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Pink city Jaipur gets a Virtual makeover

Right from our childhood, we have been taught about the rich heritage of our country India. India is a home to many historic places which have gained recognition all over the world. The Pink City Jaipur is one such city which has hidden many exotic places in her heart. The city is full of famous forts, enchanting palaces and lovely temples which spread their serenity and divinity over our motherland. Already a popular tourist attraction, efforts are now being made to spread its glory by adding a new and modern touch to it. This is when Virtual Reality rushes to help.

VR lovers who are ready with their backpacks to explore something adventurous can now head to Jaipur because Virtual Reality booths at some of the major tourist spots will soon be erected in the city. These booths will allow the user to explore their famous monuments through walk-throughs created in 3D. All you have to do is just sit at the booth, put on your Oculus Rift 3D headset -head mounted goggle and set your eyes on the screen before you, which will be connected to a PC and navigate the entire monument by using the navigation options. The Oculus Rift when connected, tracks the head movement and provide a 3D imagery on the OLED display.

So hold on your excitement level as I read the list of the places you will explore while sitting at these booths. Here it goes- Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Sheesh Mahal, City Palace of Jaipur and Udaipur, Albert Hall Museum and the famous gates- Chandpol Gate, Ghat Gate, Sanganeri Gate, Suraj Pol Gate, Samrat Gate, New Gate and Zorawar Singh gate. 

While it is not possible for the travelers to explore their favorite destinations overtime due to lack of time, these virtual reality booths can be of great help as the travelers can take a quick view of their favorite places and even save a lot of time. This will also be helpful to promote the tourism of the country as more and more tourists would get attracted because of this new feature. 

Especially the younger generation who is quite tech-savvy and are crazy about VR.

So the next time when you plan your mini vacay, you know where to head right?

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'Begum Jaan' Vidya Balan makes her debut in 360. Watch the exclusive teaser here and stay tuned for her interview in 360 by SpectraVR. 

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VR pic of the week- Aa rahi hu main! 14th April in theatres near you. Begum Jaan marks her debut in the 360 world.

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HTC Vive’s birthday brings gifts for customers

HTC, the Taiwanese smartphone maker is celebrating the one year anniversary of its virtual reality device, the HTC Vive. To make this a more memorable day for customers, HTC has planned to launch a new monthly subscription service for virtual reality content like video games and short interactive films.

The new HTC’s online Viveport store will feature a monthly subscription service, where viewers can download up to five VR titles for just $7 a month. The following month, the customers can switch the titles with other ones if they want to. The company’s ideology behind the service is that customers should get to “try an app before they decide to buy.” This comes as a great advantage to virtual reality users as one of the biggest drawbacks with virtual reality games is that until you play them, it’s hard to know what they are like. 2D screenshots and trailers barely do traditional games justice, let alone fully realized virtual worlds.

Launching today, a year to the day after the original release of the HTC Vive virtual reality headset, the Viveport Subscription will give VR gamers access to content that they may not have otherwise paid for. For developers, the subscription model represents an additional revenue channel and a way to reach broader audiences. Viveport Subscription is launching with more than 50 titles available including VR apps like TheBlu, Richie’s Plank Experience, Everest VR, Fantastic Contraption, Mars Odyssey and more. 

Talking about the introduction of this new Netflix-like subscription service, Rikard Steiber, President of Viveport at HTC Vive said, “Introducing a subscription model to VR is a natural evolution of where this market is going, and as film, music and TV have proven it’s becoming the preferred way customers want to explore and experience entertainment content.”

Every HTC Vive owner will be given a free month trial of the subscription service, as well as a free copy of Arcade Saga. However, from then on, each month will cost users $7 to remain part of the subscription service. A report suggests that HTC believes as many as half of all Vive owners will join up, which with an estimated 500,000 headset owners out in the wild, would represent a nice little revenue stream for HTC. 

The Vive anniversary has definitely turned out to be a gala time for customers but till when will these freebies last without any additional terms and conditions is the point to ponder on. So, stay tuned to get more updates on such exciting VR news; because we are where VR is!

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Virtual Reality Los Angeles (VRLA) has come up with a fun 'Easter egg hunt' this Easter wherein participants will hunt for the eggs through Hololens in a whimsical indoor park.

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VR rushes to help the elderly

There is no doubt that the virtual reality has driven the today’s young generation crazy. From architecture to now in the theaters near you, it is everywhere. Popping the headsets and entering your favorite world of games has now become the best pass time. But have you ever imagined that VR can be helpful to senior citizens too? Well, the answer is a big yes! 

Senior citizens generally tagged as the people of age group above 65 years are now making use of VR as their partner and considering headsets and smartphones as their new friends.

VR for relaxation

103 yrs old Virginia Anderlini is the first ironically “young” client of Dr. Sonya Kim’s virtual reality program for the elderly. In reality, Virginia is sitting on the sofa in her home in San Francisco, but after popping up the headsets, she entered a virtual world which was a Hawaiian beach, the sky lit up in colors experiencing the sunset, rainbow specks dancing on the waves, glittering sands and much more. 

As this takes the user in a completely different world, it can help to relax them from their rather boring world. People of this age group cannot step out of the house much which leads to anxiety and pain. VR might provide an escape from this and take them into an immersive different world and make them happy.

VR for exercising

While we cannot expect senior citizens to ride bicycles and workout in the gym for hours, brain exercise is the only exercise they need. A university in Denmark conducted a program for the senior citizens where they were given a digital experience of exercising. They were asked to pedal on exercise bikes and the output was displayed on the large TV screens placed in front of them. As they pedal along they get to see a visual treat of beautiful landscapes and the speed is determined with the bikes attached to the screens.

The university later studied the results and was thrilled to see them. The speed levels of the participants experienced a gradual increase and are now asking them for the technology as a permanent fixture.

VR for social connections

Elderly people often face the problem of loneliness due to dying of partners, they often enter into a stage of mental stress and dilemma. Stepping out and making new friends is not possible even. Here is when VR comes to their rescue. VR offers the users to connect to friends via social media where they can interact with new people and set out on adventures. With these, they can introduce themselves in a network society easily and overcome their age barriers.

Senior citizens are said to be like children, technologies and gadgets are trying their best to overcome their issues but nothing can replace human interaction. VR is a great alternative for those seniors who cannot go out and communicate with the outside world.

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VR Pic of The Week- Whoa! Doel introduces 'Doel All in one VR' and 'Doel VR Box' in Virtual Reality space. Take a look!

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VR, now at a theater near you

Just like how an artist discovers art everywhere, a VR lover discovers ways to pursue his passion and love for VR anywhere. VR recently made an official entry into the R-rated zone. Another big news which is currently taking the VR industry by storm is the association between PVR cinemas and HP. Together they have launched Asia’s first Virtual Reality lounge which is one of it’s kind.

Boredom is probably the most annoying thing ever.  Like we are so excited to watch the favorite movie of ours that we reach the theater early, but now we are “bored”. Finally, we have a solution to this boredom of ours and all thanks to PVR; who thought about utilising our time out there. PVR cinemas in Noida, New Delhi launched HP VR Lounge which gives the users a chance to experience a whole new library of knowledgeable yet adventurous and interactive virtual reality content in various fields like drama, action, sci-fi and horror.

For the initial days, VR lovers can hit the mall for a free trial. The organizers have kept it for free for the first 15 days, later they will charge Rs. 100 for 15 minutes. Well, do you think the amount is a bit too much for mere 15 minutes? Nah! PVR has already expended Rs. 25 lakhs for one pod. And you need not even buy a movie ticket to experience this thrill. You can get access to the lounge even if you don’t own a movie ticket.

Now as a passionate VR lover one question which pops in our mind is, “Do we really need to go to Noida for a mere 15 minutes? ” Well, the answer to this question also is a NO. While this one of a kind lounge is currently launched in Delhi, PVR is planning to launch ten more VR lounges in their multiplexes across India. While the country capital will have two lounges, Mumbai and Bangalore will host three lounges each.

Currently, the content is divided into 8 pieces. 3 pieces for gaming and the others for entertainment and knowledgeable content. But they will make changes according to the preferences and the response of the users sooner or later.

HP is collaborating with PVR for this initiative and has lent their expertise support as they specialize in delivering and manufacturing computing, data storage and designing softwares. The latest OMEN range by HP is truly VR ready and they are all geared up to deliver exclusive content and the mesmerizing experience to the users.

So eager to know what will you experience in this VR lounge? Take a look at the list-

Games

-Fruit Ninja (based on the famous Android Game)

-Space Pirate Trainer

-Audio Shield (a Game in which you can integrate any songs of your choice and play)

Videos

-Popular Disney movies – Jungle Book clips / Star Wars clips / Avengers

-The Blue – Experience of Ocean depths

-The visitor – Horror

-The night cafe – Real life experience of Van Gogh paintings

-La Peri – Award winning title of folklore story of a king and his love.

So the next when you head to PVR to catch up your favourite movie, don’t forget to visit the VR lounge and get a whole new lifetime experience.

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VR at Game Developer’s Conference 2017

Game Developer’s Conference is that global platform where great ideas are exchanged to create innovative products, investors and marketers galore to showcase their independent games and most importantly a solid platform for virtual reality. This year the GDC kicked off from February 27, 2017 to March 3, 2017 at San Francisco and we can say that this was the best week ever for Virtual reality. The major highlights of the GDC 2017 were. 

Sony revealed that the official sales of PSVR(PlayStation VR) headsets in the year 2016 was 915,000 units up to February 19, 2017. Sony launched its headsets in October 2016 with a mere price of $399. Later their target of selling 1 million headsets was achieved and the company also affirmed that the sales will grow in the coming months as they will launch it in Latin America. 

Facebook announced a $100 price cut on the Oculus Rift and Oculus Touch controllers where the ‘all in’ price for the system came down to $600. The whole strategy is to attract more and more people. Less the prices of the hardware more will be the people buying it. 

Even though expensive, HTC Vive headsets are one of its kind and are surely not affordable to anyone. But this year HTC gave its users a chance to buy their headsets in instalments. It announced a payment plan in which you can take your favourite Vive just for $66 a month and that tool for 12 months. Sounds good right!! This will be more helpful to average consumers as they will need less upfront expenditure. 

As a VR gamer, we are always enthusiastic of what new will be announced each passing year. Keeping this enthusiasm in mind, thrilling new titles were announced at GDC which included ‘From Other Suns- A Multiplayer Starship Simulator’, ‘Arktika.1’ which showed some amazing off-deep stories and mind-blowing visuals. ‘Sprint Vector’ was another game which was introduced which used the fluid locomotion system as its key factor. The much awaited ‘Robo Recall’ was launched by Epic for free on Oculus home. The Robo Recall allows the user to control the various aspects like the sounds, environment and physics. 

Microsoft introduced Windows holographic VR headsets. It highlights the real need of multi-tasking as one can watch movies, play games at the same time, can check the current weather forecast and can handle his social media accounts. And for your surprise, this happens in a go. 

As a part of VR family, we are delighted for the advancements that are taking place in the VR world. And for everyone out there who has been dreaming of this day for decades, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that there has never been a better time to be part of the VR family. 

With GDC ending on such a good note, VR has actually found a stronger place than ever. The industry is now more powerful, more appealing and more accessible than it has ever been before. So for now, just relish the moment and enjoy the feeling.

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Teaser alert- Catch Anaarkali of Aarah, Swara Bhaskar's interview in 360

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Another addition to the must try VR experiences: Strip Clubs

Daniel Dilallo who is an accomplished video game designer and developer was recently spotted at the Game Developer’s Conference. But this time it was not to show off a new Guitar Hero and Call of Duty game, but his new virtual reality app. Dilallo is one out of those game developers who have not only become an integral part of virtual reality industry but has also crossed lines with out-of-the-box thinking. This time he has moved on from mainstream entertainment to R-rated experiences with bringing strip clubs to VR. Dilallo’s Mode VR and VRClubz.com created a VR app for the Gold Club San Francisco strip club that features clothed, topless, or fully nude exotic dancers.

The app was built in partnership with former porn actress Christy Mack and the Gold Club SF. For the app, Dilallo filmed 15 women at the local Armory, including four dancers who work at the Gold Club SF. Then, the high-definition videos were blended with the computer-animated reproduction of the actual strip club. The club’s look has been captured with the help of 360-degree cameras and then the artists were asked to recreate the textures of the club.

When questioned about why would anybody go to a VR club instead of a real one, Dilallo explained, “But you can’t always get to a club. And you can’t get as interactive as this in a real club.” While the general manager of Gold Club SF, Craig Bordeau said, “With virtual reality, we recognized a golden opportunity to deliver our highly rated entertainment experience to the comfort of your living room.”

The app will be launched in an R-rated version for more mainstream VR platforms and will also feature a topless version and a fully nude version. Once launched, the users will be able to go into the club, get VIP treatment, sit at tables, and get virtual lap dances with pornstars like Megan Rain, Christy Mack, Reya Sunshine, and Kendra Lust. Players will be able to take a front row seat to stage dances or enjoy champagne-room private shows which offer single, double, or triple girl action. Tipping the stage girls will cause them to remove articles of clothing. Later, the users will pay for an upgraded experience, where they will be able to purchase special privileges while inside the club for additional money; like buying credits for solo lap dances, mimicking everything that happens in a real strip club “but at a fraction of the price.” 

However bizarre yet interesting this idea may sound, it’s an undeniable fact that adult VR industry is what is catching up amongst the masses. But what heights the industry will achieve with this combination of filmed porn and interactive gaming, is yet to be seen. 

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Developed a wearable technology called 'Microsoft HoloLens' to allow the scientists to work on Mars virtually. #Microsofthololens #technology #Scientist #Marsh #VR #VirtualReality #NASATech #Microsoft #HoloLens

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Watch the exclusive public review of 'Rangoon' in 360 by Spectra VR. The movie features Kangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. 

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Now don’t walk, but drive the way to VR

Well, virtual reality has definitely opened a lot of new doors for the entertainment industry but what we are looking for now is how this technology helps in easing out our life. And it seems like at least someone has heard our plea and has decided to save us from all the pains, which one goes through while buying a used car. The difficulties in buying a car are directly proportional to the excitement of driving it. Hours of searching for massive lots and reading reviews, endless conversations with agents and taking out time on weekends for test drives; seems like too much of work, right? But to our rescue once again, is Virtual Reality which is all set to save our time and efforts in choosing the right car. Confused? Never mind, let us simplify it for you.

We are here talking about one of the biggest online used car dealer Vroom, who has once again taken efforts to simplify car buying for us by using the great Virtual Reality technology. Vroom has started a virtual reality showroom that lets users explore the 15 makes and models available with the comfort of their own headset. This experience allows users to digitally get as close as possible, to their next set of wheels via HTC Vive headsets. Doesn’t that sound really interesting? Let’s give you a brief on how their VR showrooms work.

So basically, when you put on an HMD with Vroom store, it feels like you are in a humongous garage filled with cars, like the ones which could be there in “The Fast and the Furious”. Does this get you excited? Moving ahead, by aiming the headset at different parts of the room, you will be able to get a closer look at the cars or if you stare directly at a car you will get more details about it. But that is not it, to top that you can even take a virtual test drive of a car while navigating along with a 360-degree video of a street in Texas. Woah, that is so cool! Beyond the uber cool features like hearing the exact corresponding engine sounds of each model, users can also visualize important components including blind-spots review mirrors.

Well obviously it is a creative thought process and the system isn’t foolproof as the picture is occasionally a little distorted, especially inside the vehicle. But you too would agree that it still seems better than dealing with relentless salespeople. The cars in the VR version are animated, which makes the experience more like a video game than an actual drive in the city. Well, in that case, we agree that it is impossible to actually feel what it is like to sit in the car of your dreams. However, the company has already started working on the second phase which will make the experience feel more real. 

And the best part is that the company is not only targeting the wealthy consumers and high-end VR users but is also looking forward to releasing a version of VR system which uses Google Cardboard or other similar affordable interface which will allow potential buyers to check out used cars from the comfort of their homes. 

Seems like we have come a long way with VR and a longer path is yet to be walked or maybe driven with VR cars and courtesy will be Vroom. 

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Architecture Now Gets A Virtual Touch

After exploring the horizons in various aspects, Virtual Reality has now marched its footsteps to architecture. Initially, what seemed beyond imagination has been witnessing rapid growth in the Architectural world, each passing day. It is a common phenomenon that the architect enters his own building, which in the end doesn’t match with his vision. Traditional design visualization can only offer this much and this is when VR comes in the spotlight. People often don’t understand the exact spatial relationship by just taking a look at a 2D or 3D model, but VR can give an experience similar to the physical architecture. VR plays an important role in the designing and construction process, from generating design options to proposals and to finding out errors. Let us just take a look at it-   DESIGN:

Concepts are the most significant part in architecture. An architect has to design the model keeping in mind the necessities of his client. With Building Information Modelling (BIM), which is the physical and functional characteristics of a facility, the architect needs to imagine being in the actual place and VR makes it possible. For instance, with VR it is possible to see different shades of light in a particular room at any time of the day or the wall color or the different styles of flooring. With Virtual Reality allows us to experience the proportions and scale our necessities accordingly. At any stage, an architect can just pop a headset and step inside the building.

  CONSTRUCTION:

Construction is a headlong process and VR can be of great help to track the progress of a construction site. Users can actually see and experience the foundation being executed, sites being graded and the buildings being constructed along with the demolitions on the occurrence of any errors. Headsets make it possible for the user to execute minute details or spin the building like a turntable to make necessary subjective changes.

FACTS: 

Architects are now making advancements in developing a new tool of Virtual Reality for people suffering from dementia. Known as the Virtual Reality-Empathy Platform (VR-EP), the kit consists of a laptop with graphics, games controller, camera, software programming and a VR headset. People suffering from dementia can have cognitive impairments which can lead to confusion and anxiety, but VR replicates visual impairments in an interactive environment to make it simple.

CONCLUSION:

  While BIM makes the life cycle of a building easier at all stages it somehow fails to explore the human elements of architecture- space and aesthetics, which VR can. Currently, VR is being used as a big tool to wow clients but the real power will be realized when the architects and engineers will include VR as an essential tool for designing.