PC technology was almost non existent for the majority of the mainstream public. So was the internet and proper bandwidth speeds. And technology itself such as displays wouldn't have made VR worth it.
For "daily life" and walking around? Probably. But not for gaming (or maybe some kind of "social media" uses). I think the console and PC gaming market are enough to sustain it once the prices drop (they can sustain $300-$600 video cards so why not?).
I can only imagine what size and voltage the alternator would need to be to support all of that electronic stuff.
Your original argument was that there's lots of investment in 3D now and there wasn't previously, so we'll stick with that. Sure phones are faster now, but that doesn't mean everything you predict about them will come true. 3D has been toyed with for ages and while it's fun, IMO it's not gonna take over how we use mobile devices.
All you're talking about is old wine in new bottles. For some history lad...
- 3D Movies have existed since what... the 60's? Earlier? This was totally mainstream because back then the cinema was THE thing.
- During the 1970's and 1980's, there were 3D arcade games at EVERY arcade. These were massively popular and didn't always require 3D glasses. While computing power was like... 2Mhz machines and stuff, there was a massive investment in researching the physics of how to trick the eyes into thinking an image was 3D.
- 3D console games have existed since the early 80's, as have plug-ins for the popular consoles of the day. VR was all the rave in those times.
- The virtual boy existed in the 90s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Boy) as an affordable option... $179.95... it was cheaper than most consoles of the day. It was also pretty fun to use... I suggest you seek one out.
- Sega World (Sega was a company made consoles before the Xbox and PSX existed and they were madly into 3d/VR solutions in their amusement parks, arcades and consoles). In the 90's I'd go to Sega World regularly... if was like Disneyland, but for the rides you'd pop a VR set on, look around (seeing a virtual world as you moved your head) and do anything... drive racing cars, fly space ships, ride flying push-bikes, ride a roller coaster. This stuff was much more amazing than Avatar and '3D' screens that got a tiny bit of momentum afterwards (until people realised it was a rubbish movie - they just hadn't seen 3D for a while).
- I lived in Japan during the 90's... seriously, EVERY Japanese electronics company had its own take on VR. Panasonic had a massive VR world in Tokyo where you could row a banana through space, shoot down baddies (all with VR headsets where the 'world' moved as you tilted your head) and get a 3d video of the whole thing that you could watch on your TV using $2 cardboard and cellophane 3D glasses. The investment during the 90's was huuuuge and people were using VR regularly for entertainment. This kinda died off because you can't play 3D games for hours without getting dizzy... people much prefer long mind games rather than sugar and fizzy water (VR) for 30 minutes.
- VR graphics cards that converted ANY 3D game into VR existed all throughout the 90's.
While I can see why kids like you are all excited about 3D/VR on your Androids, this is nothing new. VR has existed since before you were born, and just because the machines look old to you, it doesn't mean they didn't have a MASSIVE buzz around them back in the day. The buzz around this Android BS is non-existent... it's a gimmickie selling point for some Samsung phones and billion dollar Google have made sure they have 1 division that explores VR (as I'm sure most large multinational electronics manufacturers do too).
5,000,000 people worldwide buying a cardboard box for $2 demonstrates the demand (as I've already said). It's not great, and VR isn't the next big thing... it's old wine in a new bottle. I'm sorry to burst your bubble lad.
My original argument is correct. If you think the hardware components of today's VR are in line with the old VR, you are highly mistaken. The concept of VR is nothing new, but the technology is new and/or highly improved(which can still be classified as new).
I'm pretty sure comparing a Virtual Boy from 1995 vs today's VR, is equivalent to comparing a Motorola StarTac to an iPhone 6S.
That combo you speak of.... It's called Hololens by Microsoft. And it exists. Check out last year's E3 demo of Minecraft for the Xbox and you'll see.
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AR is low powered and has low memory consumption. It's the basis of Brillo and Weave. BMW has them applied to their windshields as an upgrade option. It barely touches the same power consumption as say running the radio in your car.
[doublepost=1455320068][/doublepost]I find it really funny that everyone here is trying to find ways to use VR in consumer applications, and have yet to look at the business side of things where most companies make their money off of. There is already development in the medical field where AR and VR are going to be used, especially in surgery. IoT provides a huge amount of data to doctors while performing surgical operations. Imagine one device that is inserted during surgery that produces numbers such as blood count, bps, cholesterol, fat, etc. instantly through the sensors of the device to an AR/VR device. Glass came out way too soon, but the concept of Glass is brilliant.
Hey, don't diss simple things made of cardboard.
After all, many people believed that generic rectangular white boxes with a product picture on them were worth millions in trade dress.
Your original argument was that investments into VR have only just taken off in a big way. I've given you a long (but not complete) list of significant investments.
All you've done is assert that lots of companies are currently investing in VR. Well yeah... they have been since at least the 70s. With each generation, CPUs get faster, storage gets cheaper and more transistors can be crammed onto one chip (because things get smaller).
Compare Sega World (a massive, iconic VR themepark in the 90s) to an Android phone with a cardboard box attached to it. The Sega World rides are still far superior by today's standards (the tech was all waaaay ahead of its time... GPUs maybe not, but the actual VR tech being engineered... yes). VR remains an interesting area to explore, but it's not as if VR is the main thing consumers or tech companies are focussing on.