Researchers at RICE University create a means for gamers to "feel" objects in a virtual world-- the Hands Omni, a glove with inflatable air bladders under each fingertips allowing for the creation of in-game touch effects.

The right-handed glove is designed to be unobtrusive, being wireless and, at 350g, fairly light. It can affect each finger, although the prototype triggers the ring and little fingers as one unit since, as the team puts it, “It’s not very often you pick something up with just your pinkie.”

"[Y]ou can hook this up to a video game and when you reach out and grab a virtual object, it feels like you’re actually grabbing that object,” researcher Thor Walker says.

No piece of kitchen equipment appears to be safe from the addition of app-powered connected smarts-- a startup called Meld presents a pair of devices providing customers with automatic and precise stove control.

The Meld system consist of a motor-powered smart knob (replaces existing stove knobs), a thermometer one clips onto pots or pans and an obligatory smartphone app tying the two together. Essentially, the user sets a desired temperature on the app before the thermometer and the knob work in tandem via Bluetooth connectivity to maintain said temperature.

The result? Perfect cooking, every time. Or so the company claims, at any rate.

The Wall Street Journal reports Google has "tens of engineers" working on an Android version designed for virtual reality applications, part of the search giant's plan to rival the Facebook-owned Oculus VR.

The VR Android will be freely distributed to headset OEMs, just as Android is for smartphones, tablets and wearable devices. Reportedly leading the development team is Clay Bavor, VP of product management and one of the people behind the cheap-as-free Google Cardboard VR headset, the WSJ adds.

One also has to keep in mind Google is a lead investor in Magic Leap, a mysterious startup working on augmented reality software.

Game developer turned retailer Valve confirms its virtual reality ambitions as it announces it will show off a previously unannounced "SteamVR" hardware system at the Games Developers Conference (GDC) 2015.

The GDC demos will also involve an updated version of the Steam Controller, as well as mysterious "new living room devices"-- perhaps meaning the company is working on own versions of the "Steam Machines" living room PC concept?

Either way, Steam Machines have been a long time coming. Valve first announced the initiative back in September 2013, with plans to "bring a variety of Steam gaming machines to market during 2014." The console-style PCs were meant to ship with the Steam Controller, but since that particular piece of hardware remains unfinished Valve pushed back the launch (or "release window") to 2015.