This week in tech news we saw an attempt from Apple to 'bump' its battery life which led to mockery from its peers. HTC known for its smartphone is testing the waters of virtual reality with plans in the works for a headset that could rival the likes of the Samsung Gear VR and the upcoming Oculus Rift and Sony PlayStation VR. When it comes to mobile smartphone functionality, Mozilla accepts defeat while Boost Mobile helps smartphone user minimize data consumption.

Apple Smart Battery Case for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s

Apple launched its own branded iPhone battery case Tuesday, instantly challenging power plus protection hybrid solutions from casemakers like Mophie and Otterbox. Designed to fit the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, the 1877mAh Apple Smart Battery Case piggybacks the iPhone's existing 1810mAh non-removable battery. As USA Today reports, case sells for $99 and features Lightning connector support so it can charge simultaneous with your iPhone. While the case protects your handset from daily wear and tear, it promises to add up to 25 hours of talk time, up to 18 hours of LTE Web browsing and 20 hours of video playback.

Despite the case's silky soft, smooth to the touch finish, the unsightly bulging battery "bump" design was the talk among Apple's peers. Tech giants and Asus and LG took to Twitter Wednesday to take jabs at the Smart Battery Case's size, showcasing their own large battery capacity slender form factor handsets. Asus posted a side-by-side specs photo comparison of the Smart Battery Case and the Asus ZenFone Max which sports a massive 5,000mAh battery. Its power capacity far exceeds the 3687mAh combined total of the iPhone 6's internal battery and Smart Battery Case.

LG fired shots too, tweeting a graphic of its own LG V10 bump-free flagship. “LG V10. No bumps. Just goosebumps,” reads the text. Under the hood of the LG V10 removable battery that you can swap out for a fresh one if you run out of juice when you’re on the go.

HTC Vive Release Date Update

Another tech giant in the news this week was HTC with an update about its highly anticipated virtual reality headset, the HTC Vive. Now gearing up for an April 2016 commercial release, HTC reneges on its promise of an end of year 2015 market landing. HTC took to social media Tuesday to provide a status update on the upcoming multimedia gadget, finally putting rumors and speculation to rest. HTC said it will kick off the New Year by making an additional 7,000 units of the headset available to app developers ahead of its official public release. “In collaboration with Valve, we have been distributing the HTC Vive Developer Kits to developers and content creators, and are continuing to work with many other innovative companies to create content that spans gaming, entertainment, medical, education and retail,” HTC said in a post on Facebook.

In an effort to clear up speculation and misinformation surrounding the launch of HTC Vive this month we are excited to...

Posted by HTC Vive on Tuesday, December 8, 2015

The four month delay may not bode well with anxious potential HTC Vive buyers who may lose interest and opt for a Samsung Gear VR instead. Knowing this, HTC subtly appreciates the public’s patience, ensuring that its working closely with developers and creators to provide users Vive with an optimal user experience. Pre-orders for the HTC Vive headset start in February 2016.

Mozilla Scraps Firefox OS

There's a certain software company that is throwing in the towel on mobile device platform--say goodbye to Firefox OS smartphones. As TechCrunch reports, Mozilla announced Tuesday that it's halting development and sales of Firefox OS devices, a project first launched in 2013. In a mobile world dominated by Android and iOS, consumers didn't adopt Firefox OS phones enough, resulting in poor sales. "Firefox OS proved the flexibility of the Web, scaling from low-end smartphones all the way up to HD TVs. However, we weren't able to offer the best user experience possible and so we will stop offering Firefox OS smartphones through carrier channels," Ari Jaaksi, SVP of connected device at Mozilla said in statement.

Boost Mobile Phones Get Data-Free Streaming

Boost Mobile customers who enjoy streaming music through their smartphones should rejoice right now for the good data-saving news that came about this week. The pre-paid network carrier announced a new feature to the tune of Data-Free Streaming Music for its Monthly Unlimited Plans and Growing Data Plans. Boost mobile smartphone users can now stream music from a bunch of streaming services without worrying about it eating up their data. This undoubtedly welcome feature currently works with Pandora, Slacker Radio, iHeartRadio, Samsung Milk Music and 8tracks. Boost Mobile said it will team up with even more music providers to bring additional data-free streaming options to customers.


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