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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.
Facebook makes Gear VR videos clearer and faster to load
When it comes to smartphone-powered virtual reality, few devices come close to Samsung's Gear VR. The headset has been sold in a few different flavors and now, it's getting some updated software courtesy of the team at Facebook. Over the next few weeks, the social network will be updating its 360-degree videos with "dynamic streaming" inside the Oculus Video player. If all goes to plan, the change should result in VR videos that are higher quality and more data efficient on the lightweight device.
Watch Samsung's Galaxy S7 event stream at 1PM Eastern
It's no secret that Samsung is going to unveil the Galaxy S7 at its Mobile World Congress event today, but let's face it: there's a certain thrill to seeing things unfold live, isn't there? If you're feeling that buzz, tune in below at 1PM Eastern to watch Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked stream as it happens. You can even watch on a Gear VR, if you're eager to be immersed in the company's vision of the future. We'll be there in person with a live blog, but this will help if you're eager to witness Samsung's announcements (including that possible VR camera) for yourself.
Samsung's Gear VR can now take golf fans on the PGA Tour
It's a little hard to believe that something called the "Waste Management Phoenix Open" is one of the biggest events in golf, but hey — now you don't need to shell out tons of cash to explore the event's signature course. All it takes is a Samsung Gear VR, a compatible phone and the PGA's new Tour VR app to take a closer look at some sweet club-on-ball action.
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.
New in our buyer's guide: Lenovo's Yoga 900 and Samsung's Gear VR
It's been about two months since Engadget's updated its buyer's guide -- we were busy eating holiday cookies, preparing for CES, going to CES and then recovering from CES (phew). Fortunately, though, even in those nine weeks, we haven't actually reviewed much that we think is worth of our shortlist. The only two exceptions would be Lenovo's thin-but-well-performing Yoga 900 and Samsung's latest Gear VR headset, which we think is a great deal at $99. That's all we've got today, but keep checking back in soon --after all, we'll soon be pretty busy reviewing the products that just debuted in Vegas.
Funny or Die makes a fart joke in VR
The news itself sounded like a joke: Funny or Die, the irreverent comedy video site created by the likes of Will Ferrell, among others, was to premiere its first-ever virtual reality short at the Sundance Film Festival. Except this wasn't some Onion-style spoof headline; it was very much true. The piece, Interrogation, debuted last Friday on Gear VR at Samsung Studio, a pop-up VR lounge the company installed in Park City, Utah, for the duration of the festival. It stars Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel, faces better known for their work on FX's The League, as two cops trying to get to the bottom of a heinous crime. It is, in essence, an extended and immersive fart joke.
Samsung is opening a VR studio in New York City
The library of things you can play and watch on a Gear VR headset is growing, but Samsung doesn't think it's growing quickly enough -- it wants to help make some of that content, too. The company has revealed to Sundance Film Festival guests that it's opening a New York City studio that will create virtual reality experiences. Samsung isn't saying much about the content in question, but the studio will be located inside an existing Samsung office rather than a wholly separate space. Don't expect a sprawling movie set, then.
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.
Fox Sports to stream boxing card in VR this weekend
Virtual reality isn't only taking root in gaming and movies, it's hitting the world of sports, too. This weekend, Fox Sports will broadcast its Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) coverage in VR with the help of NextVR. The network says NextVR will install "multiple cameras" around the ring area to give "fight fans the best seat in the house." Of course, that seat is in your living room. In addition to the visuals, Fox will offer commentary and match stats on the VR stream. NextVR has teamed up with the broadcaster before, with coverage of a NASCAR race and golf's US Open last year.
Fox pushes virtual reality to the limit with 30 minutes on Mars
I wasn't prepared for The Martian VR Experience. All I'd known before sitting down in a padded seat in a near-pitch-black booth, tucked away in the Library bar at Vegas' Marquee nightclub, was that I'd be enveloped in virtual reality for up to 30 minutes. And I was worried about that. Bad virtual reality -- VR that lasted up to two minutes -- has sidelined me in the past, leaving a lingering nausea I'd prefer to never revisit. But by going all in with its first commercial experience, 20th Century Fox has made an expensive bet that pays off: It's created comfortable long-form VR.
This VR flying rig had me pining for the fjords
Riding on a flying, virtual Pegasus is cool and all, but German design firm Hyve has cooked up what might be an even purer VR flying experience. Rather than plop down on a specially made stationary bike, designer Johannes Scholl has spent the last two years of his life crafting Icaros, a rig you climb on top of to simulate flight. There's no motor or hydraulics here — the sense of motion is derived solely from your own of balance... or in my case, the lack thereof.
NextVR announces live VR content portal for Qualcomm phones
NextVR has been streaming 360-degree virtual reality video to Samsung Galaxy devices for awhile now -- but to access it, you needed to have the right phone, the right app and a Samsung Gear VR headset. Soon, accessing this streaming VR content will be a little easier: NextVR announced today that it's creating a live-streaming virtual reality portal that will work on any android device running Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor. Yes, that includes Samsung's next Galaxy device too, but the CPU will find its way to flagship devices from other manufactures as well, ensuring that NextVR's content will be available outside of Sammy's walled garden. That's good news for everybody. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Watch LeBron James' training on your Gear VR
Did you get a shiny Gear VR headset as a gift? If so, you already have something new to try with it. Oculus, Samsung and Uninterrupted are launching Striving for Greatness, a 12-minute Gear VR "experience" that shows what training is like for basketball superstar LeBron James. As with the Patriots' football practice, this probably isn't going to go too deep -- the teasers hint at a look-at-how-good-my-life-is vibe. All the same, it's worth a peek (in the Oculus Store or Milk VR store) if you're a hoops fan eager for some more immersion.
Comedian Nick Frost makes his Gear VR debut in 'Esper 2'
Something about virtual reality and games about exploring the mind or using your mind to control objects around you just seem to go together extremely well. Case in point, the Gear VR launch title Esper has a sequel and it's out tomorrow from developer Coatsink Software. Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead fans who play it might even notice a familiar voice: Nick Frost. The English funnyman lent his voice to Esper 2, the game about agents tasked with dealing with the consequences of a recent epidemic of folks gaining telekinetic powers. The overall production values are pretty impressive, actually.
Flickr's Gear VR app takes you inside 360-degree photos
We've known Flickr was planning to jump in the VR game since September, and now its first project has arrived. The photo repository's app for Samsung's Gear VR lets you browse its collection of "VR Photos" with the help of the headset and the requisite Samsung handset. By "VR Photos," Flickr means its library of 360-degree equirectangular images and the photo site boasts over 14,000 total. This view of the Aurora Borealis from Finland will give you an idea of the types of images you can expect to encounter.
Samsung's Gear VR goes on sale in the UK for £80
If you're intrigued by VR and whether the technology is really up to snuff, there's a new smartphone-powered headset by Samsung to consider. The consumer-ready Gear VR is now available in the UK, replacing the "Innovator Edition" models that were aimed at developers and early adopters. It'll set you back £80 and, like its predecessors, requires a Samsung smartphone to act as the display. The Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S6 Edge+ are all compatible -- which is fine if you already own one of them, otherwise it's quite an investment.
Samsung made a web browser for the Gear VR
Yes, there are already plenty of great games for Gear VR, but Samsung wants to keep enriching the platform with content. That's why it is introducing Internet for Gear VR, a web browser for people who own its smartphone-powered virtual reality headset. The company says you can use this new app, which is currently in beta, to enjoy the internet in a more immersive way. Along with offering support for 360-degree and 3D video streaming, Internet for Gear VR also handles HTML5 media playback. Naturally, you'll need to type web addresses along the way, so Samsung has added voice recognition to the application.
Samsung Gear VR review (2015): A no-brainer if you own a Samsung phone
When Samsung and Oculus debuted their Gear VR headset almost a year ago, the companies made it clear the device wasn't yet ready for the masses. Billed as "Innovator Edition" models, the original Gear VRs were intended mainly for early adopters. They only fitted a limited number of phones -- the original was designed just for the Note 4; the second for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge -- and were also quite pricey at $200 per headset. Just last week, however, the two companies released the first-ever consumer-ready version of the Gear VR. It's smaller, lighter, cheaper (only $99) and is compatible with more phones (the Note 5, S6, S6 Edge and S6 Edge+). But, more importantly, its content library has exploded, with more VR apps and games than ever before. Virtual reality has finally gone mainstream, and there's no better way to get started than with the new Gear VR.
Oculus Concepts collects experimental mobile VR 'games' in one spot
Virtual reality is nothing if not an awesome font for weird little experiences, but they can be kind of difficult to find. Some are on Steam, some are available elsewhere. Oculus is hoping that Oculus Concepts, its new section of the Gear VR's Oculus Store will make that easier. Concepts, like the name suggests, is a place where developers can toss their games and apps that might not be ready for primetime but are still worth checking out. One of the experiences shown off in official imagery is The Night Cafe: An Immersive Tribute to Van Gogh which was part of the Oculus Mobile VR Jam earlier this year. Like the company notes, some of the biggest VR games hit that status because they were released to the public early. So if you have a shiny new Gear VR and are looking to check out something aside from Netflix, here you go.
