Welcome back to Trends with Benefits, DT’s weekly roundtable podcast. In this episode, we start off with a round table discussion of our favorite cereals. Not tech-related, but a very important and divided conversation ensued.
Then, we get in to the big story of the day. Digital Trends received a brand new HTC Vive Pre virtual reality set in the mail. This piece of equipment is truly revolutionary. Compared to the previous virtual reality sets that have been out, it’s like going from an Atari 2600, to a Sony PlayStation. We get pretty in depth as to what the system is like in person and the advantages it has.
The price of the HTC Vive, however, will be prohibitive for the average person. Starting at $800 for the basic unit, you’ll also need a computer with a powerful enough graphics card to run it. The product itself though is so ground-breaking that once you try it, you can actually see investing in the necessary hardware.
We also speculate on how game developers must be adapting to the new mobility of this platform. It is positioned to become a very addictive experience and it’s not even out on the market yet. There are so many possibilities! Where does it go to become more of a group experience, rather than a solitary one?
From there, we get into speaking about the Apple Event taking place on March 21. The tagline for the event is “Let us loop you in.” It could mean a new Apple Watch, which would really need a big improvement to be worthy of the focus. Something new they may also announce is the removal of the standard headphone jack from the iPhone 7. This is a game-changer for a number of reasons. Will we all need to buy new headphones for our phones? The answer is yes … and no.
Finally, we have all had the experience of an annoying person on mass transit, using their cell phone. We’re not talking about the person playing a game so much, it’s the people who want to include everyone in their loud, private conversation. One guy in Chicago has been doing something about it, with a jamming device. It’s a dream for some of us, but before you think about getting one, there are some pretty severe consequences for using it.
Today’s episode features Caleb Denison, Nick Mokey, Matt Smith, and Greg Nibler.
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