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How to Build Good Content for Virtual Reality Apps?

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How to Build Good Content for Virtual Reality Apps?

Though the term “virtual reality” still sounds like something that we all will have one day, this future is just around the corner. In very deed, virtual reality technology is applied to app development, and in this insightful review, we’ll demonstrate in what industries VR technology has already been adopted and share some tips on how to properly build content for VR mobile apps.

Let’s start with the basics. VR means a simulated environment that imitates physical presence in the reality. To immerse oneself in a VR world, a user should obtain a stereoscopic Head Mounted Display and a smartphone. You can find more information on how to build VR apps in this article. It’s a comprehensive guide with lots of superb tips to follow. Now, we are going to discuss what particular industries have already started using VR technology.

Overview of The Main Industries That Are Already Using VR Technology

You know that the modern world is constantly evolving and technology is also not bogged down. Very soon, VR will be everywhere. The below-listed industries have already started using VR benefits.

Traveling

The Ascape VR app is the best example that demonstrates the use of VR in this industry. The app enables users to go on VR tours to absolutely any world city. You can see monuments, visit cafes, museums, entertainment options virtually! Apps like this allow you to properly plan your future trips. But if you can’t travel at the moment, such apps are a superb solution to entertain yourself when you are made to stay at home in a post-pandemic world.

Real estate

VR is widely used in this niche. Moreover, it helps push up sales. It is used to organize 3D tours to demonstrate real estate properties to customers. This technology allows the representatives of this industry to sell apartments or houses faster because it provides a fully immersive experience. Simply put, when seeing the object that is offered for sale, customers feel as if they are inside the building.

Automotive industry

Ford has already started using VR technology to create 3D tours for their clients. This is a superb chance to test vehicles before you see them in real life. Overall, it’s a worthy solution for testing vehicles online and choosing the right car that will suit your needs best of all.

Education

It goes without saying that students of various higher educational establishments remember the material faster if they experience it instead of just reading. In such a scenario, the use of VR apps might be the best solution! Educational VR mobile apps enable academicians to immerse themselves in the culture of other countries, study the body, organize virtual trips, and much more!

Though VR technology gradually becomes more and more popular, it is still in the early stages of development. Very soon, VR mobile apps will grow into something incredible!

Tips on Building Content for Mobile Apps Based on VR

In fact, there are only two ways of developing content for VR apps. So let’s take a closer look at each of them.

Making a 360-degree video

This is probably the easiest way to create VR content. In this case, only a camera is needed to create top-notch content. To make a 360-degree video, you only need to have a 360-degree spherical camera. When choosing the tool, you should make sure it can capture videos of the highest quality. When shooting, you should keep the camera in a still position. A lot depends on the type of video that you want to shoot. In this case, there are a few solutions for you:

  • You can place a camera on a tripod;
  • You can mount the camera on a cameraman;
  • You can use drones to create footage.

However, you should bear in mind that the equipment will be visible in the footage. So you should hide it at the editing stage.

3D Animation

It is safe to say that 3D animation allows users to show something that is impossible to capture in the real world. 3D animation enables users to click on certain buttons and move around in a virtual world. Moreover, 3D animation allows users to take a closer look at some things as if they do in real life.

For creating 3D models, you need to buy a camera that can be affixed to your tablet. It works like a 3D scanner that can capture everything that happens in the real world and if necessary, it can transform content in 3D models. The Structure Sensor is the most effective tool to use in this case. Unreal Design or Unity are used for creating interior design or game development. But in such a scenario, you also need to have an Android-based device, a headset and Google VR SDK.

Moreover, if you want to build simple 3D environments, you can also use such tools as Maya, Blender, 3DMax, LightWave, Houdini or Cinema 4D.

Here are the main forms of 3D graphics:

  • 3D modelling;
  • Stereoscopic 3D effects;
  • Computer animation;
  • Product design;
  • Graphic and motion design;
  • Visual effects.

Though this technology is at the pinnacle of success today, it is still not perfect. There are new challenges ahead. Nevertheless, the growing interest in VR opportunities means that all tech issues that may occur while developing apps or building content for them may very soon be solved.

 

 

Brilliant Illustrations by Mikhail Vyrtsev

Modestas Mankus
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Brilliant Illustrations by Mikhail Vyrtsev

Mikhail Vyrtsev, a Russian illustrator and artist, has over the years has created some superb, comedic-like illustrations that showcase not just his technical talent but also his thoughts and witty side.

Find more work by Mikhail Vyrtsev here.

Top Mobile Games and How to Pick the One for You

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Top Mobile Games and How to Pick the One for You

Little under two decades ago, video gaming was often still regarded as something of a niche activity. It was typically viewed as the realm of PC and console gamers, and not particularly as a social activity. Then the mobile technology boom came, connecting people in ways that were never previously imagined, instantly turning video games into a hobby that everyone could enjoy, especially with platforms like Dailygame.

With more than 2.5 billion people worldwide playing mobile games in 2019 and almost $70 billion in revenue generated, gaming is no longer a niche industry aimed at a specific group of people. The target audience for games developers is now quite literally everyone, everywhere around the world. If you’re playing one of the latest top games from Toronto or Tallahassee, there’s a good chance someone else in Tibet or Timbuktu might be too.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular mobile games around today, after which we’ll conclude with some brief thoughts about how to choose a genre of gaming that suits your preferences.

The Sims

This game is already considered classic in the life simulation category, as it has a very long history of development. The game imitates nearly every aspect of life engaging a vast number of players. Sims statistics show that players are mostly women and that this game has the power to simulate human interactions and help in everyday life as well. The Sims has many versions, among which, The Sims 3 and The Sims 4, which let the players choose from and play how they want.

Fortnite

Arguably one of the biggest reasons for the success of Fortnite, aside from the addictive battle royale styled gameplay, comes with the fact you can play this game on quite literally anything. Even more impressive, you can jump from playing Fortnite on PC or console, and still have all the same assets available when playing from your mobile device. Access to so much cross-platform, cross-play action for such a sophisticated multi-player game; that’s just cool.

Poker

As one of the fastest growing online poker sites in the industry, 888 Poker boasts one of the most innovative and cutting edge mobile gaming platforms around. Designed entirely around the appeal of playing poker anytime and from any location, gamers can choose from a wide selection of instant cash games, sit and go tournaments, and even lay down their virtual chips in competitive scheduled tournaments, all from their preferred mobile device. Note: When the fun stops, stop.

Minecraft

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that Minecraft was first released late in 2011, and that it’s kicking around still with such blocky graphical popularity. However, it’s fair to say the secret is in the sandbox gameplay that never gets old, leaving all the creativity and fun entirely in the hands of the players themselves. Even playing from a mobile device, the only limits to what can be built and crafted based around your own imagination.

Hades Star

Insofar as niches in gaming go, few have enjoyed quite the longevity as those based around conquering galaxies. There have been grand strategies themed around space exploration and empire building since the early 1980’s, therefore it’s no surprise to find Hades Star having become so popular on mobile heading into the 2020’s. Build your fleet, battle alien races and forge your own stellar empire; either on your own or in collaboration with other players.

Pokémon GO

Instantly becoming a worldwide smash when it launched in 2016, Pokémon GO became one of the most successful mobile games of all time, surpassing the one billion downloads mark in 2019. Based around augmented reality (AR) technology and gameplay interaction with real world locations, players can hunt for their favourite Pokémon characters, not to mention try a variety of other side-games and activities, thanks to regular updates from the developers.

Stardew Valley

If your first glance at Stardew Valley leads to thinking this is just a cute looking farming RPG, you’d be ever so wrong. Sure, the heart of the game is based around rural activities like growing crops and raising livestock, yet there’s a profound amount of depth to the game that includes all manner of crafting, interaction with NPC players, budding romances and even starting your own virtual family. Relax, kick back and play this endless game at your own pace.

Choosing your genre

For the most part, choosing which kind of game to play is entirely down to personal preference. Mostly we’re influenced by other forms of entertainment, such as music, movies, and literature, when delving into the genres of gaming we’ll tend to enjoy the most. That said, we can sometimes be drawn into gaming genres we might not have previously considered, simply because they offer more appealing levels of social engagement and interaction.

The best way to narrow things down first and foremost is to decide whether you prefer playing alone or with others. This will help choose whether your gaming experience is single-player and focused entirely on your own in-game activity, or alternatively, the shared multi-player experience in which you either compete against or collaborate with other players. Both have their own pros and cons, depending on what you’re looking for.

Many games are labelled by genre, which will give you some indication of what to expect. FPS will instantly tell you the game is a “First-Person Shooter” and violent action is the core activity. If you’re looking for something a little more thoughtful and mentally challenging, perhaps look for the puzzle or adventure genres, where exploration and solving problems give you something to think about.

Finally, and given that many games these days feature an overlapping mixture of genres, you could just dive straight into something you might never have considered playing before. They say that variety is the spice of life, which is certainly true given the huge variety of gaming options available to mobile users these days. You never know, you might just find yourself enjoying a genre of gaming you’d never considered before.

Take Your PC Gaming To A New Level

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Take Your PC Gaming To A New Level

PC gaming is something that a lot of serious gamers do. You hear about it all the time. There is always some debate going on about whether gaming on a PC or console is better, and the answer is whatever suits you best. Whatever you prefer gaming on is going to be the best option for you, but in this article, we’re going to be specifically looking at PC, and how you can take this to a whole new level. If you want to find out more, keep reading down below.

Invest In Comfort

We highly recommend that you invest in comfort. You are not going to be able to sit and play for hours on end if you’re not comfortable, and if you can’t go for extended periods of time, then you’re not the right fit for a gamer. It’s important that you invest in comfort and to do this, you need a high quality, comfortable chair, a mechanical keyboard, a mouse mat so that your wrist doesn’t get sore, and a number of other things. When you start to get sore, your game is going to be impacted, but if you’re looking to take gaming to the next level, then you’ve got to do something about this. You can’t afford to have a sore wrist or neck while you’re in the middle of a game because it could be the difference between winning and losing.

You might think that it’s a lot of money to spend at one time, but you don’t have to do it all at once. You can purchase these items gradually and build up your collection, making it easier on your financial situation.

Get Rid Of The Lag

The next thing that you need to do is search for cheap windows vps so that you don’t run the danger of lagging. You basically own your own little part of the internet here, and it’s pretty cool to have, not to mention useful. As well as this, if you want to get rid of the lag then consider upgrading your internet. If you’re playing an online game, you don’t need your internet cutting out on you or dropping down every couple of seconds, and this is going to be no good. You’ve instead got to find the fastest internet available in your area and at the best price. There are a number of sites that will help you compare the best deals for your area, so make use of them. 

Dedicate More Time To It

Finally, if you want to take your PC gaming to a whole new level, you’ve got to dedicate more time to it. Being the best doesn’t come easy, and you’ve got to be willing to work for it. If you’re not, then you’re not going to achieve what you want to. Whatever free time you have that isn’t spent with friends or family should go to gaming. If you think you’re good enough, you could even train to become a professional gamer rather than going to your regular job. This all depends on your skill level and the game that you are into though. Keep this in mind before you make a choice.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see how you can take your PC gaming to a whole new level.



Artist Spotlight: Katie Malco

Konstantinos Pappis
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Artist Spotlight: Katie Malco

On her latest album, Failures, Katie Malco lays her soul bare. But there’s also no denying that the singer-songwriter has expanded her sound since releasing Tearing Ventricles seven years ago, moving away from the stark, piano-led compositions of that EP to embrace grander arrangements, 90s-inspired guitars, and big choruses. Malco’s confessional lyrics are still at the center of her songwriting, but this time around the songs radiate a newfound sense of confidence following a long period of self-reflection that’s nicely accompanied by a more diverse musical palette. Where Julien Baker’s music was previously an obvious comparison point, Failures exhibits a more dynamic approach that evokes contemporary artists like Lucy Dacus and Mitski as much as it harkens back to a different musical era. Look no further than ‘September’, in which she revisits a song from Tearing Ventricles and transforms it into a soaring, transcendent mid-album highlight that tears right into your soul. From the harmonious folk of ‘Fractures’ to the driving pop-punk of ‘Creatures’, Failures is a riveting coming-of-age album that delves into themes of addiction, identity, and death with a searing combination of vulnerability and self-determination. “We’ll celebrate your life/ And I’ll celebrate mine,” Malco sings on the quietly hopeful ‘TW’. “While I’m still alive/ I’m still alive.”

We caught up with Katie Malco for this edition of our Artist Spotlight series, where we showcase up-and-coming artists and give them a chance to talk a bit about their music.

When did you first start making music, and what was it that inspired you?

I first started playing when I was 4 years old, but I didn’t write my first song until I was around 13. It was a piano piece for Music GCSE and to be honest it was inspired by Enya. I picked up the guitar shortly after and started making music inspired by Alanis Morrisette, and then I started a Christian rock band. Really, it doesn’t get good until I was in my late teens and I started writing music for me, Katie Malco, on an old four track. That’s when I did my first EP, Four Goodbyes – four tracks, recorded on a four track, with only four instruments. Acoustic, glock, a snare drum, and a melodica. I listened to those songs the other day and thought it sounded like a child.

Who are some of your influences at the moment?

My constant influences are David Bazan, Death Cab, Joanna Newsom, Bruce Springsteen, Sufjan Stevens and Elliot Smith. But stuff I’ve been enjoying listening to lately includes Soccer Mommy, Kelela, Angie McMahon, Solange, Andy Shauf, Great Grandpa.

What are some of the ideas that went into the writing of Failures?

It wasn’t a conscious thing but once it was finished, I realised there was a very vivid theme running through the whole record – one of failure, and of picking yourself up and trying again. That’s all that life is, a series of failures and growth.

What was the recording process like?

It was very diffused to be honest, we started again a few times because we first tried to just record in a practice room, then in my flat, then in our first studio space, and then we moved to a different studio space a couple months later! So it took a long time to get it completed and a lot of headaches. To be honest it was a massive learning curve for us in that regard.

There’s a notable shift in sound from your previous releases. Was that intentional?

Yes it was intentional – I wanted the album to be different from what people might have expected from me, and I wanted to make the songs as big as they needed to be. I didn’t want to hold back, I wanted the emotional content of the lyrics to be expressed to their fullest in the music.

Do you have a favourite track from the album?

It honestly changes almost every day, I’m currently only really listening to Let’s Go To War, but I’m sure I’ll get sick of that soon.

What are your future plans?

We had a lot of touring planned which understandably has all had to be moved back, so currently, I’m recording an alternative version of the album and I hope that will be the next thing we release. And hopefully next year we’ll be back on track with touring.

Alison Mosshart Announces New Solo Spoken Word Album

Konstantinos Pappis
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Alison Mosshart Announces New Solo Spoken Word Album

Alison Mosshart of The Kills and the Dead Weather has announced a new solo spoken word album titled Sound Wheel, to be released on August 7 via  Third Man. Mosshart has also shared a new song from the album called ‘Returning the Screw’. Listen to it below.

The album will be accompanied by a printed collection of paintings, photographs, short stories, and poetry titled CAR MA.

According to a press release, the album is about “America, performance, and life on the road. They’re about fender bender portraiture, story tellin’ tire tracks, and the never-ending search for the spirit under the hood.”

Mosshart explained about the making of the album: “There were some passages I struggled to get right, and I got in the practice of reading them out loud and recording them, to hear and feel where words or sentences were rubbing together wrong.”

She continued: “I’d listen back to these recordings and they’d be real informative to me in that way. This tool I was using to help me, started feeling like this whole other angle or art form. And I started thinking it would be interesting to perform/record the whole book, not in a straight up spoken word way, but more like a sound sculpture of characters and voices and miscellaneous cut ups, no rules.”

Mosshart’s first solo release under her own name was ‘Rise’, which dropped back in April.

 

The Killers Share New Song ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’

Konstantinos Pappis
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The Killers Share New Song ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’

The Killers have shared a new song from their upcoming album Imploding the Mirage called ‘My Own Soul’s Warning’. Co-produced by Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado, the track follows the previously released singles ‘Caution’ and ‘Fire in Bone’. Check it out below.

Imploding the Mirage was originally set to be released back in May, but has since been delayed due to “delays in finalizing the album.” The follow-up to 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful will feature guest contributions from the likes of Lindsey Buckingham, k.d. lang, Weyes Blood, Blake Mills, and the War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel. No new release date has yet been confirmed.

Last week (June 8), the alternative group performed a new version of ‘Land Of The Free’, changing the lyrics in response to the killing of George Floyd. “How many killings must one man watch in his home?” Flowers sang, “Eight measured minutes and 46 seconds, another boy in the bag / Another stain on the flag.”

J. Cole Drops New Single ‘Snow On Tha Bluff’

Konstantinos Pappis
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J. Cole Drops New Single ‘Snow On Tha Bluff’

J. Cole has dropped a surprise new single called ‘Snow On Tha Bluff’, his first new song in 2020 as lead artist. Listen to it below.

The track is in direct response to ongoing protests against systemic racism and police brutality, with Cole confronting his own role as a celebrity. “There’s a young lady out there she way smarter than me/I scrolled through her timeline in these wild times and I started to read/She mad at these crackers, she mad at these capitalists, mad at these murder police,” he raps.

Fans have speculated that the lyrics are in reference to Noname, who has been speaking out against top-selling rappers and their silence following the killing of George Floyd. Following the release of the song, Noname tweeted “QUEEN TONE!!!!!!” in response to the lyric “But, shit, it’s something about the queen tone that’s bothering me.” The tweet has since been deleted.

Ever since releasing KOD in 2018, J. Cole has been teasing a new album titled The Fall Off, which has yet to be officially announced. Last year, he spearheaded the compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III under his Dreamville label. He was planning to throw a Dreamville Festival this year, which was cancelled due to COVID-19. His last single was 2019’s ‘MIDDLE CHILD’.

 

Album Review: Jehnny Beth, ‘To Love Is to Live’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Album Review: Jehnny Beth, ‘To Love Is to Live’

For anyone who’s familiar with Jehnny Beth as the leader of the post-punk outfit Savages, the artist’s debut solo album might seem like an attempt to diversify her sound. The songs here are anchored by a whirlwind of ambient synths, ominous strings, and industrial noise, while distorted guitars, though still very much present, take a back seat. On the whole, To Love is To Live hints more closely at the theatrical approach of singer-songwriter Anna Calvi than her own work with Savages. But this is nothing new for the French singer, born Camille Berthomier, who has demonstrated her versatility as an artist countless times before – whether it be through her acting career, her early work as one half of a French lo-fi duo John & Jehn, or her collaborations with artists ranging from the xx (whose own Romy Madley appears on this album) to Gorillaz and the Strokes.

If To Love is To Live is more ambitious in its sonic palette than any of her previous work, though, it certainly doesn’t come at the expense of the pummelling intensity and urgency that has been the hallmark of Beth’s music in the past. Instead, it widens her musical scope while magnifying the profundity of her songwriting. On opening track ‘I Am’, a ticking clock can be heard in the background, as if Beth only has a set amount of time to make her defining statement. The fact that the album was inspired by Bowie’s final LP, Blackstar, only amplifies the themes of mortality and death that permeate the underlying subtext of the album. But ‘I Am’ doesn’t provide a list of defining attributes, as its title would suggest, as much as it sets to strip the artist of all associations until all that remains is the driving force of her humanity in its simplest form. “I am naked all the time,” Beth proclaims, a line she circles back to on the album’s closer. The album presents itself more as an attempt to do away with what ‘A Place Above’, the album’s spoken word piece delivered by Cillian Murphy, describes as a kind of “imagined self-importance”, reaching instead for a return to an honest expression of the self in all its contradictions.

Rather than serving as an exploration of primal desires and fears – though there’s plenty of that, too – the record takes on a more interesting path, one that highlights the full spectrum of emotions that come with pondering the impermanence of life, from searing displays of power and emotional detachment to a sincere embrace of vulnerability. Johnny Hostile’s production stands out on the ghostly, unnerving ‘We Will Sin Together’, which is overtaken by a kind of unfiltered preoccupation with youth and sex that keeps resurfacing on the album (“All I want is your sexy eyes/ Your legs parting to the skies”), while ‘Innocence’ underscores the emptiness that lies underneath the album’s ambivalent mood: “I don’t even care about sex no more/ I wanna do things with innocence,” Beth declares amidst throbbing bass and haunting electronics.

While the album is for the most part propelled by the uncompromising force of tracks like the voraciously dramatic ‘I’m The Man’ or the thunderous ‘How Could You’, part of its appeal rests in its propensity to tone things down and offer a more nuanced emotional portrait. ‘Flower’ recalls Sleater-Kinney’s latest foray into synth-pop as Beth, who usually revels in displays of sexual fearlessness, expresses feelings of uncertainty (“I’m not sure how to reach her/ How to touch her”). It’s a surprisingly quiet moment, too, until you get to the album’s not one but two piano ballads, of which ‘French Countryside’ is the clear standout. The track finds Beth intimating her most personal ambitions, shedding off any and all artifice: “And I’ll sing my songs every night, defeat my fears, jump over fires/ I’ll be more self-disciplined, I’ll sacrifice for you/ I’ll stay close to our love like bees over their hives,” she sings. Never has the artist’s vision been more precise or heartfelt. To Love is To Live might have been inspired by a rumination on the kinds of artistic legacies musicians choose to leave behind, but the album’s most resonant sentiments are universal in their earnest sensitivity. And as its title suggests, it’s much more concerned with what it means to live than to die.

Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum Announces First New Album as the Microphones in 17 Years

Konstantinos Pappis
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Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum Announces First New Album as the Microphones in 17 Years

Mount Eerie’s Phil Elverum has announced his first album as the Microphones in 17 years, to be released on August 7th via P.W. Elverum & Sun. Titled Microphones in 2020, the album follows 2003’s Mount Eerie. The album will comprise of a single 44-minute track. Check out the trailer below.

The LP will also be accompanied by an album-length short film, which is set to premiere on Youtube a day before the album’s release.

“I used to call my recordings a different name. A small clump of albums from 1997-2002 were called ‘the Microphones,’ including some popular ones,” Phil Elverum said in a statement. “But the essence of this project has never really changed: me exploring autobiographically in sound and words with occasional loose participation from friends. The name it has been called has never mattered much to me.”

The singer-songwriter goes on to describe a 2019 concert as the Microphones, saying that the excitement over the event made him consider reviving the moniker. “I don’t want to go backward ever,” he explained. “So I nudged into the future with these ideas and came up with this large song. … In it I have tried to get at the heart of what defined that time in my life, my late teens and early twenties, but even more importantly, I tried to break the spell of nostalgia and make something perennial and enduring. All past selves existing at once in this inferno present moment. The song doesn’t seem to end. That’s the point.”

“We all crash through life prodded and diverted by our memories,” Elverum concluded in the press release. “There is a way through to disentanglement. Burn your old notebooks and jump through the smoke. Use the ashes to make a new thing.”

In 2016, Elverum lost his wife, musician and artist Geneviève Castrée, to cancer, which led to a series of heartfelt albums under the Mount Eerie moniker: 2017’s A Crow Looked at Me, 2018’s Now Only and 2019’s Lost Wisdom Pt. 2, the latter of which was a collaborative effort with Julie Doiron following his divorce from his second wife, actress Michelle Williams.

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