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Samsung's virtual reality headset, Gear VR: what you need to know
Samsung's virtual reality headset, dubbed "Gear VR," is available for purchase as of today. For those not following the last three years of virtual reality's return from obscurity, today is a big day: Gear VR is the first virtual reality headset available to general consumers. Though Sony's PlayStation arm and Facebook's Oculus VR have high-powered development kits in the wild, Samsung's the first major electronics company to go to market with a VR headset. Almost, at least -- the headset's full name is, "Gear VR Innovator Edition." In fact, when you buy the headset on Samsung's website, you have to agree to this condition: "I understand the Gear VR is an Innovator Edition device targeted specifically to developers or early adopters of technology." So, what's the goal with Gear VR for Samsung? And what are its plans for the future? We asked Nick DiCarlo, VP/GM of immersive products and VR at Samsung, in an interview this morning. Head below for his answers, and for the full list of apps coming to Gear VR today.
Engadget UK giveaway: win a Galaxy Note 4 courtesy of Bitdefender
Christmas is a time of giving, but let's be honest, being on the receiving end is so much better. Over the next few weeks, we're going to be running back-to-back giveaways as we approach the festive season -- and winners won't even need to wait until the 25th to start playing with their free toys. To kick things off, we've got a new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (octa-core Exynos variant) to gift to one lucky reader, thanks to the generosity of our friends at Bitdefender and their Mobile Security software for Android. For a modest subscription fee, the app will protect your device from malware, advise you when app permissions might be cause for concern, let you track and wipe your phone remotely if it's been pinched, and even keep your Android Wear smartwatch safe. If you don't know the drill already, UK residents can enter the giveaway up to three times via the Rafflecopter widget below. Before you start clicking away, though, give the rules a quick read, would ya? Winning: congrats to Pete D. from Meifod, Wales!
Oculus VR's software development kit for mobile is now available
When Oculus VR hired away legendary programmer John Carmack from id Software, there was a specific intention: Carmack's commitment to virtual reality, specifically as it pertained to mobile VR. The first major fruit of Carmack's work over the past year is now available for you to download, as Oculus VR today announced the release of its mobile software development kit. So, what can you do with it? You can make stuff for Samsung and Oculus VR's joint venture: Gear VR. Specifically, the SDK is meant for use with the Note 4, which powers virtual experiences in Gear VR.
Where to buy Samsung's Galaxy Note 4
A week later than Samsung had originally planned, the new Galaxy Note 4 has today officially landed on UK shores. As far as we're concerned, the 5.7-inch behemoth is the best big-screen phone you can get your hands on at the moment, with a gorgeous, pixel-dense display and all the power you can manage. And thanks to various software tricks, it's not much of a chore to use one-handed, despite its beastly dimensions. Phablet fans waiting on the newest Note from the pioneer of the super-sized handset now have that all-important decision ahead: to buy or not to buy? Well, join us below as we investigate where you can get one, and how much of a dent the many options are going to make on your bank account.
Galaxy Note 4 owners get three months free of OnLive gaming
Ahead of the Galaxy Note 4's release in the US tomorrow, Samsung has a last-minute incentive for potential buyers as well as those who have already pre-ordered. The company just announced a new partnership deal with OnLive, which gives owners of its fresh, big-screen handset three months of free gaming through the streaming platform. Samsung's promotion is part of the Galaxy Gifts Package, a collection of free software from its own app store, and will give users access to titles from OnLive's PlayPack bundle, such as Batman: Arkham City, Darksiders, Rogue Legacy and many more. The OnLive service is typically $9.95 per month -- so not only do you save some cash, but also have the chance to try it without any attachments. Once you have your Note 4, the OnLive app can be downloaded from the Galaxy Apps shop.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review: the best big-screen phone you can buy right now
What began in 2011 as a brand-new phone category has flourished into one of the most popular in the world. Smartphones with big screens (phablets, to some) are now ubiquitous, but it all started with an odd device called the Samsung Galaxy Note. At 5.3 inches, it was a behemoth for its day -- and yet, it sold like hotcakes thanks to its unique S Pen stylus, which provided users with extra functionality, and a copious amount of screen space. Four iterations later, the Note series has continued to grow, mature and dominate the genre. Not only does the latest version, the Galaxy Note 4, come with the snazziest spec sheet on the market, but it also ushers in a fantastic new direction in Samsung's design. It sure sounds like an improvement over last year's model, and it is. Now that Apple's ready to tackle the Note with a large-screen phone of its own, however, is Samsung's baby still the best in its class?
Here's how Samsung prevents its own #Bendgate
Samsung wants you to know that the Galaxy Note 4 doesn't bend and break like, ahem, certain competitors even if you sit on it over and over again. So, the company has uploaded a video showing the types of stress tests the handset goes through, like the one it released years ago for the S 3 and Note 2. This time, though, the video aggressively hints (repeatedly, even) that the Note 4's a lot tougher than the new iPhones. Similar to the tests its previous handsets had to endure, the Note 4's subjected to a three-point bend test that pushes a metal with 25 kilograms of force to the middle of the device -- you can even see the phone bend just a little during the process in the video after the break. Also, the phones apparently have to survive getting sat on by robotic buttocks that simulate the force a 220-pound person's capable of.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 coming to the UK on October 10th
Not bothered about the new iPhones? After something with a big screen and Android at its heart? Well, that's what Samsung's Galaxy Note family is all about, and the company has announced the latest member of the clan will be hitting the UK October 10th, a week before the US. The super-sized Galaxy Note 4, with its 5.7-inch Quad HD display and high-end specs all around, is now up for preorder, but only at Samsung's "Experience" stores. Carriers and retailers will be able to open up reservations from September 26th, with Samsung specifically naming Three and Carphone Warehouse as guaranteed partners. We haven't got any juicy pricing information to share with you just yet, but should be able to let you know where the best deals lie nearer the time. Spoiler: it's unlikely to be at Phones4u.
How Samsung's VR headset convinced John Carmack to join Oculus VR
John Carmack's name isn't synonymous with virtual reality just yet. He's still "the guy who led programming on Doom and Wolfenstein" to most folks; the co-founder of acclaimed development studio id Software. And that's exactly why it was such a big deal when he suddenly left id Software last year to join Oculus VR as chief technical officer. Though Palmer Luckey and co. helped sway him with their own Rift headset, Carmack was eventually sold on the gig by Samsung's mobile VR concept: Gear VR. "That was really the prime thing that motivated me to decide: No, I'm gonna devote 100 percent of my attention and focus to Oculus," he told Engadget in an interview this week.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 looks and feels like a premium device (hands-on)
When Samsung launched the very first Galaxy Note at IFA 2011, the device -- a 5.3-inch behemoth that came with a stylus - seemed absurdly large. But the idea was crazy enough to work: It was the beginning of a brand-new phone genre adopted by nearly every handset maker around the world and beloved by millions. Three years later, we're being introduced to the fourth smartphone in the series, known as the Galaxy Note 4. As you might expect, the device comes with new and improved specs in both hardware and software, but the design of the 5.7-inch phone itself has made a huge step in the right direction: It comes with an aluminum frame, and based on my first impression, it's the best looking of the bunch. It's time to explore Samsung's latest large-screened device.
