Off-the-shelf gadgets are all well and good — easy to set up, reliable in operation, powerful and smart — but where's the adventure? We're living in a golden age of gadget-making, as these DIY projects prove. Save yourself some money and learn more about the ins and outs of electronics by tackling one (or more) of these yourself.

There was a time when laptop or notebook computers were seen as secondary systems that would never be as powerful as a regular desktop. But that's changed and Lenovo's ThinkPad P52 proves it.

Microsoft has made a bunch of announcements at their SharePoint Virtual Summit. The big change on the SharePoint side of things is Spaces - which give a virtual reality spin to how people interact with information stored in SharePoint. Artificial intelligence has been further integrated in to Office 365 with the ability to better understand what you were working on as well offer more information about images you use and an improved way of working with files in Microsoft Teams.

Plex is one of the best ways to store and stream all your movies and TV shows around your house or apartment, but movie night is still a bit of drag if you're watching on a dingy old laptop or a small TV. Now you can experience Plex on a giant screen without leaving the couch, thanks to the company's new virtual reality app for Samsung's Gear VR.

At this weeks's re:Invent conference, Amazon announced a new service for developers looking to create AR, VR and 3D apps. Sumerian lets developers build realistic virtual environments, populate them with 3D objects and animated characters, and script how they interact with each other and the application’s users.

Apple's recent history suggests that when they acquire another tech company, they do it in order to fold the intellectual property and ideas, rather than the products, into their product and strategy roadmap. Last week's acquisition of

The Oculus Rift just had a temporary price drop from $US549 to $US449, which makes it even cheaper than the PlayStation VR. Provided you own a PC that can power it, there has never been a better time to buy.

Online shopping is on the rise -- it's fast and ships directly to your doorstep, sometimes overnight. But with online shopping, you miss the experience of going into a store and picking up items. Enter virtual reality shopping, which tries to give you the convenience of online shopping and the experience of being in a store.

Google I/O is the search and advertising giant's annual shindig for developers. This year, you could tick a few items off your buzzword bingo cards as they made a number of big announcements about mobile, security, AI - even Gmail received some love. Here are a few of the key announcements.

Virtual reality has been around for decades, but it's only of late that the technology has properly matured with reliable consumer-grade headsets, room-scale tracking, high quality touch controllers and a library of games worth exploring.

So now that people can get into virtual reality in a range of ways - from mobiles to consoles to the top-end headsets - what's changed? Here's everything you need to know about VR.

Virtual reality is the next big thing in gaming, but wearing the headsets causes motion sickness for some. Even I've experienced a little motion sickness while playing despite the fact I never struggled with it in the past (no vomiting yet). If you're worried about hurling, there are a few things you can do to make the experience more pleasant.

It may have taken a while, but virtual reality is now a force to be reckoned with in the gaming industry. Whether you’re a passionate gamer or just someone looking to cash in on the surge in demand, you can start making your own VR games with the Build 30 Mini Virtual Reality Games Training.

In truth, 2016 was not "The Year of VR." It was the year of the start of VR. Multiple major tech companies released impressive VR systems that were clearly the first of their kind; flawed and fascinating, destined to be improved upon and replaced. The age of immersive technology is upon us, but its future remains uncertain.

The Daydream View is not Google's first foray into virtual reality (VR). It already tested the waters with Google Cardboard. The Daydream View is like Cardboard on steroids and just like its predecessor, the new VR headset is aimed at a mobile audience. While Samsung's Gear VR already has a head start in the market, Google has a few tricks up its sleeve that could give Daydream View an edge over its competition. Here's what we think of the Google Daydream View.

The HTC Vive is one of the best virtual-reality platforms on the market (provided you have a PC that's beefy enough to handle it.) Unfortunately, the online ordering process involves astronomical shipping costs from overseas suppliers.

This month, the HTC Vive will finally be available to purchase locally from JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman. Here are the specifications, pricing and pre-order details for Australia. We've also listed all the locations where you can test the device for yourself prior to buying.

Video games aren't just for kids. Most gamers are now over thirty. Sony wants to bring virtual reality (VR) to the masses with PlayStation VR, which was released yesterday. Baby boomers in Australia have a high level of disposable income to spend on newfangled gadgets. With all that in mind, I enlisted the help of my dad, a baby boomer, practical buyer and casual gamer, to test out the PlayStation VR.

Around 2.5 million Australian households are expected to have virtual reality (VR) headsets by 2020 as consumer awareness and interest grows for this kind of technology.

Sony's long-awaited virtual reality headset, the PlayStation VR, is set to launch next week. We managed to get our hands on the headset early and played around with it extensively. Here's our verdict on the newest VR contender.

Oculus wants to attract more users to its Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset by lowering the minimum PC specs required to run it. According to Oculus co-founder Brendan Iribe, you can now run it on a US$500 PC. This move is likely motivated by a drastic increase in competition since Oculus Rift first launched earlier this year. Competitors include the HTC Vive, PlayStation VR and Google Daydream View. Here's what you need to know.