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Carl Zeiss is making its own $99 VR headset

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Renowned optics manufacturer Carl Zeiss is making its own alternative to Samsung’s Gear VR headset that uses an inserted smartphone to generate a 3D world.

Unlike Samsung’s offering, the Carl Zeiss VR One will be compatible with a wide range of smartphones between 4.7″ and 5.2″, although you will have to purchase a special tray for each new device. Read more »

BlackBerry Passport hands-on

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Canadian manufacturer BlackBerry has been hard at work trying to get back in the black. Its latest BlackBerry Passport flagship is an unconventional offering, and could be just crazy enough to work.

The Passport sports offers a QWERTY keypad alongside a 4.5-inch square display, which results in a ultra-wide 90.3mm footprint. Is the lack of one-handed capabilities too much of a sacrifice? Is having a square display actually a good thing? We get our hands on BlackBerry’s latest to find out. Read more »

Samsung looking to settle its patent dispute with Microsoft through arbitration

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The long-standing patent fee dispute between Samsung and Microsoft, which first made headlines this summer, apparently continues to be an issue as still neither can come to an agreement.

In an attempt to put the issue at rest, Samsung has filed for arbitration under the International Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Read more »

Weekly poll results: Sony Xperia Z3 voted fan favorite

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Last week we wanted your take on another device released last month at IFA – the Sony Xperia Z3, and how it stacks up against the current crop of Android flagship competition.

The stylish aluminum frame, dual-glass panel design and IP68 waterproof certification was enough to put it ahead of devices like the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5. Let’s take a look at the scores. Read more »

Adobe updates its Creative Cloud for desktop by adding new sharing capabilities

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Adobe has outed a new update to its Creative Cloud family that not only brings new features to popular programs like Photoshop CC, but also adds new cloud-based sharing services.

These include curated content selections for user-created brushes and vectors, as well as workflow optimizations for designers and developers. Read more »

Take a peek inside the Galaxy Alpha, Samsung’s first metal-clad smartphone

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iFixit.com has finally gotten around to taking apart the Samsung Galaxy Alpha – the Korean company’s first smartphone not to be made entirely out of polycarbonate.

The Galaxy Alpha features a 6.7mm wide metal frame flanked by a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display and pleasantly-textured back panel. But just how easy is it to take apart? Read more »

Samsung releases infographic highlighting new Galaxy Note Edge features

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The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge made some waves at this year’s IFA as the first device to feature a proprietary rounded edge screen on the side of the device used for shortcuts, notifications, and more.

For those still in the dark on everything that Samsung’s Edge Screen is capable of, the Korean company has released a handy infographic highlighting all of its nifty features. Read more »

Lenovo to finalize IBM low-end server acquisition this week

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We first got wind of Lenovo’s bid for IBMs low-end server division early this year, when the China-based company and the tech giant agreed to a $2.3 billion deal for IBM’s x86 server division.

Today, Reuters reports that the deal is set to finalize on October 1, although at a slightly lower valuation of $2.1 billion. Read more »

Apple iPhone 6 Plus hands-on

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The Apple iPhone 6 Plus comes as a notable departure from the company’s traditions of compact devices, bringing a 5.5-inch 1080p display for the first time on an Apple smartphone.

But how does it rank in terms of an Apple device? We’ll be taking a quick look at not only the retail package and hardware design strategy, but what the latest iOS 8 update brings to the table. Read more »

Apple outs first iPhone 6 ads featuring Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake

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The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have enjoyed immense popularity during their first week of availability, and now Apple is trying to capitalize on that by enlisting some high-profile celebrity talent.

The TV spots were teased during the launch event for the new Apple devices, and now we get to see the real thing. Read more »

Tim Cook writes open letter regarding Apple user security

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The fallout of the massive iCloud hacking scandal that leaked numerous private photos of female celebrities is is surely yet to play out.

And although Apple has taken the matter very seriously and is still investigating how their iCloud servers were compromised – if that is what, in fact, happened – Apple CEO Tim Cook has issued an open letter assuring the company’s commitment to user privacy. Read more »

Motorola outs new video ads for the new Moto X

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To garner more attention to its newest Moto X flagship, Motorola has released a trio of TV spots highlighting its new – and some not so new – features.

Motorola released its latest Moto X flagship earlier this month without much fanfare, in an exclusive US event held separately from the IFA festivities in Europe. Read more »

A luxury smartwatch from TAG Heuer is in the works

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Word is that French luxury group LVMH is planning to release a smartwatch through its TAG Heuer brand.

The latest news is confirmed by Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag, where LVMH exec and former Swatch and Hublot board member Jean-Claude Biver confirmed that TAG Heuer is working on a smartwatch. Read more »

Xiaomi Redmi 1S video hands-on

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Xiaomi’s Redmi 1S – known as the Hongmi 1S in China – comes with a competitive blend of ultra-low price and capable midrange specs sheet.

Placed under the company’s new Mi 4 flagship, it provides a 4.7-inch 720p LCD display alongside a quad-core 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 chipset. Read more »

SwiftKey Keyboard with cloud support arrives to iOS

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The famous SwiftKey Keyboard app has finally made its way onto iOS for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The popular keyboard app that has become well known in the Android community for its ability to make typing on touchscreen devices easy, brings its hallmark autocorrection and word prediction to iOS users. Read more »