This was a very interesting BUZZ that I found today and wanted to share with you.
Originally posted on: vrscout.com/news
Happy April Fools Day! If you’re reading this the day of publication, kudos to you for venturing onto the internet during one of the most untrustworthy days of the year.
April 1st is a time for light-hearted pranking, outrageous fake announcements, and of course, an opportunity to fool consumers with impossible products.
The VR industry is no exception to these springtime festivities. Despite a relatively short existence, the modern VR community has already developed a strong April Fools Day tradition of fake products and misleading announcements.
In honor of today’s celebration, we thought it’d be nice to take a stroll down memory lane and recount some of the industries best, most outrageous April 1st “reveals” of the past four years.
Below is just a small sample of some of the many attempts developers and companies have made to dupe VR consumers.
Back in April 2015, Oculus was a long way away from its current position as one of VR’s most influential organizations. The company had only recently been acquired by Facebook and was still in the process of prepping the Oculus Rift for its 2016 launch.
Despite not even having launched, developers still managed to find ways to fool consumers with several outrageous announcements. Pawculus Rift in particular was an incredibly bizarre April 1st joke that convinced many fans that a canine-focused VR gaming platform was on the way.
Teased by brand experience agency Cramer, the Pawculus Rift promised to instantly transport your furry best friend to some of their favorite locations; from the park to the toilet.
Equally as ridiculous was
The program would allow you to relive some of your favorite collegiate moments, from basement frat raves to running from the police after underage house parties. Bonus points for an appearance by Jon Rudnitsky, who would eventually go on to become a featured player on SNL.
In 2017, the community stepped up its game with more elaborate jokes; some of which we would have actually loved to have seen brought to life. One of these hoaxes was ThinkGeek’s ‘VR Sensory Immersion Generator.’
Arguably the most hard-to-believe example featured on this list, the VR Sensory Immersion Generator featured a wide selection of custom peripheral attachments that promised to enhance the immersion of any VR experience.
The elaborate device included everything from a scent diffuser and program/intensity selector, to a mechanical cat arm and high-pressure hose.
The elaborate device included everything from a scent diffuser and program/intensity selector, to a mechanical cat arm and high-pressure hose.
While one person was immersed, the other would operate the immersion generator, cycling through a massive catalog of immersion enhancement tools via a digital touchpad.
Google was also advertising their own haptic solution at the time, Haptic Helpers, which assigned a dedicated Google employee to each VR user in order to ensure maximum immersion throughout their experiences, no matter what the cost.
Then there’s the Chromebook Cardboard. Building off the success of their Google Cardboard initiative, Chromebook Cardboard would take the program to new heights, allowing owners to use their Chromebooks as a window to new worlds.
Chromebook owners could create their own peripheral using cardboard from large appliances and pizza boxes; because bigger is always better, right?
With April Fools Day 2019 still in full swing, there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing several VR-related goofs throughout the rest of the afternoon.
In any case, it’s important to note at this point that VR can be a wonderful emerging technology that can create immersive experiences across all walks of life.
In fact, even large enterprises like casinos are becoming interested in using VR technology to design attractive and interactive online casinos. Although a technology that’s not fully developed yet, it’s only a matter of time before everyone gets on the VR bandwagon. By 2021, we might see the widespread use of VR tech in the gambling industry, not to mention a number of others as well.
Against Gravity, creators of the popular social VR platform Rec Room, have already participated in this year’s festivities with the announcement of Rec Room Care Center–a VR daycare center designed specifically for younger users– as well as the removal of VR functionality from their game entirely (*wink* *wink*).
They’ve even managed to port the entire experience to Apple Watch; cross-platform play included!
What is 360 VR Video?
360 video is a video that is recorded in all directions at the same time with multiple cameras. The videos are stitched together either internally in the camera or externally using special software.
It then forms one spherical video that is controlled by the viewer, enabling them to look up, down, right or left at their discretion.
Is 360 Video Virtual Reality?
I want you to be the judge.
Recommended MicroSD Card for use with the Fusion 360 camera
How are you watching your 360 VR Video?
Are you watching on your PC?
Is it Facebook? YouTube? Veer.TV ?
Or better still, are you using your Samsung Galaxy Smartphone with your Samsung Gear VR Headset?
Or are you using another smartphone with a Google Cardboard? Google Daydream?
Leave a comment below. Let us know what you like or don’t like. If you have seen a 360 VR video that you think is awesome, tell us, and we will feature it.
What type of VR Headset do you own? Or do you watch with your computer? Smartphone?
Do you have a VR camera? Ricoh Theta S? Ion360? Samsung 360 gear? Insta360?
And if you are looking for 360 Video Production Services, contact Al Caudullo exploretv@gmail.com
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Utilizing state of the art technology, Al Caudullo, and his team has been delivering award-winning compelling productions spanning the globe. Exotic destinations blended with unique cultural experiences give viewers an experience like no other.
From vibrant American cities like San Francisco and Las Vegas to the isolated mountains of Mongolia. From ancient civilizations of Cambodia and Myanmar to the lush resorts of Southeast Asia and beyond. All from the comfort of your living room.
