Google recently showed off the future of Android at its I/O conference. The most exciting thing on display might have been a $20 piece of cardboard. Google’s Cardboard project is the company’s take on Virtual Reality – an area of tech that saw Facebook spend $2 billion to acquire VR device maker Oculus. So how does Google’s version work? The unofficial $20 kits include cardboard, lenses, magnets and a rubber band that creates a pair of “goggles” for you to slide your phone into. The system is almost the direct opposite of Oculus’s high-end Rift headset, which requires a hefty investment to experience virtual reality. Google’s inexpensive version – along with its newly-launched VR toolkit – should prompt developers to build support for Cardboard into their apps and services. The virtual reality dream has been around for a while, but has seen a surge in popularity thanks to the Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus. Google’s Cardboard may turn out to be little more than a gimmick, but it’s got people talking – and that’s a great start.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.