0.24% CTR
Investors Glimpse the Future in Virtual Reality Headsets
vs.
1.78% CTR
Virtual Reality is Becoming More Real than even with Investors Support
That's a nice headline.
Or... is it?
Capturing readers attention is becoming increasingly difficult. And while your editors are constantly getting better at it the game stays dominated by trial-and-error mechanics.
The Newsroom automates the entire process and selects the best performing headline in real time.
Our clients are constantly seeing 12x improvement between one copy to another so it definitely time for you to test this out.
John Winton
Contributor
I cover Europe’s card manufacturers, their business, tech, products.
Full bioWhen a friend asks what you did over the weekend, you may soon say, “I stood 15 feet away from a dinosaur” — and you will not be bluffing. That is because the Gear VR, a virtual reality headset developed by Samsung Electronics and Facebook’s Oculus VR, was released on Friday. The $100 device, which looks like a boxy pair of goggles, gives consumers an early peek into the new immersive video technology that will begin stampeding into their homes next year.
The Gear VR requires inserting a Samsung Galaxy smartphone into the headgear: The device relies on the smartphone’s screen for video and its computing brains for running apps and games. It is a precursor to the more powerful Oculus Rift, a headset that connects with a personal computer, which will make its debut next year.
The stories
beyond the story
Your stories carry a lot more than the news, the people and the places. The Newsroom allows you to create custom audiences, or groups of users that have previously engaged with specific topics. These audiences can be the first to be exposed to new stories around similar topics so that editors can always have the best audience at hand.
Other virtual reality headsets coming next year include Microsoft’s HoloLens and Sony’s PlayStation VR. In a virtual reality tie-in to “The Martian,” participants will experience the world of the film’s protagonist, a stranded astronaut, firsthand.‘Martian’ Trailer in Virtual Reality Is Released A Virtual Reality Revolution, Coming to a Headset Near You For an early stab at consumer virtual reality, the Gear VR is a work in progress. The virtual reality experience is fascinating and the Gear VR is probably unlike any consumer technology device you have owned before.
But in my testing of the device over a week, the video strained my eyes and the extra weight on my head made my neck sore. This is an entertainment device that is best taken in small doses, not used for hours at a time. To wear the headset, which feels like cheap plastic, you attach two adhesive straps, one horizontal and the other vertical. On the right side of the device is a touch pad for swiping through menus or selecting items — it takes time to get used to because you cannot see it while wearing the headgear.
Mid-Article Native
Unlike traditional display advertising, Native formats engage readers to into immersive brand experiences within the context that consumers want, trust and enjoy exploring.
The mid article placements integrate perfectly with the look and the feel of your site and can promote articles as well as sponsored content from your advertisers.
Art Basel in Miami Beach Shines a Light on the Americas
A small wheel near your forehead adjusts the focus. Even though I have 20-20 vision, the image always looked a little blurry to me. The Gear VR runs software downloaded through a special app store that serves only apps and games developed for virtual reality. I downloaded the Jurassic World game, which takes place in the middle of a forest, where you can gawk at an apatosaurus as it swings its long neck close to you. The Milk VR app plays videos shot in virtual reality format, allowing you to look up, down and around your surroundings — one video puts viewers on a raft drifting through a river in the Grand Canyon.
Related coverage
Building the data footprint of your readers allows you to further suggest the most relevant stories that they’re likely to enjoy and engage with. And while no two users are the same, the trending stories will be dynamically selected, based on individual preferences.
-
The Internet’s Loop of Action and Reaction Is Worsening
-
Listening for the Headphones You Want
-
Video Laws Struggle to Keep Up as Hoverboards’ Popularity Soars
My favorite virtual reality game was Land’s End. It involves solving puzzles by staring at giant stones to lift and move them. Here is where Gear VR shines: The head tracking, or the device’s ability to follow where the viewer looks, is excellent in this game. Who would have guessed that virtual reality would give you telekinetic powers? Some apps can be of questionable utility. Netflix’s virtual reality app lets you watch the same videos you would normally stream through the service, except it places you in a virtual living room on someone else’s couch. Why watch Netflix with a headset? The only practical case I could think of is if you are lying in bed at night and want to watch a movie without shining a bright light in your partner’s face. This sounds thoughtful in theory, but watching an episode of “Futurama” made my eyes feel as if I had been staring at a light bulb for an hour; it also is not comfortable to lie in bed with a headset strapped to your face.
Representatives for Samsung and Oculus VR said my discomfort was probably caused by inexperience with virtual reality. “Virtual reality is a new experience for many, and there is a natural acclimation process,” the companies said in a statement. “As you use VR more, it becomes more comfortable for longer periods of time.” The companies also recommended using the Gear VR while sitting in a swivel chair or standing. Samsung and Oculus are initially marketing the Gear VR to gamers. That is logical given that many of the early software offerings in the virtual reality app store are games. But the risk of this approach is that in the long term, virtual reality may appeal largely just to gamers. Microsoft, for instance, had hoped the Kinect, its motion-based gaming accessory, would have broader appeal as a general computing device, but people quickly lost interest.
It would be a shame to see virtual reality devices start with gamers and end with gamers. As the technology improves and app developers figure out innovative uses of the virtual reality environment, the technology has potential for broader appeal. The dinosaur game was a glimpse into how museums could take advantage of virtual reality, for instance. It is even possible to imagine people in retirement homes enjoying the idea of being taken to a different place. I suspect that Gear VR’s virtual reality experience will be seductive for many because it is so fresh and different, but it will not become a regular activity because of the weaknesses of the headset. The technology needs to lose some weight, and the video quality needs to be clearer and easier on the eyes.
It would also be ideal if the Gear VR worked with other types of smartphones, not just the newest Samsung Galaxy devices. I would not recommend buying a Samsung phone just to look at dinosaurs or lift giant stones with your head. But the Gear VR would not be a bad holiday gift for people who already have a Samsung phone.
Display Ads
The Newsroom allows publishers to build an unified view of the data, display, editorial and content recommendations inventory across all properties and devices.
VR Films Work Great for Charity.
What About Changing Minds?
What About Changing Minds?
Sponsored by Wired
That is because the Gear VR, a virtual reality headset developed by Samsung Electronics and Facebook’s Oculus VR, was released on Friday. The $100 device, which looks like a boxy pair of goggles, gives consumers an early peek into the new immersive video technology that will begin stampeding into their homes next year.
The Gear VR requires inserting a Samsung Galaxy smartphone into the headgear: The device relies on the smartphone’s screen for video and its computing brains for running apps and games. It is a precursor to the more powerful Oculus Rift, a headset that connects with a personal computer, which will make its debut next year.
Other virtual reality headsets coming next year include Microsoft’s HoloLens and Sony’s PlayStation VR.
For an early stab at consumer virtual reality, the Gear VR is a work in progress. The virtual reality experience is fascinating and the Gear VR is probably unlike any consumer technology device you have owned before. But in my testing of the device over a week, the video strained my eyes and the extra weight on my head made my neck sore. This is an entertainment device that is best taken in small doses, not used for hours at a time.
To wear the headset, which feels like cheap plastic, you attach two adhesive straps, one horizontal and the other vertical. On the right side of the device is a touch pad for swiping through menus or selecting items — it takes time to get used to because you cannot see it while wearing the headgear. A small wheel near your forehead adjusts the focus. Even though I have 20-20 vision, the image always looked a little blurry to me.
