360 rumors

VRDL360 is a crowdfunded camera with 7K photo and 3K video resolution that looks like it's about to be fully funded.  It's still being offered at the shockingly low price of $99 .   Meanwhile here are full resolution sample photos. The photos were shared by the campaign organizers then I uploaded them to Roundme so we can see them in 360.  According to the organizers, the photos are completely unedited. The resolution of the files are 5656 x 2828, lower than the 7K resolution they claimed.  I am guessing that the final photos will have higher resolution if they will stick to their claim of 7K.  In any case, the exposure and sharpness look excellent, and I couldn't find any chromatic aberration.  The colors look good in some of the photos, while in others the white balance seems to have a little too much magenta.  The stitching looks flawless in several of the photos.  The dynamic range looks very good although few of the photos pushed the camera b...

VRDL360 is now live on Indiegogo .  The early bird price is $99, with delivery promised for September 2017. Here's my preview .    I did back it, but as you know, crowdfunding is not like preordering.  There are often delays, or in the worst case scenario, the project might fail completely. Thank you very much to Tony Anastasi for bringing this to my attention!

360dVR is a crowdfunded 5K 360 camera with 7 lenses arranged in a "dimensional" as opposed to planar configuration.  It is being crowdfunded for as low as $799. 360dVR is a 360 camera designed for professional use with 7 lenses arranged in a three-dimensional arrangement with five lenses arranged radially, one lens on top and another below.  According to its creators, this dimensional arrangement provides superior image quality to a planar arrangement. Here are the key specifications: - 7 lenses - video resolution: up to 5K (5168 x 2584) @ 30fps - up to 90 minutes continuous recording time - built-in memory of 112GB or 224GB - diameter: 140mm (5.5 inches). The videos from the 360dVR are not stitched.  Instead, users can stitch the video using third party software such as Autopano Video. The 360dVR will have an MSRP of $1399 but is available for preorder on their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for $799 . Here are sample videos .   Here is their official webpage ...

VRDL360 is a 360 camera with 7K photos and 3K video that will be launching on or around June 12, 2017.  Should you get one? VRDL360 is a new 360 camera that will be crowdfunded and is launching in a couple of weeks.  It looks very similar to the Ricoh Theta S, but offers better specifications: - Photo resolution: 7K (I am guessing it to be 6912 x 3456) - Video resolution: 3K (I am guessing it to be 3008 x 1504, but could be 3456 x 1728) - Live streaming: 3K (I am guessing it to be 3008 x 1504) - removable Micro SD up to 128GB Here is a video about it: On paper, the VRDL360 specifications look pretty good, and do beat those of the market leader Ricoh Theta S seemingly in every way.  Moreover, it appears to have a thin body just like that of the Theta, and with a small distance between the lenses, it will be less susceptible to parallax stitching error. Moreover, even though they don't say it, if VRDL360 has live streaming capability, it will likely have an in-camera stitch...

Here are sample 360 videos from Sonicam, a professional 3D 360 camera that has 360 spatial surround audio. Sonicam is a professional 3D 360 camera with 64 microphones to provide 360 surround audio.  It can record in 4K 360 video, with realtime stitching and live streaming.   I saw their booth at NAB Show and got to see the Sonicam, which was about the size of a grapefruit. You can now see  sample videos from Sonicam , including samples that demonstrate 360 audio. Sonicam is launching its crowdfunding program on Kickstarter tomorrow, where it is expected to be available for $2,000, which is half of its $4,000 MSRP.

Crowdfunded 360 camera Nico360 just posted an update.  Here are my thoughts. Back in June 2016,  Nico360 launched a crowdfunded 360 camera that offered amazing specs, including Adobe DNG raw support and 360 wireless livestreaming.  Delivery was promised October 2016.  It's now May 2017 and there is still no sign of the camera. Nico360 did post an update today , saying that they encountered overheating issues.  They said solving the overheating problems "will cost another three or four weeks."   But they did release the [final?] resolution of the camera: - photo resolution: 6912 x 3456 - video resolution: up to 3840 x 1920 @ 24fps - live streaming: up to 2560 x 1280 @ 30fps. Those are indeed juicy looking specs.  The problem is they seem too good to be true.  The photo resolution is identical to the Xiaomi Mijia Sphere 360, but the Sphere 360, backed by the financial resources of Xiaomi, has video that tops out at 3.5K, and is selling fo...

MySight360, a 4k lifelogging camera with impressive image stabilization , has been successfully funded, and its crowdfunding campaign is concluding in a couple of days.  Here are some updates since I originally posted about MySight360. First, here is a new video showing that MySight360's image stabilization will always keep the recorded video horizontal, even if the camera itself changes direction. Second, there's a new video showing how the MySight360 is used with its app. Third, MySight360 reached its stretch goal, so they are making a waterproof case available for an additional $50.  The case is expected to be rated to 10 meters. MySight360's campaign ends on January 19.   You can still contribute $189 toward a MySight360 (versus the retail price of $299) .   As with any crowdfunding campaign, pls. be aware it's not the same as preorder - most crowdfunding projects get delayed and some are discontinued.  Fortunately, MySight360 has a working demo and seems t...

The Polaroid R360 is a fully spherical 360 camera that is being crowdfunded at 699 yuan (around US$100). Here are the key specifications: - two 210-degree fisheye lenses - f/2.4 aperture - photo resolution: 3040 x 1520 - video resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 30fps - realtime stitching - uses Micro SD memory cards up to 128GB The Polaroid R360 is being crowdfunded at a price of 699 yuan (around US$100) for the camera by itself or 749 yuan (around $108.50) for a camera with a case .  As with any crowdfunding case, it's not a preorder and you are not guaranteed to receive the camera. I don't know if they plan to release the camera in other countries.

TwoEyes VR is now live on Kickstarter .  The good news is that it's really $199 for the Super Early Bird ($219 to $239 for others).  The not-so-good news is that the shipping is $50.   Ouch.  Nonetheless, even with the $50 shipping, it is currently both the most affordable 3D 360 camera and for backers up to $219, the most affordable 4k 360 camera.  The next cheapest 4k 360 camera is the Samsung Gear 360 at $275 ( reviewed here ). The release date is planned for August 2017 .  The caveat is that it's a crowdfunding project which are usually delayed and moreover, it could fail completely and in the worst case scenario means that you might lose the money you paid. Some updates: - I asked TwoEyesTech about the flickering in their sample video and their Director of Business Operations said the flickering is from the artificial lights used in the room and not the optics or sensor of their camera. - TwoEyes uploaded some new photos, including photos that show ...

Mark your calendars: TwoEyesVR (hands-on here) will launch on Kickstarter on January 16 .  I'm still not sure about the exact price.  The reps said would be $399, but the Kickstarter draft preview still seems to show an early bird price of just $199 (???).  Even at $399, it would be the most affordable 3D 360 camera by a significant margin.  If it really is available at $199, it would not only be the cheapest 3D 360 camera but the lowest cost 4k-capable 360 camera.

After two months of silence, the Nico360 team issued an update regarding its crowdfunded camera. Nico360 is a crowdfunded camera that is supposed to have many cutting-edge features such as raw support, in an affordable and compact 360 camera. Nico360 was successfully funded in August, raising almost six times its crowdfunding goal.  It was originally promised for delivery in October, which was an unrealistic deadline.  Since then, it has been delayed a few times.  Many Nico360 backers were dismayed by the lack of updates.  Nico360's CEO Jerry Zhao apologized and promised more frequent updates going forward. Here is a summary of the most recent update: - Memory will now use a removable Micro SD card.  It will include a 32GB card. - Shipping of the first batch is scheduled for March 2017.  (In my opinion, this is still too optimistic.) - To make the camera more waterproof, they are increasing the thickness of the case. - The battery capacity increased from...

Insta360 has extended the preorder period for the  Insta360 Air , its 360 camera for your Android phone, while production remains on schedule. Insta360 Air is a 360 camera that attaches to your Android phone.  Because of its attractive price and features, it already far exceeded its crowdfunding campaign goal (currently more than 500%).   In response, Insta360 announced that due to the popularity of the Insta360 Air, they would extend the crowdfunding campaign for another 30 days, giving more people the chance to preorder the Insta360 Air at a substantial 17% discount compared to the MSRP ($99 preorder price vs. $119 MSRP). Insta360 assured current backers that production remains on schedule for delivery in March 2017.  Unlike pie-in-the-sky crowdfunding projects, the Air is being made by Insta360, an established company that has already produced and sold the Insta360 4k and Insta360 Nano cameras. Insta360 posted photos of the first batch of Air cameras, and confir...

Hubblo is a 3D 360 camera with realtime stitching. UPDATE 2 : here is a sample video! UPDATE : here are my hands-on impressions from CES ! I don't have a lot of info about it yet, but here are the key specs: - three pairs of lenses (6 lenses total) in a triangular configuration - realtime stitching - video resolution: 4k @ 30 fps - video can be livestreamed via Wi-Fi or recorded to Micro SD. - the video can be viewed on VR headsets such as the Oculus Rift (reviewed here) and Samsung Gear VR (reviewed here) . - the camera is "portable" It appears that the Hubblo will be offered on Indiegogo in Q1 2017 for $999. Here is the official website .  Hubblo will be at CES and I will be checking out their booth.  They will have a demo available and I will post about how well it works.    UPDATE :  here are my hands-on impressions from CES ! Thank you very much to Pepe Vazquez for bringing this to my attention! RELATED POSTS Hubblo's first 4k 3D 360 video sample has...

Nico360 is touted as the world's smallest fully spherical 360-degree camera.  When it was announced, the video resolution had been 1440p.  However, the Nico360 creators established a stretch goal at $200,000 to add 4k video.  They reached that milestone a while back.  But there were many questions about the 4k video, such as the framerate.  The creators have now added a little more information about the 4k video . According to Nico360, the 4k video will be 3840 x 1920 @ 24fps.  This is a slightly lower framerate than the Samsung Gear 360  (3840 x 1920 @ 30 fps) but higher than the Insta360 4k beta (3840 x 1920 @ 15fps).  Nico360 also said they might be able to increase it to 25 to 30 fps by optimization. Nico360 said that adding 4k capability will add one to two months to the production schedule.  Rather than delay the Nico360 production, they decided that they would release the Nico360 without the 4k capability.  The 4k capabilit...

​ Superbook , a laptop shell for Android phones, has raised over $2 million in its Kickstarter campaign.  There are just 4 days left in the campaign, so it's your last chance to back the Superbook for $99 (+shipping), +$30 if you want to upgrade the screen to 1080p IPS. Superbook is a laptop shell that uses your smartphone for its processing, leveraging the power of modern VR-capable smartphones.  Because the Superbook shell has no processing power or storage of its own, it is much more affordable compared to previous attempts to create a laptop dock for a smartphone.  You also won't have to worry about syncing your data between your devices. Please note that backing a crowdfunding project is NOT a preorder.  There's a chance the product won't live up to the creators' promises or might not even be delivered at all.  On the other hand, there are also crowdfunded projects that were exactly as described.

Nico360 is a fully spherical 360 camera that aims to be the world's smallest. It is currently being crowdfunded through Indiegogo, with delivery due in October.  The campaign finally issued a long-awaited update, including new sample photos and a few more details. Nico360's crowdfunding campaign had been going strong, raising about 5 times its crowdfunding goal.  About 3 weeks ago, Nico360 posted sample images from its prototype , which caused some controversy because it appeared that it was not gamma-corrected, and its white balance was wrong.  In response, Nico360 promised an update with new sample images by August 7.   When there were no sample images, many backers were upset. Nico360 finally posted new samples: 360-degree versions are available here: http://get.nico360.com/20160814/1.html http://get.nico360.com/20160814/2.html http://get.nico360.com/20160814/3.html The new samples show some improved contrast and stitching compared to the previous sample. There i...

​ HTC Vive controllers are sometimes waved around a lot, and you might accidentally hit the wall or ceiling with them .  With a replacement cost of $129.99 per controller , you wouldn't want to damage them. UPDATE: Mamut Skull now available for preorder . Mamut Skull is a protective armor for HTC Vive wand controllers.  It clips easily to the wand. It's specially designed to avoid blocking the sensors.  Here's an interactive 3D model that shows that the Skull won't block the wand's sensors.  (The Vive needs to see at least 3 sensors at any given time in order to track the controller properly.) Mamut also has a stronger wrist strap called the Spine, and a microfiber cloth for keeping the controllers clean, called the Cape. Mamut Skull is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter  for delivery in December.

The V One is an ultrathin VR headset announced in April.  At that time, I didn't even post about it because when I saw it, I thought it was too thin to be real.  But the guys at Mashable have now tried the V One headset and -- surprise -- it works.  Not only does it work, but the resolution is far higher than the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or Samsung Gear VR, according to Mashable.  The headset will be offered on Kickstarter for $559.  Check out the Mashable article for the details !

​The I-mmersive is an end-to-end 360 system that promises 4k 360 live streaming, with no stitching or postprocessing needed.  The system includes the VEYE camera, which has two 220-degree lenses with f/1.8 aperture paired with Sony sensors.  The VEYE camera has an unusual form factor that looks like a vertical disc.  The photo resolution is 12mp and the video resolution is 2560 x 1920 per sensor, and it can stream at 30 fps. The VEYE can be supplemented with a base stand with a more powerful Wi-Fi antenna.  Strangely, the base stand has what looks like an antiquated RCA-type video and audio connector. In addition to hardware, I-mmersive wants to provide a livestreaming system called Ticket VR, which can be monetized so that you can receive PayPal payments from viewers. I-mmersive just launched its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign , with a projected delivery to backers in April 2017.  The early bird price for the VEYE is $249, or $309 with the base stand....

Nico360 is a very compact, waterproof 360-degree camera.  Yesterday, they posted an actual full resolution sample photo.  The photo stirred some controversy among backers.  Here's why I'm not concerned. Here's the sample photo they posted yesterday : Some of the reactions to the photo:       " The new upload photo quality let me shocked!  I felt a little disappointed. What can be refunded? "       " @Mr. Huang    Photo quality is terrible…………. how come………….. because low light? everything are blur…… and the color is strange…… and so heavy noise….. really not acceptable …… "       " The 360 photo quality no so good!  I felt a little disappointed. " The reactions prompted  Nico360 to apologize about the image quality of the sample .        " The firmware is not finished especially the ISP(Image Signal Processor) part. We integrated parts of the whole methods but did not have enough time...