Samsung’s new Gear VR is its most comfortable and immersive yet
Samsung’s Gear VR has always been an anomaly among the company’s dizzyingly diverse product lineup. Ever since the first “innovator edition” of the headset debuted alongside the Galaxy Note 4 in 2014, it stood out as something potentially more useful than the company’s various wearables, experimental phones and other gadgets. And, thanks to Samsung’s partnership with Oculus, the Gear VR’s usefulness has only grown over time — in fact, we named last year’s model a “no-brainer” purchase for Samsung owners. Now we have yet another Gear VR model, coinciding with the launch of the Galaxy Note 7, and it’s an even better introduction to virtual reality than ever before.
From afar, the new Gear VR just looks like a color-swapped version of what came before. But the new dark blue shell actually has a legitimate use: It helps to keep images from your phone’s screen from reflecting off of the headset. That was an issue some users had in the past with the white Gear VR models, according to Samsung. And given that the last few models looked fairly similar, it’s about time the company made a big design shift to differentiate its latest and greatest headset.
There are also a handful of small, but genuinely useful, ergonomic tweaks. There’s a new material that rests against your skin that feels as soft as a fleece blanket meant for babies. And Samsung also made the strap that goes over your head significantly longer, which could be useful for some. Those upgrades, coupled with the Gear VR’s light design, make it something you could easily wear for hours on end. After testing both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, I noticed that small comfort differences go a long way towards making VR feel more immersive, so I appreciate Samsung’s efforts in this regard.
As for other changes, Samsung increased the field of view in this latest headset to 101 degrees from 96 degrees in previous models. That might not sound like a major difference, but it’s yet another tweak that puts you deeper into virtual experiences. And it brings the Gear VR even closer to the wider 110-degree field of view from dedicated headsets like the Oculus Rift and Vive. Other headsets, like the Star VR, claim to offer even more expansive coverage, but they’re not actually on the market yet.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice some upgrades around the new Gear VR’s inputs. The biggest difference? There’s a dedicated “Home” button that takes you right back to the Oculus home screen. Previously, you had to hold down the “Back” button to return home. Doing that now brings up a screen that gives you quick access to your settings and friends list. Samsung also cleared out the directional pad from the last headset, so that it’s now a free-flowing touchpad area which you can swipe at without worrying about exact accuracy.
In a nice move for the Samsung faithful, the new Gear VR is compatible with a handful of the company’s older handsets, in addition to the Note 7. Its support stretches back to the Galaxy Note 5, and also includes the S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, S7 and S7 Edge. Basically, if you’ve bought a Samsung phone recently, you’re covered. While the headset supports USB-C by default (for the Note 7), you can easily swap out that connector with an included micro-USB adapter. You can also adjust the position of the arms holding your phone in place to fit phablets like the Note, or the more sensibly sized Samsung phones.
Since our senior mobile editor Chris Velazco is still hogging the Note 7, I tested out the new Gear VR with the Galaxy S7. Setting up the headset was simple: I removed the faceplate, swapped in the micro-USB adapter, plugged the phone in, and made sure the Gear VR’s arms were positioned for smaller devices. The phone felt securely attached to the headset, even while I shook it vigorously (far more than you would with your head, at least).
When I first plugged in the S7, I was prompted to remove it from the Gear VR and install a bundle of Oculus software. If you don’t have an Oculus account yet, you’ll be asked to create one. Once all that was set, I shoved the S7 (along with a pair of headphones) into the headset and prepared to get my VR on. Within a few seconds, I reached the Oculus Home screen and started shopping around for some apps.
I settled on NBC’s Sports app (featuring the Rio Olympics), Jaunt’s collection of 360-degree videos, Eve Gunjack and Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games. When it came to 360-degree video playback, I definitely noticed the Gear VR’s larger field of view. It still feels like you’re looking through a pair of binoculars, rather than being completely transported somewhere else, but it’s far better than previous models. Unfortunately, the low resolution of most 360-degree video is an an even bigger detractor (it’s hard to follow the Olympics when you can’t determine which fuzzy blob is which).
When it came to games, though, the new Gear VR shined. Both Eve Gunjack and Adventure Time were easier to control with the less restrictive touchpad, and they were also more immersive than on previous Gear VRs. I also loved being able to quickly readjust the volume and brightness setting by holding down the “back” button, as I couldn’t reach my phone’s volume controls when it was plugged into the headset.
Mostly, I appreciated the fact that I could wear this Gear VR for a long time without getting fatigued. Even though it’s powered by mere phones, Samsung’s headset actually has an advantage over desktop VR platforms since it’s completely wireless (well, if you don’t count headphones). This latest model is simply the most comfortable VR headset on the market. It never felt like the headstraps were crushing my skull, or that the headset was resting too heavily on my nose (looking at you, HTC Vive).
As great as the Gear VR is, though, it could have some serious competition from upcoming headsets supporting Google’s Android Daydream VR platform. That’s basically attempting to do what the Gear VR did, but for handsets from multiple manufacturers. If Samsung were smart, it would work together with Google’s platform, but it’s unclear if the company’s deal with Oculus would prevent that.
Even with Daydream headsets on the horizon, though, I don’t have any problem recommending the new Gear VR to Samsung owners. In fact, it’s solid enough that it’s worth considering moving to a Samsung device just for the privilege of using the Gear VR. But the arguments against the Gear VR, and waiting for Daydream, are strong as well.
ICYMI: Temporary tat yourself for user interface
Today on In Case You Missed It: Microsoft and MIT built a computer interface that drops a touchpad into a shiny, golden temporary tattoo. Just as fantastic as you’d imagine, people can use them to input commands, get notifications and store data like NFC tags.
Meanwhile, scientists in Brazil led an international charge for research into the Walk Again project, which took eight paraplegics and did extensive research using VR headsets, exoskeleton suits and robot aids for walking. Three years after announcing the project, all started to regain the sense of touch and movement below their injury site. The work will continue.
If you want to learn more about the ISS competition for 3D printing, that’s here. And the smell-o-vision Ubisoft Nosulus Rift is here. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
John Sculley’s Company Obi Worldphone Launches New ‘MV1’ Device in UK
After first launching in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Latin America, Obi Worldphone is now expanding availability to the United Kingdom with the launch of its flagship £99 smartphone, the Obi MV1. Former Apple CEO John Sculley is one of the co-founders of Obi, which “is in the business of making more affordable devices,” as opposed to Apple’s higher-cost iPhones (via Engadget).
Images via Engadget
In terms of specs, the Obi MV1 has a 720p display that measures 5 inches, a front-facing (2-megapixel) and rear-facing (8-megapixel) camera, a 2,500mAh battery, one 1.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 212 chip, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The MV1 does support microSD cards, however, that could potentially boost storage up to 64GB.
The design of the MV1 hopes to differentiate from the crowded “jungle” of the Android smartphone market, according to Obi executive Ankush Chatterjee. To do this, the company created the smartphone’s “signature floating glass display,” which is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and sits a few millimeters above the body of the device. The MV1 also has contrasting edge design, with rounded corners on the bottom of the handset and more angular, sharp edges on the top.
Whether it’s to your tastes or not, the MV1 is comfortable enough in the hand, though the raised display isn’t a particularly elegant feature. It’s a thin, sharp edge after all, which your fingertips come into contact with regularly. Also, since the screen sticks out, it draws attention to how big and bulky the MV1 is for a 5-inch device, though that does help it feel robust.
Based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, the MV1 has an operating system called Cyanogen OS 12.1.1, allowing for “easy customization” by the user. The UI is said to be “colorful,” while sporting a feature called Lightspeed UI that lets users access various widgets on the MV1’s lock screen, like the phone’s dialer, camera, and web apps.
For those users in the United Kingdom, the Obi MV1 can be purchased for £99 in black or white from the company’s official website, or from Amazon.
Tag: John Sculley
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Tim Cook Announces R&D Center to Be Built in China ‘By the End of the Year’
Apple is planning an all-new research and development center in China, attempting to boost its presence and market share in the country following multiple reports of the iPhone’s dwindling returns as users flock towards low-cost alternatives. The R&D center, said “to be built by the end of the year,” will mark Apple’s first location of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region (via Reuters).
The announcement comes from Apple CEO Tim Cook, on a visit in China this week, who spoke with Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Tuesday and detailed the company’s plans for the center. Those details weren’t specifically disclosed to the public, so it’s still unclear where the new R&D center will be located, or how many employees it might house.
Apple’s new research and development center will be built by the end of the year, Cook told Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, one of China’s most senior officials, according to the official Chinese state broadcaster.
The pledge comes after the head of China’s industry and technology regulator in May told Cook he hoped Apple could deepen its cooperation with the country in research and development and stressed information security.
Cook’s August trip marks his second visit to China this year, following a tour of Beijing in May where he met with App Store developers and Didi Chuxing president Jean Liu. Although once Apple’s second largest market in the world, the company announced during last month’s earnings report that its revenue in China dropped 33 percent year-over-year, ultimately allowing Europe to overtake China as its second biggest market, following the United States.
Concern about Apple’s future in China stems from the country’s heavy focus on potentially invasive foreign products and services, leading to events like the closure of the iTunes and iBooks store earlier in the spring, due to the launch of a controversial dystopian film. Apple has faced lawsuits due to similar occurrences as well, making it hard for the company to focus solely on helping the iPhone gain traction against China’s plentiful low-cost smartphone options.
Tags: China, Tim Cook
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Best tempered glass screen protectors for OnePlus One
What’s the best way to protect the screen on my OnePlus One?
The OnePlus brand is all about beautifully designed products using the best build materials. It even has an aspirational motto, Never Settle. But even the best built phone have glass screens that need an extra layer of protection from the scratches, falls, and everything else life throws your way.
Your best bet for saving your screen is a tempered glass screen protector for the OnePlus One, so let’s get to it.
Note: This post is about the OnePlus One, not the OnePlus 3. We have your OnePlus 3 accessories, too!
- Orzly Oneplus One Premium 0.24mm tempered glass screen protector
- amFilm OnePlus One tempered glass screen protector
- iFlash three-pack of OnePlus One tempered glass screen protectors
- PThink 2.5D Round Edge 0.3mm Ultra-thin tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
- Nillkin Anti-burst tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
Orzly OnePlus ONE Premium 0.24mm tempered glass screen protector
With a thickness of 0.24mm, this offering from Orzly is the thinnest tempered glass screen protector you will find for your OnePlus One. Featuring an industry-standard 9H hardness rating, it should easily withstand scratching if you put your phone in the same pocket as your keys. Orzly also included an oleophobic coating to ensure your screen stays fingerprint and smudge-free and rounded edges to prevent chipping and improve the in-hand feel of your phone.
See at Amazon
amFilm OnePlus One tempered glass screen protector
Claiming to offer 99.9% transparency, you may well forget you’ve installed amFilm’s tempered glass screen protector on your OnePlus One. One thing that separates this option from the competitors is the decision to cut out around the sensors and earpiece speaker instead of leaving a slim bridge of tempered glass that’s susceptible to cracking. It still covers the front-facing camera, but due to that transparency, you shouldn’t notice any effects on your selfies. Package includes the screen protector, Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloth, Plastic Squeeze Card, Installation and User Guide, and a lifetime replacement warranty.
See at Amazon
iFlash three-pack of OnePlus One tempered glass screen protectors
We use tempered glass protectors to take the brunt of the daily abuse our phones endure. As such, if a nasty fall occurs it’s the screen protector’s job to shatter first. iFlash offers the best value here with a three-pack of tempered glass screen protectors — featuring the hardness and oleophobic coating you’d want — so if you smash one up you don’t have to live with a cracked screen protector. It’s like an insurance policy on your insurance policy. Package includes three complete sets for installation: screen protector, alcohol cleaning wipe, microfiber cloth, bubble removal card, and a dust-removal adhesive strip. iFlash also offers a one-year manufacturer replacement warranty.
See at Amazon
PThink 2.5D Round Edge 0.3mm Ultra-thin tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
PThink offers another reliable, quick-to-install option for protecting your OnePlus One screen. At 0.3mm, it’s thin enough to be barely noticeable, with rounded edges offering a precise fit and avoid chipping. If and when this screen protector gets damaged, the nano glass cracks behind a film to prevent the glass edges from being exposed, which allows you to continue safely using the screen protector even when cracked. Package includes a cleaning kit to prepare your screen ahead of installation. Hammer and disembodied hand sold separately.
See at Amazon
Nillkin Anti-burst tempered glass screen protector for OnePlus One
Another outstanding option for protecting your OnePlus One screen is this offering from Nillkin. Made of AGC glass material rated to the standard 9H hardness rating and featuring HARVES nano-technology to repel water and grease, your phone will be well protected. Along with the screen protector itself, the package includes a wet wipe, electrostatic dust film, de-dusting cleaning film and a professional screen wipe cloth to make installation a breeze.
See at Amazon
What do you use?
Have you had any experiences with the screen protectors we’ve recommended? Let us know in the comments!
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Oculus Rift available at UK retailers from 20 September, here’s where
Oculus announced this morning that its high-end VR headset, the Oculus Rift, is going to be available to buy from UK retailers starting on 20 September.
Customers will be able to purchase the Oculus Rift from Amazon, John Lewis, Curry’s PC World, Game and Harrods for £549 from that date.
If you want to be sure to get one on the first day, you can pre-order from the aforementioned online retailers from today.
- Oculus Rift: Price, shipping date and everything you need to know
- Oculus Rift: The best experiences and games available right now
As with all Rift purchases, the headset comes with a popular VR title called Lucky’s Tale as well as a large collection of free 3D 360-degree videos and VR movies. Of course, you’ll get access to the entire collection of Oculus Store apps and games too.
Between now and the retail launch, Oculus is going to roll out several demo experiences in a number of retail locations across the country. These experiences include VR films and games, one of which is a film called Henry, narrated by Elijah Wood.
Before ordering a Rift, you do need to be sure that you have a PC powerful enough to run the VR headset. You’ll need a video card as good as (or better than) the NVIDIA GTX 970/AMD R9 290, an Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater processor, at least 8GB RAM, HDMI 1.3 video out, three USB 3.0 ports and one USB 2.0 port. You’ll also need Windows 7 SP1 64 bit – or newer – software.
If you want to schedule your own demo, head on over to the Oculus Live website to check when and where your nearest demo experience is.
If you’re not sure whether the Rift is the best VR headset for you, be sure to check out our extensive feature comparing all the best headsets out there right now.
Samsung Gear S3 launch date confirmed for 31 August, and you can watch live
There’s now no doubt that Samsung is going to be launching the Gear S3 in Berlin on 31 August. The next version of the Samsung’s smartwatch is set to launch as IFA 2016 opens in the German capital, with Samsung choosing the same venue it used to launch the Gear 2 in 2015.
Hitting its social channels, Samsung has invited the world to watch as the latest Gear is unveiled. On Twitter, Samsung posted a gif showing the moving hands of a watch, with the tagline “talk about 3”. If you’re doubting it’s Gear S3, Samsung has helpfully put the Gear branding in the bottom corner.
Stay tuned for a timely innovation. August 31. Berlin. pic.twitter.com/kUMG3l6BEs
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) August 15, 2016
Using its own press channel, Samsung again repeated that message, running with the title “Samsung’s New Gear Launch Event”. So that’s that.
Samsung will be live streaming the event, confirming that you can watch on Samsung’s news channel as well as on Samsung.com. We will of course be attending to event to bring you all the details from Berlin as they happen.
- Samsung Gear S3 smartwatch: What’s the story so far?
- What to expect at IFA 2016
The Samsung Gear S3 is the latest version of Samsung’s Tizen-based smartwatch. Rumours suggest that it will retain the rotating bezel that made its debut on the Gear 2, but that the watch will carry more sensors. There’s said to be several different versions of the Gear S3, and we’re hoping that it feels a little more substantial than the last version.
We’ve been tracking the rumours over the past year, so you can catch up on everything expected come launch day.
Google Duo, insanely simple video calling app for Android and iPhone now available
Google has announced that its new FaceTime and Skype competitor, Duo, is available to download. With Duo, the aim is to make video calling as easy and reliable as possible. No complicated sign up procedure, no remembering usernames and no unintuitive user interfaces.
Google first introduced its innovative new video calling app, Duo, in May at its I/O conference in San Francisco, and the company claims the app takes all of the complexity out of video calling.
- Google Duo for iPhone and Android takes on Skype and FaceTime
- The Google I/O 2016 announcements that matter: Assistant, Home, Android N, Instant Apps, Allo, Duo and Daydream
The entire user interface is designed to be intuitive and simple to use. Even the set up process is simple and requires just your phone number, according to the search engine giant. Once set up, a video call can be initiated with just a single tap.
Part of the attraction of Duo is that Google built in the capability to stay online and connected even when you’re on a slower network. The video quality is reduced “gracefully” to ensure that calls aren’t disconnected, and don’t break up. And you won’t have to wait ages for the call to connect either. It’s quick, regardless of your network’s reliability.
One of the most interesting features of Duo is Knock Knock, which lets you see a live video of your caller before you answer. Then to answer the call you slide up the icon and dive right in to the call without any interruption or delay.
For those worried about security, Google says that all calls are end-to-end encrypted, so that no one can listen in on your calls.
Duo is rolling out for Android and iOS from today, and will be live across the globe within the next few days. It’s free to download and free to use, as with pretty much all of Google’s services.
Hyperloop One could build its first commercial route in Dubai
While Hyperloop One isn’t quite done building its test structure, it already has a potential location for its first ever commercial route: Dubai. The company has teamed up with DP World, one of the biggest port operators, to examine whether building a route for Port Jebel Ali would make it more efficient. To be exact, they plan to conduct a feasibility study assessing the use of high-speed Hyperloop tubes to ferry cargo from ships straight to a separate container depot. That would allow the operators to free up space at Jebel Ali for other (profitable) uses. Company CEO and ex-Cisco president Rob Lloyd told TechCrunch that the wealthy city certainly has “the infrastructure, regulatory movement and kind of capital in place needed” to make it happen.
A Hyperloop route is essentially a network of tubes big enough for passenger or cargo pods to pass through. Those pods are expected to float slightly above the surface of the tubes, similar to a maglev train, and to reach speeds up to 750mph. To put that in perspective, Japan’s maglev train only reached 366mph when it broke its own world speed record.
If Dubai and the company determine that the port will benefit from a high-speed cargo route, they’ll build a network that’s partly submerged in the ocean and partly suspended in the air, as you can see in the render above. It might not be the only Hyperloop route in Dubai, as well — the city is also thinking of building a network that can ferry people to Fujairah, which is on the other end of the UAE, within 10 minutes.
Source: Hyperloop One
VR will vie for awards at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival has announced that it will accept submissions from virtual reality producers In 2017. It’s the first major festival that will allow the category (which includes VR, AR and 360 videos) to compete against mainstream films for awards. “As the technology and tools proliferate … we feel it is the right time to expand and support artists on these growing platforms in a broader way,” festival Director Genna Terranova said.
As Engadget detailed earlier this year, Tribeca featured VR content in 2016, but films were hosted in a special “Virtual Arcade” away from the main festival and were not eligible for prizes. Submissions included the 20-minute animated short Allumette, the Deep VR underwater experience that’s supposed to lower your stress, and Old Friend, a film that lets you dance in your seat using an HTC Vive headset and controller.
VR is still feeling its way as an entertainment format. There are technical problems for users, like the need to be tethered to a cable, a pixelated “screen-door” effect and discomfort from wearing a heavy headset. Filmmakers still aren’t sure how to handle the format either, as it doesn’t work well with rapid edits, and lighting and other challenges abound.
A Tribeca rep told Venture Beat that mainstream films are still the “DNA of the festival.” With awards on the line for virtual reality next year, however, it might encourage filmmakers to explore the limits and create content that does more and more justice to the hardware.
Via: Venture Beat
Source: Tribeca Film Festival
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