‘Phantom Dust’ returns tomorrow on Xbox One and PC — for free

Phantom Dust was a surprise treat from Microsoft Japan that arrived in the US (thanks to intervention by Majesco) at the end of the original Xbox’s run, and after years of work, a team has revived the original game’s assets to build a version that works across the Xbox One and PC. Its business model was still up in the air a couple of weeks ago, but today Xbox Games marketing head Adam Greenberg announced it will be released tomorrow for free (with some paid DLC options available to speed your progress through the game).

As producer Adam Isgreen explains for those who haven’t played, it’s underappreciated arena battler built for four players, where players build their skills using decks of cards. Now in 2017 it’s likely that more people than ever will get a chance to try it out for the first time, with 4K resolution, and modernized online multiplayer with cross-platform support. Now, if we could just arrange revivals for a few more of the original Xbox’s forgotten classics…

Source: Adam Greenberg (Twitter), Microsoft Studios Blog

Pirated Windows led to WannaCry’s spread in China and Russia

WannaCry, the notorious ransomware demanding up to $300 worth of Bitcoins to unlock victims’ computers, hit systems all around the globe over the weekend. According to Finnish cybersecurity company F-Secure, though, Russia and China were affected the most, and it could be due to the rampant use of pirated software in those countries. Microsoft issued a patch for the vulnerability the attackers used as an entry point back in March and even fixed it for XP, which it long stopped supporting. However, pirated systems can’t install those patches, so computers running illegal software remained vulnerable.

That was a big problem for those two countries and for India, as well. According to the a survey conducted by The Software Alliance last year, 70 percent of computer users in China are running unlicensed software. Russia isn’t far behind at 64 percent, while India comes in at third with 58 percent.

In China, for instance, even prestigious universities and big companies use pirated Windows on their computers. As a result, 40,000 institutions in the country were affected, even police stations and state oil giant PetroChina. A China Telecom employee even told The New York Times that his company tried to fix the vulnerability. When it didn’t work, he was asked to use a patch issued by Qihoo 360, a service that supports old and pirated Windows OS.

WannaCry’s propagation in those countries illustrate the dangers of using bootlegged software. But as NYT said, the use pirated OS and the lack of willingness to pay for software is so ingrained in their culture that this event likely won’t change that mindset. As for WannaCry, authorities still don’t know who’s behind the ransomware — though they have their suspicions — and the problem seems to be getting worse.

Source: The New York Times, NDTV, F-Secure

SpaceX launches one of its largest satellites yet, but there’s no rocket landing

Why it matters to you

With every successful launch, SpaceX takes another step toward the day when we can all marvel at a manned mission to Mars.

SpaceX is celebrating the textbook deployment of one of its largest satellites yet.

The  successful mission of yet another Falcon 9 rocket means it’s full steam ahead for SpaceX’s plan to significantly ramp up its launch schedule to once every two to three weeks.

SpaceX’s most recent launch, which carried a satellite the size of a double-decker bus, took place at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday night at just after 7.20 p.m. local time, and was live-streamed on the SpaceX YouTube channel.

Sadly, there was no chance this time around to enjoy the spectacle of yet another stunning rocket landing. The satellite’s heavy launch mass of about 6,100 kg (13,400 pounds) meant the Falcon 9 needed all of its thrust to get the satellite to orbit, plus it went into a much higher orbit than previous launches, leaving it with too little fuel to get back to Earth.

The seven-meter-long satellite — operated by British telecoms firm Inmarsat — was deployed about half an hour after launch before being “maneuvered to its geostationary orbit, 22,236 miles (about 36,000 km) above Earth, where it will deploy its solar arrays and reflectors and undergo intensive payload testing before beginning commercial service,” according to SpaceX. Those solar arrays are enormous, too, stretching out more than 130 feet — about equal to the wingspan of a Boeing 737 aircraft.

The satellite will boost the power of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network, which has been delivering broadband connectivity across the world since 2015.

Monday’s launch marked the sixth SpaceX mission of 2017 and paves the way for Elon Musk’s private space company to significantly increase its launch schedule. Its next mission is set for June 1 when it will take supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).

Despite a few major setbacks along the way, the team has made impressive progress with its reusable rocket system, which is helping to drastically reduce the cost of space missions.

Future plans include taking astronauts to and from the ISS using its Dragon crew capsule and a “tourist trip” around the moon, though its lofty long-term goals include a manned mission to Mars.

Apple Seeking Programming Chief to Lead Video Efforts

Apple is looking for a programming chief, suggesting the company is serious about delving further into original programming, reports The Information.

In its search to find someone to lead its video efforts, Apple is said to have met with former HBO president and programming lead Michael Lombardo earlier this year to “discuss Apple’s video programming strategy.” Lombardo left his high-profile role as HBO president in early 2016 to become a producer because he wanted a more active creative role.

Lombardo is currently producing a show for HBO, but given his meeting with Apple, it’s possible the company is considering him for the head programming role. Apple is said to be actively seeking to fill the position, which could answer some questions Hollywood has about the company’s video plans.

While the company has taken on a few projects like reality competition show “Planet of the Apps” and the “Carpool Karaoke” series, many in Hollywood have been flummoxed by what exactly Apple wants to do with video. Questions include how far Apple wants to go in making its own shows and whether it wants to compete with Netflix, Amazon and Hulu.

Apple CEO Tim Cook in January said that Apple has a “toe in the water” testing original television programming, so it’s possible Apple itself doesn’t yet know how far it wants to go with original content. In early May, Cook said in an interview that Apple is experimenting with original content and learning from that experience. “We’re learning and we’ll see where this takes us,” he said.

Apple has several original television programs in the works, including “Carpool Karaoke,” “Planet of the Apps,” and “Vital Signs,” with the two former shows having already been announced, but none of the content has debuted as of yet.

Apple is planning to use the television shows to promote its Apple Music service, with Apple iTunes chief Eddy Cue saying Apple is not aiming to compete with Netflix, but there have been hints suggesting the company’s content ambitions could perhaps run deeper than simple Apple Music promotion.

January rumors indicated Apple was building a “significant” business around original television shows with plans to launch content in the vein of HBO’s “Westworld” and Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” and in February, Eddy Cue reportedly met with execs from Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures in pursuit of a “transformative acquisition.”

Apple’s television plans have, however, fallen through so many times over the years due to negotiation difficulties that it’s unclear how original content will pan out.

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Discuss this article in our forums

Volvo and Audi will use Android as the base OS of its upcoming cars

Forget Android Auto, Volvo and Audi want its upcoming cars to run Android as their base operating system.

Google has announced a partnership with Volvo and Audi that will bring it one step closer to making Android an operating system for cars. Volvo and Audi plan to leverage Google’s software in their car’s infotainment units so you can access a more seamless, full-featured experience that includes Android apps and Google services. In other words, you won’t need an Android phone to interact with the cars.

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The carmakers essentially plan to build new infotainment systems using Android 7.0 Nougat. They will tweak Google’s OS and use it to power the touchscreen displays and digital dashboards in future vehicles. And similar to Android Auto, they will offer access to services like Google Assistant as well as Android apps. Android will even control functions like air conditioning, the sunroof, and the windows.

Android

Keep in mind Google has been rumoured to be working with carmakers on this since at least 2014, with reports claiming Google wanted to turn Android Auto into something that didn’t need a smartphone and that could control a car’s system. We’ll likely hear more from Google about this at Google I/O 2017 this week. Check out Pocket-lint’s I/O guide for more details on what Google could announce.

Google has already said a preview of Volvo and Audio’s new Android-based car systems will be on display at its developers conference. Volvo will demo its version on the Volvo XC60 concept, while Audi will demo its version on the Audi Q8 Sport concept.

Volvo also said it plans to launch Android-based cars within two years. 

These iPhone 8 renders claim to fully reveal the phone’s new design

Want to see the iPhone 8?

Well, you’ll have to wait until it’s available sometime way later this year most likely, but, until then, Engadget has posted some renders of the phone that it created based on a “highly detailed CAD file” it was shown of the iPhone 8’s chassis. The report noted the most interesting takeaway, in terms of design, it the phone’s dual-camera orientation, and that the mic and flash are included in the camera bump pictured.

• Apple’s OLED iPhone 8 might not be ready until November or later
• This latest iPhone 8 schematic shows rear-mounted Touch ID sensor
• Apple might add its True Tone auto-adjusting display to iPhone 8

Also, the back and front of the device will be covered in glass, which allows Apple to integrate wireless charging. Engadget even said such a feature is hinted by “what appears to be a carved out area for a wireless charging coil on the underside of the chassis”. The report’s unnamed source also said the next iPhone will get a screen bump to 5 inches from 4.7 inches, and that the 5.5-inch Plus version will be 5.8 inches.

Engadget

The renders don’t show whether the screen will go from edge to edge, which would mean zero bezels. There’s also no exact measurements given, but the CAD file does apparently suggest the iPhone 8 will have a “slightly taller, wider and thicker body” than the iPhone 7, which went on sale last September. Breaking from Apple’s typical cycle upgrade pattern, the iPhone 8 may not hit shelves until November.

The iPhone 8 is expected to be Apple’s 10th-anniversary iPhone. Check out Pocket-lint’s round-up for more details on what it could feature.

‘WannaCry’ ransomware showed traces of North Korean code

For all the damage the “WannaCry” ransomware has done, there’s still one looming, unanswered question: who’s behind it? At last, there might be a clue. Google researcher Neel Mehta has noticed that an early version of WannaCry’s code shares similarities with a February 2015 sample from the Lazarus Group, a North Korea-linked outfit blamed for both the Sony Pictures hack as well as the Bangladesh Bank heist. The code changed between then and now, but it at least raises the possibility that North Korea was involved.

There is a chance that someone borrowed the code, whether out of convenience or as an attempt to throw investigators off the scent. However, experts at Kaspersky argue that a deliberate plant is “improbable” given that the similar code was removed later on. And besides, the presence of kill switches in both original and modified versions of WannaCry supports the notion that these are state-sponsored hackers. As FOX-IT’s Maarten van Danzig explains to Ars Technica, run-of-the-mill criminals rarely include failsafe measures like this — why would they want to stop the money from pouring in? Moreover, the malware doesn’t even bother to automatically check whether or not victims have paid up. If profit was really the motive, the code was exceptionally sloppy.

It’s going to take much more research before experts can pin down WannaCry’s origins, assuming that’s possible. You certainly won’t get a confession from North Korea even if there’s smoking gun evidence of its involvement. However, what’s here at least gives investigators a starting point.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: Securelist, Neel Mehta (Twitter)

What’s on TV: ‘Twin Peaks,’ ‘Kimmy Schmidt,’ ‘Injustice 2’

The NHL and NBA playoffs are finally reaching their championship rounds, but that’s not all we’re looking forward to. This weekend Twin Peaks makes its return to TV, while Netflix brings a third season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. PlayStation VR owners can look forward to Farpoint which will be the first game to make use of its special gun controller, while Call of Duty Black Ops 3 players can grab new zombies DLC. Also, Syfy will air a new mini-season of 12 Monkeys, while Phantom Dust will make a surprise appearance on Xbox One and PC for free. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (4K)
• xXx: Return of Xander Cage (4K)
• Unforgiven (4K)
• The Mummy: Complete Legacy Collection (4K)
• Willard
• Ben
• Game of Death
• Good Morning (Criterion)
• Space Between Us
• Don’t Starve Mega Pack (PS4, Xbox One)
• Don’t Starve Together (Xbox One)
• Farpoint (PSVR)
• Injustice 2 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 3: Zombie Chronicles DLC (PS4)
• The Surge (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• ACA NeoGeo Over the Top (PS4)
• Watch_Dogs 2: No Compromise DLC (Xbox One, PS4, PC)
• Cities: Skylines Mass Transit (PC)
• Black & White Bushido (Xbox One, PS4)
• Thumper (Switch)
• Shadow Warrior 2 (Xbox One, PS4)
• Mayan Death Robots: Arena (Xbox One, PS4)
• Baila Latino (PS4, Xbox One)
• A Walk in the Dark (Xbox One, PC)
• Chroma Squad (PS4)

Monday

• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• Dancing With The Stars, ABC, 8PM
• Gotham, Fox, 8PM
• WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
• Young & Hungry, Freeform, 8PM
• Man with a Plan (season finale), CBS, 8:30PM
• Baby Daddy, Freeform, 8:30PM
• Lucifer, Fox, 9PM
• The Twins, Freeform, 9PM
• Mommy Dead and Dearest, HBO, 10PM
• The Wall, NBC, 10PM
• Better Call Saul, AMC, 10PM
• American Dad, TBS, 10PM
• Scorpion (season finale), CBS, 10PM
• Quantico (season finale), ABC, 10PM
• The Therapist, Viceland, 11PM
• Angie Tribeca, TBS, 10:30PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM

Tuesday

• Tracy Morgan: Staying Alive, Netflix, 3AM
• Victorian Slum, PBS, 8PM
• The Voice, NBC, 8PM
• Pretty Little Liars, Freeform, 8PM
• The Flash, CW, 8PM
• The Manns, TV One, 8PM
• The Challenge: Reunion, MTV, 8PM
• Brooklyn Nine-nine, Fox, 8 & 8:30PM
• WWE Smackdown, USA, 8PM
• The Middle (season finale), ABC, 8PM
• NCIS (season finale), CBS, 8PM
• American Housewife (season finale), ABC, 8:30PM
• NBA WCF: Spurs/Warriors, ESPN, 9PM
• The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros (season premiere), MTV, 9PM
• Famous in Love, Freeform, 9PM
• Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9PM
• iZombie, CW, 9PM
• Prison Break, Fox, 9PM
• Bull, CBS, 9PM
• Fresh off the Boat (season finale), ABC, 9PM
• Switched at Birth, Freeform, 9PM
• Face Off, Syfy, 9PM
• Outsiders, WGN, 9PM
• Imaginary Mary, ABC, 9:30PM
• Great News, NBC, 9 & 9:30PM
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season finale), ABC, 10PM
• NCIS: NO (season finale), CBS, 10PM
• Fargo, FX, 10PM
• Problematic with Moshe Kasher, Comedy Central, 10PM
• Cooper’s Treasure, Discovery, 10PM
• Team Ninja Warrior, USA, 10PM
• The Americans, FX, 10PM
• Rebel, BET, 10PM
• Imposters, Bravo, 10PM
• Truth & Iliza, Freeform, 10PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM

Wednesday

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu, 3AM
• Harlots (season finale), Hulu, 3AM
• Shots Fired, Fox, 8PM
• Blindspot (season finale), NBC, 8PM
• Catfish, MTV, 8PM
• Arrow, CW, 8PM
• The Goldbergs (season finale), ABC, 8PM
• Survivor, CBS, 8PM
• Speechless (season finale), ABC, 8:30PM
• Criminal Minds (season finale), CBS, 9PM
• Modern Family (season finale), ABC, 9PM
• Are You the One: All Star Challenge, MTV, 9PM
• Empire, Fox, 9PM
• Law & Order, NBC, 9PM
• The 100, CW, 9PM
• The Magicians, Syfy, 9PM
• Major Crimes, TNT, 9PM
• Downward Dog (series premiere), ABC, 9:30PM
• Archer, FXX, 10PM
• Designated Survivor (season finale), ABC, 10PM
• Chicago PD (season finale), NBC, 10PM
• Brockmire (season finale), IFC, 10PM
• I Am Heath Ledger, Spike TV, 10PM
• The Expanse, Syfy, 10PM
• Nobodies, TV Land, 10PM
• The Quad, BET, 10PM
• Suits, USA, 10PM
• Weediquette (season finale), Viceland, 10PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM

Thursday

• Supernatural, CW, 8PM
• Grey’s Anatomy (season finale), ABC, 8PM
• The Blacklist (season finale), NBC, 9PM
• Scandal (season finale), ABC, 9PM
• The Amazing Race, CBS, 9PM
• Beerland, Viceland, 10PM
• Inside the FBI, USA, 10PM
• Dark Net, Showtime, 10PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11PM
• Impractical Jokers, TruTV, 11PM

Friday

• The Keepers (S1), Netflix, 3AM
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (S3), Netflix, 3AM
• Blame!, Netflix, 3AM
• Laerte-se, Netflix, 3AM
• 12 Monkeys (season premiere), Netflix, 8PM
• The Toy Box (season finale), ABC, 8PM
• Undercover Boss (season finale), CBS, 8PM
• The Originals, CW, 8PM
• First Dates, NBC, 8PM
• The New I Love Lucy Superstar Special, CBS, 9PM
• Motherboard, Viceland, 9PM
• Toy Box, ABC, 8PM
• You the Jury, Fox, 9PM
• Tattoo Age, Viceland, 9PM
• Vice, HBO, 11PM
• Animals. (season finale), HBO, 11:30PM

Saturday

• Becoming Bond, Hulu, 3AM
• Secrets of my Stepdaughter, Lifetime, 8PM
• The Wizard of Lies, HBO, 8PM
• Doctor Who, BBC America, 9PM
• Training Day (season finale), CBS, 8PM
• The Son, AMC, 9PM
• Class, BBC America, 10PM
• Samurai Jack (season finale), Cartoon Network, 11PM
• Saturday Night Live: Dwayne Johnson/Katy Perry (season finale), NBC, 11:30PM

Sunday

• Promposal, MTV, 7:30PM
• Bob’s Burgers (season finale), Fox, 7:30PM
• Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN, 7:30PM
• 2017 Billboard Music Awards, ABC, 8PM
• The Simpsons (season finale), Fox, 8PM
• NCIS: Los Angeles, CBS, 8PM
• White Princess, Starz, 8PM
• Making History (season finale), Fox, 8:30PM
• American Gods, Starz, 9PM
• The Leftovers, HBO, 9PM
• Family Guy (season finale), Fox, 9PM
• The Last 100 Days of Diana, ABC 9PM
• Madam Secretary (season finale), CBS, 9PM
• Twin Peaks (series premiere), Showtime, 9PM
• 12 Monkeys (season finale), Syfy, 10PM
• Elementary (season finale), CBS, 10PM
• Silicon Valley, HBO, 10PM
• Into the Badlands (season finale), AMC, 10PM
• United Shades of America, CNN, 10PM
• Shades of Blue (season finale), NBC, 10PM
• Veep, HBO, 10:30PM
• Talking with Chris Hardwick, AMC, 11PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11PM

Dell XPS 27 all-in-one (2017): Our first take

Earlier this year, Dell launched the XPS 27, an all-in-one that checked pretty much all the boxes. It packed an Intel 6th generation Core i5/i7 processor, a dedicated AMD 400 series graphics card, and some of the most impressive on-board audio we’d heard.

It’s come time for an XPS 27 refresh, but this time around, Dell isn’t rocking the boat. Instead, it’s building on the groundwork it laid with January’s XPS 27, improving upon it in small — but appreciable — ways.

We had some hands-on time with the updated XPS 27 at a Dell preview event in New York City. Here’s what we thought.

Now with more VR

The new XPS 27 shares the old model’s design — right down to the machined aluminum and fully articulated, dual-hinge stand. It’s just as sturdy as the model we took for a spin in January, and no less modular. You can still pop off the cover and upgrade the components yourself, if you feel so inclined.

It’s come time for an XPS 27 refresh, but this time around, Dell improving upon it in small — but appreciable — ways.

“VR readiness” is the headline improvement. Dell has taken the liberty of upgrading the XPS 27’s processor to Intel’s 7th Generation Kaby Lake Processors and AMD’s Polaris graphics (Radeon RX 570), which a company representative told Digital Trends will “fully support” the most popular games for HTC’s Vive headset and Oculus’ Rift. Dell said it’s also designed with Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality VR/AR platform in mind, which will launch in earnest later this year.

While this upgrade is just a matter of switching out hardware, it has impact. Most all-in-one computers can’t handle VR headsets, shutting out a large swath of people from the technology. Adding the RX 570 will also make the Dell XPS 27 all-in-one a reasonably capable gaming machine. We think that’s great. All-in-one computers have long been marketed as machines that handle both productivity and entertainment, but most lack the latter half of the equation. Dell’s XPS 27, though, can play as hard as it works.

Get ready to rock out, again

What hasn’t changed with the refreshed XPS 27 is the front-facing speaker array, and that’s a good thing. The innovative soundbar, which consists of ten speakers — six forward-firing, two “radiating” speakers that bounce sound downward, outward, and around the room, and stereo drives — is no less clear or crisp than we remembered. It’ll still fill a home office with sound, yet somehow avoids butchering mid- and high-range frequencies in the process.

Kyle Wiggers/Digital Trends

That’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement. We still would’ve liked to see a subwoofer squeezed into the XPS 27’s frame, but Dell said that would’ve necessitated compromises on design.

The XPS 27’s display is the same, another smart move. It’s 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) in resolution, up from 2016’s 2K (2,560 x 1,440) panel. And it’s tuned to Adobe’s RGB color spectrum, which Dell says delivers a wider color gamut, higher contrast, and up to 64 times the number of colors conventional monitors are capable of displaying. From what we could see, it’s vibrant, bright, and relatively glare-free. A touchscreen model will be available for a small upcharge.

Practical inputs

Dell opted not to mess with the XPS 27’s inputs. In practical terms, that means the new XPS has a USB 3.0 port, an SD-card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack on the side. and four additional USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI-out port around back. Rounding out the connectivity options is a DisplayPort 1.2 connector, a gigabit Ethernet port, an analog audio out plug, and a USB Type-C connector with  Thunderbolt 3.

And in terms of peripherals, the XPS 27 still ships with Dell’s comfortable, nondescript Premier wireless keyboard an mouse.

It still makes a strong case for the PC maker’s brand of all-in-one computer.

The XPS 27’s configurations are the same, too. It supports up to 32GB of DDR4 memory, and up to 2TB of hard drive space, including up to 1TB of PCIe SSD storage. Presumably, those upgrades will be independent of processor and graphics card choices.

On the software side of things, the refreshed XPS 27 supports most of Windows 10’s headlining features. An embedded infrared sensor and webcam supports Windows Hello facial recognition, and an array of far-field microphones that lets users trigger Cortana from across the room.

In the months since we saw the first iteration of Dell’s refreshed XPS 27, we haven’t changed our opinion — we still think it makes a strong case for the PC maker’s brand of all-in-one computer. It’s not as aesthetically pleasing as Apple’s iMac lineup or Microsoft’s Surface Studio, but it’s a compelling $1,500 package that’s far more affordable than the $1,800 27-inch iMac and $3,000 Surface Studio.

Highs

• Bright and vibrant display
• Powerful speakers
• AMD RX 570 graphics can handle VR
• Less expensive than high-end competitors

Lows

• Still thicker and heavier than competition

With 500,000 viewers per day, VR is the fastest-growing category on Pornhub

Why it matters to you

The popularity of VR in porn shows just how big virtual reality is getting and not merely a passing fad.

Think virtual reality porn is a gimmick that will never catch on? Don’t tell the folks over at Pornhub, because according to its latest user figures, VR is one of the fastest- growing categories of video on the website, in terms of both videos uploaded and users watching them.

Since being launched back in the more innocent days of spring 2016 — when the only thing immersive about adult videos was their in-depth plots, usually involving plumbers turning up to the fix the sink in a sorority — hundreds of new VR videos are now being added to Pornhub each month. That is nothing compared to the number of users watching, though. On a typical day, VR porn videos are viewed 500,000 times.

What is more, VR viewers hang around to watch more videos than the usual visitors who, for some unfathomable reason, lose interest in the website after just a few minutes. In the case of virtual reality fans, however, they tend to watch a total of 11 videos — compared to nine videos per sordid visit for regular viewers.

Men also tend to be bigger VR fans than women, being proportionately 160 percent more likely to view VR content than women, while the videos are most likely to be viewed by folks in the 25- to 34-year-old demographic.

Slightly unsettlingly, the most popular day for viewing VR porn is Christmas Day, possibly explained by the number of headsets given out as gifts that day.

Finally, despite the fact that both Silicon Valley and the adult entertainment industry are largely centered around the West Coast, VR porn is most popular among those in eastern states including New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and New Jersey. In terms of countries, the “genre” is proportionately most popular in Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Taiwan, although the highest growth rate took place in Ireland and the United Kingdom.