Items tagged with daydream
Apparently, phone-based VR experiences were not the right call, for Google at least. Today, the company has announced it is sunsetting Daydream VR software and terminating sales of the headsets. After Android 11, the Daydream app may no longer work on mobile devices. However, third-party software may continue working on the platform. Back in 2016, the Google Daydream View VR headset began to ship. At the time, the possibilities for Google pushing VR were high. Google announced that apps such as “HBO NOW, HBO GO, and Netflix” would be coming to the platform. It was not just for content consumption, though. You could play games such as “LEGO BrickHeadz Builder VR, Underworld...
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Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but that doesn't mean companies take kindly to others infringing on their intellectual property (IP) or otherwise ripping off their products. Whether Lenovo did that to Sony with its Mirage Solo VR headset, which looks strikingly similar to the PlayStation VR, is now moot. Why? Sony and Lenovo signed a two-year patent licensing agreement that renders it so. Lenovo Mirage Solo "We are pleased to announce that we have licensed the PS VR headset design to Lenovo," said Riley Russell, Chief Legal Officer at SIE. "The industrial design for PS VR has been widely acclaimed, and that was the result of years of hard work by PlayStation engineers. This...
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When it comes to streaming your personal media library in your home or anywhere in the world, Plex is one of the most popular apps available to handle all of the heavy lifting. Today, Plex announced that it is expanding its reach with support for Google's Daydream VR platform. To get started, you will of course need a Daydream-capable Android smartphone along with a Daydream View VR headset. Then, using your Daydream remote control, you are able to navigate through your library and watch your movies and TV shows in immersive virtual reality. Video content can be played locally from your smartphone or from your Plex Media Server. Plex is also adding in a social component to VR viewing, allowing...
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Today at CES, Lenovo announced the world's first standalone Daydream VR headset, which is called Mirage Solo with Daydream. Given that it has all of its processing hardware and a battery incorporated into the headset itself, you don't have to worry about attaching your smartphone or connecting to your PC with HDMI cables and power cords. Powering this experience is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 VR platform, which includes 2017's hottest smartphone SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. A 5.5-inch display is housed within the headset giving each eye a 1280x1440 "window" into a virtual world. This standalone unit has 64GB of storage onboard, which can be expanded further using the included microSD slot (up to...
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Patience is not only a virtue, it is also a good tool for saving money. Consider this—if you waited all this time to finally decide to buy a Pixel or Pixel XL handset from Google, you will be rewarded for your patience with up to a $200 discount from the original price. Not bad, right? Google will even toss in a free Daydream View VR headset. Both the discount and free VR headset offer is part of Google's Back to School promotion.The biggest discount ($200) applies to the Pixel XL. Originally priced at $769, it can now be bought from Google starting at $569 for the 32GB model, and $669 for the 128GB SKU. If desired, you can tack on a 2-year device protection plan for another $99. It comes in...
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If you have a Daydream-ready smartphone (i.e. Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Pixel, Pixel XL), Google is now shipping two new editions of the Daydream View VR headset. The Daydream View was initially only available in gray, but you can now choose from Crimson (red) and Snow (white). If you preordered either color, your headset will ship today. If you place an order for either headset today, your order should arrive no later than December 16th. Regardless of which color you select, the price of entry is still $79. Daydream View is the successor to the low-cost Google Cardboard VR accessory. It is constructed of plastic, foam and fabric and includes a hinged panel to slide in your smartphone. Thankfully,...
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It's the dream of many youngsters to grow and be involved in the NFL, whether it's to be a player or a member of the team staff. But for obvious reasons, an elite few actually get to fulfill that dream. Fortunately, the future is looking great for allowing the rest of us to get a mere taste of what it's like to be in the NFL, with virtual reality set to become the next-best-thing to actually being in the NFL. Last December, we wrote about Google working with the NFL to produce a VR look at the New England Patriots, and for fans of the team, it proved to be a real treat. Now, the NFL has announced that the VR love isn't about to stop, with NFL Films set to produce a nine-part series that will...
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If you own a Google Pixel or Pixel XL Nougat flagship and are itchin’ to get your hands on the Daydream View VR headset, your wait will soon be over. Google announced today that the Daydream View will be in stores beginning on November 10th at the previously announced priced of $79. United States residents will be able to purchase the Daydream View direct from the Google Store, Best Buy, or Verizon (which happens to be the only U.S. wireless carrier that sells the Pixel and Pixel in the U.S.). In addition to the U.S. launch, the Daydream View will also be available in Canada, the United Kington, Germany and Australia. Over the next few weeks, Google and its content partners will be opening a...
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The Pixel and Pixel XL are perhaps the most exciting products announced today at Google’s hardware event, but the Daydream View VR headset has to come a close second. You can think of the Daydream View as fancier successor to Cardboard, although you’ll pay a much heftier price for that honor. The Daydream View is extremely lightweight, putting competitors like the Samsung Gear VR to shame (the Daydream View weighs 220 grams while the Gear VR weighs 345 grams). This is accomplished thanks to a fabric (available in Snow, Slate, and Crimson) and foam construction which should help aid in reducing fatigue during extended VR sessions. A hinged panel (made of plastic) at the front accepts your Android...
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We must say, Chinese OEMs are really firing on all cylinders when it comes to delivering flagship-quality smartphones at attractive price points. Google was so impressed with Huawei that it let the company take the lead on last year’s Nexus flagship, the Nexus 6P, which launched to rave reviews (read the HotHardware review right here). Now ZTE is taking another shot at delivering flagship-quality hardware at price that undercuts big name competitors by hundreds of dollars. The ZTE Axon 7 makes a good first impression with its clean unibody chassis that’s the product of the Chinese OEM’s collaboration with BMW DesignWorks. It may look a bit too much like the HTC One M8 to our eyes, but we can’t...
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Google is expanding its reach into virtual reality (VR) with the announcement of Daydream, a VR platform that is built on the upcoming Android N mobile operating system. Daydream encompasses both hardware and software, which means that later this year you will be able to purchase Daydream-ready smartphones from popular OEMs like Samsung, HTC, LG, Huawei and ASUS. Daydream in essence is a more advanced replacement for Google Cardboard and uses a new VR Mode that’s incorporated into Android N. Daydream-ready smartphones are all designed with performance and low-latency in mind and include a VR System UI for navigation. Google has also developed enhanced versions of YouTube, the Google Play...
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