Virtual-reality programming is finally here! Fox Sports announced this week that it would broadcast the Big East Men’s Basketball tournament in VR, via the NextVR app. We tried it, and it is an entirely new experience in viewing sports. While it is a little odd “sitting” next to people at a game who may not know you are watching, it’s definitely a unique viewpoint.
What other kinds of programs would be enhanced with VR? Is there any kind of live program that would be a tipping point for you to purchase a system? Let us know in the comments below.
One of the biggest drawbacks of consuming VR content, is that it is mainly a solitary activity. Sure, it’s nice if you’re sitting alone on a couch, but no one wants to be “that person” in a group setting. Oculus announced this week that it is introducing new ways to make the Samsung Gear VR social. In addition to a search function to find friends, you can now interact with each other in select games, like Social Trivia and Herobound: Gladiators.
Amazon may have its its own VR aspirations, if a job advertisement on Glass Door is any indication. It’s not cheap to create this sort of content, but Amazon certainly has the deep pockets to make a run at it. Could this be an opportunity to beat out Hulu and Netflix, in a new type of original content?
Not only is Amazon moving into VR, now its CEO wants to take you to space! Jeff Bezos announced that Blue Origin hopes to launch manned space missions as early as 2017. The goal is to get to a point where the company is sending up 100 suborbital flights a year, via its reusable New Shepard rocket.
Finally, we talk about a topic that sounds like it could come straight from the ramblings of your favorite conspiracy theory friend. The difference is that this is from an actual interview given by the US Military’s own Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Per CNN, DARPA plans to “open the channel between the human brain and modern electronics.” In other words, make cyborgs a reality. Admittedly there is a lot of good that could come from this, especially for anyone who has a disability. On the other side, it could be a real-life Terminator origin story.
Today’s episode features Rick Stella, Drew Prindle, Caleb Denison and Greg Nibler. Please subscribe and share Trends with Benefits and send in your questions to [email protected]. We also broadcast the show live on Periscope and YouTube every Thursday at 2:30 p.m. Pacific.
It doesn't feel like long since the start of summer, but believe it or not, Halloween is right around the corner. As the dark nights roll in, fall is the perfect time for Gothic novels, spooky horror movies, and, of course, hauntingly good podcasts -- mug of pumpkin-spiced chai optional. There are plenty of scary podcasts to choose from, whether you're looking for fictional dramas or strange-but-true tales of things going bump in the night. Whatever you're h(a)unting for, you'll find something in our list of the best scary podcasts. And if you're looking for something that won't leave you cowering under the covers, check out our roundup of the best podcasts.
Audio drama/fiction
The No Sleep Podcast
This award-winning anthology of short original horror stories is now in its 18th season, with over 500 episodes to listen to. Each episode has a haunting, atmospheric soundtrack that ensures you're truly immersed in the tale. Be warned, though -- as the name suggests, this is definitely not a podcast to listen to in bed unless you plan on staying awake all night.
Apple Podcasts Stitcher
It's no secret that Spotify has its sights set on total podcast domination, given its high-profile acquisition of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, along with several exclusive launches like The Michelle Obama Podcast and one that features the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, better known as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But the streaming music giant is still looking for additional ways to attract both listeners and podcast creators to its platform, and its latest move is the introduction of podcast polls and Q&As.
If you're a podcast creator, polls and Q&As give you a free way to increase your engagement with your audience. Normally, a listener has few ways to directly interact with their favorite podcasts, given that most platforms like Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts are essentially no more than a way to find, subscribe to, and play podcast episodes. With Spotify's new tools, podcasts become interactive, with polls and the ability to ask listeners questions, right on the episode page.
Apple will make podcasts a more integral part of its ecosystem with the launch of Apple Podcasts+, a subscription-based service that will offer exclusive podcasts only available to subscribers, along with the wider library of shows available on its existing podcasts app. The entire Apple Podcasts app will also get a redesign, as announced during the Spring Loaded event on April 20.
The premium Podcasts+ service will launch in May with several new shows only available to Podcasts+ subscribers. Along with receiving additional curation options and recommendations for subscribers in the redesigned app via Channels, Podcasts+ subscribers will also enjoy ad-free listening settings, early access to certain shows, and more, yet-to-be-announced features.