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Amsterdam-based VR developer WeMakeVR and MDLinking.com, a Dutch startup with a secure communication platform for doctors, announced a service last week that creates picture-in-picture virtual reality videos of surgeries. “This way of capturing surgeries can help students get a much better understanding of the roles and interactions within the medical team,” Avinash Changa, CEO and founderRead More →

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Award winning virtual reality film company Felix & Paul Studios received a $6.8 million investment led by Comcast Ventures, the company announced this week. Felix & Paul Studios said it will use the money to double its size and triple its content and production over the next year, founder Paul Raphael told the LA Times.Read More →

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I’ve had a couple of opportunities to try out virtual reality devices. And while the experiences weren’t perfect, my friends and I can definitely see the potential. The first time was at my high school, Blackstone Valley Tech, in Upton, Massachusetts during a demo of several different mobile-based headsets — decentRead More →

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Unimersiv has launched a new virtual reality platform for educational experiences, joining Google Expeditions, Nearpod VR, and Fieldscapes VR. It is currently available for the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, with support for other mobile-based platforms still to come. “We are planning on supporting Cardboard but definitely want to make theRead More →

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The Dlodlo Glass V1 headset looks like a pair of sunglasses and weighs just 78 grams, or less than three ounces. It has a field of view of 100 degrees — a little higher than the Gear VR’s 96 degrees, and almost as good as the 100 degrees of theRead More →

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Lucasfilm’s ILMxLAB has teamed up with secretive augmented reality startup Magic Leap to develop mixed reality content. To give a little taste of what it may look like, the companies released a video in which holograms of R2D2 and C3PO interact with one another and with real objects in a real living room. ReadRead More →

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Update: In August, I bought a FiiT VR 2S, and that is now my new favorite. But I’m also still recommending the BoboVR Z4 headset, because of its 120-degree field of view, built-in headphones, and built-in control button. Last month, I received a free review copy of the Virtoba X5 headset from GeekBuying, and a coupleRead More →

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Motion sickness is one of the big usability problems plaguing virtual reality today, and if you don’t want to attach electrodes to your head, there might be a simpler, easier solution — narrowing the field of view. Researchers at Columbia University discovered subtly making the image smaller during in-world motion wouldRead More →

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Last Sunday’s Adult VR Festa had so many attendees that hundreds were forced to wait outside until police were called in to break up the crowd. The event, which was held at a venue in Tokyo’s high-tech Akihabara neighborhood, featured adult VR applications and devices. Read full story at RocketNews24.Read More →

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I just received my free Loop VR headset from OnePlus. The company gave away thousands of headsets to promote the release of their new OnePlus 3 smartphone, and while it’s definitely an upgrade from the cardboard headset they sent out last year, it lacks many of the features that have recently becomeRead More →

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Social virtual reality pioneer vTime added support for the Oculus Rift and added a business-focused meeting space. The app was already available for Gear VR and Android. It is a free application. Both the new consumer and developer kit 2 versions of the Oculus Rift headset are now supported, the company said in theRead More →

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Virtual reality has experienced rapid growth within architecture, engineering and construction industries over the past three years. What started as a curiosity has now become increasingly commonplace in architecture, real estate development, and construction.  In fact, many building owners now request or require demonstration of virtual reality capabilities as part ofRead More →

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Nothing beats taking an actual car for an actual drive, but virtual reality can whet buyer appetites for the real thing and can also offer customers an opportunity to see a broader variety of cars than can physically fit in a showroom. The automotive sector is notable in being an early moverRead More →

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Best Western International, Inc. recently announced it will use virtual reality to allow customers tour guest rooms, hotel lobbies and other amenities at any of their North American hotels in immersive 360-degree video before they check in. “Walking into a lobby or guest room leaves an indelible impression on what kind of experience will follow,Read More →

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The growth of virtual reality devices market and the associated demand for new virtual reality experiences has increased the demand for low-poly 3D models, according to a report released last week. Sales of “low poly” models significantly grew in 2015 and is likely to record robust growth in 2016, driven byRead More →

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Game studio Ubisoft and developer Red Storm Entertainment is working on a Star Trek game that allows four players to cooperatively fly a spaceship in virtual reality. The game, called “Bridge Crew,” is scheduled to launch this fall on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. Read full story at the AssociatedRead More →

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CAMBRIDGE — Virtual reality technology company VirZOOM Inc. announced early access product shipments globally to pre-order customers starting this month. The system includes the VirZOOM Bike Controller, the VirZOOM Arcade suite of VR exercise games downloadable from the Steam Store, a free PC game controller emulator, a free SDK forRead More →

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Director Steven Spielberg is working on a family-oriented virtual reality project for The Virtual Reality Company, where he is also one of the advisors, the company announced yesterday. That’s only a couple of weeks after Spielberg called virtual reality “a dangerous medium” at the Cannes film festival. The Virtual RealityRead More →

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Fruit Ninja VR will launch for the HTC Vive later this month, with versions for the Oculus Rift, Playstation VR and Google Daydream planned for later this year, the company announced this week. Based on the video the company released, the game involves using gesture-based controllers to slice fruit. Only theRead More →

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Press release: Getty Images deepens its commitment to immersive content with new virtual reality business The launch of the Getty Images Virtual Reality Group brings high quality VR and 360 content to everyone, satisfying the growing appetite for immersive content Getty Images, the world leader in visual communication, has todayRead More →

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The Schmidt Ocean Institute is using virtual reality to help scientists explore the ocean floor. Virtual reality offers a wider and detailed view of the vents when compared to traditional cameras typically used on remote-controlled submarines,  Tom Kwasnitschka, chief scientist at Germany’s Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, told Smithsonian Magazine. “Imagine walking through ManhattanRead More →

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Medical software development company Vedavi has its virtual reality anatomy app all set and ready to go for the Oculus Rift, but the lack of a controller with six degrees of freedom is holding it up. The company also plans to port its VR Human Anatomy software to the GearRead More →

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Microsoft’s Windows Holographic  mixed reality operating system will be open to developers and manufacturers, the company announced last week during Computex 2016. Third parties will now be able to develop augmented and virtual reality devices, personal computers, displays and other accessories using Windows Holographic, a version of Windows 10 that can support both augmented realityRead More →

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The National Crime Scene Cleanup Association is filming 360-degree videos to virtually transport the members of public to crime scenes to witness its crew at work in an attempt to raise awareness and offer in-depth insights about its operations. The series of videos will appear on the organization’s YouTube channel and sharedRead More →

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UNICEF says that 360-degree videos can cut the time spent in getting donor support in half by bringing donors closer to the people who need their help. In the Clouds Over Sidra experience, for example, donors come face-to-face with Syrian refugees, which makes them feel more empathy for those suffering, UNICEF fundraising specialist David Cravinho told VRFocus.Read More →

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Did you just get a Cardboard-compatible virtual reality headset? You can tell if you have a mobile headset by the fact that it weighs very little, costs very little, and does not plug in to your computer. Instead, it has a place where you put in your smartphone. Then, if theRead More →

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The latest version of the YouTube app can play any video in virtual reality mode, on both Android smartphones and iPhones. Just open up the app on your smartphone, and pull up any video. Take, for example, this  Cirque du Soleil virtual reality video. Notice the little Cardboard outline at bottomRead More →

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More than $3.4 million worth of virtual reality headsets were sold this year in India during the first quarter of the year, according to a report by market intelligence and advisory firm 6Wresearch. According to their report, growth was driven by advancements in computer technology and internet connectivity coupled with increasing investmentsRead More →

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In general, I believe that marketing is advertising is great for promoting virtual reality.  Marketing experiences tend to short, well-produced, and, of course, well marketed. Plus, no company wants to make potential customers sick, so they pay attention to making their virtual experiences induce as little nausea as possible. And,Read More →

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Baofeng Mojing, the world’s leading virtual headset manufacturer, has released a new viewer that incorporates Leap Motion gesture control. The Baofeng Mojing 5 Plus was announced at a press conference in Beijing yesterday, along with the Baofeng Mojing 5, which does not have the Leap Motion controller. Both headsets haveRead More →

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Open-sided virtual reality headsets are small, fold flat, and can be easily carried in a pocket or purse. Since most don’t have head straps, they are typically suited for quick, on-the-go VR experiences or demonstrations. The open sides allow easy access to the phone screen for interactivity, or switching apps. However,Read More →

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Today, Scope AR announces its augmented reality platform for repair manuals at the Augmented World Expo. WorkLink enables companies to provide interactive and augmented reality repair manuals to field technicians or other employees so that they can repair equipment, perform maintenance, or assemble machinery on the factory floors easily and quickly. WorkLink and the company’s other product, theRead More →

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Press release: Voice Control, Gesture Control, and See-through Displays Are Top Electronic User Interface Innovations BOSTON, MA – With Apple, Google, and Microsoft sharpening their focus on electronic user interfaces, voice control, gesture control, and see-through displays are emerging as hot spots for innovation, as are newer form factors inRead More →

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Nicole Kidman stars in a just-released ad campaign by Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the United Arab Emirates. The commercial is a five-minute 360-degree virtual reality film that showcases the new Airbus A380. The commercial is available as a Google Cardboard-compatible app for the iPhone and Android. A Gear VR versionRead More →

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Blockchain is a hot enterprise technology topic right now. It’s the tech that makes Bitcoin possible, and allows companies or industry groups to set up distributed transaction records that can’t be repudiated, taking out the middlemen that normally keep these transaction databases. Now July’s D10e conference in San Francisco willRead More →

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AvayaLive Engage, one of the three major enterprise-focused virtual environment platforms, is shutting down the company announced. Avaya is no longer accepting new customers, and service for existing customers will end when their current contracts expire. The platform is shutting down because the browser are no longer supporting the requiredRead More →

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In addition to Internet cafes and other out-of-home venues, early tech adopters and hardcore gamers, Chinese parents’ focus on education will be a major driver for HTC Vive’s success in that country, HTC‘s head for VR in China told Hypergrid Business. “Education is one key area every family is willing toRead More →

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The New York Times has released an 8-minute virtual reality documentary based on footage from NASA’s New Horizons fly-by of Pluto. The video includes views from space as well as views from the surface of the planet and was produced in collaboration with the Lunar and Planetary Institute and the Universities Space Research Association.Read More →

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According to researchers at UK’s Staffordshire University, virtual reality could be used to transport jurors to crime scenes to help them better understand what occurred. Simon Tweats, head of justice services at Staffordshire Police, told the BBC that the technology could make a significant difference with regard to how evidence was presentedRead More →

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Just a week after Google unveiled its new virtual reality platform, Daydream, the first compatible headset has hit the market. Mumbai-based ConvergeVR Tech Labs Pvt. Ltd.’s headset is now available for order as a developer’s kit preview edition. The ConvergeVR DK3 headset costs 2,099 Rupees, or about US$31, plus delivery fees. The company willRead More →

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I just received a review copy of the Pico 1 headset in the mail. Disclosure: It was provided free by GeekBuying. But even though it was free, it still wasn’t worth the money. Was I disappointed? Absolutely! From the pictures and early descriptions I had this fantasy that the PicoRead More →

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China-based smartphone manufacturer OnePlus gave away 30,000 free OnePlus Loop VR headsets today, manufactured in partnership with AntVR. The Cardboard-compatible headset is reminiscent of the Gear VR in its design, and is a significant upgrade from last year’s giveway, which was a Cardboard-compatible headset made of actual cardboard. Like lastRead More →

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StubHub competitor Rukkus, which sells tickets to concerts and sports events, has released a virtual reality app that shows the view from any seat. The app, Seat360, is available for both iOS and Android, and works with Cardboard-compatible headsets. The company told UploadVR that it’s generated $350,000 through the app thus far,Read More →

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Press release: IMAX Unveils Comprehensive Virtual Reality Strategy; Launches Location-Based Initiative Through Partnership With Starbreeze IMAX to Create Fully Integrated Premium Out-of-Home VR Offering Encompassing Camera Capture, Content Distribution and Delivery NEW YORK — IMAX Corporation announced its strategy to develop a premium location-based virtual reality offering that will deliverRead More →

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Update: In August, I bought a FiiT VR 2S, and that is now my new favorite. But I’m also still recommending the BoboVR Z4 headset, because of its 120-degree field of view, built-in headphones, and built-in control button. I would not recommend that anyone go rush out and buy a virtual reality headset rightRead More →

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With this week’s Daydream announcement, Google is cementing its strong early lead in the virtual reality platform race. Although some virtual reality proponents don’t consider mobile-based headsets to be “real” virtual reality, this platform is adequate for watching traditional movies on virtual screens, and for experiencing virtual videos. This is currentlyRead More →

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Delightex, a Munich based firm that builds virtual reality platforms, released the CoSpaces app this week, which allows users to explore and share virtual reality spaces with other users on iOS and Android devices and Google Cardboard-compatible headsets. This is in addition to the company’s web-based application that allows users to create virtualRead More →