WWDC 2016, E3 2016, and More News This Week

Missed out on the news of the week? You’ve come to the right place. It was a busy week with two huge events that generated a lot of news, and there were some interesting launches as well this week. Things kicked off with WWDC 2016, which saw a number of huge announcements. You can catch up on everything quickly with our special podcast.

(Also see: WWDC 2016: Highlights From Apple’s Keynote Address)

The big news for many was probably iOS 10 and it’s new features. Apple unveiled a host of software improvements, and is opening up Siri to developers.

Amongst the announcements, Apple unveiled Swift Playgrounds, to teach kids how to code, and AFPS, the company’s own file storage system.

There was also a major overhaul to iMessage with iOS 10, and Apple TV is getting a deep integration with Siri. One thing that a lot of people were expecting from WWDC was iMessage for Android, but that never happened

The other big event this week was E3 2016, which gave us the usual annual explosion of new games, consoles and more. Microsoft announced a new console, the Xbox One S. You can hear all about E3 on our special E3 podcast.

Sony showed God of War, PS VR, and more, while Ubisoft unveiled Watch Dogs 2, Ghost Recon Wildlands, and more games. Microsoft’s showing focused more on its upcoming hardware, while EA’s showcase included Battlefield 1, FIFA 17, and Titanfall 2.

The biggest launch of the week was probably the OnePlus 3 smartphone. Soon after, the companyconfirmed that the OnePlus X wouldn’t get a successor.

(Also see: OnePlus 3 Review)

Asus launched the ZenFone Pegasus 3 with 5.2-inch display and VoLTE support. The 7.9-inch Asus ZenPad Z8 launched this week as well, with a 2K display and 4G support. The company also launched two new laptops. LG launched the LG X Power, X Style, X Mach, and X Max smartphones, and Panasonc launched a phone with a huge 5000mAh battery. The Xiaomi 3X, powered by a Snapdragon 430 SoC, also launched this week,

One huge piece of news broke just before WWDC – Microsoft is buying LinkedIn, for $26.2 billion. The deal is expected to conclude by the end of the year, and LinkedIn will apparently keep its brand, culture, and independence.

Google expanded its offerings this week as well – for one thing, it now has rich contextual results for Bollywood searches, and it’s Gboard keyboard is now in more countries, with India expected next week. Pretty soon, you’re going to have to find better excuses for ditching plans than just not being able to find time in your schedule – Google Calendar for Android now tells you when you’re free.

(Also see: Gboard for iPhone Review)

Android N moves closer to release, as Developer Preview 4 was released for Nexus devices. And Google-backed Magic Leap has partnered with Lucasfilm to bring “mixed reality” experiences to your living room.

Meanwhile, in news that you might think comes from the Onion, according to Alibaba’s Jack Ma, fake goods are often better than originals. It’s actually an interesting point – the factories are often the same these days, and the only difference between a branded product and it’s Chinese knockoff could just be the brand on top. But there’s of course one additional thing that people would consider – and that’s the brand guarantee to make things right if something goes wrong. And on Twitter, you can now retweet yourself, though thankfully, you can retweet each of your tweets only once.

Some interesting things hve been happening in India as well. Trai extended the date for submissions of comments on free data to June 30. BSNL extended free national roaming for one more year. Karnataka has banned the sale of e-cigarettes, along with their manufacture and distribution, while the Tamil Nadu Governor says efforts are on to bring Nokia back to the state. And finally, the Rs. 251 Ringing Bells Freedom 251 will go for delivery from June 28.

Also, if you’ve got your eye on the sky, here’s some interesting news – LIGO researchers say gravitational waves have been detected for a second time. Elon Musk’s SpaceX also launched a satellite this week, but failed to recover the rocket. A NASA spacecraft also spotted a methane leak on Earth. And this week, there was also the groundbreaking discovery of an organic molecule in space.