Pages

Saturday, November 21, 2015

NY Times Virtual Reality Delivered To The Home

I admit it, I still like getting the paper editions of newspapers.  And while I also like reading breaking news on my iPad and iPhone, I most enjoy drinking that morning cup of coffee and reading the paper.  Of course, the more times the paper delivery is delayed, the more I find myself ready to pull the trigger on receiving the paper editions.

Still, the arrival of an extra gift has kept me a subscriber for a bit longer.  A couple of weeks ago, the NY Times was accompanied by a cardboard box, that when folded together, became a virtual reality machine.  Download the app and a few videos and place your smartphone into the cardboard constructed device.  Instantly you are transported into your own VR world, 360 degrees of video. Look up, look down, look left, look right and watch as the action unfurls.  When others come to the house, the device becomes one of much discussion.  It is a new toy.  We may not use it much, be we have continued to keep it on our coffee table.  At least for now it has not made it to the trash can.

What next steps does the NY Times have in store for us with this VR machine?  Will they send another with home delivery?  If anything, it did cause some buzz and for the print industry that is hard to come by.