One of the best things about the upcoming Life & Tech Expo in Toronto on August 25th is the fact that you can spend the entire day just immersing yourself in everything new and exciting this year. Perhaps one of the biggest advances over the last 12 months that you get to jump right into (no pun intended) is the world of virtual reality. What was a fairly noble attempt in the 90s is long forgotten when you see what’s available nowadays. Large, bulky machines, awkward headgear and headache inducing machines like the Virtual Boy are long forgotten. VR is now affordable, available to everybody and is something you can begin to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. In fact, you already have just about everything you need to get started as long as you have a compatible smartphone.
The addition of VR technology in your home is something that you can’t pass up on trying, especially not when you find out that most devices cost around the same as a video game nowadays. Using your smartphone, supported apps and a VR device, you can jump into the world of immersive gaming, movies and more. Whether you’re looking for a new gaming experience, more jump scares or watching nature unfold in front of your eyes, these featured additions to the Life & Tech Expo are at the forefront of making your Virtual Reality dreams come true.
Let’s take a look at 3 different VR devices you can check out at the Expo this year.
Homido
Supported by both iOS and Android devices, the Homido VR Headset pegs itself as the ultimate VR experience. The headset straps in your smartphone and takes you along for the ride. This fully wireless device allows you to adjust lenses to fit your optical range of vision and what a range it has. With a massive 103 degree range of vision, Homido pushes you into a large playground full of features. Perhaps the most impressive of those features is the fact that you can watch 360° spherical videos with ease, something very uncommon with these devices. Gaming is a breeze with this device too. With over 100 games and apps to choose from, there’s something for everybody in your family too.
Homido is also fully 3D supported, which just adds to the level of immersion you an experience through this small yet powerful little device. With a built-in binocular mode, you can increase the overall stereoscopic experience of your watching. Homido also supports eyeglass wearers, with features available for those with far-sighted, near-sighted or with normal vision.
It is just one device you can check out at the Life and Tech Expo but if you’re ready to commit, the Homido VR Headset is now available at Best Buy.
Find out if Homido is compatible with your smartphone
NOON
The NOON VR Headset may be the lightest and most comfortable headset of the bunch, featuring advanced ventilation to prevent any lens fog from prolonged wearing. Noon weighs around half a pound and comfortably fits smartphones with screens 4.7 inches or larger. It attempts to be as hands-free an experience as possible, featuring advanced head tracking with little latency. This lack of a delay ensures less sensor drift and better response time. The Noon app also allows you to apply a different focus and format to your existing videos to turn them into a more immersive video experience. The large diameter lenses feature a 95 degree field of vision and are designed with your eyes in mind to reduce fatigue. Dials on each lens also allow you to adjust the viewing field to your own vision needs from -8 to +4 and if you find it offcenter, a simple tap and you can recalibrate your Noon in a snap.
Noon also comes with a streaming service ready to help you never run out of VR content and can be authenticated to work on up to five devices, so everybody in your family can enjoy their own media with only one device. The NOON VR Headset will be available to demo at the Life & Tech Expo but if you’re ready to bring it home now, it’s available.
Find out if Noon is compatible with your smartphone
Merge VR Googles
It has a very strange name and a very strange look. The Merge VR Goggles headset is the one that looks the most like an old school virtual reality device with a bright purple finish.
Merge differs from the rest of the competition because it’s finished mostly with soft foam, meaning that it hits you with the most comfortable experience possible right away. While foam CAN get hot, Merge doesn’t with its built-in ventilation to allow you to enjoy for long periods of time with discomfort. With its attempt to stay as hands-free as possible, Merge comes with trigger buttons on either side to allow you to adjust your field of vision without the use of controllers or remotes. One fantastic feature that sets Merge apart from much of its competition is its encouragement of augmented reality through the use of a camera popout. From news, YouTube, curated 3D models and more, Merge is delivering new daily immersive experiences for you to make the world your VR playground. With an accessible hole in the side, you even have the opportunity to plug in a headset or earbuds in order to add sound to your fully immersive experience.
Perhaps the most interesting fact about Merge is that it is designed with your hygiene in mind. All you have to do is give it a quick wipe down and it’ll be good as new and ready for you to pass on to the next device owner.
It’s perhaps the most unique looking device of them all. Make no mistake. When you put the Merge headset on, you’ll know it. Merge VR Goggles are ready for you to check out at the Life & Tech Expo and is also now available at Best Buy.
Find out if Merge VR Goggles are compatible with your smartphone
This year’s Best Buy Life & Tech Expo takes place on August 25th 2016 in Toronto at Yonge-Dundas Square, (1 Dundas St. E, Toronto, ON.) The exhibits will be open from 11 AM to 9 PM so that you can immerse yourself in all things tech from day till night. For a look at what else is available this year’s Expo, please check out these other blogs!
Try the newest VR and wearable technology at Toronto’s Life and Tech Expo
Style compliments technology at the Life and Tech event in Toronto on August 25th
