Computer hardware and electronics manufacturer Acer has invested $10 million into IMAX’s Virtual Reality Fund in a bid to “support the development of high-quality and immersive VR content” for location-based experiences.
The investment follows up on Acer’s recent partnership with Starbreeze Studios, which promotes the creation of cinema-grade virtual reality experiences for the company’s StarVR headset.
“Acer is excited to join forces with IMAX and other world-class investors to help foster top-shelf content for the thriving VR industry,” Acer CEO Jason Chen said in a statement. “With this strategic investment and our deep collaboration with partners including Starbreeze in the hardware and entertainment sector, we hope to enable engaging and immersive VR experiences in IMAX VR centers and beyond.”
While many companies are attempting to find a foothold in the virtual reality industry with headsets and software designed for consumer-grade VR hardware, Acer and other hardware manufacturers have set their sights on advanced VR hardware built specifically for location-based entertainment.
Rival hardware manufacturer HTC recently announced plans to license VR software for use in movie theaters, Internet cafes, and VR arcades worldwide. Once the technology is adopted for location-based entertainment, licensed users will need to download compatible VR applications and games via HTC’s Viveport app store, ensuring a steady revenue stream for HTC.
It’s likely that Acer has similar ambitions for its investment into IMAX’s Virtual Reality Fund. Currently, the manufacturer considers itself to be among the “leaders from the media and entertainment industry who are investing in this fund and seeking to bring VR experiences to the next level.”
Acer is already leveraging its Starbreeze partnership to ship StarVR head-mounted displays to IMAX developers. The company hopes to integrate StarVR technology with installations at the IMAX VR Center in Los Angeles, which is set to open by the end of 2016. Similar IMAX VR pilot centers will soon open for business in London, Shanghai, and New York.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.