Google is expanding its virtual reality ambitions with a new system called Daydream, which encompasses a range of VR-capable Android smartphones, a headset design, a controller and applications.The Alphabet Inc subsidiary will release Daydream this fall, said Clay Bavor, Google s vice president of virtual reality, at its I/O developer conference near its Silicon Valley headquarters Wednesday."Daydream is our platform for high-quality mobile virtual reality," Bavor said.Daydream is designed to make VR ubiquitous by working with current and future versions of the company s Android mobile operating system, the latest of which is code-named Android N."What that means for developers is there are going to be a lot of Daydream ready phones," Bavor said.Companies including Samsung Electronics, Alcatel-Lucent, Asustek Computer, HTC, Huawei Technologies, LG Electronics, and Xiaomi are building phones compatible with Daydream specifications, Bavor said, noting that several will be ready this fall.The company is working with companies like Netflix, CNN, HBO, and Hulu to build new applications for Daydream, he said.Also it s re-writing Google s own software, including Photos, Google Play Movies, Street View, and YouTube, to work with the system.Along with that, Google has created a new controller to help people interact with the VR software and content, for instance sending a virtual dragon swooping up and down in a VR video game.Google s first public foray into virtual reality was Cardboard, which lets people turn phones into virtual reality headsets using a lattice of plastic, Velcro, and compressed paper.It also made enhancements to Android to let the operating system support VR-friendly content, like 360 degree videos.Meanwhile, rivals like Facebook Inc. and companies such as HTC and Samsung Electronics produced their own high-end standalone devices, betting that better graphics and precision would encourage people to shell out several hundred dollars for their own devices, versus as low as $15 for Cardboard.With Daydream Google is taking on rivals using a similar strategy to the way it has used Android to compete with Apple in smartphones -- build great software, marry that to cheaper hardware, and then attach it to an ecosystem populated by as many developers as possible.Today, it s hard to get your hands on a premium VR headset, even if you re willing to drop the $1,500 or so needed for the headset and corresponding computers.

Google s quietly making a ton of progress on one of its coolest technologies to date, which will change how we interact with our devices.The technology is called Soli, and it s basically a tiny radar that can detect small hand gestures for controlling smart clothing, smartwatches, and other devices.Soli was first shown off at Google I/O last year, and since then, Google has worked with around 60 developers, shipping them dev kits to build object recognition, wearables, and so on.The new chip reduces power consumption by a hefty 22 times, now sitting at 0.054 W. Radar also takes a lot of computer power — the new version, however, still runs 18,000 frames per second, and is a whopping 256 times more efficient.For example, in the demo of a watch that was built in partnership with LG, we saw that if you move your hand closer and further away from the device, it can scroll through messages.Unfortunately it s not yet known when we ll see Soli products for consumers, however ATAP will be sending out a new developer kit next year.

Google s Advanced Technology and Projects ATAP group showed what it s been up to with the Project Soli gesture radar technology that it unveiled at I/O one year ago.Google ATAP has worked with LG Electronics and MC R Lab to assemble an impressive-looking smartwatch that you can quickly control with subtle hand gestures.Of course, the watch will also support touch and speech input, but the real magic here is what you can do by moving your fingers ever so slightly, Google ATAP s Ivan Poupyrev said today at the Google I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California.ATAP has also worked with Harman to produce a JBL speaker that uses those same Soli algorithms.With the first prototype onstage, Project Soli machine learning engineer Nick Gillian demonstrated how you can quickly play, pause, and switch tracks with the gadget.Google did not share release dates for these new products.But that gets to where Soli is going.Soli is an interaction platform for a connected world, Poupyrev said.Oh, and ATAP has also improved its Soli developer kit.It launches next year, Poupyrev said.Thanks to Google ATAP s collaboration with Infineon, power consumption of the device development kit is 1/22 of what it was before — 54 milliwatts — and it s one-third the size of the alpha model, Poupyrev said.

The gesture-tracking technology used by Tom Cruise s precrime-fighting police officer in Minority Report, the sci-fi movie set in 2054, has arrived a few years early.Tiny radar chips by Infineon Technologies AG paired with algorithms by Alphabet Inc. s Google help devices detect the finest gestures from several meters away, the German chipmaker says.The first gadgets to use the so-called Soli technology, presented at Google I/O event Friday, are prototypes of an LG Electronics Inc. smartwatch and a Harman Kardon loudspeaker.While coarser gesture detection has been around for a bit, for example in gaming consoles such as Wii, the new chips are more precise.Since mankind started using tools 2.4 million years ago, this is the first time tools adapt to the user instead of the other way around.Infineon, which is teaming with Google to sell its chips paired with the U.S. company s software from mid-2017, expects the technology to provide new user experiences and inspire new devices, like the iPhone did with touchscreen technology.Paired with the right software, Infineon s radar chips are able to recognize individuals when they enter a room, detect finger and hand movements up to 15 feet away, and help workers steer machines and tools as industries digitize their factories, Urschitz says.Beyond the wow factor, Infineon also expects the Soli technology to boost sales.Already this year, it estimates the addressable market for the technology is 80 million wireless audio units and 60 million smartwatches.

So hats off to LG for trying something different with the LG G5, the first major brand smartphone to feature modular components, meaning you can clip new batteries, cameras and Hi-Fi adjustors to customise the phone further to your own requirements.Granted, you can tap the display awake and tap in your code to unlock it, but I still think the fact you need to be already holding the handset to use the scanner kind of negates the point of having one in the first place.It s powered by a speedy Snapdragon 820 processor, which runs games, multiple-tab web browsing and relatively power-intensive apps without a hitch.The blame for this can be largely lain on powering the screen, though what I would consider quite light web-browsing and music streaming also took a sizable toll.I can't think of a single instance when someone would want to use this feature The standard lens is excellent - pictures are sharp and defined, while colour is true to life The wide-angle lens is great for panoramic landscapes, but pictures tend to be quite dark The camera holds up well in artificial light Credit: rhiannon williams/telegraph A glamorous indoor location captured using the standard lens... ...and with the wide angle lens, standing in the same spot Saturation levels are good in bright light Credit: rhiannon williams/telegraphVerdictWith the LG G5, the South Korean company has made a major step forward from last year s setback and has proved it s not afraid to try something different in a sea of uniformity.In years to come, we may look back on the LG G5 as a landmark model which helped to kickstart the mainstream adoption of modules and the rise of the functional, customisable phone.

It later moved into Google s Advanced Technology and Projects group, a lab that aims to bring futuristic technologies to market in two years.On Friday at Google s annual programmers conference, Google executives said they had moved Ara into its own business unit and plan to release the modular phones to developers later this year, with a consumer launch in 2017.In an onstage demonstration, a Google engineer attached a camera to a phone and then took a photo of the audience.A Levi executive changed a song with a swipe on his cuff, but the functions appeared limited.Google also showed off a concept LG Electronics Inc. 066570 -3.89 % watch with a radar sensor inside, enabling an engineer on stage to scroll through options on the watch with a twist of his fingers a few inches from the device.The advantage of the gesture control over using the watch s dial was unclear.

Project Ara, Google s modular phone, will be available this Fall for developers.It won t be the original modular phone moonshot we were sold on, though; in fact, it feels a little bit like a bait-and-switch.When the LG G5 was launched, many thought its modularity was pretty lame; instead of a skeleton where you can slip components in and out, the G5 s bottom slips off to allow for more stuff to be added on.I agreed with that mindset at the time, but that was before Google flipped the script on us about Ara.Now, LG seems downright innovative and realistic.It was a radically different way of thinking about phones, and that Google couldn t — or wouldn t — execute on its own concept is disheartening.

Material Design is still intact here, and most of the focus is on new features and bug fixes.Your device will use motion sensors to detect when it hasn't been moved for an extended period of time, and will switch to a deeper sleep mode that consumes much less power.Google says it took two Nexus 9 tablets, one running Lollipop and the other Android Marshmallow, loaded the same apps and settings on both, and then tested the standby power drain on the two.Android Marshmallow permissionsApp permissions are more intuitive in Marshmallow, giving users the option to allow or deny specific permissions within an app, rather than having to accept all permissions at once.You can even revoke access for a particular permission by diving into the settings if you've accidentally allowed it.Word selection has been made easier too, with Android Marshmallow highlighting text more intuitively, and a floating menu offers controls such as cut, copy and paste at your fingertips, rather than in the toolbar at the top of the display.

Amazon DealsWe weren t sure that we d be able to outdo our daily deals post from Tuesday, but the BGR Deals team has prevailed.Featured on today s list of Amazon s best daily bargains are two Pebble smart watches, the ridiculously hot LG Gram laptop, a decent discount on an LG 4K monitor, two insanely fast wireless routers, a waterproof iPhone case for $6 shipped and more.Pebble Time Smartwatch – Black: $107.47 with free Prime shipping pebble Time Smartwatch White: $118.00 with free Prime shipping LG gram 15Z960 i7 15″ Laptop Gold : $1,314.00 with free Prime shipping LG Electronics 4K UHD Monitor 27UD68-P 27″ Screen LED-lit Monitor: $439.44 with free shipping choose price from other sellers section TP-LINK AC3150 Wireless Wi-Fi Router, XStream Processing, 4-Stream, NitroQAM, Smart Connect Archer C3150 : $199.99 with free Prime shippingTP-LINK AC2600 Wireless Wi-Fi Router, 4-Stream Technology, Gaming, Streaming Archer C2600 : $149.99 with free Prime shippingUniversal Waterproof bag for Iphone 6S,6,6 Plus: $5.99 with free shipping Up to 60% off luggage and accessories Dremel 3000-2/28 2 Attachments/28 Accessories Rotary Tool Polk Audio Omni S2 Wireless Speaker: $129.95 with free Prime shipping Sungluber Audiophile Hi-Fi Noise Isolation Headphones with Microphone: $17.99 with free Prime shippingFollow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

LG Super UHD TVsOnce upon a time, new television technology was completely unattainable for several years after it debuted.Prices for TVs with cool new tech would be sky-high at launch, and then they would fall over time until you could finally afford them once all sorts of even newer and better features were introduced.Sure there are still ultra-premium televisions with ridiculous price tags — check this one out, for example — but brand new TVs that feature the latest and greatest technology are far more affordable than they used to be.Check out LG s new Super UHD TVs — there are nine different 2016 models on sale right now on Amazon, and they start at under $1,200 for a nice big 55-inch model.Here are just a few of the new TV models on sale:Dimensions W x H x D with stand : 48.8″ x 30.4″ x 11.1″LG Electronics 55UH7700 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV 2016 Model : $1,197.00 with free shippingDimensions W x H x D : TV without stand: 48.8″ x 28.4″ x 2.0″, TV with stand: 48.8″ x 30.5″ x 9.4″LG Electronics 55UH8500 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV 2016 Model : $1,297.00 with free Prime shippingLG Electronics 60UH7700 60-Inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV 2016 Model : $1,497 with free shippingWant to see the rest?Follow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

The only reason I can think of that explains the plastic is that LG figured it would be more durable and scratch resistant: a valid concern, although in the metal phones I ve used previously I never had any issues with durability.However, I don t think the concept of the modular slot enhances the G5 experience.LG has managed to increase peak brightness up to a huge 860 nits, placing it above older 1080p and 720p displays that have typically had a brightness advantage.Compared to the best performing Snapdragon 810 device I reviewed, the Sony Xperia Z5, the LG G5 was 31% faster in CPU-limited workloads, and 36% faster overall.I was also pleased with dynamic range, which is good by default and even better in the automatically-activated HDR mode.Secondly, the wide angle lens does not have a focus lens, which makes it completely unsuitable for any medium or close up photography.

Amazon DealsAs you gear up for a long weekend thanks to Memorial Day on Monday, we re going to do our best to help you finish up the week on a high note.By pointing out some of the best daily deals Amazon has to offer and saving you a bunch of cash in the process.Today s batch includes a discounted Dyson Air Multiplier fan, $20 off a FitBit Blaze, a crazy ultra-wide monitor from LG, a bunch of discounted gear like this $20 router that will help you speed up your home Wi-Fi network, an indoor/outdoor movie screen, and more.DON T MISS: The iPhone 7 might actually be in troubleDyson Air Multiplier AM06 Table Fan, 10 Inches, Blue Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness Watch, Black, Silver: $179.95 with free Prime shippingSpigen Neo Hybrid EX PREMIUM BUMPER Gunmetal Clear TPU / PC Frame Slim Dual Layer Premium Case for iPhone 6/6s: $17.99 with free Prime shippingLG Electronics 21:9 Ultra Wide 34UM68-P 34″ Screen LED-Lit Monitor: $459.00 with free Prime shipping select price from other sellers section NETGEAR N300 Wi-Fi Router with High Power 5dBi External Antennas WNR2020v2 : $19.99 with free Prime shippingTP-LINK N300 Wi-Fi Range Extender TL-WA855RE NETGEAR AC1200 WiFi Range Extender – Essentials Edition EX6120-100NAS : $74.99 with free Prime shippingTP-LINK TL-WPA4220KIT ADVANCED AV500 Wi-Fi Powerline Extender Starter Kit with 2 LAN Ports, Up to 300Mbps Wireless: $49.99 with free Prime shippingTP-LINK DOCSIS 3.0 High Speed Cable Modem, Certified for XFINITY from Comcast, Time Warner Cable & more: $44.99 with free Prime shippingCamp Chef OS-144 Indoor/Outdoor Movie Screen, White iClever BoostDrive 5.4A SmartID USB Port Car Charger with Build in Type C Cord: $12.99 with free Prime shippingDEWALT DCD771C2 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Compact Drill/Driver Kit: $99.00 with free Prime shippingFollow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

Cheap HDTVIn your living room, there s no such thing as a TV that s too big.If you can find a model within your price range that occupies an entire wall, get it.Of course, you still want a decent size screen and a good quality set, but you definitely don t want to spend a lot of money.Meet your next TV, the LG Electronics 43LH5700 43-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV 2016 Model , which is on sale right now on Amazon for just $367 with free Prime shipping.That s a killer price for a brand new 2016 model HDTV.Here are the details:Smart Functionality: Yes; some functions, such as web browsing, might not be supportedDimensions W x H x D with stand : 38.4″ x 24.9″ x 8.6″LG Electronics 43LH5700 43-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV 2016 Model : $367.00 with free Prime shipping choose price from other sellers section Follow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

Cheap HDTVIn your living room, there s no such thing as a TV that s too big.If you can find a model within your price range that occupies an entire wall, get it.Of course, you still want a decent size screen and a good quality set, but you definitely don t want to spend a lot of money.Meet your next TV, the LG Electronics 43LH5700 43-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV 2016 Model , which is on sale right now on Amazon for just $367 with free Prime shipping.That s a killer price for a brand new 2016 model HDTV.Here are the details:Smart Functionality: Yes; some functions, such as web browsing, might not be supportedDimensions W x H x D with stand : 38.4″ x 24.9″ x 8.6″LG Electronics 43LH5700 43-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV 2016 Model : $367.00 with free Prime shipping choose price from other sellers section Follow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

Today is all about remembering and honoring those who gave their lives fighting for our country, and deal hunting takes a distant back seat.If you do happen to be on the prowl for a good bargain on Monday though, we wanted to make sure that we didn t leave you hanging.Today s batch of the best Amazon daily deals includes our favorite streaming home camera/security system, a pair of discounted HDTVs, a low-cost 128GB microSD card from Sony, a dirt cheap GoPro HERO Starter Bundle and much more.We also have a coupon code you won t find anywhere else for one of the hottest wireless chargers you ve ever seen — don t miss it!DON T MISS: The iPhone 7 might actually be in troubleSony 128GB Class 10 UHS-1 Micro SDXC up to 70MB/s Memory Card SRG1UY2A/TQ : $33.49 with free Prime shipping choose price from other sellers section Piper nv Smart Home Security System with Night Vision, 180-degree Video Camera: $174.99 with free Prime shippingLG Electronics 55LH5750 55-Inch 1080p Smart LED TV 2016 Model TCL 55UP130 55-Inch 4K Ultra HD Roku Smart LED TV 2016 Model Stack-On PDS-500 Drawer Safe with Electronic Lock AUKEY Luna Wireless Charger Qi Wireless Charging Pad: $31.99 with coupon code NKQQY4SZAukey Qi Wireless Charging Pad for all Qi-Enabled Devices: $11.99 with coupon code 2WJ82VV8Philips Norelco Electric Shaver 8950/90, Special Wet & Dry EditionSabrent 4 Port Mini Portable USB 3.0 Hub 2-ft cable the World s Smallest USB 3.0 Hub HB-MNBW : $9.99 with free Prime shippingLittle Giant Alta One 22 Foot Ladder with Work Platform 250-lb.Weight Rating, Type 1 14016-104 : $216.33 with free Prime shippingFollow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

Amazon DealsWe shared some great daily deals with you on Memorial Day yesterday but don t worry if you missed them because we ve got a fresh new batch for Tuesday.And in fact, today s list is even better because Amazon is really turning up the heat to close out May with a bang.Included among today s bargains are a massive sale on all sorts of storage and networking gear, a crazy edgeless 4K monitor from LG, a waterproof HD action cam for just $90, a smart home lighting kit that will work perfectly with the Amazon Echo, a $170 TV that s perfect for your kitchen, and much more.Philips 453761 Hue Lux 60W Equivalent A19 LED Personal Wireless Lighting Starter Kit: $39.99 with free Prime shippingContour ROAM3 Waterproof HD Video Camera Black LG Electronics 4K UHD Monitor 27UD68-P 27″ Screen LED-lit Monitor: $453.70 with free Prime shippingHuge sale on storage and networking gear AmazonBasics High-Speed HDMI Cable – 3 Feet: $4.49 with free Prime shipping : $25.26 with free Prime shipping choose price from other sellers section JOBY Gorillapod SLR Zoom Tripod for DSLR CamerasHoover Sprint QuickVac Bagless Upright, UH20040 Quick Charge 2.0 AUKEY 10400mAh Portable Charger VAVA Voom Bluetooth 4.0 Speakers 2.1 Channel Surround Sound PowerBridge ONE-CK Recessed In-Wall Cable Management System with PowerConnect for Wall-Mounted Flat Screen LED, LCD, and Plasma TV s: $59.49 with free Prime shippingLG Electronics 24LF4820 24-Inch 1080p Smart LED Television/Monitor 2016 Model : $167.99 with free Prime shippingFollow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

Despite the proliferation of low to mid-range slates, even major OEMs aren't stepping up to fill in that gap.But after seeing products like the LG G5 or even the V10, you would presume LG definitely has the chops to make a premium tablet.There's only 2 GB of RAM, which is turning to be quite low these days, and 32 GB of storage, expandable with a microSD card, of course.Aside from the pre-installed "Reedy Books" app, the tablet also features what LG calls "Reading Mode".Despite the small size, and less that beefy specs, LG is also playing the productivity card.The tablet comes with some Microsoft Office mobile apps, like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint pre-installed.

Google plans to add new features to the Android operating system to better differentiate its Nexus mobile devices from those offered by Apple Inc.The company, a unit of Alphabet Inc., plans to "put a lot more thought" into its Nexus devices, which could entail customizing the Android software that runs them, Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said at Recode s Code Conference Wednesday.Google licenses Android, the world s largest mobile operating system, for free to handset makers such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Lenovo Group.This gets its money-making web services, such as search, onto lots of mobile devices, but also means there are many different phones with varied software and apps that work in different ways.These fragmentation issues mean Android phones are often harder to use and sometimes less capable than iPhones, which have software and hardware designed only by Apple.Nexus devices are designed by Google to tackle this problem.They also highlight the best new features of Android and encourage manufacturing partners adopt them in their own devices.However, creating a new version of Android just for Nexus devices would give Google more control.It s a big new step for the company and a signal that Google is getting more serious about competing with Apple in the high-end of the smartphone market.The company has signaled more appetite for hardware in recent months, first by hiring Motorola veteran Rick Osterloh to unite its hardware divisions, and then by announcing plans to have partners create a range of high-end Android phones to support its virtual reality efforts.

Given how few Android tablets come from major OEMs these days, it is perhaps still good news, no matter how not premium it is.The carrier has just added an LG G Pad X 8.0 to its roster, which, aside from the name and perhaps LTE bands, is pretty much the same G Pad III 8.0.It is powered by the higher performance 1.5 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 or 617 with around 2 GB of RAM.Actually, reading is probably an even bigger focus, considering the tablet has a dedicated hardware button for activating "Reading Mode", which reduces the amount of harmful blue light emitted by the screen.As for productivity, the G Pad X 8.0 amusingly sports a full-sized USB port, a rarity in Android tablets, especially at this size.Alternatively, T-Mobile offers it in 24 montly payments of $10, with no upfront fee.

The LG K8 V is a Verizon exclusive device.The smartphone has a 5-inch HD resolution screen claiming to be one of the largest in its class.That front camera has Gesture Shot feature that activates the camera when you make a fist giving you three seconds to pose for your selfie.Power comes from a removable 2125 mAh internal battery that should provide plenty of runtime and the ability to swap batteries when needed.The smartphone supports HD voice and has global roaming capability.Verizon Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Tab 2 owners recently received the update to Android Marshmallow.