The Oculus Quest 2 (now called Meta Quest 2) has become a surprisingly successful virtual reality headset and remains our favorite VR device despite being two years old and suddenly more expensive. What will Meta, the former Facebook, do for its encore? The company is expected to release four new headsets over the next few …
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iPod Creator Tony Fadell Isn’t Buying the Metaverse Hype
If anyone has an eye for where the tech industry is headed, it’s probably Tony Fadell. During his time at Apple, he led the team that developed the iPod (RIP) and the first three generations of the iPhone. Then, he co-founded the now Google-owned smart home company Nest, which raised the bar for how connected appliances should look and feel. …
Read More »Mark Zuckerberg Just Showed How Meta’s Next Mixed Reality VR Headset Will Work
The next Meta VR headset after Quest 2 will be something called, for now, Project Cambria. It’s a mixed reality-focused headset arriving sometime in 2022, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg just demonstrated for the first time how it’ll work. Unlike AR headsets like the HoloLens 2 and the Magic Leap 2, which have transparent lenses and layer semitransparent holographic images on …
Read More »Facebook and Instagram Turn Off AR Filters In Texas and Illinois
Meta has turned off augmented reality filters for Facebook and Instagram in Texas and Illinois due to facial recognition and privacy laws in those states. Although Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said its AR technology is “not facial recognition,” it’s temporarily shutting down its AR filters and avatars in both states to prevent “meritless and distracting …
Read More »Facebook Parent Meta Is Opening Its First Store. Here’s What It’s Like Inside
This story is part of Making the Metaverse, CNET’s exploration of the next stage in the internet’s evolution. At Meta’s first store, I enter a well-decorated room to try out a portable video chat device known as the Portal Go. On the device’s screen, a friendly worker — he calls himself Casey, a name many of the store attendants have …
Read More »Meta Reportedly Plans to Release Four More VR Headsets by 2024
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, plans to release four more VR headsets between now and 2024, according to a report Monday from The Information, citing an internal company road map. The first will be Meta’s upcoming high-end VR headset, dubbed Project Cambria, which could reportedly be released around September. The headset is expected to cost around $799, according to …
Read More »Telegram May Add Premium Subscription With Exclusive Reactions and Stickers
Popular messaging app Telegram seems to be exploring a new way to make money: a “premium” subscription with exclusive stickers and reaction emojis. As earlier reported by Android Police, beta testers for Telegram’s iOS app noticed the features in version 8.7.2. Telegram users will reportedly be prompted to sign up for a paid subscription once they select certain reactions or stickers …
Read More »iPhone 13 and Mac Sales Remain Strong, but COVID and Chip Shortages Strain Apple
At nearly 15 years old, Apple’s iPhone remains one of the most popular consumer products of all time. During the holidays, the device helped Apple ring up record revenues and profits. And even now, with war overseas and nagging inflation at home, Apple’s fortunes are still largely tied to the its phones. The good news: People still keep buying them. For …
Read More »No Filters Allowed: This Up
BeReal is a social media app that aims to leave behind artificial glamour and give you a more authentic way to tell your stories. Instead of carefully curated images, BeReal offers “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life,” according to the company. BeReal users post a picture, called a “BeReal,” within …
Read More »WhatsApp Is Launching Community Chats, Adding Emoji Message Reactions To Texts
WhatsApp is adding a new way for users to gather and chat with Communities, which is intended for organizations like schools and neighborhoods to coordinate and share media. Communities are WhatsApp’s answer to Telegram’s massive Groups and Channels, and while it’s unclear how many users can join a Community, they won’t be as much as the “hundreds of thousands of …
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