Technology and You
Virtual reality glasses find their place in the world
Virtual reality headsets might become as common as smartphones.
The VRs got star billing at this year's Consumer Electronics Show.
Facebook's Oculus Rift headset, its first retail model, begins shipping in April. HTC's rival system, the Vive is also due out in April.
The price is $599 for the Rift, but the headsets require an expensive graphics card. Oculus says computers working with major VR headsets should have Nvidia's top-of-the-line graphics card. But only 1 percent of the 1.43 billion active desktops and laptops have the pricey card.
Other VR hardware developers include Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Samsung. Among the content providers: YouTube, Netflix and ESPN.
Virtual reality is not all fun and games, either.
In real estate, sales people can use them to help buyers envision a house on an empty lot, or to renovations.
The military uses them right now to train recruits for battle.
Football coaches can train their players, especially quarterbacks with the technology.
Other uses include safety training for dangerous jobs, and teaching.
One interesting possibility is the use of VR in treating fears and phobias.
