Items tagged with Gear VR
Back in late July, Plex tiptoed into the world of virtual reality with the support for Google's Daydream VR platform via the Plex VR app. For those with a supported smartphone and a Daydream View VR headset, you could experience your movies and TV shows in immersive virtual reality -- complete with the "effect" of watching content in a drive-in theater environment. Now, Plex is extending its embrace of all things virtual reality to Gear VR headsets and the Oculus VR software platform. As it turns out, Plex likely intended to offer support for the Gear VR all along, but it was prompted to speed up its efforts due to eager beaver Plex users that were more than a bit jealous that only Daydream users...
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Earlier this week, Facebook made a huge step forward in making virtual reality headsets more adorable for the enthusiast community. For the rest of the summer, the Oculus Rift and Touch bundle will cost just $399, which is a $200 discount from the usual price. However, according to a new report, Oculus is looking to drive the price down even further in the future and provide a “cord-free” VR experience. Oculus is looking to bridge the gap between cord-free headsets that rely on your smartphone to power the VR experience (a la Samsung Gear VR) and more powerful corded systems like the Rift and HTC Vive, which offer a vastly superior level of immersion. This new wireless headset will reportedly...
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ZeniMax scored a big payday as a result of its lawsuit against Oculus, ultimately winning a $500 million award from the Facebook-owned VR company and its co-founders Palmer Luckey and Brendan Iribe. Now ZeniMax is turning its attention to Samsung and its Gear VR headset, claiming that the company is profiting from Oculus technology that was first developed at ZeniMax. Samsung often advertises its Gear VR as being powered by Oculus, and therein lies the trouble. According to the lawsuit, Samsung either knew or should have known that the technology used in its Gear VR headset was developed at ZeniMax and misappropriated by Oculus executive John Carmack, whose company id Software was acquired by...
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While the big news coming out of New York City today was no doubt the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Samsung had a number of accessories that will complement its latest flagship smartphones. In fact, Samsung showed off a new Gear 360 camera, the Windows Continuum-esque DeX Dock and a new Gear VR headset bundle. As its name implies, the Gear 360 is capable of shooting pictures and videos in 360 degrees, but now features an integrated hand grip, which Samsung says is easier to use. The camera has been upgraded with dual 8.4MP image sensors that are capable of capturing 4K video at a resolution of 4096x2048 (at 24fps) though two F2.2 fisheye lenses. If you’d like to use the Gear 360 to take still shots,...
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A new flagship smartphone from Samsung is an exciting thing in and of itself. However, it looks like Samsung's retail partners will have some nifty promotions tied to the South Korean handset maker's upcoming Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ launch. Target, for example, is going to offer a $100 gift card and a free Samsung Gear VR headset to anyone who pre-orders one of Samsung's upcoming flagships. The promotion appears in a leaked ad preview from Target's weekly catalog covering deals valid from April 2 to April 8. Unfortunately, the original source was asked by (and complied with) Target to remove the ad scan, but as we often say, there are no mulligans on the Internet. Here is the relevant part of...
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There has been a ton of buzz surrounding virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality hardware and software. The truth of the matter is, nobody really knows if any of these technologies have legs, and if so what field they will thrive in. Developers have largely focused on gaming early on, though what about social? Oculus just launched something called "Oculus Rooms and Parties" for Gear VR owners, and it reminds me of a time when services such as America On-Line and CompuServe brought users together. "The first wave of VR was all about the magic of presence, the immersive sense of actually being inside a virtual space. The next step is to let you feel that same sense of presence with...
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For those looking for a relatively inexpensive way to step into virtual reality (VR) technology with their Samsung smartphone, the $99 Gear VR is pretty safe buy. A new report confirms that Samsung is not only working on the successor to the Gear VR, but also a new augmented reality (AR) headset that will go toe-to-toe with Microsoft HoloLens. According to the Wearable Zone, the next generation Gear VR “will be presented in a short time,” perhaps as early as the Mobile World Congress, which will take place in February 2017. Samsung last refreshed the Gear VR back in August with the launch of the Galaxy Note 7, but was pretty much overshadowed due to that smartphone’s fiery reception.Samsung...
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Let the housekeeping begin. Now that Samsung has officially thrown in the towel and given up trying to fix its fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 device, all that's left is to get remaining models (including replacement handsets) off the street and call for an industry quarantine. With regards to the latter, Oculus got the ball rolling by stating in no uncertain terms that it no longer supports the Galaxy Note 7 on its platform and the Gear VR."Oculus is removing support for all Note 7 devices on the Oculus platform. Until further notice, Note 7 devices will not be compatible with the Gear VR," reads a new disclaimer on the Gear VR's product page.If you're wondering why Oculus has a dog in this fight,...
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Earlier this morning, Samsung held its latest Unpacked event in New York City where it unveiled the highly anticipated Galaxy Note7 smartphone. At the event, Samsung also announced U.S. availability for the Gear 360 camera (it arrives August 19th with a price tag of $349) and a revised Gear VR headset that features USB-C connectivity to support the new Galaxy Note7. You can read our coverage of the initial Galaxy Note7 announcement here. For a quick refresher, the Galaxy Note7 skips Qualcomm’s brand spankin’ new Snapdragon 821 SoC and instead uses the tried and true Snapdragon 820 with Adreno 530 graphics, though there will also be an Exynos powered version, depending on the region. The smartphone...
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Samsung is getting ready to formally introduce its next phablet device, the Galaxy Note 7, which it will unveil tomorrow at its Unpacked event in New York City, London, and Rio de Janeiro. There's been a large amount of leaks leading up the Note 7's launch so there might not be too many surprises in store. Even here in the home stretch there's been one last leak that reveals Samsung will also launch a new generation Gear VR headset alongside the Note 7. Famed and reliable tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer, more famously known to some by his Twitter handle @OnLeaks, posted several official looking press renders of the Galaxy Note 7 on his French language website NowhereElse.fr, along with a solo shot...
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If you missed your chance to preorder a Samsung Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 Edge and receive a free Gear VR headset, it appears that the train is pulling into the station again. In celebration of Father’s Day, Samsung is once again throwing in the Gear VR freebie for flagship smartphone purchases. Unfortunately, getting the free Gear VR isn’t as easy as receiving the peripheral while making a retail purchase of a smartphone. Instead, you’ll have to purchase (or lease) the smartphone, visit Samsung’s promotional website and fill out an online claim form. Once your claim has been approved, Samsung will mail your Gear VR headset, which will also come with six games straight from the Oculus store. We...
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Samsung recently demoed a 4K smartphone display designed for virtual reality (VR). The South Korean electronics behemoth showcased the screen at the Display Week conference in San Francisco, California. A Samsung representative confirmed that the demo was a prototype despite rumors that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6 will have a 4K display. The display measures 5.5” with a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160), has a pixel density of 806 ppi, 350nit brightness, and 97% color gamut. It is important to note that the display seemed to be running at a slower frame rate, however, this could be adjusted before the official release. Samsung showcased other tech at this same conference that...
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Much of the hype and attention in the virtual space is currently focused on the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, and understandably so—those two headsets are the big dogs in VR right now. However, they're not the only solutions. Remember Samsung's Gear VR headset? It's powered by Oculus and it's doing pretty well.According to Oculus, more than 1 million people donned a Gear VR last month. Yes, Gear VR has been on the market for longer than the Rift or Vive, but passing the 1 million user milestone is largely the result of its comparatively low price and growing library of content. Consumers who might have been hesitant about diving into VR are able to see now that it's more than a passing fad.The caveat...
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The rumors are starting to pour in regarding Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy Note 6 phablet and the latest chatter is that it will incorporate a fancy USB Type-C connector. If that ends up being true, it means no more fumbling around with micro-USB cables and hoping that you have it oriented the right way.USB Type-C connectors are reversible, meaning there's no wrong way to plug it in (or at least no such thing as upside down). It's not yet known if it will also be a speedy USB 3.1 Gen 2 port or based on a slower standard. We're crossing our fingers for USB 3.1, which supports USB Power Delivery 2.0 (faster charging!) and can carry HDMI and DisplayPort signals.Outside of USB Type-C connectivity,...
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It turns out that Huawei had something more up its sleeve than a pair of smartphone launches. In addition to recently unveiling its P9 and P9 Plus handsets, Huawei decided to formally throw its hat in the virtual reality ring by unveiling its own VR headset, one that will go up against Samsung's Gear VR gadget.Similar to the Gear VR, Huawei's headset requires a smartphone. Specifically, it's designed to work with the company's two aforementioned handsets, along with its larger Mate 8 device, any of which slide into the viewer and connect using a USB cable. All three phones feature Full HD 1080p displays, so Huawei won't be setting any resolution records here.In lieu of that, Huawei points out...
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If you were wowed by the introduction of the 5.1-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge over the weekend, you’ll be glad to know that pre-orders for both smartphones have now opened up in the United States. All four major wireless carriers — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint — are carrying the phone along with U.S. Cellular and retailer Best Buy. The off-contract pricing for the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge comes in at $699 and $799 respectively, however, total out-of-pocket pricing varies depending on what carrier you select. For example, picking up a Galaxy S7 from Verizon will cost you $28/month for 24 months, making for a total price of $672. Buying the same phone on Sprint...
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Samsung is set to announce its next generation Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones on February 21st. It seems as though not much is being left to the imagination as specs and renders of the smartphones have leaked over the past few weeks, and now we’re learning about an enticing nugget of information for early adopters. Samsung will reportedly give customers that pre-order a Galaxy S7 or S7 Edge between February 21st and March 10th a free Gear VR Headset. Now before you brush such a notion off as unbelievable and a bit over-the-top, remember that the Gear VR retails for $99. So it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Samsung would hope to not only boost early sales figures for...
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The pressure is on Samsung's recently anointed mobile boss D.J. Koh to spark a flurry of Galaxy smartphone sales with its next smartphone launch, and just as importantly, be prepared for the demand that follows. He'll get his chance on February 21, 2016, the day Samsung's planning to host its next annual Unpacked event. Samsung tipped in the date in a teaser video that begins with a shot of its Gear VR headset. The video quickly transitions to a blue box over which the hashtag #TheNextGalaxy appears, followed by the aforementioned date, which incidentally happens to be the day before Mobile World Congress in Barcelona kicks off. While not official, we can reasonably presume that the next Galaxy...
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One of the most interesting use case scenarios for virtual reality technology to date, at least from this sports fan's perspective, is getting an inside and immersive look at what professional athletes go through to get to where they are. We saw an example recently when Google teamed with Visa and Bank of America to provide a 360-degree view of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on the practice field, and now Samsung and Oculus are following suit by offering up a documentary of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James and his training regime. It's a 12-minute 360-degree video called "Striving for Greatness" that's currently exclusive to Gear VR owners. The video gets viewers up close and...
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Facebook is a social media monster, boasting over 1.5 billion active users per month in its Q3 earnings release. But in order to stay ahead of the pack and continually fuel growth, the company is looking to virtual reality as a new way to keep users engaged. Back in September, Facebook enabled 360-degree video support via its website and the official Facebook Android app. Today, Facebook has announced that it’s extending 360-degree videos to the the iOS platform, which brings in the hundreds of millions of users with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad mobile devices. In addition, Facebook is supporting the Samsung Gear VR, which is now available for $99 on preorder. Samsung smartphone users with Samsung...
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There's been a lot of chatter about virtual reality technology transforming the consumer landscape, and little by little, the revolution is getting underway. It takes another step today with Samsung's Gear VR headset going up for pre-order at a rather affordable $99, with shipments slated for a week from Friday (November 20, 2015). That's just in time for the holiday season, so if you're looking for a gift idea, this could be it. To broaden its appeal, Samsung made some changes to the Oculus-powered Gear VR compared to the previous Innovator Edition. For one, it's 19 percent lighter at 0.68 pounds (around 308 grams), a welcome reduction that should extend the VR experience before head fatigue...
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Earlier this year, Samsung announced its Oculus-powered Gear VR headset around this time last year, and promised an immersive virtual reality experience for users. In early December, Samsung opened the floodgates by releasing the Gear VR Innovator Edition, which was available to purchase at a steep price of $199. $199 is a lot to ask of people who want to just dip their toes into the VR experience. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Google Cardboard which can be had for around $10 or so — there has to be a comfortable middle ground. Thankfully, Samsung is showing us the way with a new Gear VR headset which is shipping in November. It will be priced at a more wallet-friendly $99 and will...
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