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Ricoh's next camera can stream live broadcasts in 360
Ricoh makes one of the best, simple 360-degree cameras out there. It's gradually added better picture quality, more video skills (and cheaper models) to its Theta series, but the company's taking its tech in a different direction with a spherical video camera capable of live streaming 2K at 30fps. The stitching takes place in real-time and the product is unmistakably for creators and media types. This is the Ricoh R Developer kit, and you can preorder one now.
Huawei announces a 360-degree VR camera for smartphones (updated)
Huawei is joining the 360-degree camera war. The Chinese electronics company has revealed that it created a 360-degree clip-on for smartphones called Honor VR Camera in collaboration with Insta360 at an event in Beijing. Huawei is keeping its pricing and release date a secret, but it's obviously part of the company's online-focused line. The phonemaker also said the device is capable of 3K photography and seamless livestreaming. Plus, you can capture and share photos and videos as well as do livestreams through its companion app.
Homido's V2 headset shows mobile VR doesn't have to be basic
Virtual Reality's main players might be household names (or owned by them), but scratch under the surface, and there's a bustling bevy of lesser-known names jostling for your attention. Usually these fall into two camps, those with quirky features, or deluxe versions of Google Cardboard. Homido's first headset was more the latter, with the distinction of having its own app hub for VR movies and games, and IPD (Inter Pupil Distance) controls, something even Gear VR doesn't have. The French company's back with a new version (called V2) that's sleeker and compatible with more phones. What makes it interesting is the "family" of accessories that will complement it, including a Kinect-like motion sensor -- making Homido's little slice of virtual reality more than just a bourgeois take on bare-bones VR.
Xbox 360 camera plus poker equals immersion
After the Microsoft keynote we managed to spend some time with one of the games supporting the 360's camera peripheral, World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions. In this game, the camera is used to take a frontal and sideways shot of the player's head, which is then turned into a 3D representation of the player.The process takes about three minutes, and is a little rough around the edges, but the immersiveness from seeing your opponents' faces both in 3D and in a superimposed webcam display is undeniable. The PMS Clan ladies demonstrating the game were impressed, describing it as a way to increase the addictiveness and realism of online poker, and wondering when they'd see their own faces in their favourite FPS. However, we find the concept of seeing our own dead bodies disturbing enough without adding our faces to it.
