Walyou

FOVE VR Headset Tracks Eyes for On-the-Go Targeting

Posted: 20 May 2015 09:13 AM PDT

Now that the news is out that Oculus Rift will finally be available in a consumer version, other companies are looking to steal the spotlight by launching VR headsets with new functions.

Such is the case with FOVE, a San Francisco-based startup that is trying to revolutionize VR technology by integrating eye tracking features into the headset it has developed. That might not sound like much, but detecting subtle eye movements could improve control in video games tremendously. Not only that, but this technology could improve the way we interact with virtual characters in games.

Here’s how the company described its VR headset:

“FOVE’s revolutionary technology reads subtle eye movements, translating them into emotionally powerful experiences. FOVE gives you more control than ever before in the virtual world and beyond.

FOVE tracks a user’s gaze and calculates where in 3D space a user is looking. This enables the graphics engine to adjust focus and allocate rendering resources accordingly.”

The makers of FOVE concentrated their attention on four main possible uses: aiming with the eyes, focusing the vision, making eye contact and moving more naturally. While most of these sound great, I’m not sure that focusing your vision (and thus increasing or decreasing the depth of field) feels very natural. Sure, the effect looks great in photos and videos, but that’s not exactly how the human eye works. Focusing on a certain area of the visual field could determine us to neglect other (possibly more important) details. In games, that could prove fatal for the player, since the enemies could hide precisely in the areas that are out of focus.

The developers of the FOVE VR headset are currently looking for funding on Kickstarter. At the time of writing, backers had pledged $184,262 of the $250,000 funding goal, and the crowdfunding campaign still had 44 days to go, so the success of the project is almost a certainty. If you want to try VR technology with a twist, head over to the campaign’s page and pledge at least $375 (early birds had the chance to get it for $349), in order to receive it in May 2016.

It remains to be seen how FOVE will stack against Oculus Rift, Sony’s Morpheus, and the other VR headsets companies might launch in the next year.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about Razer’s VR headset that will include a Leap Motion hand-tracking sensor, or Samsung’s Gear VR headset.

The limited edition Iron Man Galaxy S6 Edge is confirmed

Posted: 19 May 2015 01:03 PM PDT

Samsung and Marvel are working together in a very special project to promote each other’s work. In order to do this, the Korean giant will be launching a special edition of the Galaxy S6 Edge, made to look like Tony Stark’s alter ego, Iron Man.

Fake images of different smartphones featuring the likeness of the Avengers or other Marvel characters had been making the rounds around the web for a while, but finally something real happened. Samsung displayed a picture of the box depicted above, where we can see a luxury edition of the Galaxy S6 Edge with Iron Man’s mask.

A render artist created this other version showing the possible direction Samsung might take, featuring Tony Stark’s yellow and red as the colors for the case. Also, it seems these are not the only productions Samsung could release based off of the most recent movie in the Marvel Universe: probable future projects include cases and sleeves. So, get ready comic book fans, because special editions are coming.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories at 5 Awesome Avengers Propaganda Posters and Super Cute Art of the Avengers as Cats.