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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. A Waymo robotaxi struck a child near a school

   Waymo said one of its robotaxis struck a child, who sustained minor injuries. The incident took place in Santa Monica, California, on January 23. The company reported it to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has ...

2. Honda vehicles used to proactively report road safety issues in nation-first pilot

   Honda and DriveOhio have teamed up on a new road safety initiative in which ...

3. Apple's AirPods 4 with ANC are on sale for $119

   Apple's AirPods 4 have a ton of improvements over the previous generation, but the version with active noise cancellation takes things up a notch. With them, you can get noise-cancelling power without the in-ear design of the AirPods Pro 3 that may bother some folks.

   They're even more enticing when they're on sale, like right now. The ...

4. The 512GB Samsung P9 microSD Express card is $40 off right now

   MicroSD Express cards are still a little hard to find, considering they're pretty new and only really started becoming popular last year once the Switch 2 came out. These upgraded versions of microSD cards are the only ones compatible with the Switch 2 for expanding its storage, os if you're already starting to feel the crunch on your console, it's worth picking one up. ...

5. Google will pay $135 million to settle illegal data collection lawsuit

   Google has agreed to a preliminary $135 million settlement in a class action lawsuit brought by Android users who accused it of harvesting their data without consent. The suit alleged that since November 12, 2017, Google has been illegally collecting cellular data from phones purchased through carriers, even when apps were closed or location features were disabled.

   As reported by ...

6. The Nex Playground is everything Xbox Kinect wanted to be

   It's the year 2026 and the hottest game in my living room is Fruit Ninja. No, I'm not in the midst of an ill-advised retro mobile gaming kick. Instead, my family and I have been jumping around and slicing flying fruit in our living room using the Nex Playground. It's a

   ...

7. Pick up AirPods Pro 3 while they're down to $199 right now

   ...

8. Apple TV signs TV and movie deal for Brandon Sanderson's fantasy books

   Brandon Sanderson, a popular author of high-fantasy and science fiction books, has signed a deal with Apple TV to adapt his works set in the Cosmere fictional universe into films and TV shows. Sanderson ...

9. Are VPNs really safe? The security factors to consider before using one

   Virtual private networks (VPNs) have been household technology for a while now, but there's still a lot of uncertainty around them. This is partly due to the fact that they can conceal online activity that local or national governments deem illegal — up to and including, say, circumventing ...

10. DJI launches the lightweight RS 5 camera gimbal for video creators

    DJI just revealed the RS 5 camera gimbal, a new entry in its long-standing Ronan Series. The RS 5 is lightweight, at around three pounds, with a maximum payload of nearly seven pounds.

    This gimbal offers what DJI calls "enhanced intelligent subject tracking." The tracking ...