Good morning, Austin.  The weekend's almost here. But until it arrives, here's a look at some of the stories creating buzz around the technology world this morning.

We talk and write a lot about virtual reality, but what all does VR really entail – and how might it affect your life in the near future? The folks at CNet have put together a really cool special report on VR that answers all those questions in a highly entertaining way.

As tech giant Apple sees its iPhone sales decline, The Verge columnist Walt Mossberg wonders if the tech giant can pivot to artificial intelligence devices – and if Apple can win the war that's coming in that arena.

Also this morning, The Verge reports that HP is getting back into the gaming world with a new line of products called Omen. The Omen series is expected to debut today with the announcement of four products: two laptops, a tower, and a display, according to The Verge.