Google dominates mass market VR with 5 million Cardboard viewers, 1000 VR apps

While the world is waiting around for Oculus, Google's already shipped 5 million of its low-cost Cardboard viewers and boasts up to 1,000 VR apps available on its app store. The range of VR experiences available to Cardboard users is staggering with everything from games, to immersive virtual museum tours and even different ways to watch videos and look at panoramic images on smartphones they already own.

On the other end of the spectrum, Google is also enabling creators to make VR experiences with the Cardboard camera app as well as Jump VR authoring suite. 

Next up for Google Cardboard, how about a way to make it less resource intensive on smartphones, which tend to use up a lot of battery life and warm up.

Source: Google

Apple reports record earnings despite softening economy and weakened currencies

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

This is Apple’s biggest revenue and profit ever and likely the most revenue reported by any company, yet it is still dampened by falling short of expectations plus the first ever sales decline for iPhone in Q2, which will be the first downturn for Apple’s marquee product since its launch back in 2007.

Apple held its holiday quarter earnings call yesterday and reported $75.9 billion in revenue, $18.4 billion in profits which breaks previous records for the company despite the global ‘softening’ of the economy and devaled currencies.  Apple’s success is bolstered by iPhone sales, the company sold 74.8 million units for the quarter. iPad sales continued to fall at 16.1 million units sold despite the addition of the iPad Pro, and Mac unit sales were at 5.3 million units in what is traditionally considered Apple’s strongest quarter.

For the same quarter a year ago, Apple reported the following for comparison. $74.6b in revenue, $18 billion in profit, 74.4m iPhones, 21.4m iPads, and 5.5m Macs. Analysts were predicting around $76.6b in revenue, 75m iPhones, 17.3m iPads, and 5.8m Macs this quarter. 

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Review: Samsung Galaxy S5 Neo

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Samsung brings back 2014's Samsung Galaxy S5 but with updated specs, a better display and a return to the dust and water resistant flagship of its time.

The Galaxy S5 neo has a lot going for it. Sure, it feels a little retro now that Samsung has moved on to curved glass and aluminum bodies, but it does offer a removable battery as well as a 5.1-inch display that is a comfortable size for many users out there.

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Buick Cascada convertible coming to dealers next month

Buick's Cascada convertible is a return to reasonably priced open top motoring for families. This is Buick's first convertible since the 1991 Reatta and is a four-seat non-luxury, non-sport car coming to US dealers next month at US $33,900.

"Convertible buyers tend to be very loyal, but a lot of the competition has vacated the market," said Tony DiSalle, Buick-GMC vice president of marketing. I got to see the Cascada a few weeks ago in Detroit prior to the North American International Auto Show.

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