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WHEN YOU THINK about the advances virtual reality has made over the past year, it’s amazing how much progress it has made.
This time last year, many would have dismissed it as an industry full of broken promises, ones that claimed to throw you into immersive worlds that would wow you yet the technology never really lived up to this.
Now four major companies have thrown their hats into the ring: Facebook (through its purchase of Oculus VR), Sony, Google and Samsung, the latter revealing the Gear VR this week, which is powered by a smartphone.
While it’s difficult to judge Samsung’s effort from previews (although initial reception has been positive), the fact that you need to purchase both a Galaxy Note 4 and the headset (the price and release date for both weren’t revealed) means that it will only apply to those with deep pockets.
However, those wanting to get their hands on a similar device now can opt for a cheaper method.
Google Cardboard was mostly released as a joke during the company’s developer conference back in June. The idea was to see if you could create a VR device using a smartphone and cheap materials, but there’s more to it than that.
For one, putting the official Cardboard piece together is quite easy. While it’s entirely possible to create one from scratch (and there are instructions for doing this), it’s not the easiest since you need magnets, velcro and lenses for it to work.
Once it’s ready, it’s a matter of opening up the cardboard app – or any VR enabled app – and slotting the phone into it. It’s won’t close perfectly – you will be able to see the ends of the phone before you put it on – but it holds firm.
Also, there’s no strap for it so using it is like looking through a pair of binoculars. The only way to activate it is to flick down a magnet switch located on the left-hand side (the phone is able to sense its movement) while tilting Cardboard to its side allows you to return to the previous menu.
While it doesn’t look impressive on screen, it works well when the different factors are combined. There are two factors that are going to determine whether an idea like this takes off: the screen resolution (the sharper, the better) and the lenses used.
The resulting effect is a device that is simply able to track your head movements, which is impressive considering the materials used. The resolution will depend on the type of phone you’re using – preferably one that’s 5-inches – but the Nexus 5 screen was good enough to complete the VR effect.
The demos are rather simplistic. Alongside accessing traditional Google products like Streetview and YouTube, others like viewing artwork, 3D statues and travelling through the streets of Paris via hyperlapse can also be accessed.
Although practically all the demos created by Google and third-party developers are all on-rails. In short, there’s very little interaction apart from looking around and maybe using the magnet switch as a button.
As an experiment, it’s fun to use, but it’s not really designed for long-term use. Instead, it’s to show that VR experiences are possible with (relatively) cheap tools and for that alone, it’s incredibly clever.
There’s nothing here that makes it an essential item to have, but if you have an Android device and are quite handy with arts and crafts, it’s worth putting one together just for the sheer novelty of it.
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Is this a wind up ?
On the other hand I’d love to have the money to buy it
Just like and share to be in with a chance to win one.
Not for me.
I couldn’t tell my boss I was late because of my watch.
Don’t see any reason there to pay 1.1m for a watch, save the money and ask someone the time, or if you can pay that type of cash for a watch why the fu*k would you care what time it is
I honestly think a finely made watch is beautiful. I feel naked if I don’t wear one on a night out. I think a watch and ring is the only jewellery a man should wear. I do have a watch fetish but have never spent any more that 500 euro on one. Any more is just silly. But sure if you are loaded why not.
I agree family guy, I wear my watch all the time and feel naked without it.
Does it have a calculator though?
And all it does is tell the time
does it have a sexy voice..??
Ill have 2
One for each wrist?
Oh yeh. I’ll be unbalanced if i don’t
Another upstart of a company.
Established no doubt, to separate new money easterners from their cash.
Well if they’re foolish with their dollars.
Maybe they deserve to be shafted.
Your a boor.
Fact are booring.
My auld Casio will do me. Best 15euro I ever spent.
I’d rather have a Veyron.
But not the cost of running it. They would financially cripple you, which is why the vast majority of those on the market have hardly been driven.
You think the running cost is why the majority of veyrons are not driven in public…?
Skin, no, not the sole reason but almost certainly a contributory factor.
Four sprung durch technik?
Time is your worst enemy, why would you pay 1.1 Million, for a watch, and half the world’s Children starving, it beggers belief.
300 watches = 1 children’s hospital
But you can’t wear the other 299 watches on your arm now can you.
Do the ladies really judge a fella by the piece on his wrist?!
To spend that much on a watch you’d have to have a piece for a head…
It’s not what’s on his wrist that they care about, it’s the distance from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. So shallow…
I’ve got 200 of these unwrapped which can’t be sold. Like and share to be in with a chance to win one :)
Well it would also have to bring me my tea and toast up to the bed in the morning as well if I paid that price for it!!!!!!
Does it only work when tethered to an iPhone 6?
what is a power reserve function? and how is it powered?
Looks like the strap is extra!
If I could afford this I would care what time it was
Saw a watch that cost $350,000 in a shop the other day. It’s made from authentic pieces salvaged from the Titanic! Some people…
Watch yourself….
have your say