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360fly hopes you'll livestream mobile VR video
There's no shortage of 360-degree cameras to add a dash of virtual reality to your adventure videos. However, livestreaming that portable VR hasn't been realistic for most people... at least, not until today. 360fly has teamed up with Livit to offer livestreaming VR to most anyone with one of 360fly's cameras and a modern smartphone. So long as you have Livit's Android or iOS apps and a high-quality data link, you can share VR video as it happens -- that bike ride should be considerably more immersive. You'll need to shell out at least $399 for 360fly's gear ($499 if you're waiting for the 4K model's release in April), but it could be easy to justify if ordinary action cameras just won't cut it.
YouTube reportedly plans to support live 360-degree videos
360-degree videos are all the rage nowadays, and YouTube is at the forefront of that trend. The internet service began supporting this type of content last March, which it later expanded to be compatible with virtual reality headsets. But it's not stopping there. According to BuzzFeed News, YouTube's now working to bring live 360-degree videos to its platform, although there isn't a timeline of when it plans to launch said feature.
Samsung reportedly launches its VR camera February 21st
Tired of waiting for Samsung's virtual reality-oriented Project Beyond camera to be more than just a well-meaning idea? You might just get your hands on it (or rather, something like it) soon. SamMobile sources hear that Samsung is preparing to launch a finished VR camera, the Gear 360, alongside the Galaxy S7 on February 21st. From the sounds of it, this device won't be as elaborate as Project Beyond -- it'll have two 180-degree fisheye cameras (à la devices like Nikon's KeyMission 360) rather than the abundance of cams on the concept. It'll record a 4K wrap-around picture if you use both lenses, though, and will have trick modes like split image views, panoramas and timelapses. There's no word on whether or not you can stream live footage online.
Nikon reveals its own VR-ready action camera
Nikon isn't exactly quick to jump on the latest trends, as it still lacks a mirrorless camera with a truly large sensor. However, it just filled a giant hole in its lineup by launching its first action camera: meet the KeyMission 360. As the name implies, the tiny, cube-like cam is designed from the start for 360-degree images and virtual reality. It's also toughened up like many of the incumbent offerings, with drop-proofing to 6.6 feet and waterproofing to depths of 100 feet.
Vuze camera shoots 3D VR video for under $1,000
You can already get affordable virtual reality cameras, and low-cost 3D cameras have existed for years. However, getting both in one package is another matter -- it's entirely possible to pay a five-digit price if you're not careful. That's where HumanEyes' new Vuze camera (no, not that Vuze) just might save the day. The UFO-like rig combines eight cameras to capture 3D VR footage for less than $1,000, or low enough that you can get one solely to make amateur Google Cardboard videos. It promises to be headache-free, too, between a new seamless image stitching technique and quick, near real-time processing.
Your Apple TV now plays 360-degree videos
The new Apple TV can do a lot of things now that it runs full-fledged apps... and that includes 360-degree videos. The Disney-funded VR service Littlstar has launched an Apple TV app that lets you explore immersive clips from the likes of Disney (of course), Discovery, National Geographic and Red Bull from the comfort of your couch. As Littlstar suggests, Apple's remote is particularly well-suited to the job -- that trackpad lets you spin around with relatively little effort. It's doubtful that you'll stick around as long as you would on Netflix or YouTube, but it's worth a look when the app is free.[Image credit: Adventureiros, Littlstar]
Watch a full boxing match in VR for the first time
You're probably going to see a lot of virtual reality sports coverage before long, but there's still a lot of ground left to cover -- including, apparently, fisticuffs. Showtime has posted what it says is the first full-length VR video of a boxing match, giving you a 360-degree look at a middleweight championship fight between Daniel Jacobs and Peter Quillin. The footage isn't quite as immersive as you might like (it's ringside, not in the thick of the action), but it gives you an above-the-ropes perspective that even the managers wish they had. You won't see a live VR bout any time soon, but this is still a tantalizing glimpse of what boxing coverage could look like down the road.
Watch the Patriots practice in VR through Google Cardboard
You can't currently get a first-hand experience of an NFL game short of becoming a football star and strapping on a helmet, but Bank of America and Visa are promising the next best thing. They've launched a virtual reality experience that lets you see the New England Patriots' training sessions using Google Cardboard. If you've ever wanted to see Gillette Stadium from the field or watch Tom Brady lead a practice play, you now have an easy way to do it. Only Android users can get the full-on VR experience, unfortunately, but any Patriots fan who can watch 360-degree YouTube clips can check it out.[Image credit: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images]
Google buys a panorama startup to bolster Street View
Think that Google Street View could use a fresh coat of paint? Google does, too. The search firm has just snapped up Digisfera, a Portugese startup whose specialty is making the most out of panoramic photos. The newly-acquired company isn't saying exactly what it'll do within the Street View team, but its work on some more ambitious projects may be a clue. It produced a giant tagged panorama at the 2014 World Cup, for example, and captured a sweeping view of President Obama's inauguration.
Google's immersive storytelling app launches on iOS
Google is getting serious about 360-degree video content. And it's not only about supporting it through YouTube or, by extension, Cardboard. The search giant's also behind an app called Spotlight Stories, which it created with Motorola in 2013 and has been on Android since. As of today, that application is also available for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad -- as long as those devices are running a version of iOS 8. Google describes Spotlight Stories as a "mobile movie theater" that combines 3D and 2D animation with 360-degree spherical video, sphere audio and sensor-triggered interactions to create an immersive experience. Right now there are four stories you can watch: Buggy Night, Help, Duet and Windy Day, all of which are original and were created exclusively for Spotlight Stories.
Google introduces 360-degree YouTube ads
Google's already rolled out 360-degree videos on YouTube, like Bjork's latest musical venture, and now the company has announced that it's doing the same with advertisements. The new feature debuted on Wednesday for both Chrome and the mobile YouTube app on Android and iOS. It works exactly the same way existing 360-degree videos do -- just scroll your mouse up, down, left or right to adjust the view. The new ad format is also compatible with Google's Cardboard VR headset. [Image Credit: WireImage/Getty]
Fly over a giant 'Warcraft' city in a 360-degree video
Duncan Jones' Warcraft movie doesn't hit theaters for another year, but that isn't stopping Legendary Pictures from giving you a first-hand look at the cinematic version of Azeroth. The studio has released a 360-degree YouTube video (also available in VR, if you use Android and iOS apps) that has you flying over the human capital Stormwind on the back of a gryphon. While this isn't as juicy as a full-fledged trailer, it'll give you a sense of the movie's grand scale: there are giant towers, narrow streets and majestic mountains. Something tells us that Stormwind won't look quite so pristine once Jones is finished with it, so give this clip a look if you want to see the fantasy city at its best.
Microsoft killing its Photosynth 3D panorama apps
For better or worse, tech companies have to do a bit of product housekeeping every now and then. Today's Microsoft's turn to do exactly that. Most notably, the Redmond company announced it will be retiring its mobile apps for Photosynth, the platform it created to let people capture and view the world in 3D. While the applications, which had been available on Windows Phone 8 and iOS, are expected to continue to work for existing downloads, they won't be officially supported moving forward.
YouTube is almost ready to take your 360-degree videos
Did you recently grab a 360-degree camera like the Bublcam or Ricoh Theta? You'll have an easy way to show off your all-encompassing footage very shortly. A YouTube spokesperson has confirmed to both Engadget and Gizmodo that its service will be adding support for 360-degree videos in the "coming weeks." It's not clear what the technical limitations are, but the update will undoubtedly require a way to pan around those videos -- this isn't simply a matter of raising the ceiling on file sizes. However it works, you can expect to see a lot of immersive online cinema in the near future.
Samsung's new 'ring' speakers pipe sound in every direction
Samsung has tackled just about every kind of speaker you can imagine, but it hasn't had an answer to hot-selling 360-degree speakers like the UE Boom. Well, that changes today: the Korean firm has unveiled the WAM6500 and WAM7500, its first compact one-piece speakers to promise room-filling sound. Both center around a "ring radiator" that pipes audio in every direction while supposedly striking a careful balance between bass and treble. If you ask us, though, they're as much about the "premium" styling as anything else. The portable 6500 (above) looks like the kettle from an avant garde kitchen, while the tabletop-oriented 7500 (below) could easily double as a 31st-century desk lamp. Samsung hasn't divulged pricing, but these fashion-forward designs will likely command a premium.
Ricoh's new Theta camera delivers (relatively) simple 360-degree video
Ricoh's original Theta camera did a curious thing: it took instant 360-degree stills, courtesy of two hemispherical lens positioned either side of stick camera. We weren't completely sold on the initial model, which was also hampered by a $399 price tag that screamed niche photography enthusiast. The good news is that Ricoh has listened to said enthusiasts and, well, anyone else that stumped the money for the debut model. The upgrade has brought several improvements: firstly, the WiFi transfer speed from camera to smartphone has now doubled, (another issue with the first camera) while there's now a companion Android app -- something not there at the launch of the original. It also comes in five different poppy shades. But, most crucially, it can pretty effortlessly, capture photo sphere-style video (up to three minutes long) with a button press. It's still not quite perfect, but we've got more impressions and some samples after the break.
Bubl's 360-degree camera records Street View-like spherical footage (video)
Many of the 360-degree cameras on the market will only shoot footage on a horizontal plane, which isn't very helpful if a subject sails overhead. Bubl's upcoming, baseball-sized Bublcam should provide a more complete view of the world. The gadget's four cameras are arranged in a tetrahedral layout that captures seamless, spherical images; software for Android, iOS and PCs lets viewers pan anywhere in the shot, much like they would with Google's Street View. It's also relatively internet-savvy thanks to its built-in WiFi, which lets owners both stream to a nearby device and upload their recordings to Dropbox, Google Drive and Younity. Bubl is crowdfunding the project, with pledges starting at $399 CAD ($383 US plus shipping) for those who want a Bublcam to call their own. Should the company reach its $100,000 goal, backers should get their extra-immersive cameras beginning in May. Check out a demo of the playback software after the break.
Ricoh Theta WiFi camera shoots 360-degree photos for $399 (hands-on)
It's a big week for LCD-less WiFi point-and-shoots, but today's offering is a bit more unusual than Sony's lens-camera duo. What would you pay for a 360-degree camera that's compact, easy to use and compatible with an iOS app? $100? Maybe a buck fifty? Ricoh's betting big on a figure far higher -- a "consumer-friendly" $399. And we're not sold. Sure, the Theta is a unique device, but 360-degree images have limited appeal, and the fact that you (and your friends) will need to download a dedicated app just to view them without distortion doesn't help to seal the deal. Still, we're always up for trying out something new, and we're guessing you might be a bit curious, too. Click past the break as we go full circle with Theta. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Insert Coin: Zcapture offers 360-degree photos of objects in 15 minutes (video)
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Sure, crafting flawless 360-degree photos of objects can be a slog, but Jared Bouck's taken to Kickstarter betting that his solution can whip up such pictures and make them web-embeddable in as little as 15 minutes. Dubbed Zcapture, the hardware packs a rotating platform for items and cooperates with custom software to edit and produce the images without additional post-processing. As it stands, the gear works with cameras that boast external shutter controls (specifically Canon and Nikon models at the start), but stretch goals may bring support for other shooters, including IR header compatibility for point-and-shoots. With an Arduino at its core, and coupled with a circuit board packing additional ports and headers, the box is designed with modding in mind. In addition to snapping photos, Zcapture can even be used as a rotating base for 3D scanning. If you're wondering just what the system is capable of, just take a look at Bouck's work at Rotate 360 Studios, where he's made product shots for the likes of Foster Grant, Reebok, Xi3 and others. A USB-powered mini Zcapture along with the software is priced at $150 (or just $100 for the program), while other kits range from $300 to $690 for a fully-loaded version paired with soft box lighting. If the project meets its $46,000 funding goal, the contraption is expected to ship in December. With a little over $4,000 pledged so far, we hope -- if not for our review photos, for our eBay listings -- that it hits its goal before the two-month deadline.
Google to loan Street View Trekker to third parties, build out Maps on the cheap
Are you a tourism board, non-profit, government agency, university or research organization? Google wants you to help add 360-degree imagery with its nifty Street View Trekker, through a brand-new loan program. If you get the nod from GOOG, you'll have a chance to roam the Earth with the company's human-mounted camera equipment. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau was tapped as the first volunteer -- the group is currently hard at work shooting popular attractions throughout the 50th state. Though the terms aren't entirely clear, we're willing to bet that Google's giving preference to bonafide orgs, rather than sending its pricey gear off with individuals. Still, if you've been dying to contribute to Maps, it never hurts to apply. To get started, just fill out the form at the source link below. Oh, and as you've probably already guessed, there's a 60-second video after the break, too.
