360 rumors

The Mac desktop stitching software for the 2017 Samsung Gear 360 is now available! Here is the link to the Mac software . Here are the requirements for the software . I don't know yet if the 2017 stitching software can also stitch photos and videos of the original Gear 360. Samsung also posted the requirements for the PC version of the desktop software (Gear 360 Action Director 2).  In case you missed it, the link to the new Action Director software is here .  The new software can work with both the original and the new Gear 360.  The software can be activated with either the original Gear 360 or the 2017 Gear 360's serial number. Meanwhile the 2017 Gear 360 is still pretty hard to find outside of Korea and parts of Europe.  However, you can buy it on eBay where reseller prices have dropped to as low as $260 (just $10 more than the MSRP) . Thank you very much to Axel Baumann of  www.video-tv355.de for sharing this info!

I finally got to try the HTC Vive.  Here are my first impressions, in comparison to the Oculus Rift, Playstation VR, and Samsung Gear VR. HTC Vive is one of the three desktop VR systems for consumers. It competes with the Oculus Rift (first impressions here) and Playstation VR (first impressions here) .  Whereas the Rift and PSVR are designed to be used while seated or standing in one place, the Vive is designed for room-scale VR, with a larger tracking area than the Rift or PSVR.  Many of its games are designed with the user walking around. Prior to trying the Vive, I had tried the Oculus Rift and Playstation VR.  I also have Samsung Gear VR (reviewed here) .  What I learned from those experiences is that positional tracking is the sine qua non for "presence" -- the illusion of feeling like you're in the virtual space.  If positional tracking was the magic ingredient for presence, I surmised that room-scale VR, where the user would be walking around,...