Vimeo adds 360 support / Shazam gets into AR / PS4 VR Update—Inside VR & AR

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Vimeo has added the ability to upload and watch 360-degree videos. Although the video sharing platform has a wide selection of free content, Vimeo allows content creators to sell video directly to viewers. With this structure, VR video makers have the potential to make money on a direct-to-consumer marketplace. Viewers can watch 360-degree video on Vimeo’s mobile apps. Support for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive are in development. — CNET

Shazam said it is getting into the business of creating augmented reality experiences for companies, marketers and brands. The music discovery app is partnering with Zappar to deliver the technology behind the project. The company’s first client on its AR initiative is Beam Suntory, makers of Jim Beam whiskey and Hornitos Tequila. Beginning next month, Shazam users will be able to scan bar codes found in stores selling Beam Suntory liquor to bring up a co-branded AR interactive memory game. The app would then summon a co-branded AR interactive memory game. — FORTUNE

An upcoming PlayStation 4 system software update will bring tracking improvements and 3D Blu-Ray playback to the PlayStation VR headset. Ahead of the release of the PlayStation Aim, the update will bring improved tracking to peripherals that use the PlayStation camera (which includes the Aim and Move controllers). At the moment, 3D Blu-Ray video shows up as a flat image on the VR headset. With the update, the headset will add depth to the screen as defined by the movie. — ROAD TO VR

Jon Favreau has jumped into the world of VR moviemaking. Favreau produced a brief, interactive 360-degree short-form video called "Gnomes & Goblins.” Favreau sat down with the MIT Technology Review to share his thoughts on the future of VR film production. “It's very early days,” Favreau told the Review. “We’re still figuring out where the camera goes, laying out the set and understanding where the light's coming from. If somebody tells the right story in the right way, it's going to create a tectonic shift.” The video is currently available on the HTC Vive and is coming soon to the Oculus Rift.— MIT 

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