Google will be 'more opinionated' about Nexus devices, says CEO Sundar Pichai

Google has always had a hand in making Nexus hardware, collaborating with hardware companies like HTC, Samsung, LG, and Huawei. According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, though, Google will soon exert a bit more control in those designs.

Google

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Google Now on Tap updated with text selection, image scanning

We haven’t heard much about Google Now on Tap since its debut, but today the feature is making headlines because of a new feature.

Google

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Do you use all of your smartphone's features?

At the beginning of May, HTC began shipping the unlocked variant of its latest flagship, the HTC 10, to those who bought the new phone. Soon after that, the phone’s availability opened up at U.S.-based carriers, excluding AT&T, and around that time I asked a pretty straightforward question: Does the HTC 10 need a gimmick?

LG G5

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Apple iPhone 6s

HTC 10

Samsung

LG

Apple

Motorola

HTC

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Google improves My Account with 'Find my phone' feature and quicker access to dashboard

Today marks the first birthday of My Account, a tool from Google that will help you see and control your private info on Google. And to celebrate, Google is adding some new features to its service.

Google

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Cell Phone Deals June 2016 Digest

It's June! And for everyone in the United States, this only means one thing: SUMMER. If you're looking forward to what's in store for you this month, check out these cell phone deals from your favorite carrier:

Smartphones

Net10

Ending Soon

Apple iPhone SE

LG G5

Samsung Galaxy S6

Apple iPad Air

Sprint

Net10

Verizon Wireless

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Samsung will give you a free Gear VR when you buy a Galaxy smartphone

Samsung today kicked off a new promotion for Father’s Day, but you don’t have to be a father to take advantage of it.

From June 1 through June 19, Samsung will give you a free Gear VR and a $50 “VR content experience” when you buy a Galaxy S7, S7 edge, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, or Note 5. To qualify, you’ll need to buy your new Galaxy on a installment plan, two-year contract, lease, or at full retail price.

Samsung Galaxy S6

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+

Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Samsung Galaxy S7

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge

Samsung

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Hands-on review: Computex: Zotac VR Backpack

MSI may have just announced its Backpack PC, but Zotac has been way ahead of its untethered virtual reality game since April. Fittingly named the VR Backpack, it's a slightly more capable system, but it's also a little rougher around the edges.

For starts the VR Backpack isn't quite as polished as the MSI Backpack PC and its custom made hard case shell. Instead, Zotac essentially created a shrunken Mini ITX PC, threw into a mesh bag with a huge battery, hooked up a HTC Vive and call it a day.

I'm being a bit coy here but there are definitely some rough edges to the VR Backpack including slightly exposed heatsinks. Of course, this is only a prototype unit and Zotac plans on iterating on it in the future.

Packing desktop power

Aesthetics aside, Zotac's take on the portable VR-ready system is a bit more powerful thanks to using a desktop grade Intel Core i5-6400 CPU as opposed to the Backpack PC mobile-based Core i7. That said, the two machines share the same MXM version of a Nvidia GTX 980, making them more than capable of powering a VR experience.

Zotac's solution also lasts a bit longer – up to two hours of immersion – thanks to a massive 60,000mAH battery that's as big as a sub/hoagie/hero and easily weighs three pounds just by itself. The system also comes with two 180-watt power adapters delivering energy to the components and the graphics card by itself.

During my time with the unit on a stage in the middle of Computex 2016 – I'm not joking about the stage – the VR backpack afforded me with a silky smooth VR experience while playing through Valve Lab collection. Like the Backpack PC, getting rid of the cable makes you so much more mobile in virtual reality.

As for how the wearing the VR Backpack actually feels, it's surprisingly and remarkably more comfortable. Though this is largely because Zotac uses a regular backpack to tote around its VR-ready rig.

Early verdict

Despite being largely jury rigged, Zotac's VR Backpack works astonishingly well. That said, it's unlikely we will see a consumer version come to market in the near future. The computer hardware maker is first focusing on selling its wearable VR platform to theme parks and other interactive virtual reality experiences like The Void first.

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OnePlus 3 officially launching on June 14 without an invite system

After several OnePlus 3 leaks, OnePlus today confirmed the launch date of its new Android flagship as well as one other key detail about its release.

OnePlus

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