After launching the Gear VR last year in collaboration with Oculus, Samsung (KRX:005935) has announced a content store for the virtual reality headset called Milk VR at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show. The offering – a continuation in the oddly-named Milk line of audio and video services offered by the South Korean manufacturer – aims to be the first content delivery service tailored for virtual reality, and will offer video content in a 360-degree viewing format.

Samsung has stated that it will be providing an array of content – streaming as well as downloadable – for the Gear VR (and any VR headsets the brand may launch in the future) with Milk VR, which is available in the Oculus store on the headset.  The content store will be broken down into two categories, with the “fresh” category highlighting the latest additions, and a “trending” section, through which users can browse the most popular videos available. Currently, all videos on the store are free, although there will be plans to monetize content at a later stage.

The South Korean vendor is looking to add content creators to the service, and has said that it is working toward securing deals with Mountain Dew, National Basketball Association, Red Bull and Skybound Entertainment and others. The NBA has stated that it will offer a mix of game action as well as behind the scenes footage through Milk VR, and Skybound Entertainment has revealed that a TV show shot entirely in VR is in the works.

Initially, the amount of content available on Milk VR will be sparse considering that the Gear VR headset itself is still in its nascent stages, but as momentum builds, it is possible that we’ll see a wide variety of content make its way to the service. VR as a medium for entertainment is certainly exciting as it allows content creators to find new ways to engage with their audience, while allowing users to fully immense themselves in the visuals.

Furthermore, launching a service such as Milk VR when the medium is still in its infancy gives Samsung the potential to build an ecosystem of content around the platform. In the initial stages, Samsung will be looking at metrics like user engagement rather than overall sales to gauge the success of its service.

With growth coming to a crawl in the phone segment, Samsung is looking to other mediums to drive growth in the coming years, and initiatives such as Milk VR may just be the catalyst that Samsung needs to secure a foothold in this segment. Much of Samsung’s success with Android was down to timing, and the South Korean manufacturer will be looking to achieve a similar feat in the field of virtual reality.

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The new Samsung (KRX:000830) VR headset add-on for use with only its Galaxy Note 4 has arrived for sale on Samsung’s store for $199.99.  The device is power by Oculus-driven software to provide an immersive virtual reality experience using the Note 4 Super AMOLED display and the device itself to run the software.

Samsung stirred up a lot of talk earlier this year with the announcement that it was going to have an add-on for the Galaxy Note 4 that would make the pair a VR headset.  The Samsung Gear VR Innovator edition just popped up on the store for sale at Samsung’s website.  The good news is that this is only a $199.99 investment for those who already have a Galaxy Note 4.  The bad news for those who want to try it out and do not already own a Galaxy Note 4, is that the Gear VR  will only work with the Note 4.  This add-on most definitely will help to get more people buying the Note 4 than would if there wasn’t the Gear VR add-on.  This is a good move by Samsung for not only helping to drive VR innovation, but also to help its bottom line.  The Gear VR has access to Oculus store to have access to a fresh supply of ever growing content.

The Gear VR Innovator Edition comes with the headset, a carrying case, a replacement face cushion, a lens cloth, 16GB microSD memory card with the starter content pre-loaded, SD card adapter, user manual, and the warranty statement.  The controls that the headset has are a touchpad, a dedicated back button, focus adjustment wheel, volume keys, and a phone lock button.

Right now for those who purchase the Gear VR Innovator Edition there is two coupon codes to help get a discount for accessories.  The Samsung Gamepad is $30 off with the coupon code STAVR1, and the Samsung Gear Circle headset is $20 off with the coupon code STAVR2.

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After failing to secure any major hardware wins with its mobile processors, Intel is shifting focus to the wearable segment by announcing a collaboration with watchmaker Fossil. Although details on any upcoming products were divulged it is likely that Intel will be leveraging wearable technology from Basis, a wearable technology manufacturer that Intel acquired earlier this year.

The wearable market itself is in its nascent stages, and although we saw a flurry of new device staunches at the IFA earlier this week, manufacturers are tinkering away at new form factors, like Samsung has with the Gear VR. In the smartwatch segment, the South Korean vendor recently unveiled the Gear S, a Tizen-based smartwatch that has a SIM-card slot for standalone connectivity. Meanwhile, other vendors like Motorola and LG have focused their attention on design, with the Moto 360 and G Watch R featuring a more traditional watch design.

A collaboration with Fossil isn’t Intel’s first entry into the wearable segment, as the hardware vendor announced a high-end smart bracelet earlier this week. Set to debut later this year, Intel’s smart bracelet is set to cost in the vicinity of $1,000. With the bracelet, Intel is looking to fuse high-end fashion with wearable technology, although it isn’t the first time both industries have collaborated — Google teamed up with designed Diane von Furstenberg in launching a more stylised version of Google Glass earlier this year.

Intel’s collaboration with Fossil is more indicative of a general trend in the wearable segment, one that is seeing more and more manufacturers looking to the fashion industry for new ideas. The oft-rumored iWatch is set to debut next week, and it should be interesting to see the features it offers.

As for Intel’s offerings in this segment, we should be hearing more about the vendor’s plans at the Intel Developer Forum, which is being held next week in San Francisco.

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Virtual reality is now the next big hype in consumer tech, and it is definitely proved by Samsung’s big announcement.

Samsung unveiled a new flagship phone at the IFA 2014, which is the long awaited Galaxy Note 4. Aside from the new phone however, an even more interesting announcement came in the form of a new VR headset, the Samsung Gear VR, which the company also promptly presented at the event.

The Gear VR is a VR headset that basically uses the Galaxy Note 4 as it base. It is very reminiscent of the Google Cardboard, where the unit is strapped in front of 3D lenses, though this one is designed as a dedicated unit. The 3D viewing experience is expected to be quite fascinating, and the concept very much picks up on what the Oculus Rift can do in terms of 3D virtual reality immersion. In fact, its software was actually designed in collaboration with Oculus, though this one has its own perks that differentiate it from what was already designed.

Since the entire software is on the phone itself, the Gear VR does not need wires or any other wireless connection (aside from the mounted Note 4 unit). As reported earlier, it uses the phone’s sensors to provide directional orientation to user. There are also various adjustment controls on the headset that lets the user fix viewing settings, or give the user access options. Compatibility with game controllers seems to be a given, though no information is yet available on games that would provide such an option.News and rumors regarding the Samsung Gear VR was already circulating around the web a few months earlier. However this is the only time that Samsung presented the actual working unit that testers could really try out and work on.

There is one flip side to the otherwise enticing VR offer by Samsung. The Gear VR is actually only compatible with the Galaxy Note 4, which means that you’d definitely have to purchase the entire set before you can experience Samsung’s version of a virtual reality experience.

The Samsung Gear VR is slated to be available later this year, though its price is still yet to be announced.

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