Google launches Chrome browser on VR Daydream headsets

Google has announced that Chrome, the world’s most popular browser used by 44.5% of users, is now available on its VR (virtual reality) Daydream headsets.

Announced on its blog yesterday, the search and tech giant said users of Google Daydream View and Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream can now launch Chrome directly from their homepage and interact with any webpage while in VR.

Google promises that “all the features you love” on its browser will be accessible,...

31 July 2018 | Developers

VR therapy for neurological conditions to be rolled out across UK

A “pioneering” virtual reality (VR) therapy, which has proven to reduce blood pressure and pain levels among people with neurological conditions, is going to be rolled out across the UK.

According to BBC Scotland, the therapy has been trialled at the Sue Ryder neurological care centre in Aberdeen, where it has been used to support people with conditions such as cerebral palsy, MS and motor neurone disease, as well as those with brain injuries.

According to the...

27 July 2018 | Applications

Future concepts, spacewalks and drone deliveries: Airbus launches fleet of hands-on VR experiences

Aeronautics and space manufacturer Airbus yesterday released five new multi-user VR (virtual reality) experiences at Farnborough International Airshow (FIA) in the UK.

Known for producing the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the A380, Airbus teamed up with immersive technology specialist Render to show off its expansive and diverse range of projects through VR, including future aircraft concepts, drone-based deliveries, and even a virtual spacewalk mission.

The five...

19 July 2018 | Applications

Now you can choose your Emirates seat with web-based VR

For most of us, the flowing champagne and extra legroom of first class is the stuff of economy-class dreams alone, but the top-tier tickets on the Emirates A380 push the definition of airborne luxury to a new league.

Now, Emirates is pushing boundaries in another regard, becoming the first airline to introduce web-based virtual reality (VR) to its digital platform, allowing potential passengers (or window-shoppers) free-reign to roam the airy cabins of the fleet’s A380...

9 July 2018 | Advertising

This Finnish VR startup is developing a headset with human-eye resolution

Virtual reality could be about to get a lot more, well, real.

A Finnish startup known as Varjo claims to be developing a VR headset whose resolution could actually match that of the human eye.

It achieves this by mimicking the way that our vision works, a process called foveation, where our eyes will only see one small area in front of us in a high resolution; the rest, as you will probably now be noticing, is rather more blurry.

Varjo attempts to replicate this process...

20 June 2018 | Devices

Mall theme park VR experience startup gears up for £5m IPO

A virtual reality (VR) experience company that supplies virtual experiences to theme parks and shopping malls is ready to go public on the AIM market, with aims to raise £5m from the listing.

The UK-headquartered Immotion uses a combination of graphics, motion and sound to create immersive experiences for consumers at venues including Legoland Boston and multiple shopping centres across the UK.

Raising the cash would see Immotion valued at roughly £20m, which would...

18 June 2018 | Gaming

French startup tests VR in hospitals as anesthetic replacement

A French startup is exploring the use of (VR) virtual reality in hospitals as an alternative to anesthetics for minor operations, reporting “positive” feedback from early trials.  

Healthy Mind, the brainchild of three graduates in collaboration with psychiatrists and doctors, uses virtual environments to help ease the pain of smaller operations without the use of drugs while reducing the anxiety commonly felt in hospital environments.

From “Zen...

11 June 2018 | Applications

Apple reveals key updates to AR developer framework ARKit

Opening its World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) this week, Apple announced a string of updates to its AR (augmented reality) framework ARKit - a key development in a field the tech company is pitching its long-term success on.  

The update comes after Apple announced that 13 million apps had been downloaded using the framework since its debut in September 2017, with some 47% of that figure driven by a surge in the popularity of AR gaming apps.

The reel of new...

6 June 2018 | Applications