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☆ China's Oppo debuts 'mixed reality' headset as Apple, Microsoft explore similar devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese electronics giant Oppo debuted a mixed reality headset on Wednesday, pushing into an area in which U.S. technology companies Microsoft and Apple have taking a keen interest. The Oppo MR Glass Developer Edition is designed for developers to create apps and figure out the best uses for mixed reality technology. Mixed reality refers to technologies that encompass both virtual reality and augmented reality (AR). Oppo is bullish on the future of mixed reality and sees it as the next computing platform after the smartphone. In an interview with GQ this year, company CEO Tim Cook explained why people might want a mixed reality headset in the future.

Persons: Xu Yi, Oppo, Xu, Xiaomi, Tim Cook, Cook Organizations: Microsoft, Apple, Oppo, CNBC, Samsung, GQ Locations: China

☆ London Marathon could face potential disruption from environmental groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It’s genocidal.”Just Stop Oil have glued themselves to roads, ziplocked their necks to goal posts, blockaded oil facilities and targeted iconic artwork. More recently, two Just Stop Oil activists caused delays at the World Snooker Championship after storming the tables and throwing orange powder paint on one of the playing surfaces. “It’s time for everyone to join us in civil resistance or face the loss of everything we know and love. A Just Stop Oil protester recently disrupted the World Snooker Championship on Monday. The London Marathon is set to begin with the wheelchair and elite events before the mass start follows at around 10 a.m. local time.

☆ Apple's smart goggles could be the shot in the arm the whole industry needs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple is reportedly launching its Reality Pro smart goggles in June, combining VR and AR. Smart goggles are a tough market, with Google and Microsoft hitting major roadblocks in their efforts. Apple Watch paved the wayFor example, smart watches were out for years before the Apple Watch turned up. It took the Apple Watch to bring the concept into the mainstream. The market for headsets is arguably in a similar situation as the pre-Apple smart watch industry.

☆ Apple's own execs are split on whether the company should make smart goggles. Experts say if Apple can't make smart glasses happen, no one can.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Apple is reportedly introducing its Reality Pro smart goggles in June. Experts say the goggles may not be a smash success, but if anyone can make it work, it's Apple. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported that a rare wave of dissent made its way into the team behind Apple's mixed-reality smart goggles, called Apple Reality Pro. Apple Reality Pro will have a wow-factor to it because it's had time to improve upon the foundations laid by its competitors. The virtual reality headset market was worth $7.7 billion in 2022, according to a report by Grandview Research.

Available for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, the new color is available for preorder today and goes on sale on March 14. Apple iPhone 14 (Yellow) Yellow is a new color option for the standard iPhone 14. Apple iPhone 14 Plus (Yellow) The iPhone 14 Plus now comes in yellow. Along with the yellow iPhone 14, Apple also added a new canary yellow silicone case for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. The safety features are included in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus for two years.

☆ Apple may launch mixed reality device this year — but we're not scared, HTC CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Cher Wang, chairperson, co-founder and CEO of HTC, speaks at a keynote on the second day of the Mobile World Congress 2023. BARCELONA — The boss of consumer electronics firm HTC thinks Apple is going to launch its own mixed reality headset, but she's not worried about the competition. Speaking with CNBC at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, HTC CEO and co-founder Cher Wang said the Cupertino tech giant was likely to launch a mixed reality, or XR, product "very soon" — potentially as soon as this year. In January, Bloomberg reported that it is gearing up to release a mixed reality headset in the spring. "Apple and the entire industry realizes the potential and hence want to enter and eventually lead this segment," he added.

☆ This tea-making robot can mimic the movements of a human counterpart in real-time, giving a glimpse into the future of robotics
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese tech firm Docomo showed off a small tea-making robot at MWC 2023. Japan's Docomo showed off a small tea-making robot at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week that was more impressive for its ability to mimic humans than its physical prowess. Docomo's robot relied on the company's motion-sharing technology that enabled it to follow the actions of its human counterpart in real-time. The ability of the robot to mimic human actions could eventually boast an array of real-life use cases that could see menial and repetitive tasks automated. The tea-making robot is just one way in which Docomo demonstrated human augmentation at MWC.

☆ Samsung is 'working out' a roadmap for mixed reality devices as rumors of an Apple headset swirl
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article SSNLF Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTSamsung is working out a roadmap for its mixed reality products, according to a senior executive. In 2015, the company launched a virtual reality headset called the Gear VR (pictured). Now Samsung is looking for a new direction in mixed reality, an area tech giants think could mark a huge shift in computing. Patrick Chomet, an executive vice president at Samsung Electronics, told CNBC in an interview that the company is "working out" a roadmap for mixed reality products. Qualcomm sells a series of chips called Snapdragon XR specifically designed for mixed reality products, such as headsets.

A nationwide shortage of Adderall has left many patients struggling to manage their attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, better known as ADHD. But finger-pointing does little to help the many who depend on consistent access to ADHD medications. As one might imagine, these trends have vastly increased demand for the stimulant medications used to treat ADHD, including Adderall. There's no denying that skyrocketing demand for Adderall combined with manufacturing delays at Teva, one of the drug's biggest producers, are partly responsible for the current shortage. In order to set such quotas, the DEA must estimate how much Adderall American patients will require the following year.

☆ Tencent in talks with Meta to sell Quest VR headsets in China - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Tencent Holdings (0700.HK) is in talks with Meta Platforms Inc (META.O) to distribute its Meta Quest line of virtual reality headsets in China, three people familiar with the matter said. The talks between Tencent and Meta started last year and have continued in recent months, according to one of the sources who has direct knowledge of the matter, adding that the talks remain early stage and details have yet to be agreed. Tencent and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Tencent is mostly known for software that includes a suite of games and social media applications. It sells the Nintendo Switch console in China through a partnership with the Japanese gaming firm (7974.T) established four years ago.

☆ Exclusive: Tencent scraps plans for VR hardware as metaverse bet falters - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The world's largest video game publisher had ambitious plans to build both virtual reality software and hardware at an "extended reality" XR unit it launched in June last year, for which it hired nearly 300 people. One of the sources said the XR project was not expected to become profitable until 2027, according to an internal forecast. The company also said on Thursday that it was not disbanding the XR unit. It also entered into a race against Western peers such as Meta Platforms (META.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O), which are building their own metaverses and have their own virtual reality hardware projects. Pico, a virtual reality (VR) headset manufacturer owned by TikTok's Chinese developer ByteDance, said on Friday it was laying off a small number of people, after local media reported the start of hundreds of redundancies earlier this week.

☆ VR firm Pico, owned by Chinese TikTok maker ByteDance, announces 'small' layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Josh Ye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

HONG KONG, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Pico, a virtual reality (VR) headset manufacturer owned by TikTok's Chinese developer ByteDance, said on Friday it was laying off a small number of people, after local media reported the start of hundreds of redundancies earlier this week. The South China Morning Post reported unidentified sources on Thursday as saying Pico had trimmed some teams by as much as 30%. "We greatly appreciate these colleagues' contributions and are working closely with those impacted to support them through this time of change." The layoffs mark the latest streamlining for ByteDance, which like many tech peers in China has cut jobs since last year and undergone restructuring as economic growth slows. On Thursday, Tencent Holdings Ltd (0700.HK) said it was making some personnel adjustments after local media reported the Chinese gaming and social media major was laying off staff in its recently formed "extended reality" (XR) business.

☆ Tencent says making personnel adjustments after report of XR layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

HONG KONG, Feb 16 (Reuters) - China's Tencent Holdings (0700.HK) said on Thursday it was making some personnel adjustments after a media report said that it was laying off staff in its recently formed "extended reality" (XR) unit. Chinese tech outlet 36Kr reported on Thursday citing unnamed sources that Tencent had notified the unit's more than 300 staff that they would be given two months to find new internal or external opportunities and that the unit would be disbanded. Tencent, Asia's biggest internet company, told Reuters that it was untrue that it planned to disband the unit. It said it was making adjustments to some business teams as its development plans for hardware had changed. Reporting by Josh Ye; editing by Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Apple's upcoming headset will reportedly include auto-adjusting lenses and a dial to switch from VR to the real world
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple's anticipated mixed reality headset will have auto-adjusting lenses, The Information reported. It will also have a physical dial that the wearer can use to switch between VR and real life. The change to "xr," which stands for extended reality, signals that the headset will probably include both AR and VR capabilities. In December, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that mass shipment of the Apple headsets could be delayed to the second half of 2023 "because of software-related issues." As of early December, sales for VR headsets declined 2% from the previous year, CNBC reported.

☆ Apple's long-rumored headset is reportedly getting a new name for its software: 'xrOS'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple's mixed-reality headset will rename its operating software to 'xrOS,' Bloomberg reports. The tech giant's headset will be its newest product group since the Apple Watch was released. The mixed-reality operating system will encompass new versions of popular Apple apps like Messages and Maps, Bloomberg reported. In addition to the software, Apple may also name the headset hardware "xrOS, "Bloomberg reported, citing trademark applications from Deep Dive, a shell company that may be owned by Apple. The Apple headset could rival similar products like Meta's Quest Pro, Facebook's Oculus Quest, and Sony's Playstation VR headset, as major tech companies vie to lay claim to the metaverse.

Cyber Monday 2022 is quickly coming to an end so this is your last chance to save big on games for PlayStation 5, as well as discounts on PS5 accessories. Best Cyber Monday deals on PS5 controllers and accessoriesDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $49.99 from Best Buy Originally $69.99 Save 29%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $44.99 from PlayStation Originally $59.99 Save 25%Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. $1,698.00 from Amazon Originally $2,299.99 Save 26%Best Cyber Monday deals on PS5 gamesDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Great Price Hisense U8H 4K TV (55-inch) This HiSense 4K TV offers impressive features like Dolby Vision, Alexa-voice control, and variable refresh rate for gaming at an excellent price for a TV that launched in 2022. Great Price Vizio 70-inch MQ6 QLED 4K TV Vizio's latest MQ6 4K TV model uses quantum dots to deliver a wide ranger of colors. Deal LG 65-inch C1 OLED 4K TV LG’s C1 remains an excellent 4K TV. Who has the best TV deals on Cyber Monday? Many stores offer TV deals on Cyber Monday, but Best Buy, Amazon, and Walmart tend to have the best sales.

☆ Chinese brands outnumber foreign names among Singles Day best-sellers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A delivery worker wearing a protective mask rides an electric scooter across a street ahead of Alibaba's Singles' Day shopping festival, following a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Shanghai, China, November 10, 2022. Alibaba said Singles Day sales were in line with last year, when gross merchandise value rose 8.5%, the lowest since the company started the shopping event in 2009. For the first time, Alibaba did not announce sales data this year. Alibaba rival JD.com said that in the 28 hours from 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, Chinese brands accounted for 80% of the sales of the top 20 brands. ($1 = 7.1066 Chinese yuan renminbi)Reporting by Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

One year and billions of dollars later, the so-called metaverse still feels years away, if it ever manifests at all. And Meta’s flagship social VR app Horizon Worlds can feel like a ghost town (albeit a ghost town with laser tag). Meta’s latest headset, the Quest Pro, is its first effort at combining the immersiveness of VR with the real world. The VR headset market is still tiny compared to, say, an established gadget market like console video games. A visitor to the 2022 Tokyo Game Show tests the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.

Luckily, there are two ways to reset an iPhone without the password so you can access it. How to reset an iPhone using Finder or iTunesYou can use a computer to access recovery mode and reset your iPhone to get in without the password. The exact way to do this will depend on what kind of iPhone you have:iPhone model How to turn off iPhone 13, iPhone 12s, iPhone 11s, iPhone X/XR/XS, iPhone 8s, and iPhone SE (second generation) Press and hold the Lock and Volume Down buttons until the power slider appears on screen, then swipe it. To do this, you'll need to press a certain combination of buttons:iPhone model Buttons to press for recovery mode iPhone 13, iPhone 12s, iPhone 11s, iPhone X/XR/XS, iPhone 8s, and iPhone SE (second and third generations) Press and hold the side button. How to reset an iPhone using Find MyIf you have an Apple ID account, your iPhone is probably connected to Find My, Apple's global device tracking network.

☆ Meta unveils its much-hyped Quest Pro mixed reality headset
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Meta Platforms unveiled its Quest Pro virtual and mixed reality headset on Tuesday, marking a milestone for Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg’s break into the higher-end market for extended reality computing devices. The Quest Pro features several upgrades over Meta’s existing Quest 2 headset, which overwhelmingly dominates the consumer virtual reality market. For fully immersive virtual reality, Meta has added tracking sensors to the Quest Pro that can replicate users’ eye movements and facial expressions, creating a sense that avatars are making eye contact. Meta is pitching the Quest Pro as a productivity device, aimed at designers, architects and other creative professionals. For now, that means the Quest Pro stops short of enabling the complex commercial applications Meta has suggested it wants its metaverse tech to support.

☆ Meta's new Quest Pro headset, mixing real and virtual worlds, makes debut
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Katie Paul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Meta/Handout via REUTERSOct 11 (Reuters) - Meta Platforms (META.O) unveiled its Quest Pro virtual and mixed reality headset on Tuesday, marking a milestone for Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's break into the higher-end market for extended reality computing devices. The Quest Pro features several upgrades over Meta's existing Quest 2 headset, which overwhelmingly dominates the consumer virtual reality market. For fully immersive virtual reality, Meta has added tracking sensors to the Quest Pro that can replicate users' eye movements and facial expressions, creating a sense that avatars are making eye contact. PITCHING PRODUCTIVITYMeta is pitching the Quest Pro as a productivity device, aimed at designers, architects and other creative professionals. For now, that means the Quest Pro stops short of enabling the complex commercial applications Meta has suggested it wants its metaverse tech to support.

☆ Meta’s newest VR headset is impressive. Here’s why you probably won’t buy it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Rachel Metz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN Business —Meta’s newest virtual-reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro, is a slick, powerful device. Buyers can pre-order the Quest Pro as of Tuesday, and it will ship out on October 25. Meta's latest VR headset, the Quest Pro, is aimed at business users and costs $1500. Updated hand controllersThe headset is also more of a mixed-reality headset than a VR headset, as it isn’t meant to block out all ambient light all the time. The Quest Pro headset has sensors that can track your eyes and facial expressions.

With iOS 16, Apple reintroduced a feature that lets you display the exact percentage of your battery in the status bar. With iOS 16, Apple has revived the status bar percentage indicator so you it's always present on your status bar. How to show iPhone battery percentage in iOS 16Enabling battery percentage in iOS 16 is incredibly easy and quick. Antonio Villas-BoasThe battery percentage option is off by default, so you'll have to enable it yourself. You'll now see your iPhone's battery percentage inside of the battery symbol, which is different to how you may remember it, where the battery percentage was to the left of the symbol.

☆ XR protester who stuck himself to a bank is spared jail – as long as he doesn't take glue outside his house
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Vic Brice won't be allowed to take glue outside his home while he serves 12 months of probation. Judge William Jackson said Brice's actions came from "sincere concern" for the planet. He was given a conditional discharge with 12 months of probation by Provincial Court Judge William Jackson. The conditions of Brice's parole included keeping the peace, 40 hours of community service and not attending the bank branch in Nanaimo. I do not believe that a conditional discharge in this particular set of facts with this particular accused would undermine public confidence in the administration of law."

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