Facebook would like to take you to space… just not the kind that includes zero gravity. ‘Spaces’ is Facebooks foray in creating a virtual reality world, and so far, it looks kind of… spare. But were sure that will change as time goes on. You and three friends – all via somewhat straightforward avatars – can meet up in Spaces, and once there, you can chat and take selfies, among other things.
There will also be the ability to share 360-degree video content, draw stuff with VR markers and generally have a fine time while wearing your Oculus Rift headset. Will Spaces spur a sudden run on Rift headsets and the spendy PCs required to run them? We’ll see but suffice to say these are the early days of hanging out in VR, and time will tell if Spaces is the place we’ll want to hang out once the cost of the VR gear needed to visit these virtual playgrounds comes down.
Sounds Super!
Still crying in your coffee over the fact you didn’t round up a Nintendo Mini NES Classic Edition console for $60? Or, for any price? Good news: Forbes is reporting a diminutive SNES Classic Edition machine is now on the way from Nintendo, and it could arrive in time for the holidays. Nintendo recently announced they are ending production of the NES Classic, which became a surprise runaway hit when it was announced last year.
There were no details about which games might be included in the SNES machine but we’d wager that Nintendo will likely plan a bit longer production run – and maybe a higher price – for the next, and likely hotly anticipated, throwback gaming console.
Hello Bixby? We like your phone
You may have heard that Samsung introduced a new smartphone late last month called the S8 and S8 Plus.
The S8 is Samsung’s attempt to remove the bad memories of the flaming Note 7 from our collective consciousness, and the S8’s standout “infinity display”does indeed impress. Samsung also introduced their Bixby A.I. assistant, which we found marginally helpful; but it still has a ways to go.
The S8 does have a headphone jack, and it’s also water resistant, something every phone should be in our opinion. We also tested battery life and camera performance. Check out the complete test here.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
