Oculus publicly states 2013 as release year goal for the Rift

Oculus have been very particular about not committing to a schedule for when their Rift consumer version could be expected to come out. In interviews and Q & A's, Palmer Luckey and other representatives have been coy at best, and in some cases even tried to downplay expectations of a possible 2013 release.

As we're getting closer to November, when the first devkits will be shipped out, there haven't been much news coming out of the California based company, but recent job listings might indicate they are getting more confident about their ability to produce a consumer ready within the next year.

They just added their outstanding job listings to LinkedIn, with this company bio:

Oculus is a technology company revolutionizing the way people experience video games. The company’s first product, the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, is currently in development and is set to launch in 2013. The company was founded by Palmer Luckey and veterans of RedOctane, developers of the acclaimed Guitar Hero series; Scaleform, the #1 user interface software in the gaming; and Gaikai, the cloud gaming company

Now, that's not exactly a remark set in stone, but given their track record of being reluctant to publicly state a specific release goal until now, I will take it as a sign that, if nothing else, they themselves are getting more assured that the product is shaping up nicely.

It's now been a month since their last Kickstarter update, where they stated they would announce "several exciting surprises" in the following weeks, so we should expect a new update any day now.

World's smallest 4K screen

World's smallest 4K screen

Ortus Technology Co Ltd developed a 9.6-inch 3,840 x 2,160-pixel LCD panel with a resolution as high as 458ppi.

Resolution is one of the specifications for head mounted displays like the Oculus Rift, that needs to improve the most, so any advancement in this area is exciting.

The Future of Wearable Computing: Part 2

The Future of Wearable Computing: Part 2

Valve's Michael Abrash posts the second part of his article, taking on the future of VR and AR. If you didn't catch the initial post, focusing on VR, check it out here: Part 1 - VR

Electronic Fingertips to Allow Virtual Sensations

Electronic Fingertips to Allow Virtual Sensations

The same technology can potentially be adapted to create virtual sensations on any other part of the body and even full body virtual reality suit might be possible in the future.

If the adult entertainment industry isn't paying attention, they're doing it wrong.

Star Citizen adds kickstarter as funding option

Star Citizen, called the "spiritual successor" to the Wing Commander franchise, is a new space sim from Cloud Imperium Games Corporation, headed by Chris Roberts, which will support the Oculus Rift headset. The game was originally getting crowdfunded through their own website with a funding goal of 2 million USD. There's many advantages to raising money without going through Kickstarter. You don't have to give a significant cut of your raised money to Kickstarter and Amazon, for one, and you also don't have to reach a set goal to keep the funds.

On the other hand, Kickstarter provides a great platform for publicity, and subsequently more chance of getting supporters. Although having raised a million all on their own is pretty damn impressive, they've now decided to add a Kickstarter campaign to stretch further towards their funding goals, with a goal of 500,000 USD.

Within just a few hours they have already recieved over $100k in pledges, so they are not only heading for a successful drive, they might very well surpass their original 2mil goal, when combined with the million they have already raised.

If the prospect of commanding your own space fighter using the Oculus Rift sounds interesting to you, go support the game, either through Kickstarter, or through their official website.

Lazer Tag + iPhone = AR shootout

Lazer Tag + iPhone = AR shootout

The new Lazer Tag works with an app (free from Apple’s App Store) that turns the iPhone into a view screen when it’s secured in the rugged blaster. The screen locks on targets, warns when an enemy is near and shields the player from attack.

Forget about google glasses, we should all walk around with this and shoot at eachother.

Sony patents temperature feedback games controller

Sony patents temperature feedback games controller

Not exactly groundbreaking, but it's nonetheless encouraging to see work being put into new immersion features.
It's also possible that Sony are just pre-emptively making excuses, should their controllers overheat and burn users hands. Third-degree burn? No, that's a feature.

GamingBolt share some tidbits from their interview with Oculus founder Palmer Luckey

GamingBolt share some tidbits from their interview with Oculus founder Palmer Luckey

Not much new info, but some interesting quotes suggesting there's a lot more game support behind the scenes that has yet to be revealed:

On games: “Without getting into specific numbers, we are confident that a lot of games are going to support the Rift. Our developer kits are being shipped to basically every large developer in the world, and many of them are talking to us about the projects they want to integrate with our headset,” [Palmer] said.

“That said, we are leaving game announcements to developers. It’s really for them to announce, not us.”

UPDATE: Full interview now up.

In space, no one can hear you die: a first look at ‘Routine’

In space, no one can hear you die: a first look at ‘Routine’

Looks like a perfect fit for the Oculus Rift, and the developers are considering adding support for it.

"We can't say 100 percent whether or not it will be implemented but we will try our best. It would really help just immerse the player that much more," he says, adding that it would especially be great for "peeking around corners."