With the latest M2-equipped, redesigned MacBook Air, Apple looks like it’s delivered a completely useful and highly functional laptop. The Mac line, which once looked like it was slipping into irrelevance, feels stronger than ever. This seems like a good time to buy one, except for one big question mark: What about the iPad?  My …

Qualcomm’s upcoming new next-gen wearable chip platform, called the Snapdragon W5, promises battery gains for upcoming Google Wear OS watches. On paper, the chips promise more powerful processing speed and better battery life, and they could allow smart watches to do more things in a low-power, always-on mode.  The 4nm system chipset, which is smaller than before, could also lead …

A decade after Google Glass, Google is getting back to testing smart glasses in public again. The company announced its own smart glasses initiative earlier this year at Google’s I/O developer conference, a project that’s aimed at assistance rather than entertainment. Google’s now starting to publicly test those smart glasses, the company announced today, beginning with dozens of pairs in …

Twitter, Slack, Outlook and Safari are open all at once, and I’m browsing and scanning between all of them. This is on my monitor. It’s like any other day. Meanwhile, I’m playing Catan on my iPad. Everything I’m doing is powered by the iPad, with the monitor connected via USB-C as a secondary display. I feel almost like I’m on …

Magic Leap’s next AR headset is coming this fall, and it’s not cheap. The self-contained Magic Leap 2 glasses, which CNET tried earlier this year, will cost at least $3,299, and be available Sept. 30. Unlike the first Magic Leap headset, which launched back in 2018 and aspired to be for creative consumers, the Magic Leap 2 is entirely business-focused. …

What is a metaverse again? Maybe, just a game. Samsung’s newest “metaverse” move is a game on Roblox, called Samsung Space Tycoon. Its mission? Collect virtual Samsung products. Samsung used to make VR headsets for its phones and has been quiet on the smart glasses front for now. Instead, the company’s metaverse aspirations have largely been marketing efforts in virtual worlds. Samsung …

This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide to everything you need to know and how to find the best deals. Short answer: Yes, if you’re fine with a deal on an older tablet and you aren’t picky about particular storage configurations, Prime Day could be a good time to buy. However, you might be best off waiting to see what …

What’s happening Pokemon Go creator Niantic is launching its own social network app, Campfire. It’ll slowly become available for Pokemon Go players over the next few months. Why it matters Niantic’s metaverse aspirations go beyond games to a future world of AR glasses. The company sees its map-enabled social network app as a necessary step. What’s next Future Niantic games …

I’ve brought a tiny, chip-studded, display-enabled contact lens made up to my eye, but I never was actually able to wear it. But by the end of 2022, I might get a chance. Mojo Vision’s smart contact lenses, which have been in development for years, are finally being worn internally, starting with the company’s CEO Drew Perkins. Perkins, who I …

This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference. What’s happening Apple didn’t announce a virtual or augmented reality headset at its WWDC developer conference, but some new software tools were announced that push AR and social connection further. Why it matters Apple’s expected headset will likely work with Macs, iPads and …