Tag Archives: htc

What it feels like to be hugged in VR

This year, the Tribeca Film Festival collected virtual reality that could reach out and hug you. Every year, the festival gathers a slate of interactive storytelling into a darkly lit, packed room, called Tribeca Immersive. In recent years, this program has featured an increasing amount of virtual reality — experiences that use a headset like …

Read More »

Main squeeze: HTC sets May date for squeezable U phone

HTC wants U in May. The Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer is set to reveal a new phone with what looks like an intriguing new way of controlling it. On Thursday, HTC sent an invitation for a 16 May event that will span Taipei, New York and London. The tagline reads “Squeeze for the Brilliant U”, and an accompanying video shows a …

Read More »

Don’t want to buy VR apps? Rent them instead via Vive

One year of home holodecks is almost on the books, and HTC is marking the date with a sale. HTC Vive is the most expensive VR hardware on the market and hasn’t formally dropped in price since its launch a year ago — unlike the Oculus Rift. However, HTC is dropping Vive’s price by $100 to $699 on Wednesday only. …

Read More »

Samsung will take on Oculus, Vive with high

Gear VR is only the beginning of Samsung’s virtual reality ambitions. The South Korean company has made a big bet on mobile virtual reality, bundling its Gear VR headset with its flagship phones to get people familiar with the technology. Once again, consumers who preorder its newest phone — in this case, the Galaxy S8, unveiled Wednesday — will get …

Read More »

I kicked a velociraptor in the face

Now playing: Watch this: Is your body ready for VR arcades? 1:15 It was life or death. Human or dinosaur. I didn’t hesitate. I stuck out my actual, flesh-and-bone human leg, and kicked a virtual dinosaur in the face. It was kind of dumb and kind of exhilarating at the same time. Dumb, because the dino crumpled as soon as …

Read More »

Starting today, more Android users can get help from Google Assistant

Now playing: Watch this: Google Assistant rolling out to Android devices now 1:05 Check your phone: Today, Google Assistant is available to more devices running Android 7.0 Nougat and Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The rollout was announced last week, but Google just released a video ad (see it above), signaling that today’s the day more people can start using Google’s helper. …

Read More »

Facebook cuts Oculus Rift and Touch prices by $100 each

People are surprisingly willing to try goofy-looking VR headsets. They’re just not ready to buy. Facebook, owner of Oculus VR, is hoping that may change with a new lower price. On Wednesday, the company announced a permanent $100 price cut for each of its $599 Oculus Rift headset and $199 Touch motion controllers. They now cost $499 and $99 respectively, …

Read More »

BlackBerry KeyOne specs vs. HTC U Ultra, Google Pixel, iPhone 7

This April, the BlackBerry KeyOne will come into the market as a high-end phone — the first with both Android 7.1 Nougat software and a QWERTY keyboard. But when it does, it’ll face staunch competition from a bevy of Android phones that have large touchscreens and premium hardware, from all-metal bodies to powerful processors and cutting-edge camera tech. So how …

Read More »

Former HTC bigwig joins Android creator’s ‘stealth startup’

The man behind the Android operating system is apparently building a new company to take on Apple with, and it seems his dream team just added a new member. Jason Mackenzie, HTC‘s former global executive vice president, said in a Tweet that he’s joined Rubin’s “stealth startup.” It comes around two months after Mackenzie ended his 12-year tenure at HTC. …

Read More »

HTC wants U back. But is it too little, too late?

It’s no secret: The last few years have been rough for HTC. After paving the way for Android by making the first Android phone years ago, the Taiwanese company lost its groove. While Apple and Samsung have locked in as the premium phone makers and Chinese companies like Xiaomi and OnePlus have become go-to brands for affordable, quality devices, HTC …

Read More »