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Google Chrome to support Windows Mixed Reality headsets
Google Chrome has supported some virtual reality headsets like Oculus Rift on Windows for almost a year now, through Google’s WebVR program, but Windows Mixed Reality headsets were notably incompatible. This is soon to change, as a new flag coming to Chrome will enable early testing of Windows Mixed Reality headsets with WebVR.
Chrome 66 for Windows adds ‘Oculus hardware support’ to use WebVR apps
Chrome 66 rolled out earlier this week with a new password export feature and restrictions to when media can autoplay. On Windows, this update also adds support to view web-based virtual reality apps through an Oculus VR headset.
Google launches Daydream Impact to provide organizations w/ VR training, equipment rentals
One of the frequently cited uses for virtual reality is building empathy by immersing users in the viewpoint of others. Google today is doubling down on that VR use with Daydream Impact — a training program that provides equipment to various organizations.
YouTube adds heatmaps to help creators see where people gaze in 360 VR videos
Virtual reality is incredibly important and YouTube has been doubling down over the past year to ensure that it is the premier platform for the format. The latest update for creators adds heatmaps to see how viewers are interacting with 360-degree and VR videos.
HTC announces a Japan-only VR headset for the U11 w/ built-in display, 6DoF tracking
Google might preview a standalone VR headset w/ inside-out tracking at I/O 2017
What I/O 2017 set to kickoff in less than 24 hours, Google might showcase a standalone virtual reality headset at the event. Rumored for over a year, it will not require a smartphone or a PC and possibly use inside-out positional tracking.
Google’s WebVR now compatible with Cardboard, new experiments website [Video]
Back in June of 2016, it was revealed that Google was working on a way to make virtual reality accessible from every web browser, dubbed WebVR. Then, with the release of Chrome 56 Beta, Google started to allow developers to begin testing their WebVR projects on the web. Today, Google has published 12 WebVR experiments for users to test out not only with Daydream headsets but also those with Cardboard…
Get your Cardboard out and pretend you’re in line for the Galaxy S8 event [Panorama]
Samsung’s Galaxy S8 event is kicking off in less than an hour, and we’re standing in line here at the Lincoln Center in New York City. If you want to know what it’s like to stand in one of these (extremely long) lines, just pull out your Cardboard (or Daydream!), and tap on the Facebook embed below.
Alternatively, you can just head directly over to our Facebook page (and like/follow it!) and check out the pano over there. If you turn your device sideways, the pano should load right up and you’ll be able to tilt and turn your head around to see the Unpacked 2017 line as we wait for the event.
Be sure to tune in live to watch Samsung announce the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
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Google has shipped over 10 million Cardboard VR headsets since 2014
Google has a lot invested in VR, specifically in mobile VR. Its Daydream platform has been the star of the show for the past several months, but before that came Google Cardboard, an affordable VR experience for every phone. Believe it or not, that system debuted almost three years ago, and today Google is announcing that it has shipped over 10 million Cardboard headsets.
Google, Samsung, and others form the Global Virtual Reality Association to create VR standards
Announced yesterday, some of the biggest names in the virtual reality world have come together to form an association that will hopefully make VR something that everyone can enjoy and partake in. This non-profit hopes to not only conduct research and identify the best practices for VR, but to also start a conversation between everyone currently involved in the field…
Google was working on its own Oculus-style VR headset, but it was scrapped
With virtual reality gaming quickly on the rise we’re seeing more and more consumers pick up VR headsets such as the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. Currently these are the two biggest players in the game, but if plans from Google had come to fruition, there may have been another headset on the market…
Google working to make every website viewable in virtual reality with Chrome
It’s no secret that Google is heavily interested in virtual reality technology and now it’s looking to bring some of that technology to Chrome. As noticed by Road To VR, the latest builds of Chrome Beta and Chrome Dev bring the beginnings of support for WebVR.
This could be the newly redesigned, cleaner, iOS-esque TouchWiz to come with the Galaxy Note 7 [Video]
Hands-on with an early preview of Daydream, Android’s upcoming VR platform [Video]
VR is slowly taking over the tech space as more and more companies make their attempts to steal your content-consuming eyeballs. As you may know, Google was among the first to debut a mobile VR experience with Google Cardboard, but it was pretty barebones to say the least.
At Google I/O 2016 we got a sneak peek at what Google has in store for virtual reality in the coming months with Google Daydream. And right around the corner from the full Android N release, Google has debuted a set of developer tools to allow anyone with a Nexus 6P to test out Daydream right now…
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Nexus 5X 32GB $240, Nest Thermostat $199, Seagate 8TB Desktop HDD $200, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
LG Nexus 5X 32GB (Factory GSM Unlocked) for $240 shipped (Orig. $399)
The Nest Learning Thermostat will help lower your energy costs throughout the summer: $199 (Reg. $249)
You can store everything on this Seagate 8TB external hard drive for $200 shipped, more
We thought you needed 5TB of extra space, here’s a Seagate Expansion hard drive for $110 shipped (Reg. $130)
Ticket to Ride on iOS and Android drops to its lowest price in years: $2 (Reg. $7)
Apple’s Thunderbolt Display has been put out to pasture, here are the best alternatives at every price point
Vansky’s $23 USB LED light strip gives you multi-color mood lighting
Review: Jaybird’s new Freedom Wireless headphones score high marks on design, sound [Video]
How-to: Put a USB Charging port just about anywhere, without AC power for as little as $50 (Solar+Battery)
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Amazon Gold Box has something for everyone: ECCO Shoes, High Sierra Backpacks, GoT, Pets, Humidifiers
- Samsung Smart TVs: 60-inch 4K HDR $999 (Reg. $1,200) or 50-inch 1080p $440 (Reg. $580)
- AOC 16-inch USB-Powered Portable LED Monitor (Refurb) $75, Samsung Galaxy S7 $540, more
- Games/Apps: Star Fox Zero/Guard $37, WWE 2K16 $30, Metro Last Light $4, iOS freebies, more
- The DJI Phantom 4 quadcopter is incredible and it’s on sale for $1,150 shipped (Reg. $1,399)
- EC Technology 22400mAh Power Bank $19 Prime shipped (Reg. $33), more
- This Samsung soundbar brings 350W of power + a wireless sub to your home theater for $400
- Just $9 Prime shipped for a new Apple Watch band? Sounds good to me.
- App Store Free App of the Week: Give It Up! 2 rhythm-platformer goes free (Reg. $1)
- Runtastic’s Road Bike GPS Cycling App goes free for the first time in a year (Reg. $5)
- One of the best RPGs of all-time just went 50% off on iOS: Secret of Mana $4 (Reg. $8)
- The iPhone 5c (16GB GSM Unlocked Refurb) makes a great first phone $100 shipped
- Get an iPhone 5s 16GB (refurb) w/ a month of FreedomPop’s Unlimited for $160
- PowerTime Apple Watch Charging Dock w/ 3 USB Ports: $39 shipped (Reg. $49)
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
JBL’s Charge 2 Bluetooth speaker is a solid option for your party this summer: refurb for $60 (Orig. $150)
Smartphone Accessories: 2-Pack of Mpow MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cables $8 Prime shipped (Reg. $14), more
Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s Quora account was briefly hijacked, auto-tweeted for hackers
Cybersecurity is one of the most important — and talked about — aspects of our digital lives, and a high priority amongst tech companies. Just this past week, Google made it easier for users to adopt its two-factor authentication system, but ironically, it was none other than its CEO Sundar Pichai that saw his account hacked earlier today…
Galaxy Note 7 logo leaks, iris scanner and other specs apparently confirmed
Update 2: It looks like Evan is on a roll right now — a second follow-up message is here to seemingly confirm a slew of additional, previously rumored specs: as per him, the Note 7 will sport a 5.7″ QHD AMOLED display, 64GB of expandable memory (via microSD; it’s unclear whether other storage options will see the light of day), a 12MP/5MP combo of cameras (back and front respectively, shutting down reports that wanted the Note 7 to have a dual camera setup, which we won’t likely see until the Galaxy S8 lands), IP68 certification, and three colorations: blue, black and white.
Update: A follow-up tweet by @evleaks also seems to confirm that the much rumored iris scanner will indeed make it to the Note 7. It is not sure what it will be used for, but we assume it will likely be related to biometric identification, much like fingerprint readers.
There has been much speculation regarding the sequel to America’s most loved phone. Most of it regarded its shape, but a series of leaked memos suggested that Samsung was looking forward to changing the name, too.
And now it seems like those leaks were all but true…
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Huawei Watch $250 w/ free band, Seagate External HDD $110, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Save on Huawei Watch for iOS/Android, starting at $250 shipped w/ free extra watch band (total $430 value) | Newegg
We thought you needed 5TB of extra space, here’s a Seagate Expansion hard drive for $110 shipped (Reg. $130)
LG Nexus 5X 32GB (Factory GSM Unlocked) for $270 shipped (Orig. $399)
Buy the Moto X Pure Edition 64 GB for $400 ($50 off) and get the Moto 360 Sport ($200 value) FREE
The latest 11-inch MacBook Air drops to just $700 w/ .edu (Reg. $899), 256GB from $800 (Reg. $1,099)
Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on sale from $1,000 shipped w/ .edu ($300 savings)
Review: Jaybird’s new Freedom Wireless headphones score high marks on design, sound [Video]
How-to: Put a USB Charging port just about anywhere, without AC power for as little as $50 (Solar+Battery)
Giotto’s $10 Rocket Air Blaster is the best way to keep your Mac clean for the money
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
JBL’s Charge 2 Bluetooth speaker is a solid option for your party this summer: refurb for $60 (Orig. $150)
- Games/Apps: XCOM 2 for Mac $36, iOS freebies, more
- Add a Sony 4K 725W 5.2-Ch. A/V Receiver to your home theater for $150 shipped
- Daily Deals: CyberPower 150W Power Inverter $13, Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX $28, more
- Pick up a stainless steel rotating waffle maker for under $18 Prime shipped (Reg. $30), more
- 2-Pack of Mpow MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cables $8 Prime shipped (Reg. $14), more
- The iPhone 5c (16GB GSM Unlocked Refurb) at only $100 shipped (Orig. $550)
- Get an iPhone 5s 16GB (refurb) w/ a month of FreedomPop’s Unlimited for $160
- Best Buy will give you an Apple Watch for $49 w/purchase of iPhone 6s/+ plan
- App Store Free App of the Week: Give It Up! 2 rhythm-platformer goes free
- Ticket to Ride on iOS and Android drops to its lowest price in years: $2 (Reg. $7)
- Tower defense games for iOS are on sale: Kingdom Rush Frontiers & Origins from $1, more
- Don’t Starve for iOS drops to its lowest price yet: $1 (Reg. $5)
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MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
The Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale will track your weight, BMI & more: refurb $50 shipped (Orig. $130)
Score PowerBeats2 Wireless Headphones for $120 (40% off) and maybe you’ll become an NBA champion too
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto X Pure Edition 16GB $240, Logitech solar keyboard $36, Fitbit Aria smart scale $50, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Best Buy and Amazon now offer the 16GB Moto X Pure for $240 shipped
Buy the Moto X Pure Edition 64 GB for $400 ($50 off) and get the Moto 360 Sport ($200 value) FREE
This Logitech keyboard is Mac-friendly and uses solar power for $36 shipped (Reg. $55)
The Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale will track your weight, BMI & more: refurb $50 shipped (Orig. $130)
Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on sale from $1,000 shipped w/ .edu ($300 savings)
How-to: Put a USB Charging port just about anywhere, without AC power for as little as $50 (Solar+Battery)
Giotto’s $10 Rocket Air Blaster is the best way to keep your Mac clean for the money
Review: At just $24, this Leather Loop Band for Apple Watch looks great and won’t break the bank [Gallery]
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Smartphone Accessories: Gold Box – BoostCube 4-port USB Wall Charger $12 Prime shipped (Reg $20), more
- Daily Deals: Samsung 28-inch 4K Monitor (Refurb) $305, more
- Nike is taking 25% off: Dri-FIT, training gear, Free running shoes, more
- Vans X Nintendo apparel/footwear line is now at 20% off with free shipping
- Celebrate Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th Anniversary w/ free game downloads, exclusive gear, more
- $5 off Gillette Premium razors/Oral B Electric Toothbrushes, starting at $5/$15 Prime shipped
- Fill your closet with designer Tory Burch sale styles for an extra 30% off, prices start at $18
- Games/Apps: Trine 1 & 2 for Mac from $2 ea, iOS freebies, more
- Score a free download of Jason Mraz’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things, more
- The iPhone 5c (16GB GSM Unlocked Refurb) at only $100 shipped (Orig. $550)
- Get an iPhone 5s 16GB (refurb) w/ a month of FreedomPop’s Unlimited for $160
- Best Buy will give you an Apple Watch for $49 w/purchase of iPhone 6s/+ plan
- Tower defense games for iOS are on sale: Kingdom Rush Frontiers & Origins from $1, more
- App Store Free App of the Week: TextGrabber + Translator goes free (Reg. $5+)
- Put your survival skills to the test as Don’t Starve for iOS drops to $1 (Reg. $5)
- All the iOS Grand Theft Auto titles just went on sale up to 60% off, more
- Rovio’s Bad Piggies for iPhone/iPad goes free for the first time in years (Reg. $1)
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Score PowerBeats2 Wireless Headphones for $120 (40% off) and maybe you’ll become an NBA champion too
Anker launches sale on Amazon for a bunch of its iPhone accessories: Lightning cables $6, cases from $5, more
Xiaomi’s Mi5s is coming with a pressure sensitive display as well as an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
Xiaomi‘s Mi5 flagship has arrived not too long ago on the market, and has been greeted with generally positive reviews. Its praises come from good build quality matched by mostly high specs, and, in typical Chinese fashion, an affordable price.
However, the firm does not want to trail behind come the last quarter of the year. In order to hack it against the likes of Samsung (with its Note 7) and Apple (and the iPhone) among others, it looks like Xiaomi is prepping to launch a higher-end version of its top phone…
Revamped Samsung VR service will allow anyone to upload 360 degree videos
Samsung is renaming its Milk VR service and turning it into an “end-to-end VR ecosystem” where users can upload their 360-degree videos. The revamped service was announced alongside a Samsung Creators program that teaches how to shoot and work with VR.
9to5Toys Lunch Break: PowerBeats2 Headphones $120, Seagate 4TB Portable HDD $110, Nexus 5X 32GB $270, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Score PowerBeats2 Wireless Headphones for $120 (40% off) and maybe you’ll become an NBA champion too
Daily Deals: Seagate 4TB USB Portable Hard Drive $110, Duracell 8800mAh & 1850mAh Power Bank Set $23, more
LG Nexus 5X 32GB (Factory GSM Unlocked) for $270 shipped (Orig. $399)
Nova Launcher Prime for your Android smartphone just $1 (Reg. $5) on Google Play
Get the best of both worlds w/ Sony’s AirPlay and Bluetooth Speaker for $290 shipped (Reg. $350)
Grab Apple’s latest 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on sale from $1,000 shipped w/ .edu ($300 savings)
How-to: Put a USB Charging port just about anywhere, without AC power for as little as $50 (Solar+Battery)
Giotto’s $10 Rocket Air Blaster is the best way to keep your Mac clean for the money
Review: At just $24, this Leather Loop Band for Apple Watch looks great and won’t break the bank [Gallery]
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Smartphone Accessories: Aukey Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker $15 Prime shipped (Reg. $22), more
- Amazon’s $80 Kindle e-reader picked up Bluetooth capabilities, fresh colors, more this morning
- Games/Apps: Ratchet & Clank PS4 $27, Xbox One 4 game bundle w/ extra controller $299, more
- Adobe Photoshop & Premiere Elements 14 bundle: $75 (25% off)
- Go retro with the 1byone 3-Speed Portable Stereo Turntable for $40 Prime shipped (Reg. $77)
- You might have Amazon credit from Apple’s eBook settlement, find out how to check here
- Waves wants to bring 3D audio to any headphones using a new app & head tracker
- Ditch that silly adapter for a built-in Boss Bluetooth Car Audio Receiver from $45 (Orig. $65+)
- Get an iPhone 5s 16GB (refurb) w/ a month of FreedomPop’s Unlimited for $160
- Best Buy will give you an Apple Watch for $49 w/purchase of iPhone 6s/+ plan
- App Store Free App of the Week: TextGrabber + Translator goes free (Reg. $5+)
- Put your survival skills to the test as Don’t Starve for iOS drops to $1 (Reg. $5)
- Yoga Studio just went free for the first time in a year (Reg. $4)
- All the iOS Grand Theft Auto titles just went on sale up to 60% off, more
- Rovio’s Bad Piggies for iPhone/iPad goes free for the first time in years (Reg. $1)
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Anker launches sale on Amazon for a bunch of its iPhone accessories: Lightning cables $6, cases from $5, more
Protect your iPhone 6/s/Plus or 5/s/SE w/ a Ringke case for as little as $3 shipped
New reports confirm Samsung’s Galaxy S8 may sport a UHD 4K display & dual-camera
It’s only been a few months since the arrival of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge on the market — and, more recently, the rugged S7 Active sibling as well — but while the rumor mill is in full swing regarding the ever-closer Galaxy Note 7, reports keep coming regarding next year’s flagship too…
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Acer Chromebook 15 $229, BlackBerry PRIV (unlocked) $300, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Acer’s huge Chromebook 15, 1080p display, 9 hour battery life – just $229 ($70 off)
Unlocked AT&T BlackBerry PRIV down to $300 shipped (Reg. $649) | eBay
Pebble Steel Smartwatch for iOS and Android $80 shipped, Apple Watches up to $200 off, more
Amazon Gold Box saves tons upgrading your Mac/PC/Network setup: Dell 24″ display: $115, more
LG’s 27-inch 4K FreeSync Monitor brings massive work space to your battlestation: $400 shipped (Reg. $500)
Daily Deals: Blue Yeti USB Microphone in Silver $100, Logitech G302 Daedalus Prime Optical Mouse $25, more
Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Air 1.6GHz/8GB/128GB drops to $830 shipped (Reg. $999)
How-to: Put a USB Charging port just about anywhere, without AC power for as little as $50 (Solar+Battery)
Giotto’s $10 Rocket Air Blaster is the best way to keep your Mac clean for the money
Review: At just $24, this Leather Loop Band for Apple Watch looks great and won’t break the bank [Gallery]
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Smartphone Accessories: OLALA 6000mAh Power Bank with Built-in Lightning Cable $24 Prime shipped (Reg. $30), more
- The Logitech Harmony Ultimate Home Remote does it all: $170 (Reg. $250)
- Games/Apps: Doom $38, Fallout 4 $20, iOS freebies, more
- Your HDTV’s speakers are probably terrible, upgrade to Sony’s 300W Soundbar for $199
- Get your Anti-Virus software checkboxes ticked w/ Norton Security 10 for $27.99 download
- Mercedes of tea kettles, the Ivation 1.7 Liter, 1.5kW stainless for $50
- It’s time to get some free money w/ up to 20% off gift cards from Staples, Jiffy Lube and Petco
- Bring the Samsung 50-inch Smart HDR Ultra HDTV to your living room for $629 (Reg. $749)
- It is time to spoil the kids with Fisher-Price/Power Wheels electric kid cars starting at $55
- Get an Apple Watch for $49 w/purchase of iPhone 6s/+ plan on AT&T/Verizon/Sprint ($250 off)
- Grab a 42mm Space Gray Apple Watch Sport with Black Band (Refurb) for $226 (Orig. $349)
- App Store Free App of the Week: TextGrabber + Translator goes free (Reg. $5+)
- Yoga Studio: one of the best iOS yoga apps out there just went free (Reg. $4)
- All the iOS Grand Theft Auto titles just went on sale up to 60% off, more
- Rovio’s Bad Piggies for iPhone/iPad goes free for the first time in years (Reg. $1)
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
