BMW integrates HTC Vive into its development process

Luxury car maker BMW has announced that they will be integrating HTC’s Vive virtual reality device as part of their vehicle development process.  The automaker said integrating this product will help them iterate designs much faster and implement changes quickly as well. BMW boasts they have been using VR systems since the ‘90s but using the Vive will be more cost-effective for them in the long run. BMW has been evaluating the Vive throughout 2015 by using several developer kits for various pilot projects since last autumn.

Source: BMW  

New video shows ‘behind the scenes’ look at Cookie Monster’s Siri TV ad

If you’re like the many people who can’t get enough of Cookie Monster’s “Timer” TV ad promoting the iPhone 6s and its “Hey Siri” command, you now get a behind-the-scenes clip from it. The video shows alleged BTS shots from the original ad showing things like Cookie Monster getting hit in the head by a film slate. It even shows him finishing up all the cookies and wishing Siri good night at the end of the day. Timer is one of Apple’s most popular TV commercials as it has chalked up nearly nine million views already on the company’s official YouTube channel.

Source: Apple Insider

Android N Developer Preview rumoured to be coming to non-Nexus devices

It might happen that you can try out the Android N Developer Preview on your non-Nexus smartphone. The preview is currently only available on Google’s Nexus phone, as the case has been in the past, but it looks like that might change. Well, if the “hints” discovered by some users are any indication. There is supposedly a bit of text found in a hidden HTML code on the Android N Preview site that shows the “What’s New” section. Indicated there is support for more devices, including those made by OEM partners.  Of course, you have to take this information with a grain of salt as Google hasn’t confirmed any of these. But if it were true, would you be interested in trying it out?

Source: Android Central

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