Category: Verizon

Posted on

RYOT Announces Opening of Innovative Entertainment Studio in Los Angeles

RYOT is a noted immersive media company and visual effects studio which has announced that it is working with Verizon to launch a new innovative entertainment studio which will be engaging in development of new content creation which leverages Verizon’s new 5G technology.

The new studio builds on the previous success of the 5G lab in New York City, and forms part of Verizon’s expansion of its 5G labs program. The studio will be involved in post-production, graphics, audio and finishing along with developing applications and effects fr virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR).

The new studio will be located at Verizon’s Playa Vista California campus and is scheduled to open in Autumn of 2018. The studio space will host state-of-the-art motion capture solutions, including Vicon and Cubic Motion which will be utilised for a range of applications, including traditionl film, CGI effects, VR, AR and MR as well as scientific research.

The RYOT Verizon Los Angeles Lab will be focussing specifically on immersive experiences such as AR and holograms, experiementing with cutting-edge formats that will be able to take advantage of the high speeds offered by 5G as well as the low latency the technology is capable of. The studio will be engaged in pushing 5G and seeing what can be down to allow audiences to immerse themselves in entertainment experiences.

“RYOT’s cutting-edge Innovation Studio will revolutionize the way content is created and lead the way on future formats, including Verizon’s 5G technology, immersing audiences and allowing them to experience entertainment in a completely new way,” said Bryn Mooser, Founder and CEO at RYOT. “We couldn’t be more excited to offer innovators the technology that will transform the future of entertainment.”

Further information on RYOT and its new studio can be found on the RYOT website. For future coverage of new developments in the VR industry, keep checking back with VRFocus.

Posted on

Verizon Launches AR Music Contest to Win New iPhone XS

Earlier this week Apple revealed its newest iPhone models at a special event in Cupertino, with three new iteration of the iPhone X being displayed – the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR. Communications company Verizon are now giving consumers the chance to win a brand new iPhone XS by taking part in an augmented reality (AR) music experience.

The contest is set to run from 14th-17th September, and players will be able to use Snapchat to find and collect virtual music loops by using AR, in a similar way to how Pokemon are found in Pokemon Go.

Users will need to collect three music loops along with one super-loop. These need to then be arranged into a final mix and given a name. This mix can then be entered into the contest for a chance to win an iPhone XS.

Users will need to start be accessing and opening the game in Snapchat. From there, players will need to explore in order to locate the music loops. Each music loop has an interactive visualisation of the music genre is represents. Players need to catch 3 music loops and one super-loop in order to form a unique music mix.

The music loops were produced by production company Squeak E Clean, using songs by SZA, Borns and many more.

The new iPhone models are powered by the A12 Bionic chip, which features a combination 4-core powered GPU and 6-core powered CPU along with a Neural Engine comprised of 8 cores. Apple says the A12 Bionic is capable of up to 5 trillion operations per second and allows for calibration of cameras for AR with accurate motion tracking.

Apple also showed off the enhanced AR capabilites made possible by the ARKit 2, the next step for Apple’s AR toolsets which allows for deeper and more detailed AR experiences. Further information on the Verizon contest can be found on the official website.

For future coverage on Apple’s AR projects along with news on offers and giveaways, keep checking back with VRFocus.

Posted on

Verizon Holds Contest for 5G Education With AR, VR and AR

One of the upcoming technology developments that stands to change various aspects of wireless communication is 5G. Communications company Verizon thinks the technology will have a substantial impact on areas such as education, and will enable to development of new augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) apps and hardware. To encourage this, Verizon are launching the Verizon 5G EdTech Challenge.

Verizon and NYC Media Lab have teamed up to launch the Verizon 5G EdTech Challenge, a contest to create 5G-based education solutions that incorporate mixed reality (MR), including VR and AR or machine learning, with a total of $1 million (USD) on offer.

The company is inviting education technology non-profit organisations,, such as research groups or universities to send in proposals for technology solutions which use 5G as a basis to assist under-resourced schools.

Challenges that successful entries will need to overcome include unengaged students, the need for STEM expertise among teachers and educators and supporting students with special needs. Entrants will need to pitch a solution which uses 5G in combination with AR, VR or artificial intelligence (AI).

“When we think about the youth in this country and what is needed to prepare students to be competitive in an increasingly tech dependent world,” said Verizon chief corporate social responsibility officer Rose Kirk, “we need to change the educational opportunities and the trajectory of the lives of a lot of students. 5G will open doors in the classroom we can’t even imagine yet, which will ultimately give students the power to be more successful, more engaged, and give them access to higher education and new career paths.”

Submissions will be accepted from 15th October through until 30th November, and can be sent through the 5G EdTech Challenge website. The submissions will be judged by a panel selected by Verizon and NYC Media Lab. The ten most compelling entries will receive $100,000 each, and access to Verizon’s 5G network and training resources.

For future coverage on developments in AR and VR technology, keep checking with VRFocus.

Posted on

Verizon Have A Massive Sale On Google Daydream View VR Headsets

The Google Daydream View was released back in 2017 and since then has been a popular choice for mobile phone based virtual reality (VR) experiences. For those who have not had the chance to pick up one for themselves then now is your lucky day as Verizon have the Google Daydream View on sale for what might be the lowest price see yet.

Daydream View and Controller

The current price – which was picked up by mashable – means that the head mounted-display is only $29.99 (USD) which makes it around 70% off from the standard retail price of $99.99. Considering this might very well be the cheapest the unit has ever been on sale, it marks one of the cheapest entry points for anyone looking to get started with immersive media entertainment.

The Google Daydream View was put on half price for a limited time back in June of this year, but that was a promotion to help shift some units. The Verizon discount looks more in line with being a stock clearance which could mean anything to be honest. Seeing as the unit only went on sale a year ago, who knows what could be in store for the Google Daydream View.

new-daydream-view-980x588

At the Google I/O conference this year there was a lack of any updates on the Daydream View side of things but Google made sure to show its still invested in the VR and augmented reality (AR) space. This includes announcing the Google Tour Creator to offer easy creation of 360-degree tours along with updates to ARCore. Thanks to this most Android devices are now able to handle AR experiences meaning the reach for developers and content creators became huge overnight.

For those looking to pick up the Google Daydream View from Verizon – which you can do here – it will be worth checking the list of compatible phones to ensure you have a device able to work with the headset. Devices such as the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S8 will work along with many others.

For all the latest on all things VR in the future, including any more sales, make sure to keep reading VRFocus.

Posted on

Verizon Turns to AR to Train Technicians

There are a growing number of companies who are exploring how virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can aid in training and educating employees. US-based communications company Verizon has joined the list of firms that are using AR to assist in training.

Verizon has begun using AR as part of its knowledge transfer system to help train its FiOS technicians. FiOS is a bundle that includes internet access, telephone and television service, all of which operates over a fiber-optic internet connection.

Verizon has previously used Oculus Rift for training some of its other staff, but the new training programme uses AR and 360-degree video in order to deliver content and information to technicians in the field.

According to Joseph Beasley, vice president of field operation in New York City, the program is currently being rolled out for 4,600 technicians, with plans to further extend it across the company. Beasley says the main goals of the project as as follows:

  • Accelerate training
  • Cut costs
  • Create a technician workforce that can learn multiple skills and be nimble enough to go beyond core specialities
  • Quickly create training content where technicians are the stars
  • Develop a culture that uses the platform for community building, too

New York is serving as the test bed for Verizon’s FiOS unit. The city offers examples of several challenging conditions that technicians might face, such as up telephone poles, or underground in manholes.

“The goal is to store data and content and have it available. If a two hour installation can become 1:40 it can equate to millions of dollars over the year,” Beasley added, saying that technicians have largely embraced the new technology, “The best ideas are from the front lines.”

The new AR training has only been in place for a few weeks, but the company say it has already gained several valuable insights from the process. For future news on use of VR and AR in education and training, keep checking back with VRFocus.

Posted on

The VR Job Hub: Creation, Education And Much More

Well that was certainly a week, wasn’t it?  The first major event of 2018, as always in the form of the International Consumer Electronics Show (a.k.a CES) ,is over and we can cross it off our list for another twelve months.  Time does certainly fly.  If you’re not paying enough attention the entirety of Spring will have zipped past and you’ll find yourself on a Summer flight to Los Angeles for E3. It will take some time to full digest all that was revealed at the event and even longer to see how it affects where virtual reality (VR) goes this year.  That’s something we all have no control over. Time, once again.

What you do have control over is where you go this year.  Is it time you had a change – professionally? Time to try something new? Or is it time to get what you’ve deserved for far too long? Whatever the case The VR Job Hub is here with another selection of roles from all around the globe which are connected to immersive technology. So let’s get things underway shall we? Check out the list we have below to see if there’s anything that catches your eye.

Location Company Role Link
London, UK via TechNET IT Recruitment Ltd Financial Controller – Virtual Reality Click here to apply
Brussels, Belgium PwC Belgium Augmented & Virtual Reality (Senior) Consultant Click here to apply
Boca Raton, FL, US ActionLink Virtual Reality Specialist Click here to apply
Trondheim, Norway NECON AS Mixed Reality/Augmented Reality Developer Click here to apply
New York, NY, US Verizon Augmented and Virtual Reality Product Manager Click here to apply
Tamworth, NSW, Australia TAFE Commission Manager Creative (Multimedia) Click here to apply
Zürich, Switzerland Oculus VR Software Program Manager Click here to apply
Tornonto, Canada IBI Group Virtual Reality Specialist Click here to apply
Fairfield, CT, US Save the Children US Specialist, Story & Content Producer Click here to apply
San Francisco, CA, US Motion Recruitment Partners Virtual Reality Engineer Click here to apply
Geelong, VIC, Australia Deakin University Associate Professor in Mechatronics and Virtual Reality Click here to apply
Secunderabad, India CUSMAT Virtual Reality Developer Click here to apply

 

Well that’s certainly a selection of countries this week! Don’t forget, if there isn’t anything above that takes your fancy you can always double back and look at last week’s edition of The VR Job Hub. Last week’s listings took a focus on American roles and featured new opportunities at Facebook and Oculus.

As always, if you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget youcan send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should to be send to myself at keva@vrfocus.com and also pgraham@vrfocus.com.

For more jobs in imersive technology check back next week at the usual time of 3PM (UK), here, on VRFocus.

Posted on

Ericsson and Verizon Use VR Streaming Car to Test 5G

Faster wireless speeds are always something that consumers and businesses are seeking. As part of a trial of 5G technology, Ericsson have teamed up with telecoms carrier Verizon to test the speed and latency times of the 5G network using an Indianapolis 500 racing car and a virtual reality (VR) headset.

In a novel test of the capabilities of 5G, a racing car was outfitted with a camera on its roof and entirely blacked-out windows. The driver then donned a VR headset that was equipped with 5G technology that showed a 4K streaming video of the track ahead, with the driver steering the car based solely upon that input.

“We’re pushing beyond today’s technology — with multi-gigabit speeds and super low latency, we’re enabling new applications and the Internet of Things,” said Bill Goodman, lead engineer on Ericsson’s Technology Team.

The trial managed to attain downlink speeds of 6.4Gbps in a vehicle that was travelling at 6p miles per hour(100kmph). The team at Ericcson told ZDNet that in future, they hoped that similar cameras and sensors could be added to racing cars and racetracks so fans and pit crew engineers could watch the race from several viewpoints, and engineers could get a high-quality live feed of critical performance data.

“To really kind of push the envelope and showcase the low latency, we added in this virtual-reality driving where we’ll black out the windows, virtual reality glasses will be worn by the driver, and the camera will take a feed and uplink through 5G into the network, turn it around and send it back over 5G, and do that quickly enough so the driver can react appropriately as he’s running around this track at speed,” Goodman explained.

A video of the test is available to view below.

VRFocus will bring you further new of developments in VR streaming technology.

Posted on

Asus Brings AR and VR ZenFone to Verizon

Asus are probably best known as a maker of laptops and tablet hybrids, but they are aiming to score a larger share of the American smartphone market with the upcoming ZenFone AR, for which Verizon will be the exclusive wireless provider in the USA.

Asus announced during the Google I/O conference that Verizon would be the exclusive provider of the Asus ZenFone AR in the US. The ZenFone AR is a smartphone that contains both support for Tango augmented reality applications and google Daydream virtual reality. The standard ZenFone AR model will come with Android 7.0 Nougat OS with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

Tango capabilities means that the phone is capable of motion tracking, depth perception and area learning. This means that the ZenFone can determine how far away it is from objects, or surfaces such as a wall or the floor to enable to better movement in 3D space. There are currently over 100 Tango-capable apps on the Google Play Store.

The high-contrast display in the Asus ZenFone has a 5.7 inch screen using AMOLED technology to allow for better clarity when using VR applications with the Google Daydream headset as a resolution of 1440×2560. The ZenFone is powered by a Qualcomm Sanpdragon 821 processor with a Qualcom Areno 530 GPU. Sound supports DTS virtual surround sound and external audio is produced with an ‘ultra-loud’ 5 magnet speaker. The built-in camera uses Sony’s IMX318 sensor and TriTech autofocus system.

Pricing for the Asus ZenFone AR has not yet been announced, though Verizon says it will be revealed at the later date. The phone is due to launch in the USA sometime in summer 2017.

VRFocus will bring you further news on the Asus ZenFone AR and other VR smartphones as it becomes available.

Posted on

Verizon Unlimited Introduce Gear VR Bundle

Verizon customers who pre-order the newly announced Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have the opportunity to also get a Gear VR with controller bundle.

Customers who trade in an eligible device and sign up for the new Verizon Unlimited bundle can get a Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ with a free Samsung Gear VR bundle, which includes the newly revealed Gear VR controller, for as little as $15 (USD) a month.

The offer begins on 30th March, but is only available while stocks last. Customers who wish to participate in the offer will need to pre-order a Galaxy S8 and sign up for a 24-month plan with Verizon to be eligible for the offer. In addition to the free Gear VR bundle, there is also a premium bundle which is available for an additional $99 which includes the Gear VR controller bundle along with a pair of Harman Kardon headphones and a 256GB micro SD card.

The new Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with a brand new edgeless infinity display, high-dynamic range screen, the new Bixby intelligent assistant and fast wireless charging. The Galaxy S8 is, of course, virtual reality (VR) ready.

Today’s Unpacked event has also seen the full price and released date revealed for the Gear VR controller, and Samsung has unveiled the redesigned Gear 360 camera which shoots in 4K.

Further updates on the Samsung Gear VR and other VR hardware offers will be available on VRFocus.

Posted on

Verizon Promotes Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Verizon has partnered with Lucasfilm Ltd. promote Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission, a Playstation VR game that will released in December. The game released is time to coincide with the holiday release of Rogue...