First Google Glass, Now the Sensics zSight 810 HMD takes a Shower
A few months back, Google Glass took its very first shower. Now, Sensics CEO Yuval Boger takes the zSight 810 ruggedized HMD for a dip to prove its durability.
Virtuix Omni Plays Multiplayer Minecraft [video]
Virtuix has released a new video showing Minecraft being played on two Omni’s with the Oculus Rift. Will future LAN centers one day be filled with rows of Omnis?
The Virtuix Omni is an omnidirectional treadmill made for virtual reality gaming. The device is in the midst of an already successful Kickstarter that is on it’s way to raising more than 1 million dollars.
Virtuix used the Minecrift mod to add unofficial Oculus Rift support to Minecraft. The CEO of Virtuix, Jan Goetgeluk, tells me that “Even though the Minecraft graphics seem unsuited for VR, the game is actually a blast with Rift + Omni.”
The Kinect-based tracking still looks iffy. Virtuix plans to ship the Omni with their own tracking solution that should be better suited for the task than the Kinect. Made-for-Omni games are likely to have more seamless implementation of player movement.
Console Makers Stay Mum on VR at E3, but Kinect 2.0 Could Be Key
Sadly, there were no VR-related surprises from the big console manufacturers at E3 this year. However, Microsoft’s Kinect 2.0 could become a key virtual reality input device thanks to a rich set of features and substantially improved performance.
Valve Release Source Engine SDK with Oculus Rift Support
Valve has announced that the latest release of their Source Engine SDK has been released and that it now includes full support for the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality head mounted display.
Oculus VR Sets Up Andrew Reisse Memorial Memorial Fund and Scholarship
As you may know Andrew Reisse, co-founders of the Virtual Reality startup Oculus VR, died tragically in a hit-and-run motor accident last month. Oculus have now announced details of a Memorial Fund to commemorate his life.
Joe Ludwig from Valve speaking @ Ignite – The second coming of Virtual Reality [Video]
Speaking at the Ignite: Seattle event back in May, Joe Ludwig, Programmer at Valve Software (Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2) delivers a brief, irreverent summary of the history and current state of Virtual Reality.
Sixense Wireless Motion Tracking Development Kit Announced, Effectively the Hydra 2
Today Sixense, creator of the technology found in the Razer Hydra, announced a new wireless tracking development kit that will essentially come to form the Hydra 2. The company, which formerly sold its technology through Razer, will be marketing the device under its own name and working “directly with developers to create software for the upcoming consumer version…”
Intense ‘Alone in the Rift’ Reaction Shows the Potential of Virtual Reality Horror Games
Yesterday I demoed the Oculus Rift headset to a friend for the first time. After my usual playlist of demos, I put him into Alone in the Rift, a brief virtual reality horror demo. The ensuing reaction shows the potential of virtual reality horror games.
Videos from the 1st Silicon Valley Virtual Reality (SVVR) Meetup Now Online
On May 16th 2013, Karl Krantz chaired the first ‘Silicon Valley Virtual Reality’ meetup (SVVR for short). Developers, enthusiasts and industry luminaries gathered to usher in and discuss the new dawn of Virtual Reality now upon us.
New Interview With Jan ‘Virtuix Omni’ Goetgeluk
A new Interview with Jan ‘Virtuix Omni’ Goetgeluk has appeared via the technology YouTube channel ‘Linus-TechTips’ with detailed shots of the Omni in use.
The Cyberith Virtualiser – a New Virtual Reality Locomotion Device
A video has just been released demonstrating a new device offering gaming locomotion, i.e. translating the actions of walking into in-game actions. It’s called the Cyberith Virtualiser.
SiGGRAPH 2013 ‘Emerging Technologies’ Video Offers Glimpses of VRs Future
The 40th Annual Computer Graphics and Technology convention ‘SIGGRAPH’ kicks off on the 21st of July. A new video showcasing some of the technologies due to be displayed have implications for Virtual Reality.
Virtua View for Oculus Rift — Crowdfunding Campaign Launched
Google Glass Teardown Reveals CPU, Storage, and More, Produces Beautiful Photos of Glass Innards
Interested to find out what’s inside the hottest consumer wearable device in town? A Google Glass teardown leaves no stone unturned, revealing the CPU, storage, and leaves us with beautiful high resolution photos of a dissected Glass unit.
