5 VR safety tips to stop you from destroying your home

The new year may be upon us, but many of you are probably still playing with your holiday gifts, one of the most popular of which appears to be VR headsets. 

But if you take a look around social media, you'll notice a surprisingly common story popping up: People are getting so into virtual reality, they're destroying their real-world homes. 

SEE ALSO: Why wireless headsets for Oculus and Vive could be a step backward for VR

Whether it's playing shooter titles like Superhot or athletic titles like The Climb, stories of people smashing their hands into their expensive televisions or computer monitors are becoming the new normal.  Read more...

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No, the power grid in Vermont was not infiltrated by Russian hackers

Snapchat's 10 most popular lenses of 2016

Snapchat is insanely powerful. Not only has it changed Facebook (for better or worse), it has popularized the term "vomiting rainbow" and transformed selfies. 

Just over a year ago, Snapchat introduced lenses, a feature that recognizes objects such as faces and overlays them with animated filters. It's one of the app's most addictive features in part because the options change daily. 

SEE ALSO: Snapchat pushing for more AR with latest reported purchase

More than 150 million people every day open the app to see what they can become. Everyone from President Barack Obama to Kim Kardashian have sported a flower crown this year.  Read more...

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This VR device promises to make both Oculus Rift and HTC Vive wireless

The virtual reality smorgasbord set to hit CES is just a few days away, but standout companies are already popping up, including one with a unique HMD solution.

Atlanta-based KwikVR is promising a wireless VR headset device that works perfectly with both the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. 

Weighing less than one pound, the device can be attached to your belt and features two USB ports and an HDMI port. The company claims that the device delivers low latency and "guaranteed native resolution" along with 5GHz Wi-Fi connectivity. Nevertheless, as I've mentioned recently, tetherless VR headsets sound great until the accident reports start coming in.  Read more...

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7 tech resolutions you should make in 2017 and how to keep them

California is making it much harder to use your smartphone while driving

It's time to use that Amazon gift card for a phone mount for your car — California is cracking down. 

Starting Sunday a new law is making it even harder to use your phone in the car. Throughout the state you already can't text, scroll around, click or look at messages on your phone while driving, and we've been long trained to never bring our phones to our ears while talking.

But starting Jan. 1 2017, you can't even have your phone in your hand or out to click or swipe something. It will have to be mounted to your windshield or dashboard — only then can you tap your screen to make sure that that new Google Maps route delivers you out of traffic hell. Read more...

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What we do and don't know about Russia's interference in the presidential election

On Thursday, the U.S. government formally retaliated against Russia for allegedly interfering with the U.S. presidential election. The Obama administration's actions represent a historically aggressive response to a cyberattack in America (or elsewhere).

SEE ALSO: President Obama sanctions Russia for hacking

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint report formally accusing Russian intelligence operatives of gaining access to a “U.S. political party"—presumably the Democratic National Committee. Along with the release of the report, the Obama administration imposed further sanctions against Russia and expelled 35 Russian diplomats from the country. Read more...

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Uber says there will be 'no surprises' with fares on New Year's Eve

Math can be difficult. Just ask Facebook. 

That being so, Uber has a gift for you this New Year's Eve. No, it's not free rides. The holiday is one of Uber's busiest, and therefore most-lucrative, nights of the year. 

Instead, as part of Uber's annual tip sheet to attempt to ease the onslaught of hate on surge pricing via social media, Uber recounted that the app's "upfront fares" feature will offer you "no surprises." 

Expect to see less tweets with screenshots like this:

9.9x Uber surge here in Miami Beach right now... highest I've ever seen http://pic.twitter.com/oX0ZxftfI7

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 1, 2016 Read more...

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Twitter creates New Year's Eve stickers that look a lot like Snapchat filters

2016 was rough for many reasons. For Twitter, the year included a languishing of its stock price, many exits of top leaders, struggle to combat abuse and a failed attempt to be acquired. 

SEE ALSO: Twitter's Periscope launches 360 video

But Twitter is ringing in the new year with as much joy as it can via its platform. It is introducing New Year's Eve stickers for users to attach to photos that show scenes in Dubai, London, New York, Paris, Rio, Sydney, Tokyo and New Delhi.

On top of that, Twitter will also livestream the New Year's Eve firework displays in downtown Dubai on the site, following in its effort to be a go-to destination for live video (not just the conversation around it). Read more...

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Germany Could Ding Facebook for Fake News

The frenzied 2016 election cycle mercifully is over, but Facebook's fake news problem isn't going away. The company may face steep fines in Germany if it fails to address it satisfactorily. A bill slated for consideration next year would establish fines of up to $500,000 euros per day for each day that a fake news story persisted after notification of its falsehood was provided. The legislation, which has bipartisan support, would apply to other sites as well, but Facebook clearly is its main target.

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This revolutionary device could save gunshot victims from bleeding out.

'XSTAT 30’ is a sponge-filled syringe that is designed to stop blood flowing out of a wound. 

The tiny sponges are released inside the open wound and expand when in contact with blood. The dressing lasts around four hours and each syringe can soak up around a pint of blood. Read more...

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In an instant messaging world, a delayed response is anxiety inducing

LONDON — "Step away from the phone," I said to myself as my eyes bore down at my iMessages. I felt heavy with the burden of anticipation; my heart racing as my foot tapped in a frenzied motion. A feeling of intense malaise came upon me, and I glared at the screen longing for a grey bubble to appear on my screen. 

SEE ALSO: Swiping is the new cheating—or is it?

The problem? I was waiting for a reply to a text message I'd sent 20 minutes ago to the guy I was dating. The lack of an instantaneous response sent my mind into overdrive. This delay was too long in a world of instant messaging; a world where immediate gratification is not merely expected, it's normal.  Read more...

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BHIM app will replace all cash transactions in India: PM Modi

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a new app to encourage more Indians to pay online in the aftermath of invalidation of most circulated cash last month. 

Called Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), the app works on top of the country's UPI mobile banking platform and uses a mobile number as the payment address. The app, which has the simplest user interface for any UPI-enabled app to date, is positioned as a substitute for plastic cards and point-of-sale terminals. 

SEE ALSO: Inside India's plan to substitute cash with its citizen's fingerprints

To use BHIM app, a user is required to register their bank account with the app, set a UPI PIN for the account, and use their mobile number as payment address. Users also have the option create a custom payment address. The biggest selling point for the app is it works across all banks and users do not need to use separate apps in case they have multiple accounts in different banks.  Read more...

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Consumer Reports stands by its verdict, won't recommend Apple's MacBook Pro

Apple may end up selling millions of its new MacBook Pro laptops, but it doesn’t seem it will be able to win Consumer Reports’ approval. 

SEE ALSO: Shots fired: Microsoft calls the new MacBook Pro a 'disappointment'

The nonprofit organization is standing by its initial verdict in which it did not give the MacBook Pro (2016) its "recommended" rating. The organization has now said it doesn’t think re-running the tests will change anything. 

"In this case, we don’t believe re-running the tests are warranted for several reasons. First, as we point out in our original article, experiencing very high battery life on MacBooks is not unusual for us – in fact we had a model in our comparative tests that got 19 hours," it told 9to5Mac. Read more...

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Apple could start manufacturing iPhones in India by April 2017

Apple could very soon begin manufacturing iPhones in the world's fastest growing smartphone market. 

SEE ALSO: Apple bets on Reliance Jio as iPhone sales in India increase 50%

After months of back and fourth with the local government, Apple is ready to assemble its smartphones in India as soon as April 2017, reports TOI. 

The company has partnered with Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer Wistron to assemble iPhones in Bangalore, the report claims. Wistron is setting up a facility in Peenya, an industrial area near Bangalore. 

The iPhone maker is very serious about manufacturing in India, and Bangalore, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India, is the place it is looking at, the report claims, adding that Apple wants to push its manufacturing processes to fullest in India by the end of 2017.  Read more...

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Apple might depend on a rival for the next iPhone's display

There are still a few days left in 2016, but iPhone fans have been living in 2017 for some time now. 

Rumors of the next version of Apple's flagship have captured our attention since the release of the iPhone 7 in September (and in some cases even before), and by now there's an established set of features most prognosticators expect will come in 2017. One of the most notable of these features is a brand-new AMOLED display, a change from the current LCD design. 

Now, a supply chain rumor reported by DigiTimes (which has been hit-or-miss when it comes to leaks in the past) claims not only that the switch has been confirmed, but the exclusive supplier of the new AMOLED panels will be one of Apple's biggest competitors. Read more...

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2016: The year Facebook became the bad guy

Facebook numbs us. 

It's supposed to: As an app and social network, it offers an unending feed of comforting memories, photos from friends and updates from trusted brands. ("Not enjoying pooping at work?" Let Charmin help.)

SEE ALSO: Facebook's ideals: As fake as its fakest news

But we felt a little sting in 2016, when Facebook, despite its best efforts, became political — an institution with far more power than many of us once recognized. It was the bad guy in an era that felt like a dystopic movie.

It plotted to expand its internet service empire, giving us a glimpse into a future when the world's largest social network administers internet access to millions (or billions) rather than ceding control to other providers. It overreacted to reports of bias in its "Trending" news feature and terminated its staff of human editors. Important media was censored on the platform. And Facebook allowed disinformation and viral hoaxes to run amok in the News Feed during a pivotal presidential election.  Read more...

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Ford's new self-driving Fusion looks like a actual car

If you pull up alongside a self-driving car today, you'll probably know it immediately — bulky external sensors make most of the current models logging test miles for Waymo, Chevy and others stick out on the streets like a sore thumb. There are a few less goofy-looking models on the road with autopilot features, like the Audi R7, but they're not so prevalent.     

But if you run into one of the brand-new, next-gen driverless Ford Fusion Hybrids in the coming months, you might never notice it's autonomous. It's that... normal. 

Chris Brewer, the chief program engineer of Ford's Autonomous Vehicle Development program, unveiled the latest iteration of Ford's self-driving tech in a Medium post yesterday, just ahead of the car company's mobility company's planned presentation next week at CES in Las Vegas.  Read more...

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The time I stole my GF's identity

We've all done something we regret. Something deep in our past. Do you want to confess? Read more...

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The Pogie Awards: The best ideas in technology of 2016

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Please find your seats and silence your phones… it’s time now for the 12th annual Pogie Awards!

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