Latest Questions

plugxr

Trying to roam through vast computer-generated worlds from your not-very-vast living space poses a number of challenges for virtual reality – and a new patent filed by Microsoft promises to offer some assistance in keeping you from colliding with real world objects.

The patent, spotted by Variety, details a floor mat that marks out a boundary for a gaming space. Your VR or AR headset could use the boundaries of the mat to work out where you are, and provide haptic feedback under your feet to help you stay within those boundaries.

As well as keeping you from knocking the television over or standing on the cat, the mat could also buzz your feet to provide in-game feedback as well. There are all sorts of possibilities that developers could make use of.

• It's time to talk iPhone 12
• Google Assistant upgrades are coming
• Get the latest on Project xCloud

Placing a pilot in the cockpit of an F-14 in the middle of a combat mission is about as difficult as it sounds – even when you’re just replicating the experience in a training facility. Yet we’ve had some version of flight simulators for decades, and as the technology behind them has grown increasingly sophisticated and decreasingly cost-prohibitive, the designers working in the virtual reality space continue to break new ground — and deliver to new markets.

As a simulation engineer at Lockheed Martin in the mid-1990s, I had a front-row seat (and, in some cases, had my hands quite literally on the wheel — or flightstick) for some of these advances. And when I later joined Harmonix, where I was technical director of Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Dance Central and other games, I was even more deeply involved in creating motion technology and virtual simulations for the entertainment space. In a short time, I’ve seen the field grow exponentially. With virtual reality now being applied to activities as far-ranging as athletic training, physical rehabilitation, concert performances, and gaming, the lines between fun and function have blurred.

Android phones have a new problem, this time it is with the Google Assistant. It seems that if you are using the "Ok, Google" or "Hey, Google" phrase to open the Assistant on one device, it gets activated on a second device as well. The bug has affected Google Home and Google Pixel devices. Turns out the problem starts when one says "Ok, Google," or "Hey, Google". This not only awakens the Google Assistant on one device but also manages to activate it on a second device if one is nearby. The screens of the devices stay powered on indefinitely after hearing the phrase to activate the Google Assistant. Furthermore, the bug makes the Google Assistant remain active on the second device until powered off.

The original post that was shared on Reddit, saw multiple people comment saying they are facing this issue. The users were not best pleased after their phone’s battery depleted to 1 per cent because the Google Assistant had remained powered on, hours after the wake-up phrase was used for a Google Home speaker. Notably, the Google Assistant remaining powered on, not only causes serious battery drain, but it also has several security risks as it leaves the device unlocked. Google is yet to roll-out a fix for this.

The new 90Hz screen of the Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL would have been awesome for use with the Daydream VR headset – unfortunately, Google has confirmed that the new Pixels do not support the VR headset. Perhaps that’s not a huge surprise, the Pixel 3a phones didn’t support it either and there hasn’t been a new version of the headset in two years.

90Hz refresh rate would have brought the VR experience closer to desktop headsets – both the Oculus Quest and the HTC Vive Focus run at 60Hz, unlike the Vive Pro and Oculus Rift, for example. We only bring it up since it feels like a missed opportunity.

Google doesn't feel that way, though, here's what a company spokesperson said in response to questions from VentureBeat:

There also hasn’t been the broad consumer or developer adoption we had hoped, and we’ve seen decreasing usage over time of the Daydream View headset. So while we are no longer selling Daydream View or supporting Daydream on Pixel 4, the Daydream app and store will remain available for existing users.

ebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.. ebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.. ebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.. ial networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the socia..

Virtual reality or VR is advancing at a fast pace. The advent of virtual reality technology has transformed the way we live, work, and socialize. Both virtual reality and augmented reality possess the potential to transform the world. As people are eager to learn and grow, virtual reality plays a significant role in learning and development. From entertainment to education & training and travel, virtual reality offers a real-time experience to its users at a reasonable price.

Virtual reality is gradually paving its way into the automotive sector. Besides the integration of voice assistance, vehicles nowadays come integrated with several advanced features to offer improved driver safety. Spurred by these factors, the global virtual reality market share is expected to increase considerably in the near future.

Facebook Inc. is trying to broaden its virtual horizons.

The company’s virtual reality unit Oculus on Wednesday announced Facebook Horizon, described as “an ever-expanding VR world” where people can interact with others as digital avatars. Users will be able to add features and elements to the world, which Facebook said will be “constantly growing with extraordinary creations made by Horizon citizens.”

Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the program onstage at Oculus’s annual developer conference in San Jose, California.

hvkfhkj

It's a close split, but VR developers are apparently now spending more time and energy developing projects for the Oculus Rift than they are for the HTC Vive, according to a new report. The authors says this trend represents a "shift in platform preference."

XRDC just published its fourth annual AR/VR Innovation Report. It contains survey responses from more than 900 professionals involved in the development of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality experiences.

Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.

According to a report in CNBC late Sunday, with Facebook positioning its VR-based Oculus devices primarily as gaming machines, McCauley does not believe there is much of a market for the device. "There are a lot of fundamental issues that remain unsolved with VR gaming," said the Oculus Co-founder who stayed through Facebook's $2 billion acquisition of the company in March 2014.

Facebook-acquired Virtual Reality (VR) firm Oculus may not be profitable as the social networking giant is struggling to bring VR to the mainstream consumer market, says Jack McCauley, one of the co-founders of Oculus.

According to a report in CNBC late Sunday, with Facebook positioning its VR-based Oculus devices primarily as gaming machines, McCauley does not believe there is much of a market for the device. "There are a lot of fundamental issues that remain unsolved with VR gaming," said the Oculus Co-founder who stayed through Facebook's $2 billion acquisition of the company in March 2014.