Welcome to the first Week That Was of 2017 on TheVirtualReport.Biz, where we bring you the highlights, biggest news and hottest topics from the world of VR, AR and MR business in the last seven days.
The decorations are down, the tree is either back in the loft or out on the kerb and we’re all carrying a couple of extra pounds from our festive feasts. It’s been a short work week here in the UK, but the USA has kept us busy as CES never fails to deliver.
Since our last Week That Was, our Countdown To Christmas: 25 VR Developers To Watch reached its climax on Christmas day. Who was number one? You can find out here.
VR Connects London is only just around the corner now, so make sure to check out our Speaker Profiles of some of the most exciting and interesting professionals working in VR today who will be appearing at the event.
Top Stories
CES: HTC Unveils New Vive Tracker
Tracking puck leads the way to more diverse controllers for VR, HTC to give 1,000 to developers.
CES: Snapdragon 835 Processor Revealed
Qualcomm Technologies Inc. officially introduces Snapdragon 835, its mobile processor built to better support mobile AR and VR.
CES: ODG Announces AR Smartglasses
ODG and Qualcomm announce the R-8 and R-9 AR smartglasses.
CES: Wireless Vive Stateside By Summer
HTC has announced that TPCast’s wireless add-on for Vive will be available in the USA by the end of June.
CES: First Windows Holographic VR Headset Revealed
Lenovo VR headset prototype debuts ahead of CES 2017.
90 Per Cent Of Chinese VR Start-ups Go Bankrupt
After explosive growth in China’s VR market, 90% of start-up companies end in failure - but that doesn’t mean the worst...
CES: Viveport To Launch First Ever VR Subscription Service
Viveport, HTC’s global app store, has announced the upcoming launch of its VR subscription service as well as plans for Viveport Arcade.
CES: KwikVR, Wireless For Vive And Rift
2017 could be the year for wireless VR, as another start-up introduces its multi-platform device.
CES: HTC Announces Vive Deluxe Audio Strap
New mounting strap for Vive includes integrated audio headphones and revised fitment system.
First Details Of IMAX VR Emerge
IMAX’s new website reveals the first details about the kind of experiences consumers can expect from its experience centres.
New Year’s Eve London Fireworks In 360
Relive the London New Year’s Eve fireworks show through 360 video.
Discover the secret to marketing your new VR game
A dedicated track at January's VR Connects event promises expert marketing insight.
VR And 360 Content Comes To Wordpress
Users of popular blogging site, WordPress, can now publish VR and 360 content.
Social Smartphone App Goes Phone-To-VR
DabKick’s ‘true social VR’ lets users view media between Vive and Smartphone devices while interacting live, other VR platforms to follow.
Realities Centre To Host AR Conference And Hackathon In January
Two events highlighting the use of AR technology in education to take place in London Realities Centre, January 2017.
Art Exhibition To Feature 3D-Printed VR
The world’s first 3D-printed VR art will be presented by HTC Vive and The Royal Academy Of Arts in London, 12-14 Jan.
Leap Motion to bring its motion tracking system to mobile VR, demoing its new tech in upcoming major VR events.
Android Chrome WebVR Support Beta Launched
Google has launched WebVR support for Android Chrome, developer site and Slack channel opened.
From the perils of experiencing VR in public to developing tech that can offer both immersion and integration, Ed Daly explores the future of consensual Virtual Reality.
Special Feature
Countdown To Christmas: 25 VR Developers To Watch
In the finest Christmas tradition, join us every day as we share our advent calendar of the 25 VR developers to watch...
Regulars
Focal Point: Predictions For VR In 2017
For the last Focal Point of 2016, we ask our experts for their predictions about VR technology and business next year.
- Speaker Profile: Wendelin Reich, Virtual Beings
- Speaker Profile: Tanya Laird, Digital Jam
- Speaker Profile: Sami Hamid, VRFirst – BAU
- Speaker Profile: Edward Miller, Scape
- Speaker Profile: Samuel Rantaeskola, Simplygon
- Speaker Profile: Caroline Stokes, FORWARD
- Speaker Profile: Pete Daukintis, Microsoft
- Speaker Profile: Patrick O’Luanaigh, nDreams
- Speaker Profile: Paul Colls, Fierce Kaiju
- Speaker Profile: Teddy Keefe, CCP Games
- Speaker Profile: Martin Vilcans, Resolution Games
- Speaker Profile: Chris Donahue, AMD
- Speaker Profile: Masaru Ohnogi, gumi
- Speaker Profile: Bertie Millis, Virtual Umbrella
- Speaker Profile: Phil Charnock, SwapBots
- Speaker Profile: Dean Johnson, Brandwidth
See you in seven days...