HTC jumps into the VR game with the Vive headset, partners with Valve for games

Valve is preparing a VR demonstration for the Game Developers Conference in March, but the first hardware for it came out unexpectedly from HTC. The HTC Vive headset will work with PCs rather than phones, but the company claims it has what it takes to beat the Oculus Rift.



This could be a big win for HTC though as official figures have it that Valve has 125 million users, nearly 9 million of which are online at the same time.

The headset is different from Samsung’s Gear VR in that it doesn’t use a smartphone for its screen and brains. Instead, the HTC Vive will have its own screen and optics (HTC is mum on resolution) and will be powered by a computer running SteamVR.

The SteamVR platform is compatible with the Oculus Rift too, however the HTC Vive one-ups it by allowing users to walk around the room while in a simulated environment. HTC claims it has a solution to keep people from walking into furniture, but wouldn’t share it with us.

The screen resolution is unknown, however it will run at 90fps, matching the latest Oculus Rift prototype (Crescent Bay, scheduled for a May release).



HTC also promises “incredible audio fidelity” with the Vive. There will also be a pair of controllers that will be versatile enough to support a wide range of games and other VR experiences.



HTC sees this used in gaming, of course, but it will expand to watching movies (HBO, Lionsgate and Google among others will provide content), browsing travel destinations in the travel agency, running various training courses and doing some virtual shopping.

Valve has partnered with other companies, though HTC claims to be the only company that will ship its SteamVR product this year. The Developer Edition is coming out in the Spring, while the commercial version should be out for the Holiday shopping season. There’s no info on pricing.

YouTube app update for Android enables video trimming

Google has released a new update for the YouTube app for Android devices with a capability to trim videos before uploading to YouTube.



Select a video from the phone using the YouTube app and it will show you the new trimming interface. With that, the users can simply tap and swipe the scroll switch to choose an exact frame.

With new scroll switches you can now select the precise frames as start and end of the video. Not only that, you can also watch the video preview of your trimmed video before uploading it to YouTube.

YouTube app for Android can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

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HTC gets serious about exercise with HTC Grip smart band

HTC has been promising a wearable for years now, but this year it delivered. The HTC Grip is a smart band with a built-in GPS, built in a collaboration with Under Armour. The company made it clear this isn’t for casual tarining, the Grip is aimed at fitness enthusiast and pro athletes.



Being a serious tool, it focuses on standalone performance rather than its interactions with a smartphone (it’s compatible with Android 4.3+ and iOS 7+).

The GPS receiver can track your run and cycling exercises. It also has an automatic sleep tracker, which measures the amount of time spend in deep sleep. The 100mAh battery is good for 5 hours with the GPS on and 2-3 days with the GPS off.

The HTC Grip packs an accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, plus a light sensor. There’s no heart-rate monitor on board though, the smart band will instead depend on external monitors. These provide continuous measurements and are much more accurate than the optical monitors commonly found in smartwatches. Only Bluetooth 4.0 monitors are supported though, not ANT+.



You can take a shower wearing the Grip thanks to the IP57 rating, but it’s not suitable for swimming. There’s a MIL-STD-810G rating for shock resistance too. The band comes in three sizes – small, medium and large.

The smart band works with the Under Armour app, UA Record, which reportedly, already boasts some 130 million users. UA recently bought MyFitnessPal and Endomodo to boost its own offering. HTC had until now partnered with Fitbit, which came pre-installed on One flagships.





The HTC Grip has a 1.8″ PM-OLED display with 32 x 160px resolution, which will display basic stats. The band runs a proprietary software and can work with smartphones though it’s limited. It can, for example, control the music player on the phone.

The HTC Grip will cost $199 when it launches in Spring. It will be available in Deep Teal/Lime.

The price puts it in direct competition with the Microsoft Band, another GPS-equipped smart band. You can also get a basic Garmin or TomTom watch with on-board GPS and packaged chest heartrate monitor for $199 or less so HTC has a tough sell on its hands.

Swatch announces Touch Zero One fitness tracking watch

Swatch has announced the new Touch Zero One watch that is made specifically for volleyball players. The watch can track your steps, distance travelled, power hits and power claps, and then calculates the calories burnt.



The watch then pairs with your smartphone over Bluetooth and the Swatch app helps you track your fitness level and also use a virtual coach to set fitness goals for yourself.

The watch has a monochromatic touchscreen that supports taps and sideswipes. The watch itself is waterproof and a battery that supposedly lasts for months.

The Touch Zero One is priced at around $160.



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Intel teases new Intel Atom x3, x5 and x7 processors while announcing a new naming scheme

Intel is trying to make its Atom line of processors more user-friendly naming scheme than the current four digit (plus maybe letters) arrangement. From now on Atoms will follow the same three-fold division that the premium Core i processors have, but with a different letter.



The good, better and best of the Intel Atoms will be labeled x3, x5 and x7 respectively. And that’s not all, as Intel’s PR blogpost suggests that the change is not in the names only, but there is actually new silicone ready to be announced.

The new Intel Atom x3, x5 and x7 processors will be aimed at tablets, phablets and phones and prioritize mobility and battery life, while offering competitive battery life. The Intel Core M and Core i series remain to target laptops and hybrid devices.



While, today’s news is not a product announcement per se, we still think they’ve got some new sillicone ready. It’s clearly stated that “This change will start with the next generation of processors” and the infographic explicitly states new processors in the title.

Source | Via