Virtual Reality Costs Facebook 2 Billion, Google used a pizza box.

  • 26 June 2014
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Userlevel 7
This is rather interesting to me.  Recently, Facebook acquired Oculus, a Virtual Reality headset maker, for some $2 Billion.  Yesterday, Google showed off its own current work in developing it's own VR Tech.  The price tag?  A couple of employees free time and a bit of cardboard.
 
Really?  Yes... apparently so.
 
"Virtual reality has been a hot topic in the tech world in recent months since Facebook paid $2 billion to acquire VR firm Oculus. The "Cardboard" project, Google says, grew out of a desire "to make VR accessible to more people."
 
"Google says the device works with most "modern" Android phones, but cautions that it's still in the development stage. It's sharing the Cardboard toolkit with developers to give them "the chance to experiment with it as we do."
 
Google has apparently even distributed the design and instructions to that anyone can make their own set.  It is reccomended that if you use a pizza box, make it in extre large.
 
Personally, I would tend to believe that eventually Google will come out with a more robust version to sell, for those that are not very good at DIY craft projects, but for something that actually can work and can be made with a short trip to a craft shop or WalMart and the box lunch came in is really cool!
 
Say what you will about the high tech Google Glass, I think they hit on a pretty cool idea on this one.  It at least opens the doors to VR experimentation to pretty much anyone.

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Userlevel 7
Badge +56
I wonder if someone will make an actual kit for sale for this?
Userlevel 7
I hope so.  Since Goggle has publicly posted directions for it they should be willing to allow for cheap licensing for inexpensive kit sales!

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