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Google's 'Works with Cardboard' program is all about VR compatibility
Google wants all apps developed for its Cardboard VR headset to work properly with, well, any version of its device. That's tougher than it sounds, since the headset's open-source, and a lot of companies and individual users are tweaking it to their heart's content. To make it happen, Mountain View has launched the "Works with Google Cardboard" project, which gives headset makers the power to ensure their design plays nicely with apps made for the device. It doesn't matter if they use metal or plastic, cut the materials out using any dimension or adjust the optic, so long as they input all those details into the Cardboard website to get a QR code to attach to their creation.
How serious are you about virtual reality?
The absolute best/worst virtual reality stock photo we could find Are you prepared to dedicate a room in your house to virtual reality? Perhaps you're a little less crazy than me, but you're okay with a wire running across your living room to a headset? Or maybe both of those sound crazy to you, but a headset that can plug into your phone is okay? These are the emerging options for virtual reality: a medium finally coming into its own, that's poised to disrupt industries and hairdos the world over.
Kids will love the 21st century View-Master (but it made me dizzy)
I may not be the best candidate for a virtual reality demo. My glasses always get in the way, and even straight 3D tends to make me dizzy. None-the-less, I had to try the new View-Master. Well, the new View-Master app, at least. Sadly, the plastic viewer itself is still very early in the production cycle, so there wasn't a version ready to accept a phone and do a proper demo. But I was able to slot a Nexus into a Google Cardboard set up (stamped with a red View-Master logo) and get an idea of the experience Mattel is planning for October.
Google and Mattel update View-Master for the VR generation
Remember View-Master? That hunk of plastic you held up to your face, stuck cardboard reels into and advanced through 3D images of landscapes, animals and cartoons with the satisfying pull on a lever. Well it's back and Mattel has Google to thank for helping drag the classic toy into the 21st century. The main piece is an update to the iconic red-bodied View-Master that looks a little bit like a Fisher-Price take on the Oculus Rift. The orange lever is still there, albeit in a more compact form, and the front is dominated by a black, branded piece of plastic. But rather than stationary slide, you insert a smartphone into the plastic body which, when paired with the View-Master app and a View-Master "experience reel," lets you experience 360-degree worlds, photosphere and educational "field trips." There will even be bonus content such as historical footage, photos and behind the scenes video that you can access by clicking on icons hovering around objects, people and landmarks in the virtual world.
What are Mattel and Google doing with View-Master?
With a View-Master topped teaser (which you can see after the break), Google and Mattel invoked one of our favorite childhood memories -- and frequent inspiration for low-budget virtual reality shenanigans. The two are planning an "exclusive announcement and product debut" ahead of the New York Toy Fair next week, but other than the View-Master theme there's little to go on. Mattel's Fisher-Price division tried a View-Master comeback for the digital age in 2012, although all trace of it is gone now. We'll have to wait until next Friday to see for ourselves what they're planning, but we invite your wildest speculation until then. So what are you thinking -- a plastic pair of branded Mattel VR goggles based on the Cardboard project, or maybe a Hot Wheel based on something else Google has been working on? ... href='https://www.wedgies.com/question/54d50a247978490e00000193'>What will Mattel & Google announce next week?
Jack White brings VR performances to Google Cardboard
After a world record, an elaborate vinyl release and two box sets of classics from the Paramount vault, Jack White is trying his hand at VR. White's Third Man Records teamed up with Jaunt to create immersive versions of a few recent performances with the Third-D app. The software pairs with the just-updated Google Cardboard for 360-degree 3D live videos of "Freedom at 21" and "Ball and Biscuit" from The Bleacher Theater at Fenway Park as well as "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" from Red Rocks Amphitheatre. And there's Dolby Atmos audio thrown in for good measure. If you'll recall, Jaunt has been focused on delivering "cinematic VR footage" to both Cardboard and Oculus Rift for months, including live looks at Paul McCartney and more. Don't have Cardboard yet? If you're not looking to make your own, you can grab one from the likes of DODOcase and others for around $20-$25. The app itself is free though, and it's available now over at Google Play.
Google's road to virtual reality begins with Cardboard
When I first saw Google's Cardboard VR contraption earlier this year, I laughed. I thought to myself, "This is a joke, right?" How could this piece of cutout cardboard with a phone in it possibly work as a virtual reality headset? Compared to the Oculus Rift and Samsung's own smartphone-powered Gear VR, this Cardboard thing seemed more like a high school arts and crafts project than anything high-tech. I didn't take it seriously. I was wrong.
Google Cardboard app immerses you in a Paul McCartney concert
Google took the VR world by surprise when it introduced its $20 DIY headset, Cardboard. Still, to this day, there's only so much anyone can do with it. Thankfully, there are third-party developers like Jaunt, which recently created a virtual reality experience that lets you share the stage with none other than Paul McCartney. With the app for Google Cardboard, you'll have the chance to immerse yourself in a performance of "Live and Let Die" from the legendary musician, featuring a 360-degree view, stereo 3D and deeply engaging audio. Jaunt states this is its first cinematic VR experience released to the public, adding that it will soon be bringing it to the Oculus Rift. Oh, and did we mention the app is free?
Sound Off! What's the best virtual reality experience right now?
There's no way around it. Virtual reality gaming is heading our way (despite some folks' opinions to the contrary). A ton of companies are currently working on fancy head gear and we've seen announcements about the Carl Zeiss VR One, Samsung Gear VR, Sony Morpheus, Oculus Rift and even Google's crazy cardboard experiment. For those of you lucky enough to have one of these rare devices, head over to the Engadget forums and tell us the best VR gaming experiences you can have right now. [Image credit: Neilson Barnard / Getty Images]
Portable cardboard desk keeps you standing while you type
Many will tell you that it's unhealthy to sit in front of your computer for hours at a time, but you can't usually bring a standing desk with you to a remote studio or the park. However, you won't have to make do with chairs and laps now that Refold's cardboard standing desk is on the way. Think of it as origami office furniture -- so long as you're willing to lug about 14 pounds with you, you can set up a leg-friendly workstation in about two minutes. It's sturdy enough to handle the weight of many desktop PCs, and there are different sizes to accommodate both kids and taller adults. Like the concept of computing anywhere? You can pledge $160 NZD (about $125 US) to Refold's already-funded Kickstarter to get the American-made desk, which should arrive sometime in June.
The battle for virtual reality: Google, Samsung, Sony and Oculus VR
Back in June, Google revealed Cardboard: an open-source attempt at mobile virtual reality. Heck, even the "hardware" is open source -- here are instructions to make your own, right now! But the concept is more than a low-tech solution to mobile VR. It's emblematic of Google's approach to virtual reality: use the phone that's already in your pocket. Samsung's taking the same approach later this year with Gear VR, only it's also partnering with Oculus VR on the software side. This stands in stark contrast to the PC-dependent, ultra-high-res experience Oculus VR and Facebook are aiming to achieve. The Oculus Rift headset both literally and figuratively kickstarted the re-birth of virtual reality in modern technology. It remains the peak of technological achievement in virtual reality. And now, the medium is splintering into two distinct futures: one of entertainment, the other of immersion.
Google will let you use Oculus and Cardboard VR headsets inside Chrome
We know how Facebook imagines it'll work in VR, but what about the rest of the internet? Google's Brandon Jones has announced that he's working on a way to add virtual reality support for Oculus Rift and Cardboard into Chrome. It's the second browser to champion WebVR, since the platform has been seeded into experimental builds of Firefox over the last week. Of course, the internet won't be a city you can walk through, but Jones believes that 360-degree product shots and interactive exhibits should be reasonably easy to create and use. It's still a long way away from being ready for consumers to use, but we have to admit -- surfing the 'net would be wayyy radder if it was done in Virtuality. Wait, is this 1994?
You can buy an 'unofficial' Google Cardboard VR kit for 20 bucks
At the end of Google's keynote yesterday, Sundar Pichai announced that all I/O attendees would receive either an LG or Samsung Android Wear device, along with Moto 360 when it becomes available later this summer. But he also offered up an unexpected gift... the slide read #cardboard (yes, with the hashtag) and Pichai held up a small brown square, barely large enough to accommodate a thin book for shipping purposes -- but Google had something else in mind. Once assembled, #cardboard serves as a head-mounted 3D viewer, using your own smartphone and a pair of integrated lenses to create the effect.
Engadget Daily: Aereo loses, Android is in everything, and more!
Today, we explore the US Supreme Court's decision to pull the plug on Aereo, take a look at Android Auto, ponder Google's new cardboard VR headset and happily welcome Android device mirroring on the Chromecast. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
'Cardboard' is Google's attempt at an inexpensive VR headset
Even Google is getting in on the virtual reality game. At the end of the search giant's I/O 2014 keynote, Sundar Pichai announced that everyone in attendance would get a nondescript cardboard package, but was coy about its contents. Turns out, it's the firm's attempt at a do-it-yourself VR headset. You can use household materials to build one, and a rubber band to hold your smartphone in place on the front of the device. Assembly instructions, plans and links for where to source the needed parts (like lenses) -- as well as an SDK -- are available on the project's website. Have a few pizza boxes lying around? So long as they're from an extra-large pie, Google says they'll work, too. Mountain View hopes that by making the tech inexpensive (unlike offerings from, say, Oculus), developers will be able to make VR apps that hit a wider audience. For now, the list of fully supported phones includes the Google Nexus 4 and 5, the Moto X, Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5 and, oddly enough, the original Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
Cardboard bicycle 'close to mass production': tough, green and just $20
Cardboard never ceases to amaze. Having been deployed in gramophones, stereos and even digital cameras, one inventor now believes it can be used to make the ideal bicycle. Izhar Gafni, from Israel, spent 18 months just folding the material every-which-way in order to discover a strong enough design, and now he claims his technique is almost ready for mass production. His maintenance-free bike uses a "secret" mix of organic materials to make it waterproof and fireproof, and is then lacquered to give it a friendlier appearance. It's expected to cost a mere $20 and weigh about 20 lbs (9 kg) -- that's 65 percent lighter than an average metal ride. In fact, this bicycle doesn't use any metal parts at all -- the solid tires are made of reconstituted rubber and a car timing belt is used instead of a chain. It lacks the swank of a Faraday Porteur, perhaps, but then you could buy 175 of these for the same money. Want proof that it actually works? The bike's not-so-featherweight inventor takes it for a spin after the break. [Image credit: Reuters / Baz Ratner]
Kid Koala bundles working cardboard gramophone with album, spurs on budding turntablists (video)
If you've been enough of a Kid Koala fan to have heard his original Scratchcratchratchatch mixtape, you'll remember a sample that mentioned building a "finger-powered record player." Kid Koala, also known as Eric San, certainly remembers -- buy the Limited Edition of his recently launched 12 Bit Blues album and you'll get your own functional, build-it-yourself cardboard gramophone along with a playable disc. The only further requirements are a sewing pin and some hand power. It's cheaper than tracking down the real thing, and a nod both to San's turntablist style as well as the back-to-basics nature of the music. We call it clever and potentially inspiring; just remember that you'll want some proper equipment before you DJ any house parties.
Ikea cardboard digital camera: when Instagram isn't authentic enough (video)
Forget TVs. Want something more whimsical and lo-fi than Instagram? This is a digital camera made of cardboard that Ikea included with its press kit at this year's Milan Design Week. It runs on two AA batteries (Ikea-branded, natch) and features a swing-out USB plug, viewfinder cutout, shutter key and paperclip-friendly erase button. While there are no details on the sensor, lens or storage capacity, the camera holds up to 40 pictures. It's expected to land in Ikea stores at some point but exact pricing and availability are still a mystery. No matter -- this camera is sure to impress hipsters everywhere (and yes, that includes us). Awesome demo video after the break.
Insert Coin: Berlin Boombox recyclable cardboard stereo (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. It's been years since we've spotted a proper handle-sporting boombox on this side of the equator (in public, at least), but we're decidedly impressed with this unique Kickstarter creation, dubbed the Berlin Boombox. Constructed nearly entirely of cardboard, save for some metal- and plastic-based essentials, the speaker rig ships disassembled in a flat cardboard box. Getting the Boombox up and running shouldn't require much effort, however -- the designer states that you won't need any tools during the quick assembly process. After you're done, you can connect the setup to any source with a 3.5mm headphone jack, then control volume with the large aluminum power/volume knob. The Berlin Boombox also ships with four AA batteries, though it's not clear how many hours of music you'll be able to pipe through the speakers with that initial set of cells. We also can't speak to sound quality, though there is a free custom sound profile available for iOS devices -- audio "will be remastered in real-time to use the full potential of the Berlin Boombox." You can pre-order your own with a $50 pledge, saving you 9 bucks off the estimated retail price. There's also a "limited edition" two-tone box, available with a $100 pledge, while $250 will net you a custom-designed model, which can also be paired with a dinner and tour of Berlin with the inventor if you're willing to fork over $500 or more. There's just shy of two weeks left during the funding period -- you'll need to provide that financial support before noon on April 25th. The project is on track to meet its $14,000 funding goal, however, so it's fairly safe to say that you'll be able to snag one of these cardboard contraptions even if you aren't ready to take the plunge just yet. Jump past the break to see the Berlin Boombox in action, and to catch up with our last Insert Coin project: The PowerPot.
Not all arcades are dead: The story of one kid's DIY cardboard arcade
Caine is not your average nine year-old boy. In his dad's used auto parts store in LA, he's constructed his own DIY cardboard arcade -- it's there now; you can totally go see it and play.Seriously, the kid built his own claw machine! He's even devised a security system so that people won't rip him off when paying for a Fun Pass, which grants patrons 500 plays a month for $2.But the problem was nobody was coming in to play Caine's games. His dad's shop wasn't in an area of LA with a lot of foot traffic, but a chance encounter with Nirvan Mullick lead to something special: an organized flashmob. Mullick filmed everything, creating a short film that is set to debut on October 28 at DIY Days at UCLA.This kid is the best and why are you not watching the video already?
