I can almost smell the pizza...
June 25, 2014 7:42 PM Subscribe
Have an android phone? And a pizza box? Then you can build your own Virtual Reality system. Cardboard, from google.
Oculus Rip
posted by miyabo at 7:51 PM on June 25, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by miyabo at 7:51 PM on June 25, 2014 [6 favorites]
I held a couple of toilet roll tubes to my phone and looked through them. It was a little blurry, but I wanted to prove to my friends that this isn't a huge troll!
It's a great idea. I have a cheap pair of plastic binoculars kicking around, wonder ifI can scrounge the lens from that instead of paying $28 US for the recommended brand.
posted by Calzephyr at 7:52 PM on June 25, 2014
It's a great idea. I have a cheap pair of plastic binoculars kicking around, wonder ifI can scrounge the lens from that instead of paying $28 US for the recommended brand.
posted by Calzephyr at 7:52 PM on June 25, 2014
Have a cardboard box? And Lenses? And Velcro? And magnets and a rubber band and some scotch tape, three gym socks, an old watch face, two cast iron pots...[explosion]
posted by cashman at 7:55 PM on June 25, 2014 [14 favorites]
posted by cashman at 7:55 PM on June 25, 2014 [14 favorites]
Not compatible with my first gen Nexus 7, g'huck.
posted by JHarris at 7:55 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by JHarris at 7:55 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
The company Google suggests for lenses, Durovis, also makes an entire kit including a plastic case.
Sort of looks like Durovis is the antecedent here. Cool, but makes the whole thing seem a bit less novel if the difference is limited to doing it in cardboard. (Not sure if there are software advances, too.)
Here's an instructable for doing the same in balsa wood!
posted by ~ at 8:07 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sort of looks like Durovis is the antecedent here. Cool, but makes the whole thing seem a bit less novel if the difference is limited to doing it in cardboard. (Not sure if there are software advances, too.)
Here's an instructable for doing the same in balsa wood!
posted by ~ at 8:07 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
This is hilarious.
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:15 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Joe in Australia at 8:15 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Sort of looks like Durovis is the antecedent here.
I think USC's fov2go predates Durovis. I'm sure there are even older examples of turning smartphones into 3d viewers (minus the head tracking).
posted by Pyry at 9:34 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think USC's fov2go predates Durovis. I'm sure there are even older examples of turning smartphones into 3d viewers (minus the head tracking).
posted by Pyry at 9:34 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
Ok, but now the lenses and my head are covered in cheese and sauce. Also, it was probably a bad plan for bacon and onion... my hair is going to smell for weeks.
posted by Nanukthedog at 9:35 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Nanukthedog at 9:35 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
My friend has been calling it Mockulus Thrift.
It looks great, but having tried the real thing with and without the special head-tracking low-latency system, I can tell you that it makes a difference.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 10:03 PM on June 25, 2014 [7 favorites]
It looks great, but having tried the real thing with and without the special head-tracking low-latency system, I can tell you that it makes a difference.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 10:03 PM on June 25, 2014 [7 favorites]
I'm at Google I/O and have one of the giveaway versions. I've also used an Oculus, the first version (not the "HD").
This works surprisingly well -- the latency hasn't bothered me. The app itself is a little fussy, and the it took a little work to get into the zone so that I wasn't looking at two mismatched images in each eye. But once I got it, it was a genuine virtual reality experience.
Most ingenious feature, in my book, was the use of the phone's magnetometer (used for the compass) as a control mechanism. The design calls for a rare earth magnet to act as a switch, using the compass.
Also on display here is Project Tango, which is being demoed with a similar (but not DIY) fauxculus attachment. Tango is very impressive technology, using a series of cameras and sensors to gauge depth, model the room, and track the user's movement. If it gets adopted and brought into mainstream phones, it's easy to imagine the future of VR being accessories for your mobile phone or tablet.
posted by condour75 at 11:03 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
This works surprisingly well -- the latency hasn't bothered me. The app itself is a little fussy, and the it took a little work to get into the zone so that I wasn't looking at two mismatched images in each eye. But once I got it, it was a genuine virtual reality experience.
Most ingenious feature, in my book, was the use of the phone's magnetometer (used for the compass) as a control mechanism. The design calls for a rare earth magnet to act as a switch, using the compass.
Also on display here is Project Tango, which is being demoed with a similar (but not DIY) fauxculus attachment. Tango is very impressive technology, using a series of cameras and sensors to gauge depth, model the room, and track the user's movement. If it gets adopted and brought into mainstream phones, it's easy to imagine the future of VR being accessories for your mobile phone or tablet.
posted by condour75 at 11:03 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
(And yes, Oculus is better, but you know, innovator's dilemma, or this scene from Strangers With Candy.)
posted by condour75 at 11:12 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by condour75 at 11:12 PM on June 25, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think USC's fov2go predates Durovis
Palmer Lucky posted his opinion about it on reddit.
Palmer Lucky posted his opinion about it on reddit.
[–]palmerluckey 79 points 11 hours agoposted by empath at 1:09 AM on June 26, 2014
Nice FOV2GO clone.
Warning: this product does not include a Jaron Lanier.
posted by rongorongo at 2:08 AM on June 26, 2014
posted by rongorongo at 2:08 AM on June 26, 2014
This is hilarious.
On the one hand, I think the diy version of anything is cool and should be encouraged.
At the same time, strapping a pizza box and your phone to your head? Yes, hilarious.
The balsa version was disappointingly non-steampunk, given the interesting mix of materials.
posted by Dip Flash at 2:54 AM on June 26, 2014
On the one hand, I think the diy version of anything is cool and should be encouraged.
At the same time, strapping a pizza box and your phone to your head? Yes, hilarious.
The balsa version was disappointingly non-steampunk, given the interesting mix of materials.
posted by Dip Flash at 2:54 AM on June 26, 2014
Leave out the phone and you can still play Metal Gear with this thing.
posted by Behemoth at 3:57 AM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Behemoth at 3:57 AM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
wait weird, why is the galaxy s3 "partially compatible" but the galaxy nexus is listed as fully? they're almost exactly the same size and the galaxy nexus has comparatively much crappier specs o_0
i would say it was just google giving a token wink-nudge to the people still running that phone, but they've otherwise completely abandoned the thing software update wise.
That said, something about the fact that they're charging for this is hilarious to me. This seems like the kind of thing you'd get for free at a convention as swag. And not a small convention like I/O, a big one like PAX or something. They should have at least made an official version available at like, $4.99 or something.
posted by emptythought at 4:05 AM on June 26, 2014
i would say it was just google giving a token wink-nudge to the people still running that phone, but they've otherwise completely abandoned the thing software update wise.
That said, something about the fact that they're charging for this is hilarious to me. This seems like the kind of thing you'd get for free at a convention as swag. And not a small convention like I/O, a big one like PAX or something. They should have at least made an official version available at like, $4.99 or something.
posted by emptythought at 4:05 AM on June 26, 2014
That said, something about the fact that they're charging for this is hilarious to me.
They aren't.
posted by empath at 4:08 AM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
They aren't.
posted by empath at 4:08 AM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Warning: this product does not include a Jaron Lanier.
I don't think that's a warning, so much as a feature.
posted by DigDoug at 5:15 AM on June 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
I don't think that's a warning, so much as a feature.
posted by DigDoug at 5:15 AM on June 26, 2014 [3 favorites]
Google finally built something for Android that doesn't look like an Apple knockoff!
posted by Nelson at 5:58 AM on June 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Nelson at 5:58 AM on June 26, 2014 [2 favorites]
A shit-ton of stuff happened at Google I/O yesterday, most of it terrifying.
There's a scene in Neuromancer where the main character is walking through an airport, and the AI wants to talk to him. As he walks along, every phone he passes by rings, trying to get him to pick up. It was one of the creepiest scenes in a novel chock-a-block with creepy scenes, except that Google decided that this was a feature they should roll into the next generation of Android.
The TV, your car, someone else's car, your phone... everywhere you go, Google will know where you are, what you're doing, who you're with, who you told about it, and record it forever. Ostensibly to target ads at you, but for reals, since when has that shit worked? I haven't got a decent ad from Google in almost 5 years now, it's mostly trying to sell me something I already bought a few months ago or something in an ad I clicked by accident a couple weeks ago. The whole thing has a dystopian vibe to it, and as someone who, yeah, occasionally does have something I want to hide, I am so completely not on-board.
I get the feeling Cyanogen Mod and the other Android forks will be murdered in a bit - doesn't fit in with Google's new mission.
Firefox phones are looking pretty sweet? Is Ubuntu mobile ready yet?
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:03 AM on June 26, 2014 [8 favorites]
There's a scene in Neuromancer where the main character is walking through an airport, and the AI wants to talk to him. As he walks along, every phone he passes by rings, trying to get him to pick up. It was one of the creepiest scenes in a novel chock-a-block with creepy scenes, except that Google decided that this was a feature they should roll into the next generation of Android.
The TV, your car, someone else's car, your phone... everywhere you go, Google will know where you are, what you're doing, who you're with, who you told about it, and record it forever. Ostensibly to target ads at you, but for reals, since when has that shit worked? I haven't got a decent ad from Google in almost 5 years now, it's mostly trying to sell me something I already bought a few months ago or something in an ad I clicked by accident a couple weeks ago. The whole thing has a dystopian vibe to it, and as someone who, yeah, occasionally does have something I want to hide, I am so completely not on-board.
I get the feeling Cyanogen Mod and the other Android forks will be murdered in a bit - doesn't fit in with Google's new mission.
Firefox phones are looking pretty sweet? Is Ubuntu mobile ready yet?
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:03 AM on June 26, 2014 [8 favorites]
Flip phones are the best phones by far, now. The NSA might still know where you are, but at least Google and Apple won't.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:16 AM on June 26, 2014
posted by five fresh fish at 7:16 AM on June 26, 2014
Firefox phones are looking pretty sweet? Is Ubuntu mobile ready yet?
Why should those be any different? Although your comment is about Google, I think it's also actually just about the world. Google maybe is just going slightly faster than everybody else, but I think that's an inevitable future. Google Microsoft et al are scary. But the US government is way scarier.
That's already happening. That's a place where that future is already deployed and active.
Me, personally, there's a ger out in northern Mongolia with my name on it.
posted by tracert at 8:30 AM on June 26, 2014
Why should those be any different? Although your comment is about Google, I think it's also actually just about the world. Google maybe is just going slightly faster than everybody else, but I think that's an inevitable future. Google Microsoft et al are scary. But the US government is way scarier.
That's already happening. That's a place where that future is already deployed and active.
Me, personally, there's a ger out in northern Mongolia with my name on it.
posted by tracert at 8:30 AM on June 26, 2014
five fresh fish: "The NSA might still know where you are, but at least Google and Apple won't."
If forced to choose between the NSA and Google/Apple, I'd prefer the latter knowing my whereabouts. Sadly, this is a false dichtomy, as the NSA likely knows everything industry knows.
posted by pwnguin at 8:57 AM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
If forced to choose between the NSA and Google/Apple, I'd prefer the latter knowing my whereabouts. Sadly, this is a false dichtomy, as the NSA likely knows everything industry knows.
posted by pwnguin at 8:57 AM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
They should include ear wings so I can walk around with this on and look cool.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:00 AM on June 26, 2014
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:00 AM on June 26, 2014
Google finally built something for Android that doesn't look like an Apple knockoff!
Actually, I was going to cut mine out of the box from my new MacPro here. And what's this here amongst the manuals? A white Apple decal?
posted by hal9k at 2:23 PM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Actually, I was going to cut mine out of the box from my new MacPro here. And what's this here amongst the manuals? A white Apple decal?
posted by hal9k at 2:23 PM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
That decal is Apple's gesture to thieves to let them know who has large amounts of disposable income.
posted by JHarris at 3:17 PM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by JHarris at 3:17 PM on June 26, 2014 [1 favorite]
Large amounts of income.
Say, have you checked out the price on best-in-class Mac Airs? Not exactly a ball-busting premium at $899.
Most people spend more than that for their phone in six months, let alone the five years tHat the Air will be good for.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:46 AM on June 27, 2014
Say, have you checked out the price on best-in-class Mac Airs? Not exactly a ball-busting premium at $899.
Most people spend more than that for their phone in six months, let alone the five years tHat the Air will be good for.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:46 AM on June 27, 2014
Was just a joke. I mean if you're going to look seriously at it, Apple gives those decals away with iPhones, I believe, which you can get for a lot less with a contract.
posted by JHarris at 3:06 AM on June 27, 2014
posted by JHarris at 3:06 AM on June 27, 2014
If you just want to see it in action, It appears that the cardboard kit is completely superfluous for the purposes of the demo. If you are at all comfortable with freeviewing steregorams (seems to be the parallel method, which is a bit more difficult than the cross eyes method for me) your should be able to see what all the fuss is about. Actual screen touches correspond to the magnet bit.
On my MotoX it was very responsive, and the windy day demo was more engaging in the VR view than the "regular" view
posted by chocolate_butch at 7:14 AM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
On my MotoX it was very responsive, and the windy day demo was more engaging in the VR view than the "regular" view
posted by chocolate_butch at 7:14 AM on June 27, 2014 [1 favorite]
21.5" iMac is now $830 at Best Buy. Yah, all those Apple owners are just rolling in huge amounts of disposable income.
Can the ridiculous notion that Apple is really expensive be put to sleep now?
posted by five fresh fish at 12:24 PM on June 28, 2014
Can the ridiculous notion that Apple is really expensive be put to sleep now?
posted by five fresh fish at 12:24 PM on June 28, 2014
Whoos, didn't see the reply, j.
posted by five fresh fish at 12:38 PM on June 28, 2014
posted by five fresh fish at 12:38 PM on June 28, 2014
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