The price tag of one of 2016’s hottest new products is proving to be a hot-button topic. After months of suspense, Oculus VR revealed at CES this week that the Rift, one of the first virtual-reality headsets to hit the market, will set consumers back $599. That didn’t go over so well. Some who’d been …

Apple will apparently be making fewer smartphones at the start of this year, and some are taking it as a sign that the iPhone is in trouble. If only it were that clear-cut. The company, based in Cupertino, California, is expected to trim the number of iPhones it makes by around a third in the first three months of 2016, …

Image-based messaging service Snapchat is experiencing an extended outage, which is preventing some people from loading the app. Snapchat has acknowledged the problem but hasn’t indicated when it expects service to be fully restored. “Hi! Some Snapchatters are currently experiencing loading issues. Our team is aware of the problem and working on a fix now!” the company tweeted from the …

Bump. Bulge. Boost. Whatever word you pick, you may have had Apple’s new iPhone case in mind. Unveiled Tuesday, the iPhone 6S Smart Battery Case is the company’s answer to the enduring problem of smartphones that run out of juice far too soon for frustrated smartphone users. It also adds some heft to product known for its sleek design, along …

Apple has long been known for simplicity. Then came this year. The tech titan’s 2015 was punctuated by high-risk, big-ticket launches that have taken it into entirely new areas. It’s no longer just that iPhone company, even if its revenue suggests otherwise. Apple this year introduced a smartwatch, a subscription music service, an updated streaming-TV box and a larger tablet …

Anyone with a self-balancing scooter atop their wish list this season may be disappointed come the big day. Border officials have already impounded more than 15,000 of the devices, commonly called hoverboards, at UK ports in the lead up to Christmas, and major British retailers have issued recall notices for versions of the product they have been selling. Trading Standards …

The launch of the Apple Watch and new devices from luxury brands like Tag Heuer has made 2015 seem like a massive year for wearable tech, and now the latest sales figures are confirming it as fact. Sales of wearable tech worldwide shot up 200 percent in the last three months compared with the same period in 2014, according to …

Samsung is kicking off a new phase of its plans for virtual-reality tech with the release of a dedicated Web browser for its Gear VR headset. Samsung Internet for Gear VR is an app that lets people browse the Web in a panoramic environment and immerse themselves in the Internet without actually downloading content to their phones. The app, set …

Swatch has partnered with Visa on a watch capable of making smartphone payments with the swipe of your wrist. The Swatch Bellamy, scheduled to launch in early 2016, can be used anywhere contactless Visa payments are accepted, the companies jointly announced Monday. It looks much like any other Swatch watch, but has an NFC (near-field communications) chip inside, giving it …

Google Glass could return in the form of a monocle. A potential version of the techie specs has made an appearance in a patent, granted to Google this week by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The device appears to rest on one side of the face, tucking over one ear with the display perched just above the eye. Images …