Pimax Completes $15M Series A Funding Round
Pimax, the Shanghai-based VR headset manufacturer known for their upcoming wide field of view headset Pimax ‘8K’, have raised nearly $15 million in their first post-Kickstarter investment round.
‘Pokémon GO’ Now Uses Apple’s ARKit on iOS 11, Bringing Pokémon Closer to Reality
Pokémon GO, the massively successful location-based mobile game, just got an update on iOS 11 thanks to Apple’s ARKit that gives iPhone 6s and above more realistic Pokémon-catching encounters.
Magic Leap AR Headset Hands-on Offers Details on Field of View, Weight & Content
In a surprise move, Magic Leap finally released images and info regarding their upcoming Magic Leap One AR headset today. Hard specs are still thin on the ground at the moment, but it appears that press embargoes on information are finally being lifted as the company looks forward to an official release of its Creator Edition headset in 2018. Magic Leap gave Rolling Stone the rock star treatment in their exclusive tour of the headquarters, which includes a hands-on with the headset.
Magic Leap Finally Unveils its First AR Product ‘Magic Leap One’, Shipping Starts in 2018
After the long wait, Magic Leap, the secretive augmented reality startup, finally unveiled its first AR headset. Releasing first as a ‘Creator Edition’, the so-called ‘Magic Leap One’ AR headset is said to start shipping in 2018.
‘Bigscreen’ Now Supports Windows VR, PSVR and Mobile Headsets Coming in 2018
Bigscreen, the social VR app which lets users connect in a virtual environment while retaining the ability to use (and share) their own PC desktop content, now supports Microsoft’s ‘Windows Mixed Reality’ VR headsets. In 2018, the app will offer cross-play with mobile users on Oculus Go, Gear VR, and Daydream, as well as PSVR.
VR Has Officially Ascended to ‘Crappy Last-Minute Gift’ Thanks to This AXE Bodywash Bundle
How about an unbreakable comb? A nylon travel tote? A loofah soaked in pheromones? No. This holiday season’s pervasive AXE bodywash bundles come with a VR headset, and while the headset in question isn’t the worst thing be thrown in for ‘free’ with a bag of teenage male-mist, it certainly isn’t the one your son/nephew/grandson really wants. But then again, you probably knew that deep down inside already anyway.
‘AUTO’: A Realistic Look at the Human Impact of Near-future Technology
AUTO is a 360-video and morality tale available on Jaunt that takes a near-future look at the human impact of automation and emerging technology. It’s not a grotesque satire in the vein of Black Mirror, but it’s done in a more of a future realistic style that could be happening within the next 1–3 years—if not already.
Snapchat Launches Lens Studio for Making AR ‘Lenses’
Lens Studio is a new Mac and Windows desktop app from Snap Inc. for creating, publishing, and sharing augmented reality objects and experiences in Snapchat, as overlays known as ‘Lenses’. The free software has several templates for getting started, and advanced tools for experienced users and professionals.
‘Facebook Spaces’ Gets HTC Vive Support, Now the Company’s First Cross-platform VR App
Oculus parent company Facebook today announced it’s bringing Spaces, the company’s own social VR app, to HTC Vive.
‘Pavlov VR’ Update Includes Official Oculus Compatibility, Battle Royale Mode Slated for 2018
Pavlov VR, the Early Access VR shooter from indie developer davevillz, has a new badge under the ‘VR Support’ category on its Steam page which now indicates official support for Oculus Rift. Including a few minor bug fixes, the team added the announcement that a Battle Royale mode will be coming to the game in 2018, no doubt capitalizing on the success of Players Unknown Battle Ground (PUBG).
‘Heart of the Emberstone: Coliseum’ Demo Offers a Free Taste of the Game’s Telekinetic Powers
Cloudhead Games, the studio known for pioneering several locomotion schemes during the creation of their well-received VR adventure series The Gallery, have just released a fresh demo for their latest game, The Gallery: Heart of the Emberstone (2017). The demo is a sandbox version of the Coliseum level that lets you get your hands on the game’s unique telekinetic powers before committing to the full game.
Magic Leap Reveals Music App Collaboration with Sigur Rós, New Images
Magic Leap today revealed a collaborative AR project with Icelandic band Sigur Rós, a musical experience which fills the player’s surroundings with ethereal visuals and an interactive soundscape.
‘In Death’ is a Medieval Roguelike Bow-shooter from ‘EVEREST VR’ Developer Sólfar Studios
In quite the pivot from virtual tourism experience EVEREST VR (2016), Iceland-based Sólfar Studios has revealed their next VR project, In Death, a VR roguelike bow-shooter that promises procedurally generated crawling for loot and more.
Houston Fire Department on VR’s Potential to Enhance Firefighter Training
Patrick Hagan is a technical specialist for the Houston Fire Department who had an opportunity to try out a VR demo by HTX Labs featuring an active shooter critical response training scenario. This demo inspired him to start collaborating with HTX Labs to see how virtual reality could be used train new firefighters, but also create atypical training scenarios for teams of firefighters.
Lytro is Positioning Its Light Field Tech as VR’s Master Capture Format
Lytro, a leading light-field company, is positioning its light-field capture and playback technology as the ideal format for immersive content. The company is building a toolset for capturing, rendering, and intermingling both synthetic and live-action light-field experiences which can then be delivered at the highest quality playback supported by each individual platform.
