VR
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We went gaming at a VR arcade in Hong Kong
TechCrunch was in Hong Kong last week for tech conference Rise — where we watched two robots talking together on stage, among other things. The event is well-known for its after-parties and social activities, but one night we sneaked away from the crowd with a few friends to check out a virtual reality arcade. Playdium is a new entry to the city, having only opened its doors at the start… Read More
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Sketchfab adds 3D sound to its 3D model sharing platform
Sketchfab wants to become a sort of YouTube for 3D models and scenes. While the service started as a way to show off static 3D objects, the company has added a ton of interactive tools over time, making it a solid platform to preview virtual reality content. This week, Sketchfab added sound support. So if you have a VR headset at home, you can look at a scene in 3D using your headset with… Read More
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The new Taster VR app brings VR content from the BBC to your smartphone
The BBC today released a new mobile application that will allow it to experiment with transforming BBC content into VR experiences. The app, called BBC Taster VR, comes from the broadcaster’s testing ground for new ideas, Taster, and uses technology from EEVO to publish videos in a VR format. Initially, Taster VR only offers a couple of projects, one of which is 360 video from the… Read More
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Google unveils Advr, an experimental Area 120 project for advertising in VR
Google today is more formally taking the wraps off its internal incubator, Area 120, with the launch of a dedicated website, alongside the launch of one of the program’s more interesting projects to date: a way to advertise within VR. The new experiment, which is simply called Advr, involves a cube-like ad format which allows video ads to run in a 3D/VR environment. Area 120 was launched… Read More
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LiveLike will now let you watch sports with your Facebook friends in VR
LiveLike, the service that partners with sports broadcasters to create and host their VR viewing experiences, is going social. LiveLike’s VR experience is a “virtual suite” overlooking the field, where you can select different camera angles, look around the suite, view pre-produced content, etc. And now you’ll be able to do this with friends. Read More
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Samsung quietly acquired VR app studio VRB
Samsung has been bullish on virtual reality hardware, hoping that its early moves in headsets and devices to shoot content will give it a stronger position in the space as (and if!) it continues to expand to more applications and users. Now TechCrunch has learned that as part of that effort, it’s also made an acquisition. Samsung quietly bought a New York-based startup called VRB, which… Read More
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Apple’s new iMacs are now powerful enough to support VR
Apple just refreshed their iMac line, and while the external design will stay the same, the company has put a ton of effort into refreshing the insides to make them competitive with other professional-grade computers. Read More
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In the AI wars, Microsoft now has the clearer vision
A week ago, Microsoft held its Build developer conference in its backyard in Seattle. This week, Google did the same in an amphitheater right next to its Mountain View campus. While Microsoft’s event felt like it embodied the resurgence of the company under the leadership of Satya Nadella, Google I/O — and especially its various, somewhat scattershot keynotes — fell flat… Read More
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Microsoft announces its own motion controllers for mixed reality
Microsoft doubled down on its commitment to what it called “mixed reality” today at its Build developer conference, revealing motion controllers that work closely with VR headsets from Acer. With a $399 bundle containing all you need coming later this year, it could be one of the more affordable ways out there to get into the VR game. Read More
Latest Crunch Report
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Crunch Report | Rumors: Amazon’s New Echo Device
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Uber’s use of Greyballing, we get the first look at the rumored Amazon Echo device and Facebook shuts down its VR filmmaking division. All this on Crunch Report. Read More
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Exploring Virtualities, a Utah VR arcade and theater startup taking over a dying mall
Virtualities founder Ryan Burningham has a new idea for abandoned retail spaces — VR. VR theaters and arcades like Virtualities are starting to pop up in warehouses and other empty spaces around the U.S., including Burningham’s startup, located in what used to be a Hot Topic on the second floor of the Gateway Mall on Salt Lake City’s west side. Read More
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DJI’s new FPV goggles let you control your drone with head movements
When DJI announced the Mavic Pro last year they also teased a pair of FPV goggles that could be used to see first-person video from DJI’s drones. But we didn’t get many more details than that… until now. Read More
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Facebook launches React VR, a new JavaScript framework for building basic VR apps
Facebook today announced the launch of React VR, a new JavaScript framework that lets developers build virtual reality experiences with the help of JavaScript. React VR takes its cues from Facebook’s existing React framework; just like with React for standard web apps, VR developers can now use the same declarative model to write apps for their 360-degree experiences. Read More
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Viro wants to make mobile VR development a snap, and raises $2.5M to do it
VR is all over the place, but sometimes it’s not where you most expect it. Plenty of apps out there might could do with a wee bit of VR to help show off an apartment or a bit of 3D content, but those experiences can be pretty labor-intensive. Viro is a new company that hopes to empower mobile developers to add VR to their apps simply and using familiar tools and code bases. Read More
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Here’s how to watch NCAA March Madness in VR
Want to watch March Madness in VR? You’re in luck. Six games — including the Final Four national semifinals and National Championship game — will be streamed in VR. The games will be available via the new NCAA March madness Live VR App available on the Oculus Store, which will work with Gear VR devices. Read More
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Tilt gesture keyboard could hold promise for typing in VR
A group of researchers are demonstrating a tilt-based typing technique they’ve designed that could be an alternative option for users of larger smartphones or for inputting text when in VR. Read More
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OceanGate plans an expedition to 3D scan the Titanic
Seattle-based OceanGate Inc. this week announced plans for a manned expedition to study the R.M.S. Titanic, the world’s most famous shipwreck. Fewer than 200 people have ever visited the Titanic since it sank in April 1912 according to historians’ estimates. To put that in perspective, more people have scaled the summit of Mt. Everest, or flown in space. The new expedition… Read More
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Google has shipped 10M Cardboard VR viewers, 160M Cardboard app downloads
Google is putting a lot of its virtual reality focus right now on its Daydream VR framework, but today Amit Singh, the company’s VP of VR, also gave an update on its earlier (and still active) effort in the area, Google Cardboard. He said that to date the company has shipped 10 million Cardboard VR sets, and it has seen 160 million downloads of Cardboard apps, with 30 individual… Read More
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Terpon is making VR webcams just for live streaming porn
A Swiss startup, Terpon SA, is making virtual reality webcams specifically for the adult entertainment industry. The cameras aren’t available for purchase, but customers can rent them for about $30 a month, a price that includes around the clock technical support. Terpon Chief Executive Jean-Claude Artonne said he wants to empower adult performers around the world to create immersive… Read More
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Confirmed: Magic Leap acquires 3D division of Dacuda in Zurich
Magic Leap, the augmented reality startup that has raised $1.4 billion in funding but has yet to release a product, has made an acquisition to expand its work in computer vision and deep learning, and to build out its operations into Europe. The company has acquired the 3D division of Dacuda, a computer vision startup based out of Zurich. One of Dacuda’s focuses had been… Read More
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