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Where does virtual reality go next? Right now, there seem to be two paths: Portable and self-contained headsets or those connected to computers and consoles. Valve is clearly betting on the second way with the Index, its first VR hardware. It crams in just about every feature you’d expect from a high-end headset, including some truly transformative finger-sensing controllers. It’s just too bad the entire Index package costs $999, putting it out of reach for most people. It’s a boundary-pushing headset meant to keep the VR industry from getting stale.

A post shared by Engadget (@engadget) on Jun 28, 2019 at 10:31am PDT

1. Federal jury finds concert business Live Nation is a monopoly

   Live Nation, which operates the Ticketmaster platform, has been determined to be a ...

2. PlayStation Plus April catalog adds include Horizon Remastered, Squirrel with a Gun and Frank Stone

   For PlayStation Plus subscribers, April is going to be a little bit spooky, a tad sporty and extra squirrelly. PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium players will get access to

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3. There's yet another study about how bad AI is for our brains

   A group of researchers from across the US and the UK have conducted a study on what AI does to our brains and the results are, in a word, grim. These results were published in a paper called "AI assistance reduces persistence and hurts independent performance" which kind of tells you everything you

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4. Google unleashes a native Gemini app for the Mac

   Not content with stuffing Gemini into all of its own apps and services, Google wants you to adopt its AI assistant on desktops and laptops too. The company released a Gemini Windows app on Tuesday and it's following

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5. Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 review: A smart grill that pulls double duty

   Occasionally, you really can have it both ways. For the most part, pellet grills are great for smoking and mid-temperature cooking, but you’ll typically need other grills for high-heat searing and 1,000-degree temperatures(with ...

6. Snap is laying off 16 percent of its workforce, blames AI

   Snap is laying off around 1,000 staff, amounting to 16 percent of its workforce, which it will seemingly replace with AI. The cuts were announced in a company-wide memo from CEO Evan Spiegel, who added that more than 300 open roles are also being closed.

   Spiegel said the "incredibly difficult" decision would likely save Snap more than $500 million by the second half of 2026,

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7. Shoe company Allbirds pivots to AI compute in sign of a totally normal and healthy economy

   The shoe company Allbirds, famous for its wool trainers, is pivoting to AI. You read that right. The San Francisco company has plans "to pivot its business to AI compute infrastructure, with a long-term vision to become a fully integrated

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8. Traeger debuts Westwood smart pellet grills that start at $700

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   Chinese phonemaker Vivo has been pushing the limits of smartphone photography in the last few years. However, the availability of its phones — like last year’s X200 Ultra, with its beefy add-on telephoto — has been intermittent in the West.

   The company says the X300 Ultra its first global flagship launch,

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9. Spotify is selling books now

   A collaboration between Spotify and Bookshop.org that allows readers to purchase physical books in the Spotify app is now live in the US and UK.

   Rather than positioning audiobooks as the hard copy-killer, Spotify is encouraging you to see them as

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