<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Gigaom]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://gigaom.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Signe Brewster]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://gigaom.com/author/signejb/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Report: Android OS coming to virtual reality headsets]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Google has reportedly hired a team to build a version of the Android operating system for virtual reality headsets, the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/googles-android-to-take-on-facebook-in-virtual-reality-1425684553">Wall Street Journal reports</a>.</p>
<p>Vice president of product management Clay Bavor and engineering director Jeremy Doig are leading the VR team, which includes &#8220;tens of engineers,&#8221; according to the WSJ report. Like Android for mobile phones, the VR version will be available for any virtual reality company to integrate into its headset.</p>
<div id="attachment_853599" style="width: 814px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/img_4294.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all"><img class="size-large wp-image-853599" src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/img_4294.jpg?quality=80&amp;strip=all&amp;w=804" alt="David Coz and Boris Smus demonstrate Cardboard at Google I/O."   data-attribution="Signe Brewster" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">David Coz and Boris Smus demonstrate Cardboard at Google I/O.</p></div>
<p>Bavor helped create Google Cardboard, a stripped down virtual reality headset actually made from cardboard. VR goggles can actually be made from very inexpensive components &#8212; in the case of Cardboard, just two lenses and a cardboard case that straps in a mobile phone. The phone itself, which presents two nearly identical images on a split screen to give the impression of a 3D virtual world when viewed through the lenses, does most of the work.</p>
<p>At last year&#8217;s <a href="https://gigaom.com/2014/06/26/virtual-reality-smartwatches-and-cars-google-io-in-pictures/">Google I/O developers conference</a>, Google actually showed off several applications created specifically for virtual reality. Besides apps for Cardboard, there was also a short film drawn by former Disney animator Glen Keane. Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects team converted the &#8220;Duet&#8221; drawings to a 360 degree film that could be viewed on phones.</p>
<p>While everyone has been busy racing to build the best virtual reality headset, a leading operating system has yet to emerge. It&#8217;s currently a fragmented space that feels secondary to creating games and other content. Google is obviously in a good place to develop a respectable option.</p>
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