Of course Huawei is making a Gear VR rival

Huawei may have just announced the fancy P9 and P9 Plus smartphones in London last week, but it actually saved a little surprise for its Shanghai launch today. Well, we say "surprise" but it's also very much a "me too" thing at this point. Simply dubbed Huawei VR, this headset series will initially come in three flavors to let you slot in the company's most recent flagship devices: the two P9 phones and the larger Mate 8. Given their mere 1080p screen resolution, don't expect any crisp video quality through those goggles, but Huawei claims its VR solution is the first to offer360-degree sound field on the go, as long as you have the right content loaded and your own headphones plugged in.

Gallery: Huawei VR hands-on | 17 Photos

• 
 
• 
 
• 
 
• 
  +13

The Huawei VR headsets work in a similar way as Samsung's counterparts: Just pop the front cover open, then secure the phone (with the VR app running, of course) using the clips inside, and then snap the cover back on. Likewise, they have a touch panel, a back button and volume keys on the right for interfacing with the app. You won't be able to wear your glasses underneath the goggles, but the adjustable lenses will accommodate myopia of down to -7.00.

In terms of specs, you get the usual 20ms low latency and 95-degree field of view (it's 96 degrees on Samsung's Gear VR and 110 on the HTC Vive plus the Oculus Rift), with the added benefit of an anti-blue light filter to protect your eyes.

The more exciting part here is obviously the content. At launch, Huawei VR will offer over 4,000 free movies (presumably only a fraction of these are VR videos) and over 40 free games, along with over 350 panoramic images and over 150 panoramic tours. It's obviously still early days as Huawei skipped the price and date, so we'll just have to keep an eye out for a future announcement.

8 coolest smartphones under Rs. 30,000 launched in 2016

View Slideshow»

While so much is happening in the low budget mobile phone space, high end flagship phones are also not far behind. The real question- is there a need for flagship phones? The answer is YES. Performance combined with high end features give the perfect product to this tech savvy world who also have transitioned their work from paper to devices. But not many can afford it.

Here comes the role of premium phones which are priced a level below flagship phones launched by premium brands but are at par with their performance. We bring to you 8 coolest smartphones under Rs. 30K range.

(Image credits: indiatimes)

Edward Snowden has too much free time, starts making music

When you almost-singlehandedly expose a vast, secretive spying network, you've every right to a little swagger. And Edward Snowden has frequently displayed that during his slow transition from whistleblower to privacy advocate. But there comes a time in every digital activist's life where they must choose a path: you either become a credible voice for good, or you become.. a voice. Presenting the new collaboration between electronic music legend Jean-Michel Jarre and Edward Snowden: "Exit."

Largely a pretty interesting piece of electronica, "Exit" takes a break from proceedings to allow Snowden to eulogize the need for privacy. Here are some choice quotes:

"Technology can actually increase privacy."

"Saying that you don't care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different to saying you don't care about freedom of speech because you have nothing to say. It's a deeply anti-social principle, because rights are not just individual, they're collective."

"What may not have value to you today, may have value to an entire population, an entire people, or an entire way of life tomorrow. And if you don't stand up for it, then who will?"

Rock on. With this rousing call to action, Snowden feels like he's at the point where he'll either become another Jimmy Wales or another Julian Assange. By that I mean he'll be another generally respected voice that puts his name to some so-so projects. Or he'll be like Julian Assange.

The track is available now to stream and purchase digitally, and it'll also get a vinyl release next month. In a Guardian video discussing the track (embedded below) Snowden says "music is the thing that can humanize even the most abstract moment." We're expecting his guide to self-actualization through meditation any day now.

Yahoo Esports goes mobile with a dedicated Android app

Associated Press

If you thought Yahoo's push into esports would stop at a dedicated editorial team, guess again. Now the outfit is taking that expertise mobile with the launch of the Yahoo Esports app on Android. It's a bit sparse at the moment, though, only covering a quintet of games: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends and Street Fighter V.

The cool wrinkle is that you can set reminders for when matches start, check out real-time stats and even watch game streams from within the app. Each game has its own page, with access to news on a per-game basis and tons of video interviews with competitors. Yahoo says this is just the start and that an iOS version isn't far off. Now the countdown begins forESPN to launch a competitive gaming app of its own.

'Ghostbusters' game coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC this July

Early trailers for the new, somewhat divisive Ghostbusters movie has sparked a wave of renewed interest in the spooky franchise. Unsurprisingly, Activision is working on a new video game to coincide with the film's release, which will arrive on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam) on July 15th. It's set after the events of the new movie, putting you in charge of some fresh Ghostbuster rookies as they try to capture spectres around New York City. Each character will have their own personality, strengths and play style, encouraging team-based strategies in up to four-player couch co-op. Just remember, don't cross the streams.

Hulu's recommendations feature starts rolling out to everyone

It's been over a year since Hulu introduced Watchlist, which puts your queue, favorites and watched content all in one place. Up until today, though, that feature was only available to users who wanted to try it early. But now Hulu's making Watchlist part of the main experience for every viewer, including those who watch on iOS, Android, PC, gaming consoles and set-top boxes like the Apple TV. Watchlist recommends movies or TV shows you should enjoy next, offering up suggestions based on your preferred and most recently viewed content. You can also find new series you might be interested in.

Sling TV tried something similar in its first major redesign since launch. And Hulu's on the same page, as it also wants to give people a more personalized UI -- one that's smart enough to know what episode ofScandal you're on. Hulu says Watchlist is rolling out now, but it could take a week or two before you see it show up on your account.

Amazon films make it to Cannes' 2016 lineup

Among all the titles that Cannes is screening at this year's film festival, five aren't like the rest. They're Amazon movies, see, and Cannes is known for refusing to showcase films made for screens smaller than a cinema's. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon will release the festival's opener, Woody Allen's Cafe Society, in the US. It also has rights to three films vying for Palme d'Or, namely The Neon Demon by Nicolas Winding Refn, Paterson by Jim Jarmusch and The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook, who also directed Oldboy. The fifth title is Jarmusch's Gimme Danger, which documents the life and music of Iggy Pop.

These moviemakers are festival regulars -- Allen's films, for instance, are typically reserved for opening night. They're not names you'd be surprised to see in the screening lineup. As The Hollywood Reporter noted, Cannes might merely be following their lead instead of truly opening its doors to streaming-service-backed titles. That's somehow supported by what festival director Thierry Fremaux pointed out to the publication: while it's true that Amazon has the rights to these films, they will be shown in theaters first.