Yesterday, at an official Gamescom press conference in Cologne, Germany, Microsoft announced and detailed the contents of both its upcoming updates for the Xbox One and SmartGlass companion application.

Amazon is the latest company to move into the ultra-hot area of mobile payments with a new hardware/software combination called Amazon Local Register.

It’s essentially a credit card reader that attaches to your tablet or smartphone, and is accompanied by an app, allowing small business to take credit card payments.

Samsung’s upcoming virtual reality headset has been pictured for the first time ahead of its rumored unveiling next month. Codenamed “Project Moonlight,” the device works in much the same way as Google Cardboard, using your smartphone as its display.

Pebble is now rolling out software version 2.4 — a vital firmware update for both the metal and plastic models of its smartwatch. The upgrade is being distributed via the official Pebble Companion application and transports WhatsApp compatibility, new developer support and a large quantity of bug fixes, stability improvements and speed optimizations.

Samsung promised us a smartphone made from “new materials,” and while it hasn’t shunned tacky plastic altogether, its new Galaxy Alpha is a huge step in the right direction. It’s the South Korean company’s first smartphone with a metal frame, and at just 6.7mm thick, it looks great.