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Monday, 11 January 2016

TASTY TECH EYE CANDY OF THE WEEK LXXVI


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Tasty Tech Eye Candy: Virtual Reality
By Tracy Staedter,
Discovery News, 10 January 2016.

This past week in Las Vegas, thousands of people attended the Consumer Electronics Show, where exhibitors showed off the latest in electronic devices. Among the technologies trending were virtual reality gadgets. From goggles to full-body suits to omni-directional treadmills, here's a look at the latest advances in virtual reality.

1. HoloLens

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Microsoft's HoloLens is a wearable holographic system that works with Windows 10. It allows people to project apps onto a variety of surfaces and use them to visualize data, CAD renderings and more.


2. Oculus Rift

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The long-awaited release date of the Oculus Rift system has finally arrived. Looks like the VR goggles will ship in March at a cost of about US$599. Pre-orders available now.


3. Samsung Gear VR

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At the Consumer Electronics Show, Samsung showed off its Gear VR, an Oculus headset that accommodates a Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The company also demonstrated Rink, a pair of hand-held, gesture-based controllers meant to be used with the Samsung Gear VR.


4. Playstation VR

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Look out gamers. PlayStation announced that it's working on more than 100 new games for its forthcoming virtual reality headset, the PlayStation VR.


5. Google Cardboard

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Google Cardboard's inexpensive virtual reality goggles inspired others to produce cheaper versions that are compatible with the company's apps. Speck announced its Pocket VR and I Am Cardboard announced its DSCVR Headset - both designed to display content created for Google's Cardboard VR.


6. HTC Vive

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At the Consumer Electronics Show, HTC released its Vive Pre, a headset meant mainly for developers. It has a front-facing camera that gives wearers a view into the real world. The consumer version of the Vive is expected to begin shipping in April.


7. Tesla Suit

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Along with the goggles and headsets that make virtual reality possible, electronic companies are also coming out with gadgets the expand the sensory limits beyond vision. For example, the Tesla Suit from Tesla Studios is a full-body suit that contains small sensors that send out tiny electrical pulses to stimulate different parts of the body, depending on the action happening in the virtual world. You can help fund the Kickstarter campaign here.


8. Wireless 3-D Sensor

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The Vico VR is a wireless tracking device that senses a person's body movements and incorporates those movements in real-time into the virtual world. Here, a player uses the sensor to box.


9. Omni VR Treadmill

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Virtuix announced its omni-directional treadmill at last year's Consumer Electronics Show, but this year they used it to host the first-ever eSports tournament in VR. There were four HTC Vive headsets connected to four treadmills. Participants could sign up to join a competitive multi-player shooter game called Omni Arena.


Top image: Tesla Suit. Credit: Tesla Studios.

[Source: Discovery News. Edited. Top image and links added.]

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