Apple fans finally have a taste of Google's budget virtual
reality platform, letting you explore new worlds without getting off the couch.
It's roughly 12 months since Google unveiled the deceptively
simple Google Cardboard platform, which relies on a cheap cardboard frame to
hold a smartphone up to your face – a bit like an old ViewMaster. Google
Cardboard-compatible apps split the screen in half to offer a slightly
different view to each eye, which your brain combines to create a 3D view of
the scene.
The results naturally aren't as impressive as something like
the Oculus Rift headset used by Australia's Zero Latency platform, but it's
hard to complain when you can buy a Google Cardboard viewer for a few dollars
or download the instructions and build your own. LG also offers a plastic
version of the viewer to use with with its G3 smartphone, as shown in the video
above, while Samsung has gone it alone and built its own VR viewer in
conjunction with Oculus Rift.
As Google Cardboard finds its feet, Google has unveiled a
second-generation viewer which is easier to assemble and supports devices with
up to a 6-inch display. There's also a new style of button on the side,
designed to work with any smartphone.
With the new cardboard viewers Google has also embraced the
iPhone – bringing the official Google Cardboard app to the iTunes store. Apple
has been very quiet on virtual reality, although it has reportedly hired developers
and the move by Google may be enough to force Cupertino's hand.
It was already possible to cobble together a Google
Cardboard experience on the iPhone, as it fits into some Google Cardboard
viewers and there are a handful of Google Cardboard-style apps in the iTunes
store. The release of the official Google Cardboard demo app gives a wider
taste of what the platform has to offer – you can pay a visit to the Eiffel
Tower, explore the dinosaur exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History
or get a close up view of museum exhibits.
Google is also expanding Cardboard's potential with the
release of the Google Expeditions pack – a kit for teachers looking to take
their students on VR excursions. The system keeps a room full of Google
Cardboard apps in sync, with the teacher controlling everything from a tablet
so they can lead students through virtual worlds.
The move to embrace iOS should see more developers turn
their attention to virtual reality, although it remains to be seen if budget
handset-based VR turns out to be a novelty in the long run. It's a great idea,
but it feels rather limiting once you've experienced more immersive VR like
Zero Latency, which sits firmly on your face and lets you walk around rather
than sit still.
Are you ready to take the leap into virtual reality? Where
do you want to go with Google Cardboard?
Source From:- http://www.smh.com.au/
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