This week Samsung unveiled two new products that will further real word applications and use of both VR and AR. First, the much discussed Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus; will enable Bixby Vision. Although Samsung has decided to keep the explanation super simple and just says, the user can point to an object and scan. What is behind the scenes of this tech achievement is what people should be talking about. So far, the functionality of Bixby Vision is limited to product search, location id, translating text, object recognition, and QR codes. However, in the near future, we should expect a fully integrated AR type product to render over the real world objects it identifies.
“With Bixby Vision, you can focus on an object through your viewfinder and tap the Vision icon to identify landmarks or translate foreign languages. Bixby lives inside your Camera, Gallery and Internet to give you a deeper understanding of what you’re looking at. Just tap the Vision icon in your viewfinder and Bixby will serve up contextual icons: translation, QR code detection, landmark recognition and shopping. Translate foreign languages just by pointing your camera at text. Bixby vision on the Samsung Galaxy S8 Shopping Take a picture of an item to find out where to buy it.”
The second product Samsung announced is Samsung Gear 360 4k! Now, this is big because the content makers and the ecosystem have been waiting for an affordable, easy to use, fully integrated 4k 360 camera for all the fun possibilities it will allow. Users will now be able to shoot in 4k, do live streaming to Facebook and YouTube in 2k and hold the camera in their hand with the newly formed handle. The cost is what sells it, most likely starting in the upper $300 range along with the Gear 360 product line. I am optimistic Samsung appears to be moving opportunities forward in the brave new world of AR/VR.
“A whole new VR experience with completely intuitive responses on the in-hand controller, and a Gear 360 that shoots in 4k and fits in your pocket.”
