by Stone Marshall | Aug 3, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Samsung may be looking to expand its partnership with Microsoft in the mixed reality space, a move that could result in a Samsung-made wireless Windows Mixed Reality headset experience that supports both augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. Given the increased competition in the space — Microsoft’s effort is facing stiff competition from Oculus and Magic Leap, and Apple is rumored to be working on its own mixed reality glasses — the strategic partnership could benefit both companies.
For Samsung, a flagship mixed reality headset experience that is cordless will allow the company to showcase its components business, using internally developed processors, OLED displays, and sensors, one Samsung official told The Korea Times.
The deal would be a major win for Samsung’s silicon business. As a condition for being a partner in Microsoft’s mixed reality efforts, Samsung wants Microsoft to use its processors for Windows Mixed Reality and Mixed Reality Ultra experiences. Currently, Microsoft partners Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung create wired Windows Mixed Reality headsets. This could give Samsung similar positioning to Qualcomm, which was the exclusive chip supplier to phone manufacturers that use Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile operating systems. We still don’t know specifics about the wireless Windows Mixed Reality hardware requirements.
Samsung could showcase its wireless mixed reality headset as early as this fall at the IFA 2018 show. This would give Samsung some lead time in the market against rival Apple, which is expected to debut its wireless mixed reality headset in 2020. A successful Samsung launch will benefit Microsoft as it expands its mixed reality ecosystem and attempts to attract more content to the platform at a time when competition is increasing.
Even though Samsung and Microsoft had partnered in the past to launch the Samsung Odyssey Mixed Reality headset, that headset still required a wired connection to a Windows 10 PC. It’s reported that Microsoft had lowered royalty demands from its partners for mixed reality experiences, and Samsung wants more content developers to join consortiums that it leads in relevant segments.
“It’s premature to say how successful Microsoft will be driving a rich ecosystem which will, in turn, drive its adoption to mixed reality,” a second Samsung official said. “But Windows MR is expected to boost the existing VR ecosystem. Because the market is extremely new, Samsung Electronics can understand how the markets go by partnering with Microsoft.”
Additionally, Samsung also partners with Facebook on a mobile VR experience with the Gear VR, a virtual reality headset that works in conjunction with Samsung’s Galaxy line of phones.
by Stone Marshall | Aug 2, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
If there’s anything we’ve learned from Hollywood movies, it’s that there’s only a matter of time before the machines inevitably become sentient, take control of the earth, and ruthlessly hunt down any and all remaining humans in impressively efficient fashion. For now, though, we’ve still got the upper hand(s); we can safely place virtual reality headsets upon our unprotected craniums without fear of decapitation, accidental laser eye surgery, or any other freaky sci-fi mishap.
Virtual reality is often associated with video games, and for good reason. Most VR development is in service of immersive, unique gaming experiences that simply aren’t possible via any other medium. Some titles — particularly horror games — offer a certain je ne sais quoi that just can’t be equaled on a boring old television screen. That said, gaming isn’t the only way to take advantage of that great new VR headset. The most exciting thing about VR is that we’re still just scratching the surface and discovering new ways to educate and entertain ourselves. With that in mind, here are ten of our favorite VR apps.
ALLUMETTE (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR
Penrose Studios’ free-to-play, stop-motion VR film experience chronicling the story of a young girl in a cloud-borne village is absolutely breathtaking. In Allumette, you act as the camera, exploring the gorgeously drawn world however you please — even ignoring the main storyline, if you so desire. Make no mistake: This is a narrative, not a game. Though none of the characters in Allumette actually speak, per se, the forms of communication they do use (emotive, Sims-like noises, mostly) do an effective job of conveying emotion and intent.
The story itself — based loosely upon a poem by Hans Christian Andersen — is both charming and heartrending, though we won’t spoil too much here. Few VR experiences create the same sense of weight and presence for the viewer, and in Allumette, you’ll truly feel like you’ve been transported into a storybook world. The 20-minute runtime is an eternity in comparison to most narrative-based VR experiences — few even reach the 10-minute mark — but Penrose CEO and founder Eugene Chung considers virtual and augmented reality to be the future of storytelling, and pushing boundaries is the only way to break paradigms. Allumette lies somewhere in the murky realm between filmic narrative and video games, but somehow it rises above genre as a simply divine experience.
If you enjoyed Allumette and you have access to an Oculus Rift, Henry is also worth checking out.
COLOSSE (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR
Top notch sound design and wonderful, Samurai Jack-esque animation are the driving forces behind Colosse, a short-story VR experience that responds to the rooted player’s gaze, moving the narrative forward seamlessly. Described by developer Fire Panda as a “real-time virtual reality storytelling experience,” Colosse revels in its sense of scale, with clever details throughout — for instance, the “hunter” character is rendered at just 12 frames per second, while the rest of the film is in 60 — that contribute to its unique atmosphere.
Audio and visual cues direct the player’s gaze, and certain objects “wait” to activate until you look at them, which provides a natural sense of pace. Certain events will occur depending upon the direction you’re facing, so you’ll never be stuck searching for the next piece of the puzzle. Originally designed as a demo for the Oculus Mobile VRJam, Colosse isn’t quite as fleshed out as Allumette, but it’s certainly a sight to behold, and a fun display of the ways VR can change storytelling. Oh, and it’s free.
GOOGLE EARTH VR (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard
When VR began to blossom as an entertainment medium, one of our first thoughts was: “Google Earth is going to be super freaking cool.” Turns out, we were right. Flying around the planet like some kind of hypersonic eagle is both enjoyable and educational, at least if you happen to like geography. And even if you don’t, you can still use the quick-nav menu to visit landmark sites like the Sphinx or the Golden Gate Bridge, or pay a digital visit to the capital of Djibouti.
Unsurprisingly, lots of landscapes and areas appear to be little more than colorful smudges (especially if you’re using Google Cardboard), but it’s a free app, so what are you gonna do? Zooming across vast distances in a matter of seconds and descending upon mammoth structures like the Hoover Dam is exhilarating, even if you can’t make out the individual cars driving across it. Chances are, you’ve used Google Earth before, so you know the drill. It only gets more fun in virtual reality; just don’t expect too much detail.
KINGSPRAY GRAFFITI VR ($15)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift
Ever fancied yourself a street artist? No, not like the guy who paints himself gold and stands still for several hours. A true street artist — think Banksy or Shepard Fairey, scaling freeway overpasses and windy rooftops to unleash your inner Rembrandt for urban passersby to appreciate (or scoff at, as the case may be). In Kingspray, you can (legally) live out those dreams, using (virtual) spray paint to make your mark on one of five (digital) walls, from laboratories to rooftops.
Whether you prefer to tag alleyway walls or train cars, Kingspray features realistic drip and spray effects, complete with different can caps and pressures to fully customize your masterpiece. You can load up images and project them onto paint surfaces to act as stencils, save 360 degree screen captures, and even paint online with up to three friends. What more could you want? Oh, yeah, in true VR fashion, you can pick up loose objects like bricks and bottles to throw at each other. Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta.
LITTLSTAR (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, PSVR, Samsung Gear VR
Using your VR headset to watch content from Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube is fun. It’s like having your own personal IMAX movie theater to visit any time you want, without dropping obscene amounts of coin on popcorn and cookie dough bites. (Unlike next-gen IMAX, it won’t use lasers, of course.) Littlstar VR Cinema changes the game by offering a full library of 360 degree videos designed to make you feel like you’re the cameraman. Whether you’d prefer to educate yourself about the state of Nepal post-earthquake or simply jam out to some music videos, Littlstar provides a point of view that you just can’t get anywhere else.
There’s Broadway theater content, sports content, and content for kids, making this one of the best VR experiences out there. It’s also absolutely free. The user interface is smoother on some platforms than it is on others — looking at you, Rift — but that’s a minor complaint. If you’re the creative type, you can even film and upload your own 360-degree content for others to view and enjoy.
OCEAN RIFT ($10)
Platforms: Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR (demo)
The open ocean is a terrifying yet wondrous place, and its full depths are on display in Ocean Rift. The experience is akin to an African safari, except you’re free to roam wherever you please — and you’re underwater, of course. Explore any of the 12 huge open habitats at your leisure, observing marine wildlife that includes dolphins, manatees, sharks, and more. Head toward the surface to cavort with sea turtles, or dive into deeper waters to encounter more dangerous — and potentially deadly — animals.
If you want to simply sit back and watch the fish pass you by, Ocean Rift can be a calming, therapeutic experience. If you’d prefer to explore the game to its fullest, it can almost become a survival horror game with a few surprises up its watery sleeve. Little touches — like the outline of a diving mask around the screen’s edges — help to make this a truly memorable experience. If you don’t want to pay for the full experience, check out the Gear VR demo here.
THE FOO SHOW (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR
Of all the fantastical possibilities that the commercialization of virtual reality affords, talk shows are extremely low on the list. After all, who really wants to step into the shoes of an audience member on Oprah, without even receiving a free gift?
As it turns out, though, it can be cool. The FOO show — hosted by Tested.com co-founder Will Smith, a.k.a. FOO — is technically a talk show, but it’s so much more than that. The show, funded via Kickstarter and powered by motion-capture, features a digitized Smith speaking with digitized guests about games and tech culture.
You might be wondering: “Why is this in VR?” That’s a good question! The coolest thing about The FOO Show is its creative use of VR to transport viewers directly into the game environments that are being discussed onscreen. For example, the first episode (technically, Episode 0) transports viewers — as well as cyber-Smith, and his cyber-guests — into the watchtower from Firewatch, where you can walk around, examine your surroundings, and interact with objects, all while enjoying insightful commentary. The following episode depicts Smith interviewing Blendo Games’ Brendon Chung about hacker-puzzle game Quadrilateral Cowboy, with part of the interview taking place in one of the game’s environments. Frankly, we’re not sure what kind of schedule the show will adhere to — if any — but it’s a creative concept that gamers should love.
TILT BRUSH ($20)
If you’re not the artsy type, Tilt Brush might surprise you. Using the motion sensors for the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift Touch controllers, the app allows you to “paint” in a three-dimensional space to create absolutely stunning works of art, in any color imaginable. The motion controls are surprisingly accurate, and the digital medium means you can simply go back to delete any mistakes you might have made. Even if you’re not naturally creative, Tilt Brush will bring out a new side of you.
In addition to painting (which, sadly, is limited to a single brush shape), you can add cool effects like sparkling stars or smoke trails to accentuate elements of your painting. The Oculus Rift version boasts a cool “preview” feature, but the app is equally enjoyable on either platform. Currently, Google (the creator) has chosen not to bring Tilt Brush to PSVR, citing a lack of precision in the tracking software. If you own a Vive or Rift, though, you absolutely have to get Tilt Brush. For now, it’s one of the best VR experiences out there, introducing an entirely new artistic medium for creatives and non-creatives alike to enjoy.
VIRTUAL DESKTOP ($14+)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR
Have you ever fantasized about navigating your computer in virtual reality, like that episode of The Fairly Odd Parents where Timmy actually goes inside the internet? Neither have we. If that sounds interesting, though, boy, do we have some good news for you! Virtual Desktop lets you use your computer in VR, whether you’re browsing the web, watching Netflix, or playing games. Hell, you can even manage spreadsheets in VR, though we think that might be more of a hindrance than anything.
The app works well with multiple-monitor setups, and using your headset to swivel back and forth between screens is pretty cool. There are a lot of limitations — you can’t click tabs in Chrome, for instance, and the app is unfortunately incompatible with 360-degree video content.
WITHIN (FREE)
Platforms: HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, OSVR, PSVR, Google Cardboard
Within provides a platform to view amazing content from VR creators across the world, from crazy on-rails fantasy rides to 360-degree music videos. New experiences are added regularly — most recently, a 13-minute, 360-degree video based on the hit TV show Mr. Robot — to entertain and educate you in the most immersive manner possible. View content from news outlets like NBC, Apple, the New York Times, and Vice Media, as well as musical groups and movie studios.
The Possible, a video series from the Within team, explores technology through the lens of your VR headset, with each episode touching on different topics, like hovercrafts and robotic dogs. The show is directed by David Gelb (Chef’s Table), and new episodes are released regularly. If you don’t download Within, you’re doing yourself a disservice — the app is free, and even if some of the content doesn’t pique your interest, the available library is only going to get bigger over time. Video quality varies — it seems the animated content is smoother than the live-action content — but that’s no reason to deny yourself the Within experience.
NYT VR (FREE)
best virtual reality apps vr nyt
Platforms: Android, iPhone, Samsung Gear VR
Although VR games tend to get a lot of the press attention, 360 filmmaking is an exciting — if embryonic — use of virtual reality tech. Although people are still figuring out how best to immerse viewers within film, there are some interesting experiments out there. The New York Times is producing some of the highest quality work in the field of 360 video, and all one needs to watch them is a smartphone.
Although NYT VR doesn’t have a vast library at the moment, the current videos cover a range of topics. In one, a woman relays the experience of listening to music for the first time after receiving a cochlear implant, and how it differed from her experiences with rhythm as a child, the narration accentuated by stylish drawings. Another gives viewers a look inside the studio as rock band The National records their latest album. The production values are exquisite, images flowing seamlessly as the viewers looks around.
FULLDIVE VR (FREE, WITH IN-APP PURCHASES)
best virtual reality apps vr fullride
Platforms: Google Cardboard, Daydream, iPhone, Android
Fulldive VR bills itself as a “Social All-in-One VR Platform.” What that means is that it provides a platform where users can browse VR content from a variety of sources, sharing their findings with friends and even commenting on them. The app is compatible with Google Cardboard, and is easy to get into. The app’s interface drops users in a 3-D environment where they can browse menus, adjust settings, and view their friend list. As with many Cardboard apps, users can navigate by looking at a particular icon. In addition to “trending” videos, Fulldive sorts content by emotions, like “Cute” or “Scary,” which isn’t always the easiest way to find what you’re looking for.
The content itself comes from a wide swath of sources, including the New York times and Discovery. Users can jump from a short, CGI film in which they flee a giant squid, to first person documentary footage of elephants. If you’re looking for a wealth of VR content, Fulldive is a great resource.
by Stone Marshall | Aug 2, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
At the turn of the decade, a little game called Minecraft proved to be a revelation in videogames – inspiring a whole generation of players and developers in the process. Markus ‘Notch’ Persson created a blocky, sandbox world that essentially let us create anything we like and share it with our friends. It’s a cultural phenomenon that sold millions of copies before Mojang, the small studio behind it, was bought out by Microsoft in 2014.
There’s been a plethora of Minecraft clones over the years,, but none really delivered the whole package like Minecraft does. On top of the vanilla experience, players have created mods and server plugins that expand its creative possibilities even further, from changing the Ender Dragon to letting you play as Thomas The Tank Engine, and even redesigning the entire game with modpacks like Feed The Beast.
Once you return to Mojang's masterpiece, make sure you look the part with the best Minecraft skins.
Sometimes, though, you may only want part of the Minecraft experience, augmented with other flavours and moods. That’s where the best games like Minecraft come in. We’ve got five games here that are similar to Minecraft in some fashion, be it the creative aspect, mining, exploration, or something else. Enjoy!
Deep Rock Galactic
Games like Minecraft – Deep Rock Galactic
Currently on Steam Early Access, Deep Rock Galactic takes the core concept of mining for ores and valuables and has created an entire game around it, while upping the sense of peril. Of course, mining is a huge part of Minecraft, but if you’re playing vanilla, there’s little more to it than digging a series of tunnels in hopes of striking gold… well, diamond.
Deep Rock Galactic expands on that greatly. It lets you choose your preferred class, team up with three friends, and then delve into the “most hostile cave systems in the galaxy.” More than a mining simulator, it’s a first-person shooter in which each cave you venture into is procedurally generated. So, just like in Minecraft, you’ll experience something new every time you play.
You can drill straight down to your objective or choose to create branching paths, exploring as much of the underground as possible. What may sway your decisions are the hostile creatures that will stand in your way. You’ve got a vast arsenal of weapons to deal with these threats, but you’ll only be able to hold them off for so long before you’ll be forced to rush to the surface with as many of your treasures as you can carry.
Stardew Valley
Games like Minecraft – Stardew Valley
Farming in Minecraft is one of the most relaxing activities you can… until a creeper comes along and blows up a large chunk of your land, that is. If you often find yourself tending to your crops instead of building and mining then Stardew Valley will be right up your stree… err, planting row.
It starts out as you inherit your grandfather’s old farm, which gives your character a reason to leave the city behind, and try to make it on their own in the countryside. Outside of your customisable house you’re given a vast plot of land to work with, which you can clear and develop as you wish, making space for a multitude of crops and animals. Venturing outside of your farm introduces you to the village where you can meet villagers, go shopping, fishing, and even mining. Getting to know the locals builds up relationships and, eventually, you’ll be able to marry the love of your life.
The other way to stave off any loneliness as you earn money by selling crops and livestock is to make the most of Stardew Valley’s multiplayer. It’s certainly handy to have a few more, erm, hands as you venture into the mines and face hostile monsters. Besides that, Stardew Valley is a relaxing experience, and one that’ll help make the days fly by.
No Man’s Sky
Games like Minecraft – No Man's Sky
After a controversial launch on PC and PS4 in 2015, the small team behind No Man’s Sky has put a great deal of effort into delivering the dream game many hoped it would be originally. It’s closer than ever now due to a series of expansions that have added base building, survival mode, and 30 hours of story. The most significant addition, however, is online multiplayer – which for many people finally makes No Man’s Sky the game they always wanted it to be.
So what is No Man’s Sky? Looking at the larger picture it’s about exploration. You go on a personal journey through multitudes of galaxies and planets as you make your way to the centre of the universe. But that end goal of eventually reaching the centre is merely the driving force for you to experience just how much of the game there is. You can meet other intelligent species, bump into hostile robots, document docile creatures, and get into space wars.
If you were put off by the reception No Man’s Sky initially received, but still harbour some fondness for that original vision, then you should give it a second chance. No Man's Sky NEXT, as it is now known, is significantly different and could even be considered a successor to Minecraft: you can build a home, farm and harvest crops, and turn your excavation of natural resources into factories.
Terraria
Games like Minecraft – Terraria
A list like this couldn’t exist without including Terraria, could it? It’s been famously referred to as ‘2D Minecraft’ for as long as the sun has been burning. The fact of the matter, however, is that it’s got a lot more going for it than that.
The concept is ultimately the same, as you create your own objectives: build an impressive mansion or base of operations, explore the far reaches of the land, or delve deep into the underground hunting for riches. As you explore further and learn more about Terraria you’ll quickly discover there’s a lot more at play.
By completing specific goals, you can unlock NPCs that’ll stay and work in your base, such as a nurse or a wizard. They each have varying benefits and are necessary if you’re to defeat bosses, progress further into the Underworld, and eventually unlock expert mode – more bosses, enemies, biomes, and items. While Terraria’s creative freedom isn’t as open as it is in Minecraft, it offers much more when it comes to combat, and you’ll sink a lot of time into it if you want to complete everything.
Fortnite: Save The World
Games like Minecraft – Fortnite: Save the World
While Fortnite Battle Royale has exploded in popularity this year, the other – and original – Fortnite game mode, Save The World, hasn’t seen as much support. It’s a shame, as it’s a solid game, and a very good alternative to Minecraft. Unfortunately, it’s not free-to-play (yet) like Battle Royale is, so that instantly creates a barrier for the vast majority of Fortnite players.
The combat mechanics are largely the same between the two modes, but rather than fighting other players here, you work together to stave off the zombie horde. That’s a concept that’s been done to death, sure, but Epic mixes it up a little by adding a bit of Minecraft to its riff on Left 4 Dead. You build and create your own base, placing construction parts and traps as you please, and then venture forth into the world to complete missions.
You can play Fortnite: Save The World with up to three friends, and as you beat back the undead together you’ll unlock skill points to upgrade your characters. Plus, there are regular timed events to coincide with real-world festivities like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, meaning you can celebrate with your friends no matter the distance between you.
by Stone Marshall | Aug 1, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Whenever I need to clear my mind, or try to think of a topic for my next blog post, I usually either go for a run or play video games. Since there's been a heat wave in my area recently, so I've stuck to video games. Most recently it's been Minecraft.
One of the aspects of Minecraft is finding stuff and putting into your backpack. Punch trees to get blocks of wood, dig for iron, find villages and “borrow” carrots and potatoes, etc. It doesn't take long for your pack to fill up, and then you have to start choosing what you really need, and what you can toss to free up space. While it always seems limiting, your pack is ridiculously generous. It has 36 available slots, each for a separate type of thing. Some things like swords or shovels completely fill up their own slot, but for raw materials like wood or iron ore, you can put up to 64 items in a single slot. So in principle you can have 36 slots each filled to the top, for a total of 2,304 items. Unlike some games that estimate some kind of weight or volume limit, Minecraft only cares about slots. If there's a free slot, you can add it to the pack.
It's easy to see how ridiculous this is. Minecraft is block-based, and each block is supposed to be about a cubic meter in size. A full pack of 2,304 cubic meters would form a cube more than 13 meters on a side, and your avatar is perfectly comfortable lugging all of it on their back. Of course in the game, once something is added to your pack, it's volume doesn't matter. Like most video game packs, there must be some magical effect that simply compresses it all into a reasonable size. Maybe those Pym particles used to explain the size changes of Ant-Man.
But what about mass? A couple thousand cubic meters of anything is going to have quite a bit of mass. Even the density of air at sea level is about 1 kilogram per cubic meter. If you filled every possible slot of your Minecraft pack with air, it would literally weigh more than a ton. But how extreme could things get? In Minecraft, the heaviest single block you can make is one of solid gold. Gold has a density of 19,300 kg per cubic meter, so that means you could fit more than 44 million kilograms in the pack. All of that gets shrunk down to some manageable size, say about the size of a baseball.
Of course video games aren't beholden to the laws of physics. They can make their own rules to keep the game entertaining. But suppose we tried to make a real back of holding. Anything you toss into the bag gets compressed to a small volume. How much could we pack into our bag? Nature has given us a clear answer. There is a maximum amount of mass that can be compressed into a volume before it would collapse into a black hole. For the volume of a baseball, that's about 20 trillion trillion kilograms, which is far more than the Minecraft limit.
But there's a more subtle limit related to neutron stars. While a black hole is the ultimate limit, highly compressed objects have so much weight that there is a point where they would collapse under their own weight. This limit is called the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit. Beyond that limit a neutron star will collapse into a black hole. We aren't exactly sure what that limit is, but it seems to be a bit more than 2 solar masses compressed into a sphere only 20 kilometers wide. At that density, the volume of gold in a minecraft pack would be compressed to a volume of a few cubic centimeters.
In other words, the upper limit of a Minecraft pack is about the same as the upper limit for a neutron star.
by Stone Marshall | Aug 1, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
What’s great about virtual reality is that you can get the full-body building experience in Minecraft given the blocky world consumes your entire field of view. The drawback is that you don’t have visual access to the real world without lifting the headset up enough to peek into reality or completely removing the device altogether. Microsoft has a fix for this problem, at least for Windows Mixed Reality headsets, with the latest Insider Preview builds of Windows 10.
Available in Build 17723 in the Fast Ring and Build 18204 for Skip Ahead participants, Flashlight simply opens a visual portal into the real world, so you can see what’s going on outside the virtual environment without fully breaking the experience. With the press of a button, a voice command or Start menu shortcut, you can see who’s running through your play area or to quickly scan the environment.
Each Windows Mixed Reality headset includes two built-in visible-light low-resolution cameras to determine your location in the physical environment, removing the need for external cameras/sensors as seen with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Now when you click an assigned button on a controller, one camera provides a video feed of reality through an oval portal rendered within the virtual world. This view follows the controller as if you were shining a flashlight into reality.
Right now there are six Windows Mixed Reality headsets costing either $200 or $400, depending on the model (motion controllers included). They’re the “third” entry into the VR market with the Microsoft Store serving as the base distribution platform. The HTC Vive is based on Steam whereas the Oculus Rift has its proprietary Oculus Home. SteamVR for Windows Mixed Reality is currently in beta.
Outside the new Flashlight feature, the two new Windows Insider builds retire the XSS filter in Microsoft Edge and introduce new Group Policies and MDM settings for IT management. You will also find 157 new emoji stemming from Unicode 11. Microsoft even made a few tweaks to existing emoji and ninja cats.
Microsoft improved the update experience as well that uses a trained predictive model to determine the right time to restart your Windows 10 PC. According to the company, “we will not only check if you are currently using your device before we restart, but we will also try to predict if you had just left the device to grab a cup of coffee and return shortly after.”
Finally, the latest builds throw the Game bar into the Start menu while keeping the Win + G keyboard shortcut intact. If you’re running a kiosk, Microsoft improved the setup experience via a simplified assigned access configuration page. Additional improvements to time accuracy and traceability include Leap Second support, software timestamping, and a new precision time protocol.
by Stone Marshall | Jul 31, 2018 | Awesome Book News, Free, Intro, Minecraft News, Minecraft questions, news, parent-news, State of Stone, Stone Marshall Book News, Stone Marshall Books, Stone Marshall Club, Stone Marshall Minecraft Adventures, Uncategorized |
Adventure Time and Minecraft have a long history. The heroes of the popular Cartoon Network animated show made appearances in Mojang's building game in 2017, and now the favor is being returned with tonight's episode of Adventure Time where the show's cast is drawn in a block-y, Minecraft-like style.
The episode, titled “Diamonds and Lemons,” is airing tonight at 7pm ET and you can see favorite characters like Finn, Jake, Marceline, and Princess Bubblegum in all their brick glory. Like in Minecraft, the group can be seen building things in the Land of Ooo borrowing the core gameplay of Minecraft. The first clip for the episode was released last month.
Cartoon Network is also collaborating with Funko to make Adventure Time x Minecraft figures, so that's an extra collaboration thrown into the mix. Funko recently announced a partnership with Epic Games to make figures based on Fortnite, so they're well-versed in toys based on games.
Adventure Time meets Minecraft meets Funko Pops.
Adventure Time is a popular, long-running animated series on Cartoon Network starring the human Finn and his dog friend Jake as they explore the Land of Ooo and take on quests. It's a very strange, fantasy series with a devout following thanks to the show's mature storytelling and imaginative creations. There have been several video games based on Adventure Time, including a new Adventure Time game slated for 2018.
“Diamonds and Lemons” doesn't have an official synopsis beyond the fact that it's a Minecraft crossover, but you can see the episode in full when Adventure Time airs tonight at 7 pm ET. The episode will also be available on the Cartoon Network mobile app after airing.
