Rumor: Google launching new VR headset today

Daydream Due Google's developer conference Google I/O is today—and rumors are heavy that a new virtual reality headset will debut. Google launched its new VR platform, Daydream, last year—and its accompanying headset the Daydream View soon followed. But this would be a new version of a headset, says Android Headlines.

This version, expected to be announced during the morning, is said to be a standalone headset, one that doesn't need to be linked to a smartphone, like Daydream and also like Samsung Gear. A headset untethered to another device would require its own source of content and also power.

Companies including Google, Samsung and of course HTC are continuing to develop virtual reality headsets, and for good reason. The market for virtual, augmented and mixed reality is expected to balloon to more than $26 billion by 2027—just 10 years away, according to Research and Markets. Brands are eager to capture consumer loyalty—and their wallets—as early as possible.

Autonomous Alliance Self-driving car makers and those who develop autonomous tech are quickly partnering up. The latest involves BMW and Intel which just included Delphi into their alliance, following news that Lyft and Waymo had merged their efforts earlier this week. As we've said many times, self-driving cars are coming—and brands appear to be realizing that merging their efforts may result in a more robust option for consumers. (Via USA Today)

Alexa Interruptus Alexa is about to get push notifications—a way for listeners to get updated on news, dinner deliveries and even where their kids may be after school. Amazon will soon be opening the skill to developers, allowing users to hear chimes when Alexa wants to send an alert.