Author: Admin

  • I Got My Hands on the Meta Quest 3 Headset: A Mixed Reality Game Console for $500

    I Got My Hands on the Meta Quest 3 Headset: A Mixed Reality Game Console for $500

    A few months ago, I experienced the blending of the real world and virtual reality in super-high resolution with Apple’s Vision Pro headset. It won’t be available to own until sometime in 2024. Meta’s latest headset, the Quest 3, arrives Oct. 10 for $500, and it also does mixed reality for $3,000 less. It sounds like a dream come true, right?

    Meta’s Quest 3 proposition isn’t exactly the same as the Vision Pro, though. The follow-up to the Quest 2, my favorite VR headset since 2020, targets a middle ground between mainstream and high-end that isn’t easy to nail. Last year’s Quest Pro, which also dabbled in mixed reality and added eye tracking, now feels like an afterthought. For the most part, the Quest 3 does most of what the Quest Pro did at half the cost… and does some of it far better.

    As a game console, however, the Quest 3’s advantages over the Quest 2 are clearer. There are better graphics, a higher-resolution display, improved controllers and the added mixed-reality function. Will it be good enough to merit an upgrade, though? If you’re a die-hard Quest gamer, yes. For casual VR users, maybe not, considering it’s also $200 more expensive than the Quest 2. The Quest 3’s potential as a next-gen VR gaming platform is big, but the proposition of VR gaming is still largely the same. Meanwhile, the eye-tracking-equipped PlayStation VR 2 can still produce more PC-level VR game experiences, although the gap between it and the Quest 3 is narrow.

    One thing’s clear right now: The overall improved Quest 3 headset — debuting a new Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor — looks like the immediate future of mainstream standalone VR. At least until Apple (and probably whatever Samsung and Google are working on) is more affordable.

    The Quest 3 and its front camera sensors sitting on a table

    Mixed reality: A beginning of a blend trend

    AR glasses still aren’t much of a thing yet, and Meta’s not close to having any. Its updated Ray-Ban smart glasses, also just announced, are camera, microphone- and speaker-enabled, but nothing more.

    In the meantime, VR headsets are adopting AR-like features. Using headset cameras to show passthrough video of the real world while overlaying VR graphics, you can get close to what AR should feel like. The Quest Pro (and even the Quest 2, to a degree) can do that, and VR headsets from Varjo, Vive and Pico can, too. Apple’s Vision Pro looks like it’ll do it best, but at a $3,499 price next year.

    The Quest 3 has added depth sensors in addition to its higher-res color cameras. This lets it “mesh” a room, scanning the floor, walls, ceiling and any furniture or obstacles. This ensures virtual objects can emerge from the walls, hide behind objects and feel realistically placed in the room.

    A person who looks like they're seeing virtual games in their real world while wearing a VR headset

    This is similar to how iPhones use lidar to add AR into room scenes, or how the HoloLens 2, Magic Leap and Vision Pro work. It’s cool to see on a $500 device, though.

    The color passthrough cameras are notably better than the Quest Pro’s, but not as impressively high-res as the Vision Pro. They’re good enough that the 3D world around me feels present. I can even read my watch screen. The Quest 3’s graphics meet the lower-res video halfway and feel convincingly blended. For instance: A portal in the upcoming Stranger Things game looks like it’s sprouting off the wall, gleaming tentacles pulsing around the edges.

    The room setup in Quest 3 is also automatic, now, where the cameras scan and find free areas to play in. After the boundaries are made, I can drag and tweak them similar to how the PSVR 2 room setup works.

    Scott Stein wearing the Quest 3, plus a mask

    Meta is clearly leaning on the potential of mixed reality as its next big frontier, a likely bridge to future AR glasses. The demos I saw were all gaming-focused. An intro game experience, called First Encounter, makes it look like a spaceship is crashing through your ceiling and into your room. Hunting aliens around you, and blasting them as pieces of the real-world walls fall away and are replaced by “holes” into a VR world, is fun show-off stuff. It’s unclear if games will make the most of these effects, though.

    Another game I tried, a sit-down tabletop game called BAM!, floats a combat arena over your own living room space. Players can sit across from each other and lean over the game board. It’s fun for a while, but I’d prefer a more interactive real world game. Maybe something like racing across the floor around chairs, or virtual ping-pong in a real room.

    The Quest 3 runs the same apps and OS as the Quest 2, but Meta promises 100 new or updated Quest 3 apps this year that will specifically take advantage of the Quest 3’s unique features. Based on my brief early demos of some upcoming games, it looks like many of them may be throwing in new mixed-reality tricks, like special game level blends in real-world video. Designing for mixed reality is a lot different than VR, which means it’ll demand a new class of apps. Apps optimized for the Quest Pro felt few and far between. Will Meta fare better for the Quest 3, or will a lot of its early software feel too similar to the Quest 2?

    One area that could shift how Meta approaches apps is called Augments. These AR widgets will arrive next year, and range from little mini-apps (an iHeart music player) to virtual trophies or posters that could hang in your real home. How much of Augments will be gimmicky stuff, and how much will be useful interactive widget design? We won’t know till 2024.

    A white VR headset with an orange faceplate and head strap, sitting on a blue mat on a table

    No eye tracking

    Unlike the Quest Pro, PlayStation VR 2 and the upcoming Vision Pro, the Quest 3 doesn’t have eye tracking onboard. That decision likely had to do with cost, since Qualcomm’s new XR2 Gen 2 chip can handle up to 10 cameras (or sensors) at once. It’s not a big loss for anyone using VR as it exists now since Meta uses controllers and optional hand tracking for its interfaces. But it means the Quest 3 won’t be able to evolve an interface that mirrors what Apple is doing with eyes and hands in Vision Pro.

    Eye tracking can also help enhance graphics using a technique called foveated rendering, which makes resolution crispest directly where someone’s looking. The PlayStation VR 2 and Apple Vision Pro will take advantage of this, too. Meta’s Quest 3 will do fixed foveated rendering like the Quest 2 does, where resolution slowly dips towards the edges of the display, but it won’t follow where your eyes are.

    No eye tracking or face tracking also means avatar animations won’t look as personalized and animated as they can on Quest Pro. You may not mind, and maybe you’ll even prefer not to worry about eye-tracking privacy questions. But, it means the Quest 3 probably won’t advance any possibilities of more realistic conversation or avatar emotions.

    A look inside the lenses of a VR headset

    Display and resolution: Another step up

    I’m spoiled by VR experiences lately: the OLED PlayStation VR 2, my Vision Pro demo and living with the Quest Pro for the last year. The Quest 3 is a great improvement in display resolution and clarity, though. The new pancake lenses make the front headset smaller but help the VR seem crisp. The 2,064×2,208-resolution-per-eye LCD displays look great, too. Sometimes, though, it was hard to appreciate how good. The Quest 2 still delivers a great experience overall, even three years later.

    The field of view is better (110 degrees horizontal and 96 degrees vertical, per Meta), and the VR experiences felt less like looking through a porthole.

    Headset fit: Smaller and glasses-friendly (mostly)

    The smaller headset design, while not necessarily truly lighter-feeling, seems a lot more compact on my face. There are a number of strap and headband accessories, including colors (which look great), but the included elastic strap stretched snugly over my head, with a Y-shaped rear part designed to let longer hair pass through. My hair is short.

    Holding a compact VR game controller in one hand: the Quest 3's Touch Plus

    Controllers: More compact, but they still work the same

    A new set of Touch Plus controllers loses the plastic rings on top of previous Quest controllers, and look like the evolved controllers that come with Quest Pro. These are different, though: They lack the self-tracking cameras of the Touch Pro controllers, which can be bought separately. They feel the same, effectively, as the normal Quest controllers do in VR, although with an angled thumb rest on the side. They’re definitely more portable and still use AA batteries like before. The haptics are supposed to be better, too, but in my demos, I didn’t notice that as much.

    Battery life: Still around 2 to 3 hours

    During one of my demos, the Quest 3 ran out of batteries. The same might still happen in your VR sessions since the Quest 3 is still not made to last more than a couple of hours on a charge. There’s a charging dock sold separately that Meta makes for Quest 3, or it charges up with USB-C. Like before, there’s also an extended-battery head strap, although I hope the plastic strap on this one lasts longer than the Quest 2 I used that broke.

    Side view of Meta Quest 3 VR headset with a plastic head strap and battery pack on the back

    Games: Expect a lot of mixed-reality add-ons

    I tried a handful of game demos with the Quest 3 during my early hands-on time, but nothing that showed off social, productivity or creativity. It was a complete 180 from my Quest Pro demo a year ago, which didn’t show off any gaming and focused on work and social.

    Stranger Things VR, an upcoming game made by Tender Claws, has portions where portals seem to emerge from the walls of my demo area, tentacles sprouting and glistening all around me. Other parts are regular VR, using hand-tracking controls.

    Samba de Amigo, a VR adaptation of a cult Sega game, plays like a rhythm fitness game in VR, but with a mode where the maraca-shaking can be done overlaid with your normal surroundings, in mixed-reality mode.

    bam0006-00-00-05-52-still006.png

    A tabletop battle game called Bam! looked like it was hovering over the coffee table I was sitting in front of, while another person played opposite me on the other sofa. The effect was similar in spirit to AR apps you can use on your phone, but in 3D and in your VR headset. It was cute and fun, but you could also just play games like this in VR without this mode.

    Some games aim to show off the Quest 3’s improved graphics. Assassin’s Creed Nexus looks almost console-like, with crowds to run past and towers to climb. It often reminded me of Sony’s Horizon: Call of the Wild on PlayStation VR 2, though with less eye-popping visuals. But Horizon runs on a PlayStation 5, and this is a self-contained Quest 3. Not a bad feat.

    A hand holding a crossbow in a Venice city street in a video game, Assassin's Creed

    A demo of one of the Quest 2’s most visually rich games, Red Matter 2, was shown off with enhanced Quest 3 graphics and resolution in a “side-by-side” display demo mode. I could see a difference, but mainly in fine details and onscreen text.

    Meta has its own little in-headset welcome game called First Encounter, which makes little aliens appear around your room, running behind furniture and hiding in corners. It reminded me of old Magic Leap games I played years ago: fun, cute and a solid demo for mixed-reality possibilities.

    Fitness apps would make sense in mixed reality. And design and creative apps, too. How many will come? It’s hard to tell.

    A man wearing a VR headset plus a face mask

    Is $500 expensive or surprisingly affordable?

    The Quest 3’s price is relative. When the Vision Pro arrives next year, it’ll seem affordable in comparison. If you’re shopping for a game console, it’s more expensive than a Switch, and the same price as a PS5 or Xbox. Or, it’s the cost of an iPad.

    The Quest 3 is going to be the most affordable mixed-reality VR headset, and a completely standalone one at that, so no extra hardware is needed. In a year, its proposition could look even better. Right now, as a better Quest 2, it might not be worth the splurge until more games arrive to show off how good it can be.

  • Totallee Cases for the iPhone 15 Lineup Are Almost 50% Off Right Now

    Totallee Cases for the iPhone 15 Lineup Are Almost 50% Off Right Now

    Apple’s new lineup has dropped — and once you get your hands on the flagship iPhone 15, you’ll probably want to invest in a case to keep it safe from dings, scratches and other accidental mishaps. While some protective cases can be bulky, Totallee offers sleek, slim options that won’t interfere with your new phone’s aesthetic. Right now you can score cases for the iPhone 15 at almost half off when you use promo code LEVELUP25 at checkout at Amazon. Prices are already discounted by $10 there and using that code takes a further $7 off, dropping each case to just $22. This offer is available now through Oct. 10.

    Totallee’s superthin cases earned a spot on our roundup of the best iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro cases for 2023 thanks to their minimal design — and whether you’re looking for a case to fit the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, there’s an ultraslim cover from Totallee for you. That’s a savings of $17 on its list price. And this sleek case is thin enough to work with MagSafe. There’s also a thicker case available with extra grip and built-in magnets available for just $4 more, saving you $19.

  • Get Windows 11 Pro and Office Pro 2021 for Over $500 Off at StackSocial

    Get Windows 11 Pro and Office Pro 2021 for Over $500 Off at StackSocial

    The costs of upgrading to the latest Microsoft software can start to add up pretty quick. If you want to equip your PC with Windows 11 Pro, it’ll cost you $200 if you purchase it through Microsoft directly. And if you also want an Office Pro 2021 license so you can use productivity tools like Word and Excel, it’ll run you another $440. Or you could take advantage of this incredible StackSocial deal and score both for just $50. Just note that there’s no set expiration for this deal, so there’s no guaranteeing how long it will be available. We’d recommend getting your in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

    Windows 11 Pro offers some additional features you won’t find on the base version, including Microsoft Remote Desktop, BitLocker device encryption, Windows Sandbox, Hyper-V, Azure Active Directory and much more. You’ll receive an activation key that you can use on up to three devices. Not all computers are compatible, so if you’re considering upgrading, be sure to check out the system requirements before you buy.

    Your purchase comes with a lifetime license to Office Professional 2021 as well, which includes popular programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, OneNote and more. With a single one-time payment, you’ll retain lifetime access on the installed PC, which will save you a ton over the recurring charges you’ll accrue via a Microsoft 365 subscription and offers you more than the free online version of Microsoft Office. However, it’s worth noting that you’ll be limited to installing Office on just one computer and the “lifetime” part of the license therefore refers to the lifetime of the machine you install it on.

    If you don’t need the Office apps in this bundle, you can grab this Windows 11 Pro deal offering just the operating system upgrade for $27. But for the extra $23 and access to essential Microsoft apps you may find that this bundle is a better value.

  • Want Your iPhone Battery to Last Longer? Turn Off These 2 iOS Settings

    Want Your iPhone Battery to Last Longer? Turn Off These 2 iOS Settings

    The iPhone 15 has officially launched, and there are a tons of great deals right now on the newest iPhone as well as last year’s iPhone 14. But if you’re running an older iPhone and don’t plan to update anytime soon, you’ll likely want to optimize your battery in order to keep your phone feeling as new as possible.

    Most iPhone battery issues can be prevented by taking a few simple steps — use “optimized charging,” avoid overheating your iPhone and don’t let the battery drain to zero.

    CNET Tech Tips logo

    However, along with those iPhone battery best practices, there are a number of other battery-saving tips for iOS 16 and iOS 17 that are less obvious but can help you keep your iPhone’s battery alive longer.

    In this story, we’ll cover two features in iOS 16 and iOS 17 that both put a strain on your iPhone’s battery in varying degrees, and how you can turn them off to help preserve battery life. Here’s what you need to know.

    And if you want some more battery savings tips and tricks, check out how to stop background apps from refreshing and how to replace your iPhone’s battery (cheaper than Apple).

    Remove widgets from your iPhone lock screen

    All the widgets on your lock screen force your apps to automatically run in the background, constantly fetching data to update the information the widgets display, like sports scores or the weather. And because these apps are constantly running in the background due to your widgets, that means they continuously drain power.

    If you want to help preserve some battery on iOS 17, the best thing to do is simply avoid widgets on your lock screen (and home screen). The easiest way to do this is to switch to another lock screen profile — press your finger down on your existing lock screen and then swipe around to choose one that doesn’t have any widgets.

    However, if you want to just remove the widgets from your existing lock screen, press down on your lock screen, hit Customize, choose the Lock Screen option, tap on the widget box and then hit the “—” button on each widget to remove them.

    How to delete Lock Screen widgets on iOS 16

    Turn off your iPhone’s haptic keyboard feedback

    Surprisingly, the keyboard on the iPhone has never had the ability to vibrate as you type, an addition called “haptic feedback” that was added to iPhone with iOS 16. Instead of just hearing click-clack sounds, haptic feedback gives each key a vibration, providing a more immersive experience as you type. However, according to Apple, the very same feature may also affect battery life.

    According to this Apple support page about the keyboard, haptic feedback “might affect the battery life of your iPhone.” No specifics are given as to how much battery life the keyboard feature does drain, but if you want to conserve battery, it’s best to keep this feature disabled.

    Fortunately, it is not on by default. If you’ve enabled it in yourself, go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Feedback and toggle off Haptic to turn off haptic feedback for your keyboard.

    Haptic feedback setting for keyboard on iOS 16

    For more tips on iOS, learn how to download the new iOS 17 and how to automatically delete multifactor authentication messages from texts and email.

  • NameDrop on Apple Watch: Everything You Need to Know

    NameDrop on Apple Watch: Everything You Need to Know

    It’s been a few weeks since fans caught a first glimpse of the brand-new Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 that Apple announced at its “Wonderlust” event, and it’s safe to say Apple Watch fans will be well fed by the company this year.

    As I was watching the event online, I noticed a theme for the software updates the company is bringing to the Apple Watch. This year, Apple seems to be championing connectivity, including features designed to let you better connect with your health, better connect with your other Apple devices, and even better connect with folks around you. One of those features is called NameDrop.

    Here’s what we know about NameDrop for the Apple Watch. For more, here’s how to get ready for iOS 17 and how to download iOS 17.

    What is NameDrop?

    NameDrop is a new way for Apple Watch users to share contact information, with a simple and subtle movement of the wrist. NameDrop works much like AirDrop does to quickly share a file or send a photo. Gone are the days of typing phone numbers or handing over your phone so someone can put their number into your contacts.

    During its event, Apple showed two people placing their Apple Watches near each other to swap contact info. Apple says this is enabled by the brand-new S9 chip.

    How can I get NameDrop?

    Though the feature was announced as part of WatchOS 10, the fine print of Apple’s breakdown of both WatchOS 10 and iOS 17 reveals that NameDrop will be coming to Apple Watches “later this year.”

    So it doesn’t look like Watch users will be able to use NameDrop just yet. But it’s still a good idea to update your watch to WatchOS 10 so you can be ready to hop on the NameDrop update as soon as it arrives.

    Can I use NameDrop if I don’t have an Apple Watch?

    If you’re an iPhone user and you want to get in on all the NameDrop action, you’re in luck. Apple’s iOS 17, which has finally arrived, comes with NameDrop capabilities. So, if you’re an iPhone user running iOS 17, you’ll be able to use NameDrop to immediately swap contacts with another iPhone user running iOS 17 — and with Apple Watch users once it’s available there.

    Screenshot of Apple's NameDrop feature on the iPhone

    How does NameDrop Work?

    Apple has been light on details, but the company says NameDrop is a “new AirDrop experience” where “a user can hold their iPhone near another to share their contact information with only their intended recipient.” Apple also said users will be able to pick and choose what information gets shared over NameDrop.

    Apple said watch users will also be able to use NameDrop by tapping the My Card watch face complication and then bringing their Apple Watch face to face with someone else’s Apple Watch. We’ll update this story as we learn more.

    For more, here’s everything on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. And here’s when every Apple OS update will be available.

  • Upgrade to Any New iPhone 15 Model and Snag Massive Savings

    Upgrade to Any New iPhone 15 Model and Snag Massive Savings

    Apple has just announced its iPhone 15 lineup, including the iPhone 15 Pro Max with major camera improvements. If you’ve been considering an upgrade but haven’t been able to justify it, these carrier deals may just sway your decision. Right now, Verizon, AT&T and others are offering trade-in credit along with discounts on iPhone accessories and phone plans. So, what are you waiting for?

    Looking for more discounts? CNET has the best deals from Verizon, AT&T, Boost Infinite and many others, along with promo code offers — all updated and verified daily.

    Welcome to CNET Coupons, the first stop before you shop, featuring a multitude of deals and discounts from top online retailers. Simply head over to our coupon page and type in your favorite store or brands to find all the deals available for the week.

  • Are Audio Message Transcripts Any Good in iOS 17?

    Are Audio Message Transcripts Any Good in iOS 17?

    Apple’s release of iOS 17 brings a handful of fun and useful features to your iPhone, like Live Stickers and offline maps. Another new feature is transcriptions of audio messages, also known as voice notes, in Messages.

    Apple introduced audio messages with the release of iOS 8 in 2014. Audio messages — not to be confused with voicemail — are short audio recordings you send to someone in Messages, and they’ve become a popular way to communicate. According to a YouGov survey conducted by Vox earlier this year, 62% of Americans surveyed say they’ve sent an audio message, and about 30% of people said they use audio messages weekly. About 43% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 also said they use audio messages at least weekly.

    Screen of different iOS 17 updates

    While it might be easier to dictate a message rather than type it out, audio messages require the recipient to be in a quiet place to hear them. And unless the recipient has headphones or earbuds, audio messages might be overheard by others nearby. With iOS 17’s transcription feature, you can read your audio messages without listening to them. But how well does it work?

    To find out, I had a conversation with my wife in which I exclusively used audio messages. I sent some of them with and some without without music playing in the background, too. I also read excerpts from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring to test the feature against uncommon words and unique names.

    Here’s how to use audio message transcriptions and how well they work.

    How to use audio message transcriptions

    Audio message transcriptions are automatically enabled after you downloaded iOS 17. After you send the message, the transcript will appear below the audio bars.

    If you receive a long audio message, the transcript might be cut off. If it is, you’ll see an arrow that you can tap to go to a new screen with the full transcript.

    Results of testing audio message transcripts

    There were times when my iPhone understood everything I said and transcribed it correctly, and other times when it totally butchered what I was saying.

    A blue text bubble

    In one conversation with my wife, I sent a message asking if we were still having chili for dinner, and my phone transcribed it perfectly. Another time, I tried to say, “I’m good, but I appreciate it though,” and what my iPhone heard was “I’m goodbye I appreciate it though.” If I read that, I might be able to figure out what it meant, but it would take me a second.

    One of the excerpts I read from The Fellowship of the Ring came through well, but messed up one of the names. That’s understandable. Without some TV series, like Game of Thrones, I’d have no idea how to pronounce the names of some fantasy characters. Don’t lie to me and say you knew how to pronounce Daenerys Targaryen the first time you read it.

    A blue text bubble

    Another excerpt from The Fellowship of the Ring I read had no proper nouns in it, but still managed to get messed up badly. The feature injected the name “Shelby” into the transcript, making the whole passage read like gibberish. I read the excerpt back more slowly and deliberately and the transcript got most of it correct, but still mixed up some a‘s with of‘s.

    Audio message transcripts didn’t seem to be affected by loud music, though. In one message I sent, you can clearly hear the group Outkast in the background, and my message was transcribed without issues and with none of the lyrics. I can’t speak to concert-level noise, but the regular level of noise you run into every day shouldn’t affect transcriptions much.

    Interestingly, I tried to use Spanish in an audio message and it transcribed it, but only when my iPhone’s language was set to English. When I set my iPhone’s language to Spanish and used Spanish to send an audio message, it didn’t transcribe at all. I also tried to send a message in English while my iPhone was set to Spanish and it didn’t transcribe that message, either. I tried this with German, as well, and had similar results.

    Final thoughts on audio message transcriptions

    Audio message transcriptions work well enough to be understood in most cases, but Apple has some work to do to improve the feature.

    Your iPhone will likely struggle with proper nouns, and if you speak quickly your words might be transformed or combined in weird ways. I also imagine that if you have an accent or if English isn’t your first language, your iPhone might have a difficult time transcribing your speech. This feature also only worked for me when my iPhone’s language was set to English, and Apple would benefit from expanding this feature to other languages.

    If you’re having problems with the transcriptions, I recommend speaking slowly and enunciating every letter to help your iPhone transcribe your message better.

    For more, check out CNET’s iOS 17 cheat sheet and my review of iOS 17.

  • Nothing Launches Smartwatch for Under $70, Alongside $49 Earbuds

    Nothing Launches Smartwatch for Under $70, Alongside $49 Earbuds

    If you’re looking for a new smartwatch but the Apple Watch Series 9 is a little over your budget, then CMF, a new brand by the company behind the Nothing Phone 2, has you covered.

    The CMF by Nothing Watch Pro is priced at just $69.

    It comes with a 1.96-inch AMOLED screen, and includes a heart rate and blood oxygen saturation sensor. It has 110 different sports modes, a 340mAh battery and a silicon strap. It’s available in three color options: dark gray frame and strap; metallic gray frame with an orange strap; and dark gray frame with an ash gray strap.

    CMF by Nothing also unveiled a set of earbuds for just $49.

    The Buds Pro likewise come in dark gray, light gray and orange, and feature six mics, touch controls, “AI environmental noise cancellation” and a 55mAh battery in each bud.

    CMF says the Buds Pro will give you 11 hours of use on a full charge, and 10 minutes of charging will give you 5 hours of listening time. The case has a 460mAh battery.

    The Watch Pro and Buds Pro will be available to buy later this month.

  • MacOS Sonoma Is Here, Lets You Drag Widgets From Your iPhone

    MacOS Sonoma Is Here, Lets You Drag Widgets From Your iPhone

    Apple’s new Mac software, MacOS Sonoma, is now available as a free update. Apple first unveiled its new operating system this summer at WWDC, its annual developers conference.

    The latest software update brings a few key features to the laptop or desktop experience. New widgets are available on desktop and are more interactive. You can also drag widgets from your iPhone onto your desktop.

    Apple MacOS Sonoma

    MacOS Sonoma also brings updates to video presentations and places speakers directly in front of whatever they’re presenting, potentially creating a more at-home keynote experience. A new game mode and updates to other Apple features, like Notes and Passwords, are also coming with MacOS Sonoma.

    The latest software update also comes with new screen savers that transition to desktop wallpaper for a smoother log-in experience.

    Read more: MacOS Sonoma: Will Your Mac Support It?

  • Google Pixel 8 Pro Leak Suggests Free Pixel Watch 2 With Preorders

    Google Pixel 8 Pro Leak Suggests Free Pixel Watch 2 With Preorders

    Google’s answer to the iPhone 15 is coming: The tech giant abruptly updated its Google Store site earlier this month with details on its upcoming flagship smartphones, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, as well as promo videos leaked online this week that show details on the new phones. And even better: a promo photo leaked Monday also shows Google could throw in a free Pixel Watch 2 if you pre-order the Pixel 8 Pro.

    “Arriving 10/4,” the Google Store landing page reads. “Coming in hot. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.”

    A Pixel 8 video on the store site briefly shows off both phones. The Pixel 8 appears in both the video and images on the Google Store site as a blush-colored handset with a rose gold camera casing. The Pixel 8 Pro is presented in a nude color with a champagne gold camera strip.

    “Meet the new Pixel phones, featuring the most advanced Pixel cameras yet, and Google AI to help you do more, even faster,” the page says.

    Some of the details center on the use of artificial intelligence, including the (not new) photo-editing tools Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur, as well as Live Translate. A leaked promo video of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro has also revealed more AI features for the cameras, like Video Boost and Audio Erase.

    You can click a sign up button to get updates on “devices, news, tips, and offers from the Google Store — including more about the new Pixel 8 phones.”

    Google Pixel Watch 2

    The Google Store also added photos and teased details on the upcoming Pixel Watch 2, saying the smartwatch will likewise launch on Oct. 4 and will have “even more personalized help, safety features, and health insights.” Google further teased the next Pixel watch in another video.

    A new leaked promo video of the Pixel Watch 2 on Monday also showed how it uses features from Fitbit to now include a skin temperature sensor, more accurate heart rate data, sleep tracking and stress analysis. It will also have a feature called Safety Check, which will ping your emergency contact if you don’t “tap in” once a timer you’ve set goes off.

    The next Pixel Watch is claiming a 24-hour battery life.

    The first Pixel Watch was released in the fall last year. You can check out CNET’s review of Google’s smartwatch here.

    Google had previously announced a Pixel event for Oct. 4, where it’ll launch its new phones and smartwatch. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the promo video leaks.