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Verizon buys Jaunt's AR and VR technology
With two of its co-founders out of the picture, one-time VR content startup Jaunt is selling many of its assets. On Monday, the company announced a sale to Verizon (Engadget's parent company). While financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed, Jaunt says the carrier is acquiring its software and technology. In a statement to The Verge, a spokesperson for Jaunt clarified that the company had sold "all" of its tech to Verizon, but didn't note whether the startup would continue to operate as a separate entity. We've reached out for additional information.
Apple hires the founder of VR content startup Jaunt
Apple just made another key hire to bolster its augmented reality plans. Variety has discovered that Apple recently hired Arthur van Hoff (shown at left), the founder of VR content startup Jaunt, as a Senior Architect for an unnamed team. While it's not certain what he'll be doing, van Hoff is a veteran of multi-camera systems and video creation for AR and VR, not to mention capturing 3D images using depth-sensing cameras. He'd been helping Jaunt shift its focus to AR until he bowed out in December 2018.
Redesigned Jaunt VR app hits Windows Mixed Reality next month
Jaunt has been working on immersive VR for quite some time now. It got an infusion of Disney cash a couple of years back and has been steadily adding technology like Dolby audio to it's library of VR content. You can even check out 150 cinematic titles from the company on Oculus, Vive, Daydream, Gear VR and PlayStation VR, along with iOS and Android. Jaunt has just announced a new partnership with Microsoft, which will put an updated Jaunt app on Windows Mixed Reality by mid-October.
ESPN takes you inside a college football rivalry with VR
Virtual reality has the ability to take us inside events and offer new perspectives for things we'd typically only view on TV. VR company Jaunt has been touting its "cinematic" platform for a while now and it teamed up with ESPN to give sports fans a behind-the-scenes look at one of college football's biggest rivalries. The Game: Michigan at Ohio State chronicles this year's matchup from the perspective of ESPN's College GameDay in the form of an all-access pass to the game. Of course, it's all in VR.
Virtual reality content startup Jaunt lands on PlayStation VR
The PlayStation VR just got some additional content via the recently announced app launch by Jaunt. The platform will have instant access to 150 cinematic titles from the startup. The app includes videos like the award-winning animation Invasion, CBS' JPL Mars 2020, Shaq Goes to Cuba, Zombie Purge and the Pure McCartney Experience from the former Beatle.
Jaunt adds Dolby's cinematic sound to its VR library
Immersive, 360-degree video is great, but there's a worry that while the pictures will surround you, the audio will not. Dolby and Jaunt are looking to remedy the situation by launching a dull-sounding but important way for you to find clips that sound as good as they look. The "dedicated VR content portal featuring titles mixed in Dolby Atmos" will showcase footage that are held to Dolby's higher standards for our ears. The films are available, via Jaunt's app, for a range of platforms including GearVR, Oculus Rift, Vive and third-party headsets for Android and iOS phones.
Cinematic VR maker Jaunt needs a new CEO
Let's say you run a well-funded startup in the super-hot virtual reality sector. What would you do -- bask in your success? Don't tell that to Jaunt CEO Jens Christensen. After just three years at the cinematic VR company he helped create, Christensen is stepping down to "move on to [his] next adventure." The company didn't explain the move in a statement to Fast Company, but Christensen is known as a "serial entrepreneur" that doesn't sit still for long. Most likely, he's off to make the next big thing.
Sky is becoming a virtual reality broadcaster
Sky has known for some time that virtual reality has a huge part to play in the future of broadcasting. Since 2013, it's been investing in VR production company Jaunt, and last year, Sky News released its first 360-degree video report. Today, Sky's announced that it's no longer just experimenting with the technology, and it's committed to creating a broad range of VR content in the realms of sport, news, movies and other entertainment.
Sundance and Jaunt are looking for VR filmmaking visionaries
Sundance Film Institute has announced a six-month residency aimed at helping budding virtual reality filmmakers turn their ideas into dynamic projects. To make this a reality, the institute has teamed up with VR firm Jaunt, most likely because of the company's "cinematic VR" platform which consists of a 360-degree camera and specialized tools for editing VR experiences. "We hope their unique voices, diverse perspectives and creativity will help define the potential of this new medium," said Sundance Institute executive director Keri Putnam. This isn't the first experience Sundance has had with VR, some directors have already shown completed projects to festival-goers. After giving rise to revolutionary filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Ava DuVernay, the institute is now looking to produce stories that are complex, visually stunning and also totally immersive.
Jaunt gets a ton of real money to build cinematic VR
With all the buzz around VR hardware from folks like Oculus and HTC, we still need immersive content to make those gadgets worthwhile. That's precisely what Jaunt is focused on with its "cinematic VR" platform, which consists of a 360-degree camera and tools for editing and creating VR experiences. Now, Jaunt is getting a vote of confidence from Disney and other investors to the tune of $65 million, Variety reports. While it's not the only company focusing on creating cinema-like content for this new virtual medium -- Oculus is also pushing ahead with its Story Studio -- the extra infusion of cash should help Jaunt bring its platform to life quicker. Don't be surprised if you hear more about VR content over the next year. This year it became clear that VR hardware could be viable for consumers -- but come next year we'll need more than just cool demos for VR to take off.
ABC News introduces VR initiative with 360-degree tour of Syria
ABC News is experimenting with immersive journalism. On last night's episode of their news program, Nightline, viewers had the option to watch an accompanying 360-degree video piece on their mobile phones or computers. The in-depth story, by reporter Alexander Marquardt, took viewers on a virtual journey through Damascus, Syria, where curators are struggling to protect the country's antiquities from destruction. The network collaborated with Jaunt VR, a California-based studio that creates live-action virtual reality experiences, to produce the video that was shot on a special 16-camera device.
Dolby's all-encompassing Atmos sound comes to virtual reality
Virtual reality thrives on immersive sound, so it only makes sense that audio format makers should get involved, doesn't it? Dolby certainly thinks so. It's partnering with Jaunt to put its cinematic Atmos sound into VR content, starting with snippets from the horror-laden Black Mass, the giant monster short Kaiju Fury and a Sir Paul McCartney concert. While it's a modest start, the hope is that this ultra-precise positioning will both be more engaging and let VR movie producers rely more on audible cues to get your attention -- a snapping twig may be all it takes to have you look at the scary beast lurking in the bushes. You probably wouldn't want to buy an Atmos-capable system just for the sake of VR when there's hardly anything to watch right now, but it's something to consider if you take your virtual video experiences very seriously.
Engadget Live L.A. was all about that bass (and some treble)
We've had a great run this year with all our Engadget Live events, taking us to Austin, Seattle, Boston and finally Los Angeles. We packed into the Belasco Theatre in downtown L.A. along with some amazing people and exhibitors -- one who was all about that bass and some...bananas.
Engadget Live hits Los Angeles this Friday!
As we told you last time, there's lots going on in Los Angeles on Friday nights, but we still think our event trumps anything else you could possibly have planned. Our final Engadget Live event of the year kicks off at 7PM this Friday (October 3rd) at the Belasco Theatre.
The hottest party in Los Angeles on October 3rd is...ours
Friday nights in Los Angeles aren't snoozers, especially October 3rd. That night, some celebrity will be caught mid-wardrobe malfunction boozing it up at Club Area by TMZ -- or it could be the night Bruce Jenner holds his epic "freedom" party. While we're thrilled for his escape from Kardashian Prison, we'd like to think that our final Engadget Live event of the year at the Belasco Theatre will be much more exciting -- and a lot less flammable.
We're taking over Los Angeles on October 3rd!
Austin, Seattle and Boston welcomed our Engadget Live tour this year with open arms and before we gear up for Engadget Expand, we're heading to one more city: Los Angeles. Grab your free tickets and join us at the Belasco Theater on October 3rd at 7PM.
Jaunt VR wants to capture the real world and put it in an Oculus Rift
When Mark Zuckerberg bought Oculus VR last month, he was looking beyond gaming. "Imagine enjoying a courtside seat at a game," he said. "Or consulting with a doctor face to face." Oculus' developing VR headgear can do more than transport us to virtual worlds -- it can help us experience the real one, too. The trick, however, is you have to figure out how to capture the world in 360 degrees before you can share it. Turns out, there's a company working on that; it calls itself Jaunt.
