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GoPro's 'Omni' VR camera rig officially unveiled
It was almost a year ago we learned that GoPro was planning a spherical camera rig for VR. Back then, that was pretty much all we knew. The announcement came at the same time that CEO Nick Woodman confirmed the rumors his company was working on a drone (that we're still eagerly waiting for). We'd seen some prototypes of the rig before, but it wasn't until February, GoPro gave finally it a name: Omni. Today, for the first time, we get to see what the final product actually looks like (hint, much like the last prototype as most of the updates are internal, but that's it above). And we've got a sample of the sort of image you might expect from it below.
Take a 360-degree video tour of Google's Oregon data center
Google's latest 360-degree video provides a virtual tour of its data center in The Dalles, Oregon. We've seen glimpses of Google's server farms before, through Street View and other high-res photography, but this new upload offers a better sense of immersion. It's also presented by Sandeep, one of Google's developer advocates, who explains each room and interviews some of the data center staff. The video is highly curated, but there are some fascinating shots and tidbits, including a biometric eye scanner that every employee has to pass through. There's also a monstrous hard drive shredder and a look at Google's colorful mechanical equipment room.
Take a 360-degree video tour of CERN's Large Hadron Collider
CERN's Large Hadron Collider keeps delivering important scientific discoveries, but apart from some Google Street View images, it's pretty hard to grasp the scale of it. However, a new 360-degree video from the BBC (below) takes you on a visual tour of the world's largest machine. At up to 4K resolution, you can see parts of the 27 km (16 mile) tunnel where particles fly by at the speed of light in both directions. It also shows the Compact Muon Solenoid detector that looks for dark matter, extra dimensions and the Higgs Boson. The science is mind-bending, but as the video shows, the machine needed to test it is equally so.
ABC's 'Good Morning America' takes you on a live VR safari
If you're a fan of ABC's morning show, the network is offering viewers a rather unique take on remote reporting this week. From 7:00 AM to 9:00 ET tomorrow (February 23rd), Good Morning America will broadcast live in 360-degree VR from the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. ABC News' Amy Robach will be on location as the network captures footage from the Great Migration which includes the largest concentration of Africa's big mammals each February. Robach's report on the dangers the animals face from poachers will be presented alongside the immersive visuals. In fact, ABC says this is the first time on network television that VR cameras and gear will allow viewers to pick their adventure live and in real time.
Samsung will stream the GS7 launch in 360-degree video
For MWC in Barcelona, Samsung will be doing an Inception-like trick of letting you see its brand new devices -- using last year's devices. The company is presenting Unpacked 2016 in 360 degree VR for the first time, where it will unveil the latest Galaxy S7 phones. To watch the event on a mobile phone or PC, you choose one of four different viewpoints, then rotate the field of view to see it from any angle. The most interesting option, however, is to see it using a Gear VR device and a supported Galaxy smartphone.
NASA's Curiosity offers another 360-degree peek at Mars
Less than two weeks ago NASA posted a 360-degree video on Facebook that showed the perspective of its Curiosity rover on Mars. It was an exhilarating view, but the way it had been created -- by stitching together lots of different photographs -- meant the final video offered a strange, fishbowl-like picture. Thankfully, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has uploaded a replacement to YouTube which is lightyears better than the original. While it's still a static shot -- so more of a panorama than a true 360-degree video -- it's another mesmerizing look at the Red Planet. The component images were captured by Curiosity on December 18, 2015 using the Mast Camera rig, otherwise known as Mastcam, which sits on top of the robot's vertical arm. In the video you can see the Namib Dune, which forms part of the Bagnold Dunes dotted along the northwestern flank of Mount Sharp. NASA notes that, after analysing images taken from orbit, scientists believe the dunes can move as much as one meter during a normal Earth year. A portion of Mount Sharp can be seen on the horizon and of course, Curiosity itself is visible down below on the surface. You can watch the video in your browser and click around to change the perspective, but for an immersive experience we recommend using the YouTube app on your phone or a Google Cardboard -- with the gyroscope sensor you can look around naturally, which is always pretty fun.
Mars Curiosity rover gets into VR with a Facebook 360 video
NASA has posted a Facebook 360 video taken by the Mars Curiosity rover from the surface of Mars that Mark Zuckerberg himself re-posted and called "neat." (A one ton, nuclear buggy takes takes a panoramic video from Mars that you can view in a VR headset, and all you got is "neat?" Get a thesaurus, Mark!) Zuckerberg added that the video was stitched together by Facebook's 360 degree video team, and is made up of 57 separate stills -- in fact, it's more like a panorama than a video. The images were snapped by the rover's robotic arm-mounted Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the northwestern flank of Mount Sharp, and show the steep Namib sand dunes.
Watch the Coast Guard train in this 360-degree video
Disney has just released a cool promo video for its upcoming film The Finest Hours, and you'll likely want to watch it using a VR headset if you have one. The House of Mouse captured the Coast Guard doing training drills in Los Angeles on a 360-degree camera provided by a company called 360Heros. It then posted the final product on the film's Facebook page to take advantage of the social network's 360 video feature. By the way, you can still enjoy the video even if you don't have a VR headset -- simply drag the picture with your mouse pointer to watch it from different perspectives.
Ai Weiwei's recent London art exhibit is available in VR
If you missed Ai Weiwei's recent exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, don't fret. The work of the filmmaker, photographer and sculptor is available online in 360-degree video. An internet-based exhibition includes all of the imagery, video and audio needed to navigate through Weiwei's recently-displayed catalog.
Animal Planet offers a look at the Puppy Bowl in VR (updated)
There's something that folks look forward to about the Super Bowl every year besides the commercials. It's the Puppy Bowl. And this year, Animal Planet is stepping things up a notch with VR ahead of the big game. Before the action takes place on February 7th, you'll be able to stream event-related content in 360-video on your favorite headset through the network's website, YouTube, Samsung Milk app or Discovery's own VR apps for iOS and Android. If you're not familiar, the Puppy Bowl features 84 dogs from rescues all over the US. No, it's not an actual football game played by dogs. The canines roam around a faux stadium and play during the event. However, that doesn't take away from the adorable factor, which is always on point. [Image credit: Mark Von Holden/AP Images for Discovery Communications]
Nick Woodman talks Karma and the future of GoPro
GoPro head honcho Nick Woodman joined Engadget on stage at CES, and took the chance to tease more info about the much talked about quadcopter, Karma. Not much is known about how it will look, but Woodman explained that "We make everything backwards compatible, our goal is that your older GoPro will work with anything new we make, and vice versa." Near confirmation that Karma will work with its existing line of cameras, and won't have one built in.
3DR's Made for Solo program does 360-degree video on a budget
When 3DR announced its Made for Solo program last October, we knew it was working with Kodak to bring 360-degree video to its Solo drone. Today at CES, 3DR is showing off a prototype model of that integration, which adds a hyper-wide-angle lens to both the top and bottom of the drone, along with some early footage captured with the kit.
Take a VR tour of the White House's Christmas splendor
Think your Christmas decorations are impressive this year? Think again. Google has released a 360-degree video of the White House today which shows off some of its most impressive Christmas trees and ornaments. The tour winds through a number of lavish rooms and corridors, including the East Colonnade, the East Garden Room and the White House Library, as well as the Vermeil Room and the China Room. It only lasts for five minutes, but during that time you can look around or simply kick back and listen to the narrator explain every bauble and tinsel-covered branch.
Facebook's 360-degree videos bring immersive content to your News Feed
Always trying new things to improve your News Feed browsing, Facebook now supports more immersive videos. The social network announced that 360 video will begin rolling out to that portion of the site today. Right now, they're only viewable on the web and Android with support for iOS "in the coming months." The more immersive videos on Facebook work similarly to what you've probably seen on YouTube. As the footage plays, you can use your cursor to click and move around the video on the desktop. With a mobile device, you can use your finger to navigate around the visuals or you can simply move the device itself to change perspective. This new addition also paves the way for VR content to hit the News Feed when devices like the Oculus Rift and PS VR head to consumers.
GoPro's 16-camera rig for Google Jump VR costs $15,000
Google launched Jump, a platform for VR video, back at its developer conference in May -- along with a slightly bonkers camera rig called Odyssey co-designed with GoPro. Today, prospective content creators can put their name down to get early access to the hardware (pictured after the break), which GoPro tells us is only available in limited quantity. Google already did something similar, but this time the scheme appears to be specifically aimed at professional partners. We also get to know a little bit more about the rig, including its cost: an eye-watering (at least for us amateurs) $15,000.
