There's been so much talk about virtual reality that we decided to give it a try. Regular reality requires so much effort.
So we busted the budget and spent $12 at Amazon for Google's cardboard virtual-reality headset. We later found we could have bought one at KnoxLabs.com for $5.
Is it worth it? Well, yeah. The resolution isn't the sharpest, but there you are flying inside a wraparound video. There are reports that some people experience dizziness and even nausea from this experience, but we had none of that. It was more like being in an Imax theater in your living room.
So what's the gist of virtual reality? It's more than an Imax experience because it's 360 degrees, a wrap-around. You can look at what's behind you as well as ahead and all sides. It's also 360 degrees up and down; you can see the clouds up above and the ground (or water) under your feet.
This is all early days. It is obvious that we are looking at a technology in its infancy. The details are going to get sharper, there will be background music, and we will be invincible as we romp through fantasyland.
Now as the device goes, it is sort of a souped-up version of the stereopticons that were popular in the early part of the 20th century. In those you slipped a photo card with two versions of the same image, in front of two viewing lenses. The photos were of the same subject but each taken at a slightly different angle, so that when the image was viewed through the two lenses, the eyes saw something that appeared to be in three dimensions. The picture appeared to have depth.
With Google's VR (Virtual Reality), we also need to start with a picture, which can now be in motion because things have advanced a bit since the turn of the last century. The double photos that you stuck in the stereopticon are now replaced by your smartphone. The smartphone can present motion and sound. But where do you get the goods?
We were impressed with a free app from The New York Times called "NYT VR." Within the app, we tapped "The Fight for Fallujah," about the fight against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq. We were on the ground with Iraqi forces as they retook the city from the Islamic State. The city is in ruins, and there's a headless body in the road, but you don't get close enough to be sick. At the refugee camp, an Iraqi woman with a family of eight tells you it's heaven compared to her past: At least there is food, she says. As you turn your head from left to right, up and down and even behind you, there's lots to see. The city, once home to 300,000 people, is a total mess.
In calmer scenes, we swam with whales, walked through New York and went to Pluto (still embarrassed by not being a planet).
Other developers are getting in on the action. Sony's PlayStation VR is $500, or you can spend $600 for a viewer from Oculus Rift. We can expect wide-open competition soon. If you want to see what's out there before spending a nickel, look up "virtual reality" or "VR" apps in your phone's app store. Each one we looked at had an option to also view the video without VR.
Back to the cheaper future for a moment: The Cardboard viewer app has a 30-second intro with a forest and a fox waiting for you to follow him. A minute later, you fly with seagulls -- a noisy crowd. The NYT VR app has a dozen video choices. Each time you select a new one, you have a choice of downloading the video or streaming it. Unless you have a super-fast Internet connection, it's best to download.
Food Games
We love it when readers suggest apps. That's how we heard about Yes Chef, a free app for the iPad and iPhone.
Yes Chef is a cooking robot who reads the recipe to you. We said, "Chef, let's get started," and it offered a dozen recipe suggestions out of about 350,000 possibilities. You can be more specific if you wish, saying, for example, "Chef, charred broccoli salad." Then, "What's the first step?" The chef will tell you what to do and say how much of an ingredient you need. You can pause the recipe recital by saying "pause." This is great fun, and prevents sticky hands from gumming up your iPad. It makes cooking feel like a game.
Speaking of games, we recently started watching Wheel of Fortune again. They have a new app: Wheel of Fortune Free Play, which is much improved. (It's free, but it offers in-app purchases.) This was all so exciting that Joy had to take a nap.
Google Allo
"Allo" is French for "hello." It's also the name Google chose for its free text messaging app for your smartphone. Google Allo is getting a ton of publicity, both good and bad. We like it.
Critics say it fails in its primary purpose: providing you the information you need during a conversation. Picky, picky. If your primary purpose is fun, then the app succeeds quite well.
In the text messaging window, Google Assistant is always there, ready to tap. It prompts you to set up reminders, book a flight, get the latest sports scores, get movie show times, put an item on your calendar, or find a restaurant nearby -- all while you're still in the text-messaging window. This can be handy if you're texting someone and need the info but don't want to leave the messaging app to get it. (Some criticism comes in because sometimes you click on a link and go on the Web, instead of staying in the chat window.)
Google Assistant can also launch one of several games, display a poem, and answer your questions, all without leaving the chat area. This led us to play word and geography games and read some fun Emily Dickinson poems.
Bob and Joy Schwabach can be reached by email at bobschwa@gmail.com and joydee@oncomp.com.
SundayMonday Business on 10/10/2016