Over the last few months we have seen the rise in apps that can let people see a particular country in VR which you can do from the comfort of your own couch, No it aint the same as visiting the said region but an approach that is been used taking advantage of the technology and one that seems to be popular which allows people to virtual visit somewhere before they go and get some kind of idea of what is in store to some extent…
New Caledonia VR app lets you Experience the pristine clear waters of the Oro Pool on the Isle of Pines, check out the Noumea Markets, fly over the mesmerizing Heart of Voh or say hello to the French cowboys of New Caledonia
New Caledonia is such a unique place. In the heart of the Pacific, French and Melanesian, perfect for relaxing and great for adventure lovers, cosmopolitan streetscapes and jaw-dropping landscapes… So much contrasts in one small territory, we decided to bring it to life for you through this exciting app.
Using this app and your Google Cardboard glasses, truly immerse in the many worlds of New Caledonia through a series of 360º videos. Meet our local guides who share their best kept secrets. Experience some of the most iconic spots around New Caledonia. The more you watch, the more content you unlock.
The app is 764 MB on iOS and 436 MB on Android so be sure to your use Wi-Fi if you have a limited data allowance.. You can also check out their Website if you prefer to do so…
Another week another VR headset to check out.. This time around its the Spaceout VR viewer from spaceoutvr.com which we thank for sending over. We will also check out their app which is somewhat different to the regular VR apps..
The headset itself is actually one of the most comfortable ones I have used in recent time,its lightweight and even that bit smaller too which is excellent.The build quality too is also good its robust and to set up its simple with easy controls to set focus and so on…
The packaging it comes in is quite nice,boxed with information on the outside and safety notices right off the bat which is good to see also giving some information on what you can enjoy what devices are compatible which most common devices would be that can be used for VR or google cardboard purposes… In short presentation is good.
Contents
After opening the box we will find nicely secured is the headset itself alongside the head-strap,lens cloth,instructions and a glare shield,this is something I have not seen before but its there…. There is a small compartment at end of box for the smaller items..
Setting up the headset is simple and nobody will have any difficulty in doing so,once you download the app you are good to go,You dont need to use their own app specifically for this headset it will work on any device thats compatible to view cardboard apps. Links for both apps down below..
The headset comes with a nice head-strap which is also comfortable this is then attached on top and on the sides like most headsets are today there is nothing difficult here at all.. This literally takes one minute or less to get it set to your own needs…
Take a look at our Unboxing here of the VR headset for the rest.
Ok so after that you will need to install the app if not done so already….. Links down below…
2) Disable portrait orientation lock.
3) Wifi & headphones recommended.
4) Rotate your phone into landscape mode.
5) Place your phone into a VR viewer.
6) You will see a “WELCOME” – follow tutorial.
7) Explore the World.
8) Enter “Rhythm.VR”.
9) Navigate the UI to select music (local, soundcloud or microphone).
10) Glance over to the left try HEADBANGERZ.
11) Always navigate back to the UI by looking down and finding the home or the 3 dots.
The fun can now begin.. On using this app for a few days this changes how we look at music though this being a visual treat somewhat reminding me of a kaleidoscope or some visual graphic equaliser we can often find on a smartphone it allows you to sink in,somehow it draws you in if I may say so… The app allowed access all of my files on my device which was good and not restricted you will find yourself checking out more tracks than you think on using the app at first. Yes you can change the patterns displayed as you go on.. Its a bit trippy…
Music File Types supported: + AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV
On loading the app up you will be greeted with a display of options to choose from. VRADS TRY ME,SPACEOUT VR,RHYTHM VR,POWWOW VR (Coming soon) VISION VR Information and there is points of interest mapped out around the world which you simply just hold the headset on to find out more just like any other headset does.There is lots to see and do in this app which is great and will appeal to many, particular the music lover. The UI is clean and simple and looks great to boot and hows its presented…
IMAGE GALLERY
You can also play games on the headset which is where one thing had me flummoxed for a moment which was the key on the left handside of the headset which turns out to be a shooter trigger for playing games like Duckhunt or Sniper which is what we tried and it seems to work well as Dennis from Spaceout tells me At Spaceout.VR we don’t believe in buttons or controllers just gaze navigation for our App!
Which of course turns out to be true…
Headset
Cushion to secure phone
Front view
Adjustable slider A
Adjustable slider B
Trigger button
Trigger/Left side
Bottom view
Lens
Closed view
Right side
Front view
Overview
App logo
Padding A
Padding B
Padding C
Overall thoughts on the app and headset..
The app is a great idea and different than the norm not something you would expect to be honest but once settled in you will enjoy it.. You might need to adjust to it if you are new to VR you could get a tad dizzy but for VR fans out there you will be just fine there should not be any issues.. The headset itself is excellent, I have tried quite a few over the last few months and this is really really comfortable and light and can be worn for long periods of time without discomfort which is a great thing to have as the game is constantly been raised by manufacturers out there and again with price it is a fair price to pay for such comfort and good quality….
The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Mr Denis Naughten TD, officially switched on the State’s first Internet of Things (IoT) network in Athlone, Co Westmeath today. The network, which is owned by VT Networks, operates through 2rn’s national broadcast and telecommunications infrastructure, which gives it huge resilience, coverage and robustness. 2rn’s involvement has made the fast rollout of a nationwide IoT network possible.
2rn has struck a partnership with VT Networks, which Minister Naughten signed as part of the official switch on today, Oct. 4. In exchange for shares in VT, 2rn provided expertise and use of its national network of broadcast towers, masts and infrastructure. This allowed VT to bring a SIGFOX network, valued at €10 million, to the entire country in a record-setting five months.
SIGFOX is a French company that provides low-power, wide-area networks (LPWAN) across the globe through partnerships with local operators. This type of connectivity is optimized for sensors and simple devices, such as GPS trackers and security systems, allowing them to send multiple messages with small amounts of information. Since users are only paying for the bandwidth needed for these devices, they can be connected for as little as €1 per year. Low power requirements also mean the battery life of SIGFOX-enabled devices can last up to 300 times longer than those that use other connectivity options, such as traditional cellular networks.
2rn Infrastructure Manager Kevin White, VT COO Will Ferguson, Minister Denis Naughten, 2rn Executive Director Mick Kehoe, VT CEO Mark Bannon and 2rn Commercial Manager John Clarke were on hand for the official switching on of Ireland’s first dedicated Internet of Things network.
Speaking at the switch on at a broadcast tower in Coolderry, Athlone, Minister Naughten said, “Ireland is a centre for innovation and our aim is to stay ahead of the curve. We could immediately see the benefit of having a nationwide network dedicated to IoT devices, covering both urban and rural areas, and hope this will help to cement our place as a country that is leading the way in Internet of Things development. We are delighted to be part of the drive towards innovation in Ireland alongside VT.”
“We could not have hoped for a better partner than 2rn to bring this new technology nationwide,” said VT CEO Mark Bannon. “Our partnership ensures businesses, homes and farms across the country will benefit from IoT.”
Dee Forbes, Director General, RTÉ, said: “I am delighted that 2rn has been able to assist in the deployment of Ireland’s first national IoT network, which will enable the important development and deployment of new products and services across rural and urban Ireland.”
“Our experience and knowledge within the connectivity space convinced us that bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds would require new forms of technology. We are proud to be partnering with VT Networks, and we share in the vision of helping Ireland become a global hub for IoT development,” said 2rn Managing Director Mick Kehoe.
Sky have been teasing this for the last few months and its now finally available on both Android and iOS for free and for the foreseeable future it will remain free according to Sky.. You can also watch it on your Ger VR and Oculus Rift which is excellent.. So far the app looks great…..
The app, available now for anyone to download for free, showcases a range of immersive, 360-degree videos from Sky, and the best content from Sky’s partners including Star Wars: Red Carpet, Anthony Joshua: Becoming World Champion and clips from Disney’s The Jungle Book.
Gary Davey, Managing Director, Content at Sky, commented: “Interest in VR content is building, generating more excitement every day. We are just at the beginning of our VR journey at Sky, launching Sky VR studios earlier this year and we are already breaking new ground. Now comes the creative challenge of deploying this immersive experience with engaging story-telling. I am a big believer.”
Stephen Nuttall, Senior Director at Google and YouTube, says: “Great storytelling from Sky, in VR, for free on YouTube, and all accessible through Google Cardboard – a winning combination! Whether you’re passionate for sports or Beckham (or both!), this great partnership enables wonderful VR experiences for all to enjoy.”
Content highlights in the app at launch include:
Star Wars: Red Carpet (Sky Cinema) – get closer to the red carpet at the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Anthony Joshua: Becoming World Champion – see Anthony as you have never seen him before, as he becomes IBF world heavyweight champion
Disney – two VR experiences from The Jungle Book, enabling viewers to get up close and personal with King Louie and Kaa
Fox Innovation Lab – The Martian Sneak Peek – transports viewers to Mars to follow the film’s protagonist Mark Watney after he has been stranded on the planet
Warner Brothers – Suicide Squad: Squad 360 – viewers can see what it’s like being a member of the Suicide Squad during a scene from the film
Team Sky – Journey to the Tour – follow the team preparing for their third Tour de France
F1® – Team Williams – lets fans go behind the scenes of the Williams team, in the pit lane and in car viewing
Sky News – Calais: The Jungle – taking viewers to the centre of the refugee crisis with footage from inside ‘The Jungle’
Baobab Studios – Invasion – a VR animation about a duo of aliens aiming to take over the world, but needing to overcome two fearsome white bunny rabbits
Jaunt – Paul McCartney: Dance Tonight – Paul takes viewers through the charming creation story of this song, and its music video
On testing the app there tonight its quite nice it must be said and being a big VR fan here with around 20 headsets at hand (We will have to just get an Official Sky one next) hint hint, its a welcome addition for fans to check out.. On starting the app you can have the choice of watching it either on your mobile device or using Goggle Cardboard. As always the best option is a headset of choice and a good pair of headphones.. There is a nice selection of content to begging here and I look forward to see what the future here will be like,Its Sky we cant be disappointed …
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and president Brad Smith today are in Dublin,Ireland and sadly we could not fulfil our invite to today’s event which is disappointing.. The event took place at the Convention Centre at Spencer Dock..
Senior leaders visit Europe to showcase customers’ digital transformation, announce cloud investments and discuss cloud policy.
And Satya does know a bit of Irish..
Go raibh maith agaibh. Tá áthas orm a bheith in Éirinn!
Nadella stated that Microsoft has more than doubled its cloud capacity in Europe in the past year, noted that the company has invested over $3 billion (USD) across Europe to date, and shared that Microsoft intends to deliver the Microsoft Cloud from datacenters in France, starting in 2017. These new investments in cloud are helping customers — including Irish organisations the Health Service Executive, AIB, Cubic Telecom and Clanwilliam Group — to innovate in their industries and move their businesses to the cloud while meeting European data sovereignty, security and compliance needs. Furthering its commitment to make the cloud more trusted, responsible and inclusive, Microsoft also released a new book titled “A Cloud for Global Good.” The announcements were made in Dublin this morning as the two leaders began a four-day visit to Europe to meet with business and government leaders.
“At Microsoft, we strive to empower every Irish citizen, business and government organization to achieve more,” said Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft. “We continue to invest in and expand our Ireland data centre hub, providing customers with a trusted and intelligent cloud, to help accelerate their digital transformations and seize new opportunity on a global scale.”
Cloud-powered digital transformation in Europe
As part of this cloud momentum, Microsoft announced plans to offer Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics 365 from multiple datacenter locations in France. Initial availability is anticipated in 2017. Today, Microsoft offers customers across Europe a range of innovative regional Microsoft cloud services to transform their businesses.
The collective investments, including datacenter hubs in Ireland and the Netherlands, which continue to expand, together with locations in Austria and Finland, enable Microsoft to meet anticipated customer demand in Europe and offer European customers greater ability to digitally transform their organizations through the cloud, by meeting their security and compliance needs while understanding where their data resides.
The Microsoft Cloud, including Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics 365, offers customers a trusted global infrastructure with 30 available, and 36 announced, datacenter regions — more than any other major cloud provider in Europe and globally. These investments mean that more European customers are using the Microsoft Cloud to transform their businesses and their lives.
They include the following:
Ireland’s Health Service Executive is investing in the creation of a digital fabric to build a better health service and increased patient safety. The eHealth Ireland initiative will create a secure cloud infrastructureusing Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and Dynamics 365 and will allow a single unique identifier for all patients, single electronic health records for all mothers and babies in Ireland, a single national lab system, digital identity for health workers across the system, and communications tools to enable relationships between clinicians and patients to develop in real time.
AIB is using technology every day to transform the way it engages with and provides services for its customers. Customers have an increasing appetite to engage with the bank through technology and mobile based platforms. With over 95% of AIB’s transactions with customers now digitally enabled, the bank is finding that customers rarely go into a bank and if they do they use the digitally enabled kiosks that are present in the bank’s branches today. AIB Mobile Banking gets 17 million hits a month and this is increasing on average by 2 million every month since it was launched. This evolution of the use of technology in banking services is ensuring that AIB is continuously looking to be a step ahead when it comes to providing the best digital option for their customers. The bank is relying on cloud services to provide these latest services. AIB is partnering with Microsoft to help them drive competitive advantage adopting the Next Generation Workplace and Next Generation Enterprise, which will optimise Customer engagements and Interactions, streamlining operations, employee productivity and engagement. The AIB team are engaged with the bank on Office 365 and with the IT and Development teams on Azure.
Cubic Telecom, an Irish ISV, operating for eight years, delivers connectivity solutions in four market verticals; Internet of Things (IoT), starting with their Automotive solution; PC OEM; Enterprise and Branded Retail. Cubic enables leading brands in those four verticals to intelligently connect, manage and monetize their devices on a global basis leveraging the benefits from IoT. In June 2016, the company announced its embedded SIM (eSim) technology and global platform. Cubic now supplies the technology behind the Audi connect® services in its new models which will roll out across the entire Audi/VW group as well as other car brands in the near future. Cubic’s work with Audi showcases its ability to leverage the Microsoft Azure platform to drive digital transformation. As the demand by drivers and passengers for in-vehicle infotainment continues to grow, the connectivity between vehicle and real-time service becomes critical. Cubic provides that “Connectivity as a Service” and real-time information to the car. Cubic has also built a connectivity solution that will allow commercial offerings to be pushed directly to customers in real-time over this network customized to the customers’ needs. It envisions a time in the near future where “performance upgrades”, which are increasingly becoming car software updates, could be purchased directly from Audi and delivered using Cubic connectivity, eliminating the requirement to visit a garage.
Clanwilliam Group is a healthcare focused, technology and services business. It provides technology to healthcare professionals that empowers them to deliver better care to their patients. Clanwilliam is working closely with its customers, e-Health Ireland and Microsoft to deliver the digital integration of the Irish healthcare system. Microsoft technology powers Clanwilliam’s products for doctors, pharmacies and care homes and the Microsoft Cloud and the HSE’s Healthlink network provides the means to connect clinicians and patients across the Irish healthcare eco-system. Clanwilliam has collaborated with eHealth Ireland to bring eReferrals into general use throughout the hospital system. In March, Clanwilliam launched the nation’s first digital prescription notification service, eScript on Microsoft Azure. The service safely sends a secure notification of the prescription details directly from the GP’s computer to the patient’s chosen pharmacy.
Building a cloud for global good
Nadella and Smith also highlighted the importance of making sure that the wave of innovation being unleashed by cloud computing benefits everyone and that nobody gets left behind. Recognizing that the rapid pace of change creates concerns and even challenges for some individuals and communities, they highlighted the importance of ensuring that the cloud is a cloud for global good. They acknowledged the need for tech companies, the community and governments to work together to achieve this. As a contribution to this important debate Microsoft also announced today it has released a book called “A Cloud for Global Good” that details 78 public policy recommendations in 15 categories to help make cloud technologies more trusted, responsible and inclusive. Topics include next-generation skills, enhancing security and privacy in the digital age, environmental sustainability, keeping communities safe, and securing a bright future for all our children. The book’s specific proposals tackle challenges like data flow disruptions that can interrupt critical services, protecting people from online exploitation and fraud, and ensuring those with disabilities can access e-government services.
“Cloud computing has the potential to solve some of our world’s most challenging issues, but, as with all technological advancements, it raises important questions for society,” said Brad Smith, Microsoft President. “We must work together to build a cloud for global good. Our hope is that the ideas shared in this book will help move technology forward while ensuring no one is left behind. The policies set in the next two years will define how people experience the cloud in the next 20. Ireland has been very progressive in this area. Minister Dara Murphy, Minister for Data Protection and European Affairs has highlighted the importance of this agenda both here in Ireland and at a European level – contributing to Ireland’s reputation as a digital leader. As always, this remains an evolving and fluid space and we are committed to working with the Irish Government, citizens and all Europeans to ensure that the power of the Cloud is harnessed for the good of all.”
Engaging with customers, developers, startups and policymakers across Europe
The tour will include stops in Dublin, Paris, Berlin and London, during which time Microsoft’s leaders will meet with European customers, partners, developers and government leaders. Events include keynote presentations in each market and meetings with youth, including young female coders in Paris and refugee children from a Berlin primary school who are using Microsoft software to learn German, and a discussion with teachers in Dublin.
You can read up more and watch the event again HERE
