Mint Virtual Reality

Akamai Technologies is one of the biggest providers of internet cloud-based services, and its annual EDGE conference is a place where experts in various technology fields gather to discuss and analyse current and future trends. This year, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) will be one of the key points of discussion.

The conference is due to take place from 11th-13th October, 2017 at the ARIA Resort in Las Vegas. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Connect to Tomorrow’ and will cover areas of interest such as the Internet of Things, apps and data, mobile technologies, internet security and, of course VR and AR.

Speakers already due to appear at the event include many of the world’s top brands and technology companies, including Alibaba, Dell Technologies, GoDaddy, Google, Coca-Cola, Sony Interactive entertainment, IKEA, Spotify, Kia Motors and more.

“Akamai EDGE brings together the leaders, innovators, and disrupters that are embracing digital transformation to create better access to new markets, to derive greater insight from data, and to find faster and more secure ways to connect to customers,” said Monique Bonner, Chief Marketing Officer at Akamai.

Following on from the success of last year, the Developer Zone will return, three times larger than last year’s area. Developers will be able to get hands-on with APIs and collaborate with Akamai developers for advice and trouble shooting purposes. Various technology demonstrations will also be showcased from Akamai and its various partners.

Further information can be found on the Akamai website.

VRFocus will continue to report on VR and AR-related events.

HTC Vive users have an opportunity to grab a Weekend Deal for horror title Grave VR, just in time for some spooky Halloween videogaming. Alternatively, several new titles are now available on the platform if horror is not your thing.

Grave VR is a survival horror title where light is your only weapon. Set in a barren desert, during the day players are relatively safe; able to explore their surroundings to find useful things, especially objects such as torches or flares. Once darkness falls, the dead come out to play, and light is your only means of survival – though not all enemies are weak to it. Grave VR is currently available on Viveport with a 50% discount, reducing the price from £13.93 (GBP) to £6.97.

New titles that have recently been added to Viveport include Masterpiece VR, a virtual reality (VR) sandbox tool for 3D modelling that lets users create a share 3D works of art within a VR environment. YOU by Sharecare is also new to the platform, a medical and healthcare app. Cat Sorter VR, a colourful tongue-in-cheek title where players need to fix up poor cats who have been created with shark fins or lobster claws and turn them back into the adorable fluffy creatures they are meant to be.

Another new title on Viveport is Manifest 99, a story-driven VR experience set aboard a train, featuring several mysterious characters whose backgrounds and motivations the player must unravel. For those who feel like something a bit more musical, there is Jam Studio VR, a musical VR experience that is designed to let anyone find out how it feels to create and compose music.

Further information can be found on the Viveport website.

VRFocus will continue to report on new discounts and deals for VR hardware and software.

Chinese tech giant Huawei have recently filed a trademark application in both the United States and Europe for a 360-degree imaging device called the EnVizion Panoramic VR Camera. This information seems to indicate that Huawei have plans to join the virtual reality (VR)/360-degree imaging market.

Information was recently released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as the EU Intellectual Property Office which revealed the name, but few other details regarding the device, though insiders and analysts have already begun speculating based on details that are available, suggesting that the device is likely to be similar to the Samsung Gear 360 series of cameras.

The application mentioned mobile software and related technologies. Since Huawei is primarily known, especially in the West, for producing mobile devices, it seems likely that the company are also planning on releasing a mobile app to connect to the EnVizion 360. Some analysts have predicted that, similar to the Samsung Gear 360, the EnVizion 360 will also have a small form factor and be capable of connecting directly to an Android smartphone.

Huawei have a hardware event coming up on 16th October, but the new device is unlikely to be announced there, since Trademark applications are a slow process, and Huawei has usually been cautious about announcing a product name before it has been officially trademarked. Most experts are predicting that the device will be officially announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2018, or at Mobile World Congress later that same year.

VRFocus will bring you further news on Huawei’s VR/360-degree projects as it becomes available.

For US-based customers who are looking to upgrade their electronics, a good opportunity is coming up with the return of HTC’s Customer Celebration week, titled ‘Green Is Good’. Alongside the deals, bundles and discounts, there’s the chance to win a HTC Vive.

Beginning on Monday 2nd October, HTC will be offered discounts on its smartphones, as well as prize giveaways of its various products, including the HTC Vive.

The deals will be available exclusively through the US HTC online store, and will include:

• $100 off HTC U11 (final price $549) + free HTC gift pack
• $300 off HTC U Ultra (final price $449)
• $200 off HTC Bolt (final price $400)
• 50% off accessories with purchase of a device
• $10 cases for select devices

In addition, HTC will be giving away products such as the HTC Vive, HTC 11, HTC U Ultra and HTC gift packs. Those interested in taking part in the giveaway will need to register at the HTC Hot Deals website, then keep watching HTC’s various social media channels, such as the official HTC USA Twitter.

These offers are only open to those living in the USA. Further details can be found on the HTC US website.

HTC recently dropped the price of the HTC Vive, and rumours about the upcoming standalone headset, which many experts and analysts believe will be called the HTC Vive Focus, continue to swirl.

VRFocus will continue to report on offers and deals for VR hardware and software.

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