Video shows off the VR experience using the HTC Vive

It’s hard to explain what using a virtual reality device is like. This new Valve trailer featuring the HTC Vive shows what it’s like to play games using a VR headset. A lot of the games and experiences shown in the video come with the Vive for free including The Lab, Hover Junkers, Everest VR, Tilt Brush, to name a few. One of the things that sets the Vive apart from the Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR is it allows for room-scale and it comes with motion controllers. This allows you to physically walk around in a virtual space, giving a different kind of immersive experience.

Source: Forbes

Here’s the first look at Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

It seems to be a thing now, where even a trailer has to get a teaser. For better or worse, here’s our first quick glimpse of the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The trailer will be debuting on Good Morning America on Thursday morning. But for now what we get is what looks like a Shadow Trooper and something burning in the background. Rogue One is starring Felicity Jones and is directed by Gareth Edwards. It will come to theaters by December 16^th.

WhatsApp now encrypts all your messages

It doesn’t matter what device you’re running WhatsApp on, the Facebook-owned messaging service is using a “powerful form” of encryption to protect everything from photos, videos, group chats, to video calls. Android phones were the first to get “end-to-end” encryption back in 2014 but now it extends to iOS and other devices as well. This comes after the encryption controversy Apple and the FBI got into over an iPhone used by a suspected gunman. WhatsApp has already caused friction in Brazil earlier this year as a Facebook Inc. executive was arrested after the company said it can’t unscramble a user’s encrypted message.

The end-to-end encryption WhatsApp uses automatically encodes the message, which can only be unlocked by the sender and recipient. WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum says he believes consumers have the right to easy-to-use encryption to protect themselves not just from hackers and identity thieves but also from “rogue” governments that spy on their own citizens.

Source: AP

Amazon rumoured to be developing Kindle with rechargeable cases

Upcoming Amazon Kindles are rumoured to be coming with even better battery life courtesy of rechargeable protective casing. According to The Wall Street Journal, these cases will help slim down the e-reader. But this could also mean battery life of the device alone won’t be better than before or at least still be similar to older models. There also is supposedly a solar-powered casing in the works that won’t be available for the launch of rumoured device next week.

These new cases and the new Kindles are supposedly Amazon’s attempt to push new Kindle devices as they’re apparently having a harder time selling newer Kindles because people are still perfectly happy with their current e-readers. It would need a new feature, like a rechargeable case, to help compel buyers to consider getting a new Kindle.

Source: Engadget