HTC realizes most people don’t have a VR-ready PC

HTC is making it easier for you to buy a Vive. The company just rolled out three new bundles for the virtual reality headset that include PCs and graphics cards for the first time. If you already have a decent rig but need a new graphics card, you can now get the Vive and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition for $999.99. That’s $200 cheaper than the suggested retail price, HTC says. You can also finance the bundle for as low as $49 per month for 24 months (estimated shipping plus tax), but these are temporary offers that run through April 24th.

The second bundle is a Vive and a MSI VR Ready laptop for $125 per month. The laptop includes an Intel i7 Quad-Core processor, a GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5 graphics card, 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 256GB solid state hard drive.

And, lastly, HTC is offering a desktop bundle, pairing the Vive with the Cyberpower GXi970 for “less than” $99 per month, but the exact cost isn’t listed just yet. Its specs include an Intel i5 Quad-Core processor, an Intel B250 Chipset, 8GB DDR4 RAM, a 2TB hard drive and a GTX 1070 8GB video card.

HTC’s Vive Financing Program currently has three options: zero percent financing for six months and 12 months, or 7.99 percent financing for 24 months. It’s likely offering the same options for the new bundles, but the details aren’t all available on HTC’s site yet. Obviously, the less time you take to pay something off the better. The 24-month option won’t really save you any money in the long run. These bundles probably aren’t the most cost-effective options out there — an ambitious person could likely build their own rig for less. But, they could be a convenient option for less hardware savvy people looking for an easy way into the world of VR.

Source: HTC

Asus reveals pricing of VivoPC X, announces Oculus Rift bundle

Why it matters to you

With just a little patience, you can grab a nice bundle that pairs the Asus VivoPC X gaming PC with the Oculus Rift VR system.

CES 2017 was full of PC gaming and virtual reality system announcements. In some cases, companies showed off both, in gaming systems that are not only well suited for pushing serious frame rates in the most demanding modern titles, but also for powering superior VR gaming experiences.

Asus had a number of announcements covering both topics, and not all of them involved ultra-expensive machines at the very high end. One of its most interesting new products, in fact, is the much more compact VivoPC X system offering solid performance in a small and portable chassis. Now, Asus has finally announced pricing and availability for the new machine, as Tom’s Hardware reports.

As a refresher, the VivoPC X is most notable for packing some real power into a tiny frame. It utilizes the latest seventh-generation Intel Core i5 CPU with Nvidia’s popular GeForce GTX 1060 GPU. While neither component is the most powerful option available, they combine to provide enough horsepower both for running modern titles at high-quality settings in 1080p resolution and powering VR systems like the Oculus Rift.

Now, Asus has let everyone know how much the PC is going to cost, and it’s sounding like Asus intends to offer some serious gaming and VR value. Details are a bit sketchy, but it appears that the VivoPC X with Core i5-7300U, GeForce GTX 1060, 8GB of DDR4-2400MHz RAM, and a 512GB SATA SSD will run $800. That’s solid pricing for a highly portable and apparently well-designed gaming PC that’s capable of driving games and high frame rates, and powering VR.

In addition, Asus is bundling the VivoPC X with the Oculus Rift VR system for a cool $1,300. The bundle apparently includes the Oculus Rift headset, a Touch controller, and four VR-enabled gaming titles. Tom’s Hardware suggests as well that the bundle might include two Touch controllers, which would be more logical and in line with the usual Oculus Rift system offering.

The VivoPC X should be available from the Asus online store and retailers like Best Buy and Amazon sometime soon. The Oculus Rift bundle is going on sale for a limited time, specifically April 25 through June 13, 2017.

Facebook’s about to make augmented reality on phones really fun

Why it matters to you

Facebook is moving augmented reality beyond Pokémon Go, for everything from fun video effects to huge 3D street art installations.

If you’ve been wondering why Facebook has been adding camera modes to its apps, from Messenger to WhatsApp, over the last months, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has revealed why during the F8 developer conference keynote. He called the camera features, “act one,” and act two will be to create the first camera augmented reality platform that will integrate with each app. Get ready for AR fun like we’ve never seen before.

Launching in closed beta today, Facebook’s AR platform will be open to developers, giving them the chance to create some exciting tools, games, and even art projects. This means in the future, rather than a few dozen options, there will be thousands. While face masks and frames, like we’re already seeing in Facebook’s app, will be part of the platform; it’s technology called Simultaneous Location and Matching (SLAM) that’ll make it really cool.

By understanding precise location and its environment, the AR platform will understand depth, movement, and 3D space. Looking at a table, you can place an AR object in-camera, and it’ll stay where you put it, regardless of whether you move the camera around to view it from another angle. Beyond this, virtual lighting can be changed, and objects replicated or augmented with cool effects. For example, add AR flowers to a plant, an information card floating in virtual space to a bottle of wine, leave AR notes on the refrigerator, or scrawl AR graffiti on a table at the local bar.

Zuckerberg spoke about the usefulness of AR. He said people want to share their everyday life, but don’t want to do so if what they’re doing is mundane. Augmented reality effects can make those ordinary things more fun, and therefore more shareable.

Effects like these mentioned above are only the start. Facebook wants to add AR gaming to its apps, like turning a regular table into an AR battleground, and even AR art, like changing a blank wall into a huge 3D, animated piece of street art. If you thought Pokémon Go was bad, wait until hordes of people are staring at blank walls holding their phones out in front of them.

Facebook’s AR platform will take a while to develop, and it’s really early days; but it’ll start rolling out soon. Don’t expect the games to arrive until later this year. Zuckerberg said that although we’ll have to be patient, eventually the AR innovations will, “change the way we use our phones,” and eventually, it’s the technology that will go into those ordinary-looking AR spectacles we all want.

Russia’s deputy prime minister insists gun-toting robot is not a Terminator

Why it matters to you

Robots will likely be the first full-time settlers in outer space and with these gun-slinging skills, Mars could look like the Wild West.

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin took to Twitter last week to both praise and defend his country’s gun-toting space robot, FEDOR (Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research).

“Robot platform FEDOR showed shooting skills with two hands,” he wrote, as translated by the Independent.

“We are not creating a Terminator, but artificial intelligence that will be of great practical significance in various fields,” he added.

In Rogozin’s defense, gun slinging ain’t the only skill in FEDOR’s repertoire. Initially developed as a rescue robot, engineers have also trained FEDOR to screw in light bulbs, use keys, and drive cars.

But despite Rogozin’s statement, the video posted online emphasizes the machine’s military applications.

In the video, which begins with a robotic tank obliterating targets with a light machine gun and explosives, FEDOR is shown dual-wielding pistols and knocking out targets with ease. Rogozin took to Facebook to insist that the task was simply a demonstration of FEDOR’s dexterity and decision-making algorithms.

Русские боевые роботы – парни с железным характером @fpi_russia pic.twitter.com/qbflvn5HFy

— Дмитрий Рогозин (@Rogozin) April 14, 2017

After two-and-a-half years of development, FEDOR made headlines in 2016 by power-drilling into a pile of cinder blocks. At that time Russia announced plans to send the humanoid robot to the International Space Station to assist astronauts by 2021. Some day FEDOR is expected to work in environments that are deemed too dangerous for humans.

FEDOR won’t be the first robotic astronaut in space and it won’t likely be the last. It will follow in the footsteps of Russia’s SAR-400 and SAR-4001, the United States’ Robonaut and Robonaut 2, Germany’s AILA, and China’s Xiaotian. NASA is also developing an advanced astrobot called Valkyrie, which the agency hopes will help construct Martian colonies prior to manned missions. Meanwhile, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is researching small construction robots for colonizing Mars.

Future of social media? Facebook’s Spaces lets users interact in VR

Why it matters to you

Spaces sheds light on Facebook’s vision of the future of social media, which involves interacting with your friends in a virtual environment.

Facebook unveiled its new Spaces virtual reality platform at the F8 conference in San Jose, California, on Tuesday. The project aims to take the social experience one step further, providing Facebook users with virtual environments where they can interact with their friends.

Inside Spaces, users are represented by an avatar, which can be customized. You can even choose a photograph of yourself that you like, and Facebook will pick an option that resembles you.

The experience is built around interacting with up to three friends, but there’s more to do than simply talk to one another and gawp at each other’s avatars. Users will be able to share 360-degree video content, draw with virtual markers, and, inevitably, take selfies.

Facebook users who haven’t invested in a VR headset aren’t going to be left out of Spaces entirely. You can receive a standard video call from a group of users taking part in a Spaces session, and get a window into their virtual world, avatars and all.

Spaces demonstrates why Facebook purchased Oculus for $2 billion in 2014. While much of the VR content that’s hit the scene has been akin to traditional video games, it’s clear that the social media giant sees the technology’s potential to underpin a different kind of social media.

What’s unclear is whether users will latch onto what Spaces has to offer. The footage shown at the event made it look like an amusing diversion — but not the kind of thing that warrants spending upwards of $1,000 on a compatible headset and a sufficiently powerful PC.

Anyone with an Oculus Rift headset and an Oculus Touch controller can now try out the experience. The beta version of the app is available now from the Oculus Store for free. More information, including recommended specs, is available via the Oculus website.

MasterCard adds MasterPass to Facebook Messenger bots for easy mobile payments

Why it matters to you

When you check out with a bot, you likely want the process to be both quick and easy. MasterCard’s MasterPass helps make that happen.

MasterCard is getting more into the bot game. Or rather, it’s helping others make payments through bots easier. The company has announced that its MasterPass digital wallet system will now be compatible with a slew of Facebook Messenger bots, including bots from FreshDirect, Subway, and The Cheesecake Factory. What this means is that users will be able to use MasterPass to complete transactions through those apps, without having to enter critical credit card information directly into the chat windows.

MasterPass-enabled bots will work across a range of different services — including retail stores, restaurants, and more. The news isn’t all that surprising — MasterCard actually announced a MasterPass-enabled bot called Getir last month, and it’s likely we’ll see more bots with payment capabilities like this come in as time goes on.

Using MasterPass-enabled bots is pretty easy. All you have to do is select to pay with MasterPass when you’re checking out after selecting an item to buy, then enter your MasterPass password, and you’ll be able to buy it quickly and securely.

MasterCard isn’t the only company working on payments through bots. A few months ago, PayPal launched a bot for Slack, aimed specifically at making it easier for users to send payments through the Slack app. While we have yet to see PayPal work with any third-party developers to integrate PayPal payments into their services, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising.

We’ll likely see more companies leverage bots for purchases over the next few years. Bots are tipped to completely change how we interact with companies — while we would have once used a company’s app to interact with that company on our smartphone, bots are much easier and quicker to use. Not only that, but most people don’t want to download an app for one store, and with bots there are no downloads necessary.

Check out 25 of the best Android Wear apps for your smartwatch

Android Wear runs on a number of smartwatches now and there are loads of apps that add all sorts of handy capabilities. These apps do more than just bring notifications to your wrist — they can entertain you, track your fitness and health, and help you find fun things to do.

More: We tested all the most popular smartwatches to find the uncontested best

So with all that in mind, here are 25 of our favorite Android Wear apps, starting with a few that have been enhanced for Android Wear 2.0.  Most of these apps still rely on a partner app on your smartphone, but a few offer standalone functionality. Either way, they’re all must-haves for your watch.

Telegram

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

You can send voice or text messages, browse your chat history, or create group chats with this accessible instant messaging app that has been updated for Android Wear 2.0. It also supports emojis, stickers, and themes.

Google Play

Lifesum

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Here’s an app for the health-conscious, which tracks your food and water intake to help you achieve the right balance. Set your personal health goals and Lifesum will guide you to success with a personalized plan that includes exercise tips.

Google Play

Strava

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

If you want an alternative to Google Fit, then Strava is well worth a look. It’s available on Android Wear 2.0 as a standalone app that can track your runs and other sporty activities. If you’re cycling or running it’s great to be able to leave your phone at home, but still record your progress.

Google Play

Foursquare City Guide

With a fresh design for Android Wear 2.0, the Foursquare app is one of the easiest ways to find great places to eat, drink, and be merry in the city you’re in. It works without your phone, and you can filter by all sorts of different categories to find the exact spot you want.

Google Play

Uber

Missed the last train? No need to worry, you can now book an Uber directly from your smartwatch. This is a standalone app for your Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch that allows you to order a ride, check driver progress, and get time estimates for your journey all from your wrist. There’s no need to use your phone at all.

Google Play

Stocard

Running out of space on your keychain due to the many little loyalty and membership cards you lug around? Stocard not only lets you digitize all those cards so they’re accessible in a single mobile app, it even works with your Android Wear watch to display them. This means you just need to let the cashier scan your watch, instead of physical cards or your smartphone, to collect your rewards or access your gym.

Amazon App Store Google Play

Google Slides

Here is a new incentive to use the latest version of Google Slides for your presentations: You can now use your Android Wear smartwatch to both timekeep and remotely control your slides. The only catch is that you need to first “cast” your slides to a Chromecast-enabled display, or present them in a video call, before your watch will transform into a slick presentation remote.

Google Play

If by IFTTT

Let’s be real, app developers aren’t mind readers who know exactly what functions you need, so why not create your own with IF by IFTTT? Short for the programming lingo “If This Then That,” this meta-app lets you create “recipes” that link two unrelated apps in order to create an action. For example, you can tell the app to send a copy of every photo you take with your phone to your Android Wear watch.

Amazon App Store Google Play

Tinder

Start planning for your hot date tonight by swiping right or left through Tinder — on your wrist. With the dating app bringing its features to Android Wear, you’ll be able to check out potential dates in your area, see notifications on new matches, as well as respond to their messages, right on your watch. Just to make it extra easy to access the app, you can even use your voice to tell Google to open Tinder on your smartwatch.

Amazon App Store Google Play

Medisafe Meds & Pill Reminder

Everyone can use a gentle reminder to take their medication, whether you’re taking vitamins or caring for someone with a strict pill schedule. You’ll need to spend a bit of time entering every pill — including its color and shape — into the mobile app the first time you open it, but it’ll be well worth it when your watch buzzes and notifies you of the exact pill and dosage you need to take. No more excuses for forgetting, or taking the wrong meds!

Amazon App Store Google Play

BAE Systems plans for submarines that can be piloted in virtual reality

Why it matters to you

Using VR to pilot submarines could allow for remote navigation, or simply give captains a way to better stay in control of their vessels using detailed sensor data.

When it comes to exploring groundbreaking new technologies with the potential to shape our future, few companies can measure up to United Kingdom defense giant BAE Systems. From military drones that can be “grown” using chemistry in large-scale labs to energy-scattering deflector shields, BAE has long played a role in bringing sci-fi-sounding tech to life.

Its latest concept? A method for controlling submarines using virtual reality headsets.

The tech would collect data from the various sensors dotted around a submarine, and then relay this information to the submarine captain in the form of a detailed VR simulation, created using the Unity graphics engine. The idea is that this would allow the captain to “teleport” themselves around a simulation of their submarine to get multiple different views of it as they pilot it, a bit like switching perspectives in a racing game — but with the benefit of real-time information.

This could be done either with the captain on board, or from elsewhere, with the craft controlled remotely.

It could also provide additional information about different systems within the sub, thereby making analyzing this data more intuitive. This wouldn’t have to be limited to navigation purposes. For instance, in one example given, VR could be used to check details of the submarine in the event that a pipe or piece of material has to be replaced — such as whether a replacement will fit in particularly narrow parts of the sub.

A demo of the tech was shown off last week at the U.K.’s Virtual Reality World Congress in Bristol. However, don’t necessarily expect it to arrive any time soon. Speaking to the U.K.’s The Sun newspaper, a BAE Systems representative said the project could take decades to be fully completed and implemented, by which point VR technology will have moved on significantly from where it is today.

As the group has told Digital Trends previously, BAE’s work is to keep an eye on the future and make sure it is anticipating where things will go.

“One of the things that we do within BAE Systems is to carry out trend analysis — whether those are political, sociological, environmental or technological,” Nick Colosimo, BAE Systems’ futurist and technologist, told us. “What these trends do is to tell us something about the future, and from that we can generate a series of ‘so what?’ questions about the difference this will make to those of us in defense. What are the things we need to worry about or be aware of, and how do we best stay on the front foot?”

Save up to $85 on today’s best Amazon Gold Box tech deals

Tuesday’s Amazon Gold Box deals feature a 27-inch monitor that’s ideal for gaming, an ultrasmart brain-sensing headband to help you meditate, and a handy USB hub that turns one port into 10. These deals provide savings of up to $83 and discounts as steep as 42 percent. Read on to browse Amazon’s best tech deals of the day.

ViewSonic VX2757-MHD 27-Inch FreeSync Monitor

Adding a second monitor can make a world of difference in your workstation, as long as you invest in one that can handle everything you do, including gaming and other multimedia activities. For a top-notch monitor with all the perks you could want, consider this ViewSonic VX2757-MHD 27-Inch FreeSync Monitor, which is currently 35 percent off on Amazon.

The 27-inch monitor is built for gaming and entertainment, with VESA Adaptive-Sync Technology that seamlessly synchronizes the framerate output between your graphics card and the monitor for a dynamic refresh rate. It effectively eliminates image tearing, stuttering, and jerkiness for smooth gameplay. Add in the ultrafast 2ms response time, and you get a monitor that delivers smooth images without streaking, blurring or ghosting. The Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) monitor comes complete with HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA inputs, allowing you to set it up with both desktops and laptops.

The ViewSonic VX2757-MHD 27-Inch FreeSync Monitor normally retails for $240 but is currently discounted to just $157 on Amazon, providing an $83 (35 percent) discount.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Muse: The Brain Sensing Headband

Ever wonder what’s really happening in your brain when you try to tune out the world? Get accurate, real-time feedback on your brain activity during meditation with Muse, the Brain Sensing Headband, which is currently 20 percent off on Amazon. This smart device is the first of its kind to use the same brain-sensing technology that doctors and scientists employ to detect your brain signals.

Muse acts as your personal meditation assistant, helping you to positive results in as little as three minutes per day. Personalized tracking, motivational challenges, and rewards encourage you to build a more regular and effective meditation practice. The device trains your brain to relax into meditation by playing peaceful weather sounds when you’re calm and more intense weather sounds when your mind begins to wander, guiding your focus back to a calm state.

Your brain is constantly generating electrical signals when you’re thinking, sleeping or even relaxing, and Muse detects these signals from outside your head using seven finely calibrated sensors. After each session, you can review your data, set goals, and build a more rewarding meditation experience.

Muse normally retails for $249, but right now you can score one on for $200 on Amazon, providing a $49 (20 percent) savings.

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Aukey Powered USB Hub

Do you find yourself constantly switching out charging devices and cords to make use of a single USB port? Stop wasting time, energy, and focus and get all the ports you need at once with this Aukey Powered USB Hub, which is currently 42 percent off on Amazon.

The perfect addition to any desktop or laptop setup, this hub multiplies your connectivity by turning one USB 3.0 port on your laptop or desktop into 10 USB 3.0 ports, enough for all of your USB devices. It also acts as a 12V/3A power adapter and can support data transfers of up 5Gbps.

The hub is compact and portable, fitting easily into any existing workstation setup. It not only conserves desk space at your home or the office, it’s also stylish enough to leave out in the open, thanks to a refined matte metallic aluminum body. Even better, setup is easy and fast, with no extra software or drivers required.

This Aukey Powered USB Hub normally retails for $60 but is currently discounted to $35 on Amazon, saving you $25 (42 percent).

Buy it now from:

Amazon

Pandora expands availability of Premium streaming service to everyone

Why it matters to you

If you always wanted to choose what songs you listen to on Pandora, now you can with its Premium service.

Now, everyone who uses Pandora can enjoy having zero ads and the ability to select specific songs. Pandora’s $10 per month on-demand subscription Premium is now available to anyone in a country where the stream service is available.

When Pandora Premium debuted in March, only users who requested an invite were able to sign up for the service and its 40 million song catalog. Now, you can simply go to Pandora Premium site and sign up with your credit card or PayPal account as your payment method. For mobile devices, you can access the upgrade option on Pandora Premium by going to the settings section of the Pandora app.

If you sign up for Premium through the Pandora website you will get 60 days of Pandora Premium for free. Upgrading or signing up via the mobile app will only get you 30 days of Pandora Premium for free.

Pandora’s most recent foray into the monthly subscription business came in September with Pandora Plus. Plus is the traditional Pandora radio experience you are accustomed to, but you get unlimited skips, no advertisements, offline listening, and unlimited replays. Plus costs $5 per month, but Plus users who upgrade to Premium get six months of the on-demand service for free. Both services now have the same amount of songs, according to reports.

In conjunction with the expansion of its subscription service, Pandora started its Sounds Like You ad campaign featuring photos of 18 popular artists next to a collage of albums they felt were meaningful. The campaign will also have short form videos directed by Academy Award winner Michel Gondry, custom Snapchat filters for Pandora and even a custom Pandora emoji on Twitter.

Pandora has 81 million active listeners but has fewer than 5 million people paying monthly for Pandora Plus. Making Premium available to everyone could help it catch up to the subscription streaming competition of Spotify and Apple Music.