Santa Could Leave Your VR Headset Under the Tree

9to5google.com has picked up on a report from GForGames that Samsung will release it’s Gear VR virtual reality headset in December, possibly December 1st. It will sell for less than $200, and pairs with the Galaxy Note 4.

Adobe has introduced Premiere Clip, a streamlined video editor for iPhone and the iPad. It’s intended for anyone, not just pros. Theverge.com says it syncs back to the desktop version for easier touching up later.

iOS 8 is now on 45% of Apple’s devices according to cnet.com. By comparison, iOS 7 was at 70% at this point, based on analytics from Mixpanel, which tracks mobile app usage. Of course, Apple has never released two smartphones at once, either, one of which has about a month’s backlog.


Intel Will Have An iOS Smartwatch Out Before Apple Does

There’s another smart watch running iOS, and this one’s from Intel owned Basis. 9to5mac.com says the Peak focuses on health and fitness applications. It’s $199, and out in November. It won’t have email or phone capabilities.

Speaking of iOS, code has showed up in the beta version of 8.1 that indicates iPads are coming with fingerprint readers, Touch ID, and Apple Pay. Engadget.com reports that it’s for in app purchases…nothing about NFC is showing up for iPads.

Google’s next smartphone, code named Shamu, will apparently be 5.9 inches, and run version 5 of Android. Bgr.com says it will be called Nexus 6, not Nexus X, and there’s no sign of a smaller sized model so far.


iPhone 6 Getting Conquest Sales from Android

You may have heard Apple sold a record number of iPhone 6’s (10 million since Friday and over the weekend), but here’s something that flew under the radar…bgr.com says that the week the new Apple phones were announced, trade-in site gazelle saw Android trade-ins triple!

Techcrunch.com reports that the Windows 9 preview that was expected for the Microsoft event September 30th may not actually be released now until October. No word on what the holdup is.

The next Google Nexus 9 tablet could be beautiful. Gigaom.com says the 64 bit Android tablet will be made for them by HTC, makers of the gorgeous HTC One (M8). It’s likely to replace the $400 Nexus 10, which has been built by Samsung.


Preorders Starting for the Granddaddy of Phablets

Samsung’s newest Galaxy Note 4, the one that started the phablet craze, goes on sale October 17th. Preorders start tomorrow. Gigaom.com says no word yet if it will be joined by the Galaxy Note Edge, with that small right edge display.

U-2’s Bono has let it slip that Apple is working on a new digital music format with them. Macrumors.com reports that features of the new format will help musicians to sell more of their music.

Theverge.com says that…along with yesterday’s Kindle announcements, Amazon announced Family Library. It lets household members share Books, apps, Prime Instant videos, audiobooks, and games — but no music, movies, or TV shows.


iPhone 6 Preorder Day- A Crashing Success

Apple’s site was plagued with heavy traffic and crashing early Friday morning, and it looks like the larger iPhone 6 Plus is sold out in preorders for now. Recode.net says Verizon is now quoting mid-October delivery for the phablet, with AT&T saying 35-42 days, the best in 2 years.

There are several apps for ephemeral texts, but Tiiny, with 2 I’s, lets you share little photos that vanish in 24 hours. Techcrunch.com says the founder is from Google Ventures.

The GoPro camera may be about to get a competitor…according to gigaom.com, HTC may show one October 8th that can connect to a smartphone by either WiFi or Bluetooth.


The September 9 Apple Event & More

The expected invite is out to the tech press…with the usual Apple cryptic slant…
it gives the widely expected date of September 9th, and then ‘Wish we could say more.’ Apple is building a huge 3 story structure next to the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, which was, as pointed out by macrumors.com and others, the location where Steve Jobs showed the original Mac 30 years ago.

With all the buzz that Apple will show the iWatch along with the iPhone 6 September 9th, both Samsung and LG have unveiled more smart watches now. 9to5mac.com says LG has revealed the G Watch R, and Samsung it’s Gear S. Bgr.com notes that the Gear S has virtually identical specs to Apple’s iPhone 4S!

Ever wonder if your tweets are getting noticed? Cnet.com reports that Twitter has rolled out analytics to everyone that used to be only or advertisers and verified users. Click the gear at the top for more info. This reporter had a huge spike in impressions last Sunday, after the Napa 6.0 earthquake.

Dyson has been teasing a secret gadget they’re working on with a YouTube video. Theverge.com says it’s probably a robot vacuum cleaner. Early this year, Dyson put 8 million in a lab that helps robots understand the world around them.


Thinner Apple Laptops Coming

According to macrumors.com, Apple will launch a thinner Macbook by the end of the year or early 2015. The 13 inch non-retina Macbook Pro will be retired at that point.

Dropbox just announced that Dropbox Pro is being consolidated from 3 price tiers to just one. Thenextweb.com reports that it’s $9.99 a month for a massive 1 TB of storage, plus remote wipe and password protected guest files.

Engadget.com says London is trying out inductive charging stations at bus stops for their electric and hybrid busses. If it works well, it could be huge. Imagine San Francisco streets without the overhead wires currently there for electric busses.


iPhone Bargains?

If you don’t have to have the latest and greatest, Walmart has dropped prices on the 16 gig iPhone 5C to 97 cents, and the 5S to $79. 9to5mac.com says it’s only temporary, clearing inventory before the iPhone 6 launches, and is for all carriers but T-Mobile.

Microsoft will hold an event to roll out Windows 9 on September 30th, according to theverge.com. It will replace the widely panned Windows 8, and bring back a mini start menu and remove the Charms bar.

Twitter for iOS has a new feature. Thenextweb.com says you can now watch a video in a mini player window while continuing to scroll through your news feed. It only applies to videos that use Twitter’s in-app video player, though.


Next Generation iPads

The next generation iPads are in the works. Macrumors.com says they’ll be out by Christmas, and the big one will feature an anti-reflective coating for better outdoor viewing.

Cnet.com reports that Verizon sees phones running exclusively on the 4G LTE network by 2016. Right now, most carriers run your data on LTE, but voice on the older 3G networks. Expect features like clearer voice calls and a cloud based VIDEO address book!

The creators of Siri have founded a startup called Viv Labs. Businessinsider.com says they’re working on a virtual assistant that listens like a human. You’ll be able to ask more complicated and long-winded questions, and speak to it more naturally.


Selfie iPhone Planned?

Don’t expect it on the iPhone 6, but bgr.com says Apple has patented a front facing camera that lurks inside the speaker port and has a flash. Your selfies will be amazing!

If you are going overseas, and want to check out places on Yelp, the updated iOS app will translate reviews on the fly. Engadget.com reports the translation is powered by Bing.

People may file business cards, or toss them in a drawer. Techcrunch.com notes that a Kickstarter called SwivelCard is perforated, and has a USB interface…users plug it in, and it loads your website. They’re $289 for 200, and ship in October.