Tech News Today 1809

Sources tell Marc Gurman from Bloomberg that Facebook will release a $200 Wireless Oculus VR Headset next year. The device, code-named Pacific will look like the Rift, but will reportedly be lighter and have better graphics than the Samsung Gear VR headset since it will run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile processor.

Engadget's Devindra Hardiwar's sources say Amazon is working on a competitor to Apple's yet-to-be released HomePod. The upgraded Amazon Echo will reportedly feature a cloth covering, better sound, and an improved microphone.

Axios reports that Dev Bootcamp, one of the first coding schools, is going under. The school was founded in 2012 in San Francisco and acquired by test prep company Kaplan in 2014. In a Facebook post, Dev Bootcamp, which had grown to locations in 6 cities, wrote that its business model was unsustainable.

Mikah Sargent from iMore joins us to discuss all these stories, plus the science behind a battery-free cell phone, what Apple plans to do with lasers in the new iPhone, and how to create a smart home on a budget.

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-today.

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Links

• Facebook Plans to Unveil a $200 Wireless Oculus VR Headset for 2018
• Amazon's next Echo will be more like Apple's HomePod
• Should you wait for Apple HomePod or buy a Google Home or Echo today?
• Early "coding school" Dev Bootcamp is shutting down
• First battery-free cellphone makes calls by harvesting ambient power
• Learn to code for free.
• Apple is working on a rear-facing 3D laser for AR
• How to set up a home automation system without running any wires
• Getting Started With Home Automation for Under $100
• Best Buy, Amazon Fighting To Get Into Your Home To Install Smart Devices
• Man Stuck Inside ATM Rescued After Slipping Customers Terrifying Notes