Tag Archives: virtual-reality

VR brings a third dimension to computing. Strap on a headset, and you’re not just looking at something, you’re surrounded by it. There’s a real sense of depth and volume and immersion. You are as good as there. One outstanding example of that is a virtual reality installation called The Infinite, which puts you inside …

It was only a matter of time: A Czech VR company is teasing the opportunity to stay alive forever in the metaverse.  After Artur Sychov, CEO of virtual reality developer Somnium Space, lost his father to cancer several years ago, he began exploring ways to preserve someone’s personality even after death. The result is Somnium Space’s upcoming “Live Forever” mode, which …

This story is part of Making the Metaverse, CNET’s exploration of the next stage in the internet’s evolution. To get a sense of the promise of the metaverse, take a look at 3D Charades. The video game has a simple premise. Players gather in a cafe-like room and divide into teams. One player sketches an image while team members guess …

After giving up on its virtual reality ambitions back in March of last year, it seems that Google is ready to enter the augmented reality space with its acquisition of Raxium, a startup dedicated to making MicroLED displays. Raxium is a five-year-old startup that’s made impressive strides in the field of augmented reality displays. The terms of the deal are …

Spotify has already found a home on millions of phones. Now it’s looking to land on car dashboards as well, with the widespread launch of its Car Thing. As a first-generation device, it’ll have to prove its worth, which may be why Spotify’s R&D chief likens it to the Amazon Kindle, which seems to have done all right for itself …

Several months after Meta’s Horizon Worlds social VR app entered public beta, Meta is starting to exhibit metaverse art experiences made with its own metaverse tools. A project created by VR sculptor Gabe Gault is the first of what Meta describes as a series of cultural and art experiences that will be launching inside Horizon Worlds. Gault’s work, called “I Am …

A new wave of VR headsets is expected this year: the PlayStation VR 2, Meta’s pro-level VR headset called Project Cambria and maybe Apple’s long-rumored device. There’s one thing all of them will likely have in common: eye tracking. The kind of consumer VR headsets you could buy for everyday use haven’t had eye tracking before. Yes, there are headsets that …

As many tech companies tout metaverse concepts that promise new ways to virtually interact, existing virtual worlds are starting to enforce new policies to deal with behavior problems that are already happening. AltspaceVR, a social virtual worlds platform acquired by Microsoft in 2017, is making changes to protect visitors. Some of those changes include shutting down public spaces that AltspaceVR has used …

Apparently, Meta (formerly Facebook) has renamed its VR product line, now also called Meta (formerly Oculus). This news, which was actually announced last fall, finally kicked up another notch now that more of the Oculus social accounts have flipped to Meta.  It doesn’t matter to me, because I call it the Oculus Quest. I’m not alone. Plenty of my friends …

Facebook changed its company name to Meta last fall, promising an upcoming metaverse-focused strategy that would blend VR, AR, and the company’s existing social media platforms. Today, Meta announced that its 3D VR avatars would start showing up on the company’s other apps: Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. Meta’s also dipping its toes into promotional gear for avatars, introducing limited-time Super Bowl-themed …