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HP is making a bigger VR push for professionals
Based on what we've seen from HP's VR backpack setup, as well as its Windows Mixed Reality Headset, the company is clearly taking virtual reality seriously. Now, HP is trying even harder to establish itself as a VR player for its commercial customers. The company announced a "Professional Edition" of its Windows headset today, as well a "VR Launch Kit" to help developers learn the ropes of the new medium. Additionally, it's also bringing some much-needed CPU upgrades to its Z4 Workstation, making it an even better rig for both running and creating virtual reality.
RED's Hydrogen One smartphone will ship this summer
RED's much-hyped Hydrogen One smartphone is edging ever-closer to market, according to an update from its creators. In a thread on the camera company's reduser forums, the makers of the holographic-display phone have revealed pre-order will open "probably in April," with an official ship date "sometime in the summer". Details beyond this are vague, but according to the post carrier support for the phone is "unprecedented" and social media partners will include "big dogs."
Flying a real drone in a VR world is as weird as it sounds
As drones become more ubiquitous in our lives, it's really only been a matter of time until they integrated themselves into our arcade games as well. French startup Drone Interactive has done just that by combining physical drones with virtual reality gameplay.
Magic Leap One: All the things we still don’t know
It's that time of year again: the special season when everybody's favorite mythical creature makes its annual appearance. That's right, it's Magic Leap hardware teaser season! Seemingly once a year, the secretive startup reveals what it's been up to, and on Wednesday it revealed renderings of its latest AR headset prototype. The company even deigned to allow a Rolling Stone reporter to take the system for a spin. But for everything that Magic Leap showed off, the demonstrations and teaser materials still raise as many questions as they answer. There's a whole lot about the Magic Leap system that we don't know, so maybe let's hold off on losing our minds about the perceived imminent AR revolution until we do.
Magic Leap tips its mixed-reality hand with a Sigur Rós app
We really don't know a lot about Magic Leap, the secretive mixed reality company that made waves back in 2015 with a huge investment from Google. Magic Leap has been experimenting with light-bending nanomaterials, and has promised Madefire mixed reality comics for an undefined launch day and may or may not have leaked a backpack-style prototype. The thing is, no one knows what Magic Leap's technology consists of.
Samsung vs. Acer Mixed Reality headsets: Which handles VR best?
The big VR story this year isn't another headset from Oculus or HTC -- it's Microsoft's entry into the space with Windows 10 Mixed Reality devices. They promise to be cheaper and easier to use than the Rift or Vive, thanks to a bit of help from HoloLens' 3D tracking technology. Acer's was among the first we saw in action, and it was a promising example of what an inexpensive VR headset could look like. Samsung, meanwhile, was late to the party with HMD Odyssey, but it also gave us a glimpse at high-end Mixed Reality headsets. Now that we've spent some time with both (along with HP's headset earlier this week), it's time to decide which handles Mixed Reality best. (Spoiler: It isn't Acer.)
'Dance with flARmingos' hides a deeper discussion behind goofy moves
Flamingos are all legs and pink feathers -- an iconic symbol of kitsch America. They're still a bird though; a species that's struggled against global warming and human development on its habitats. For the past two years, artist Kristin Lucas' work has revolved around flamingos. She's adopted 20 of 'em, but suspected she'd never meet any of them. Dance with flARmingos tries to bring people closer to the bird, combining mixed and augmented reality tricks to immerse the attendee in a flock of strutting flamingos. Lucas' enthusiasm for the bird is infectious -- here's the story behind the project.
'Dance with flARmingos' in a mixed reality mating ritual
Flamingos rule everything around her. Her clothes are covered in them. Her workspace is littered with representations of their spindly legs and hot-pink plumes. She's spent hours studying their migratory patterns, mating rituals and native environments. She's traveled the world speaking to conservationists and ornithologists to better understand them. She even adopted 20 of the winged icons to aid in her research and their preservation.
Windows Mixed Reality adds SteamVR games on November 15th
Microsoft's stab at building a virtual reality ecosystem will enter an informal beta test starting November 15th. Next week the Windows 10 Mixed Reality SteamVR preview program will go live. If you have Windows 10 running on your machine, along with one of the Redmond-approved VR headsets you'll be able to try it out for yourself according to Rolling Stone. This will act as a sort of crossover piece of software that gives Windows Mixed Reality users access to some 60 VR apps from the Windows Store and the countless VR games available on Steam. There's no timetable for when the full version will roll out to Windows just yet.
For Nike, augmented reality is the perfect way to sell hyped sneakers
Buying limited-edition shoes is complicated and not as fun as it should be. The rise of violence in sneaker culture (people have been murdered for a pair of Air Jordans) led companies like Nike to launch hyped products almost exclusively on digital channels. But selling sneakers on a website, or doing raffles on Twitter, came with challenges of its own. That's because resellers started using bots, automated computer scripts, to buy or reserve pairs faster than a human could. If you couldn't enter an address and credit-card number in a matter of seconds, whatever you were hoping to get was going to be sold out.
Microsoft HoloLens is now certified protective eyewear
Microsoft first launched HoloLens in 2015 as a gaming-centric consumer product, but so far, very few folks have so much as picked up a Minecraft block with the $3,000 device. Microsoft isn't complaining, though. HoloLens has been a big success with businesses, allowing designers to visualize digital changes on real-life objects and helping employees do complex tasks or high-tech sales demos. In fact, it's been so popular with companies that Microsoft is now expanding sales to 29 new European markets, taking the total up to 39 nations.
Microsoft opens a studio for mixed reality
Microsoft has really been hammering home its commitment to mixed reality lately, debuting its headsets earlier this month and holding an entire event dedicated to the concept. Now, and in time for the holidays, the company has launched the Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco, home to its Mixed Reality Capture Studios and Mixed Reality Academy. Here, creative agencies and application developers will be able to invent and create a huge range of mixed reality content, drawing on the thousands of performances the studio has captured over the course of seven years.
Hulu’s VR content is now available on Windows Mixed Reality headsets
With its latest OS update, Microsoft has officially begun to support VR headsets from companies like Lenovo, Acer and Dell and today, Hulu announced its VR content will now be available across the lineup of Windows Mixed Reality headsets. The company has also added its VR app to the Microsoft Store.
Magic Leap will get Madefire mixed reality comics on launch day
Magic Leap is getting Madefire's mixed reality comics from day one. Reps from both companies announced their partnership at the New York Comic Con, revealing that they've actually been working together for the past five years. They promise you'll be able to view comic panels like they're 3D illustrations floating mid-air and that you'll be able to pin them around your room like digital wallpaper. Madefire plans to bring all its graphic novels to Magic Leap, including comics from Marvel, DC and Blizzard, along with original titles made just for the device.
Samsung's HMD Odyssey proves image quality is worth the cost
Earlier today, Microsoft and Samsung announced the latest Windows Mixed Reality headset: the Samsung HMD Odyssey. At $499, it's certainly one of the pricier options out of all the Windows Mixed Reality headsets so far. And for good reason. Not only does it come with integrated AKG headphones -- which is very similar to the Rift's design -- it has absolutely stunning image quality.
Microsoft buys AltspaceVR's struggling virtual hangout
When AltspaceVR announced that it was staying open after threatening to close its doors, it said it was "deep in discussions" with people who were passionate about it. Apparently one of those people was Microsoft, because the software giant has just announced that it's acquiring AltspaceVR, officially providing Windows Mixed Reality with a social VR solution. "With the AltspaceVR team onboard we look forward to building the world's preeminent mixed reality community," said Alex Kipman, Microsoft's Mixed Reality head, in a statement. If you're not familiar with AltspaceVR, it's sort of like a Second Life for VR. Even though AltspaceVR has only been around for a few years, it already has competition in the social VR space. Its biggest rival is arguably Facebook Spaces, which is the social network's attempt at a virtual hangout space. Of course, Spaces' big benefit is that it makes use of your existing Facebook network. But AltspaceVR has had successes too. It partnered with NBC to broadcast last year's presidential debates in VR and it's even hosted virtual comedy shows from Reggie Watts and Paul Scheer. AltspaceVR is accessible with Google Daydream, Samsung's Gear VR, the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. With the Microsoft acquisition, it's likely that AltspaceVR will be available on Windows Mixed Reality headsets as well.
'Halo Recruit' brings the Xbox series to mixed reality
Microsoft already announced that it was working with 343 Industries on Halo experiences for mixed reality, but today the company revealed its first one: Halo Recruit. The game will be available starting October 17th -- you can either try it out in Microsoft Stores across the country, or download it from the Windows Store for free.
Samsung's Windows Mixed Reality headset will cost $499
A few days ago, images of what looked like a Samsung Mixed Reality headset leaked online. Today, at Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality event, both Microsoft and Samsung have officially unveiled it at last. It's called the HMD Odyssey, and it's the first Samsung VR headset to run on the Windows Mixed Reality platform. It'll ship on November 3rd, and is available on pre-order today.
Nonny de la Peña, Eugene Chung illuminate the Engadget Experience
Virtual reality captured the mainstream's imagination in the 1990s, but ultimately failed to deliver on the the medium's potential. Fast forward more than two decades and VR is once again the next big thing. With far more advanced hardware and billions in investment, virtual reality is on the cusp of upending storytelling but the future is still unclear. On November 14th, VR luminaries Eugene Chung and Nonny de la Peña will take the stage at the historic United Artists Theatre at the Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles to help shed some light on how virtual reality and augmented reality are changing the way that we see the world.
Samsung leak reveals a Windows Mixed Reality headset
Ahead of Microsoft's mixed reality (MR) event next week, images have surfaced showing what appears to be Samsung's MR headset offering. There are no specification details on offer, but the pictures show a device with two cameras on the front, AKG-branded headphones and six degree-of-freedom tracking, similar to other Windows MR headsets, suggesting Samsung could be one of Windows' partner brands in its MR endeavour. Microsoft has made MR a core component of its Windows 10 operating system, and with Samsung on board it could give the tech prominence among other major brands that are generally focused on virtual reality instead.
