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Press release: New platform enables user-created social VR experiences SAN FRANCISCO – Linden Lab, the creators of Second Life, today announced that applications have opened for an upcoming “Creator Preview” for Project Sansar, the new platform for user-created social virtual reality experiences. Interested 3D content creators can now apply at ProjectSansar.com and acceptedRead More →

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The Dutch VR development studio Verum Visum LP has launched a Kickstarter for an interactive documentary, Chornobyl360, that will allow users to experience the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in an immersive way and interact with living witnesses from 1986. The Kickstarter was launched on April 26 on the 30th anniversary ofRead More →

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Four Norwegian experts recently proved that virtual reality live streaming systems can practically be employed to control vehicles, when they helped drive a real battle tank — a German Leopard 1 — with the driver immersed in a virtual environment. The driver had complete awareness of the actual environment all aroundRead More →

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Fifty more schools will get free Nearpod virtual reality headsets, lesson plans, professional development and one-on-one support, the company announced this week. And Google Expeditions, the biggest virtual reality education program, rolled its education program to Irish schools and will be heading to Dublin and Belfast next in the coming two weeks, according to theRead More →

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I recently saw Hardcore Henry at the local mall, a movie funded via a crowdfunding campaign and filmed completely in a video game-style first-person point of view. This was not a great movie. It did not have a great plot, or great character development. It felt more watching someone playRead More →

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Alkonost Development, a London-based independent research and development start-up mostly focused on virtual reality and augmented reality, has launched the beta version of Extended Workspace, a virtual reality interface that allows users to use hand-tracking systems to interact with virtual environments with the entire hand — including fingers and fingertips – suchRead More →

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Rochester Institute of Technology‘s Magic Spell Studios which recently announced that it will partner with Crytek, a Germany-based video game developer, to bring virtual reality laboratories in universities around the world is also exploring other technologies such as 3D printing and laser cutting to make kits that offer a rangeRead More →

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Nvidia, which recently announced its Iray VR and Iray VR Lite to enable  photorealistic panoramas and light-rich visuals, walkthroughs and scenes in 3D virtual spaces on personal computers and mobile devices, will start to support Iray VR Lite as a standard feature set on its Maya, Cinema4D, Rhino, and 3DsRead More →

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Updated: May 1, 2017 Several readers have complained that there are too many headsets on my list of virtual reality headsets and that it’s hard to choose. The following is a list of the ten best, based on what’s readily available on the market today. (And yes, I’ll be updating thisRead More →

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Voxelus, a Los Angeles-based virtual reality firm, has launched its “app store for virtual reality content,” the Voxelus Marketplace, that allows users to sell virtual reality content for the platform’s Voxels in-game crypto-currency. All content is free of charge until April 20 when the platform leaves beta, CEO and founder Martin Repetto told HypergridRead More →

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Developers love the Oculus, Vive, and PlayStation VR because they offer the most cutting edge technology and the highest degree of immersion. But developers are ACTUALLY working on content for the Google Cardboard ecosystem. Don’t confuse the platform for the little cardboard give-away sets, please! There are some VERY niceRead More →

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Press release: Mayo Clinic and vMocion Introduce Technology Which Creates the Sensation of Motion, Transforming Virtual Reality Featuring Mayo Clinic’s Patented Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) Technology, vMocion’s 3v(TM) Platform Now Available for Licensing LOS ANGELES, CA and SCOTTSDALE, AZ —  Mayo Clinic and vMocion, LLC, an entertainment technology company, today announced itRead More →

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Press release: Digital Media Wire Announces Agenda, Speakers and Virtual Reality Innovation & Networking Lounge for LA Games Conference April 19th Annual Industry Confab Brings Together Top Leaders from EA, Sony PlayStation, Twitch, Google, CAA, SGN, Nexon, Tencent, Gamevil, Seriously, Kabam, Ubisoft, Glu, Endemol, Lionsgate, Perfect World, OGA and manyRead More →

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The folks at GearBest just sent me a free review copy of the PlayGlass headset. While this headset is one of the pricier ones I’ve reviewed recently, I was not particularly impressed with its field of view, usability, and opaque cover. However, it does have decent lens adjustment options andRead More →

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The second multi-grid OpenSim Treasure Hunt begins in two weeks, and there is still time for grids and region owners to participate. Promote your destination by picking up a stand from Hyperica at hg.hyperica.com:8022, Tangle Grid at tanglegrid.net:8002:HG Station 1, or WestWorld grid at westworldgrid.com:8102, or download an IAR fileRead More →

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Beijing-based Baofeng Technology Co. Ltd. has sold more than one million of its mobile-based virtual reality headsets since the beginning of this year, the company told the official China Daily newspaper. That compares to reported sales of half a million headsets last year, making Baofeng the industry leader. White theRead More →

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Update: I was doing a demo yesterday and the Cardboard Enabler app I reviewed below mysteriously stopped working. I could no longer switch to the Gear VR view. Deleting the app forced me to reinstall the Gear VR applications and reboot my phone several times. Then my phone died forRead More →

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Hulu had originally planned to have its virtual reality app for the Samsung Gear VR last fall, but finally released it yesterday. It is a free download on the Gear VR’s Oculus store, and supports both virtual reality films and Hulu’s entire library of traditional 2D videos. There was noRead More →

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Pornhub has launched a dedicated virtual reality porn channel and gave away 10,000 free virtual reality headsets to get people to try it. Totally not safe for work link: http://www.pornhub.com/vr Pornhub says it has over three million videos and attracts over 60 million visitors per day, and, at four million members, theRead More →

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Today, many virtual reality applications and experiences are distributed as stand-alone downloads, which makes sense for many types of content and particularly for mobile-based virtual reality headsets with slow connections. But as broadband speeds improve, cloud delivery offers a number of benefits to virtual reality projects, including scalability, monetization, reducedRead More →

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ScanSpace, in collaboration with Paracosm, launched a Kickstarter campaign for an online service that lets users scan and upload real-world environments, turn them into game levels, and share with other players. The company is hoping to raise $125,000, and will add virtual reality support as an $800,000 “stretch goal.” Multiplayer supportRead More →

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Trick 3D has released Floorplan Revolution, software which converts traditional floorplans to virtual reality environment. The tool, first announced in September, supports both mobile virtual reality headsets, including Google Cardboard and Gear VR, and traditional views such as personal computers, tablets, and smartphones. The Atlanta-based company is also planning to create a virtual homeRead More →

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GearBest is holding a “flash sale” on its virtual reality headsets over the next few days, with free shipping. Some of the headsets on sale are older models, heavy and with a narrow field of view. But there are three worth checking out, that are newer releases, with wide fieldRead More →

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Update: In August, I bought a FiiT VR 2S, and that is now my new favorite. Another headset I’m recommending is the BoboVR Z4 headset, which has a 120-degree field of view, built-in headphones, and a built-in control button. If you haven’t bought a virtual reality headset yet and are looking for aRead More →

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Back in January, I ordered a free Cardboard viewer from Raytheon. The offer is no longer available, but the headset finally came in my mail a week or so ago. If your company is considering giving away VR viewers made out of cardboard, this is what your customers will get:Read More →

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If you’re in a gang, or want to be, you don’t want to be wearing a geeky virtual reality headset that covers your entire field of view. After all, you don’t want someone to be sneaking up on you and stabbing you in the side. And you certainly don’t wantRead More →

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In mid-December, we were tracking 117 active Google Plus communities related to OpenSim and the hypergrid. As of today, that number has hit 166, of which 53 are new to our list. The largest new communities, with more than 100 members each, are Blender for OpenSim, Opensim Technical, ARiELSIG, Immersive World LearningRead More →

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Press release: VR Sociable Network vTime is Now Available for Google Cardboard in Early Access Liverpool, UK – vTime, the first virtual reality sociable network on mobile, today opens its network to millions more users as it launches for Google Cardboard. The app launches in early access for a limitedRead More →

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Press release: Virtual Reality in a refugee camp: The hopelessness is visible and tangible Next week, the war in Syria will enter it’s sixth year. The conditions in which most refugees find themselves are inhumane and degrading. VR Gorilla and Stichting Vluchteling, a Dutch refugee foundation, show this with four portraits, in virtualRead More →

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Ever since I learned that people watched 350,000 hours of virtual reality videos on YouTube in the last two months of 2015, I’ve been noticing that there isn’t that much content yet in the form of immersive videos. Other than porn, of course. But there aren’t any break-out YouTube VRRead More →

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As a developer of Cardboard virtual reality applications, I find that I am constantly looking for new headset solutions that I can easily carry with me anytime and anywhere to either demonstrate my latest virtual reality app or to view other virtual reality apps that I may have just heard about.Read More →

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I took a chance on the Viewbox from Evomade when experimenting with other mid-range virtual reality glasses made it obvious that weight would be a major issue for me. As inconsequential as 10 or 14 ounces looks on paper, it feels like 10 pounds when bearing the brunt of it on the bridgeRead More →

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Press release: AP launches virtual reality and 360 video channel in collaboration with AMD The Associated Press will launch a virtual reality and 360 video channel in collaboration with AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) to feature the news organization’s latest advances in immersive journalism. Virtual reality and 360 video transport users into the middleRead More →

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Kitely released a new starting template for customers renting land, the Kitely Evergreen Island, optimized for virtual reality viewers. “Virtual reality requires a high frame rate to maintain the feeling of presence without causing the user to start feeling VR sickness,” Kitely CEO Ilan Tochner told Hypergrid Business. VR sickness, similarRead More →

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I first reviewed the LingVR headset back in October, and back then it was my favorite Google Cardboard-compatible headset. My only quibble with it was how hard it was to open and close the latch in order to get to the smartphone. Since Google Cardboard doesn’t come with a decentRead More →

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Uphold, a Charleston, South Carolina-based virtual currency and cloud payments company, is “seriously studying” the possibility of extending support to OpenSim, Uphold founder Halsey Minor told Hypergrid Business.  The company considers OpenSim to be a significant potential virtual currency market, Minor said. “I’m studying OpenSim closely and consider it very important,Read More →

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Voxelus is planning to expand its virtual reality creation platform with a deal to bring 7,000 3D assets to its marketplace during the second quarter of this year, and 16,000 more during the second half of the year, company co-founder and CEO Martin Repetto told Hypergrid Business. “This is huge news forRead More →

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Mattel just announced the View-Master Viewer DLX, will accommodate a wider range of smartphones, have a headphone jack for better audio, adjustable focus, and a better latch. The new headset is expected to hit the market next fall, and will cost $40. Mattel also promised new virtual reality experiences. Read more about itRead More →

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According to a rumor which first appeared at Android World, Samsung will throw in a $99 Gear VR headset for free for customers who pre-order the new Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge smartphones on February 21. The deal is expected to last for a couple of weeks. Read more at 9 toRead More →

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In addition to working on updates of its popular Google Cardboard headset and development platform, the company is also working on a new, standalone headset that requires neither a smartphone nor a computer, the Wall Street Journal reports. Google has already seen significant success with 5 million of its phone-basedRead More →

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Wevr has raised $25 million from investors such HTC Corp, Samsung Ventures and Evolution Media Partners to fund the launch of its Wevr Transport, a YouTube-like virtual reality platform that will help virtual reality creators to publish their work and find an audience. The platform will support Google Cardboard, Samsung GearRead More →

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So you’re thinking of investing time or money in virtual reality technology, but are worried that it’s just a fad — or that you are investing in the wrong platform. To know for sure which way the virtual winds are blowing, you need to find out what the porn industryRead More →

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Florida-based virtual reality company Magic Leap has just raised another $800 million, the largest “C” investment round in Internet history, bringing its total valuation to $4.5 billion. This is not the same company as Leap Motion, which tracks hand gestures, and does have products already on the market. On InworldRead More →

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OpenSim — short for OpenSimulator — is free, open source software that allows anyone to create a virtual world and run in on their own computer. Here is the official OpenSim project website. It is fully decentralized, works in virtual reality mode with Oculus Rift, and allows avatars to teleportRead More →

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By all indications, the hypergrid is hopping. As of mid-January, 68 percent of all active users, 75 percent of all public OpenSim grids, and 93 percent of all regions were on the hypergrid, and the number of hypergrid events and communities is exploding. The Kitely Market now delivers to moreRead More →

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AltspaceVR, a virtual reality social platform previously only available for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, arrived in the Gear VR app store today. Users can choose from a handful of pre-built virtual scenes, where they can interact with other users, attend events, play multi-players games, or watching streaming videosRead More →

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UK teens are ready to buy virtual reality technology, according to a new research report from Greenlight VR, with 71 percent saying that they’ll either buy it on their own or ask their parents to buy it for them. “Surprisingly, 25 percent will spend their own money,” the researchers said.Read More →