The Morning After: Meta’s next-gen VR headset leaks
2 years ago
Meta's Quest Pro headset is due to arrive next month, but there are always leaks to spoil the party. In a video from Ramiro Cardenas, you can see a black headset with three cameras on the front that resembles the minimal glimpses we've seen of the Project Cambria headset. Cardenas said multiple devices (labeled "engineering samples") were left in a hotel room. Whoops.
We also got a closer look at a pair of new controllers, with a new design that replaces the previous looped ones. The packaging says "Meta Quest Pro" – so that’s probably the name. The hype may have died down, but the tech has continued to advance. Expect better movement tracking, higher-quality displays and more.
Virtual reality should get another boost over the next 12 months. Alongside Meta’s new headset, Sony’s PS VR 2 headset is due to appear next year. Actually, expect to hear more on PlayStation VR titles later today.
– Mat Smith
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Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 is already $200 off at Amazon
The Flip 4 is also $100 off.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the pinnacle of its foldable smartphone lineup, but it's also the company's most expensive phone at $1,800. If you've been eyeing one but find the price hard to stomach, there's good news. You can already grab one for $1,600 ($200 off) at Amazon, just a few short weeks after it went on sale. (And my favorite foldable phone, the Z Flip 4 is also on sale for $900 – a $1,000 discount.)
iOS 16 is now available
The software introduces a redesigned lock screen.
Apple has released iOS 16 to all of us, and the theme is personalization. Apple redesigned the iPhone's lock screen. You can now tweak the typeface and accent color of the on-screen clock and date to more closely match your wallpaper. You can even create multiple lock screens and tie them to specific focus modes. Oh, and you can make stickers from photos. The software is available on iPhone 8 and later devices.
Canon R10 camera review
4K and fast shooting speeds for less than $1,000.
Canon’s EOS R10 offers some nice features for a sub-$1,000 camera: reliable autofocus 4K 60p, super slow-mo, a flip-out display, a built-in flash and very fast shooting. However, the sensor can produce some rolling shutter, and for a few reasons, it’s not the best camera in low light. Check out our full verdict.
Roku reveals a new subwoofer and a revamped Roku Express
The company also previewed more discovery features.
Roku’s new subwoofer, the Wireless Bass, costs $130. That’s $50 less than the Roku Wireless Bass Pro, and there are some compromises. It has one 5.25-inch subwoofer, compared with the Pro's 10-inch subwoofer, and is front-firing instead of downward-firing. The Wireless Bass has less oomph as well, with 120W of peak power against the Wireless Bass Pro's 250W. Roku also revealed a new version of its entry-level streaming media player, Roku Express. The latest model comes with dual-band WiFi, which will likely improve streaming performance. The $30 device streams video in 1080p quality, so you'll need to consider other models if you want to watch TV and movies in 4K.
Google may be giving up on Pixelbook laptops
A new Pixelbook was reportedly "far along in development."
According to an internal memo reported by The Verge, Google is killing its Pixelbook laptop development. It has apparently “shut down” the team working on the next generation of the device. The move means Google is officially done making laptops after nearly a decade of experimenting with notebooks. Will this mean more resources devoted to the company’s big-screened version of Android?