Gear VR

Virtual reality headsets aren’t toys says Samsung, they can also be used to make a big difference in people’s lives. The company has tried to prove it by using the Gear VR to virtually put a faraway father in the delivery room, when his wife gave birth to their third son — an event he would have otherwise missed.

Samsung united Jace and Alison Larke, from Perth in Australia, who were separated by 2,500 miles due to Jace’s work commitments when Alison was about to give birth. Samsung stepped in to make it possible for Jace to be present on the day, using the Gear VR headset. A special room was set up in the Queensland mining town of Chinchilla for Jace to wear the Gear VR, while in a Perth hospital room all those hundreds of miles away, a 360-degree camera, audio equipment, and a live streaming rig were installed inside Alison’s delivery room.

key wireless charging

Samsung to carry on with key wireless charging standard

BARCELONA -- Samsung Electronics has broken the ice when it comes to wireless charging.

That's according to Thorsten Heins, chief executive of Powermat, the company behind one of the key wireless charging standards. He said the standard will come packed into any future Samsung smartphones capable of wireless charging.

Samsung made a big bet in wireless charging by integrating the feature into its latest flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, which were unveiled Sunday. Having such a high-profile device utilizing wireless charging could do a lot to generate awareness and demand for the feature, which has been quietly around for years.