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Disney Plus will begin cracking down password sharing and use your account outside of your household on Nov. 1, with the new rules kicking off in Canada.

The streaming service reportedly sent email notices to its Canadian subscribers Wednesday, detailing new account sharing rules.

“Unless otherwise permitted by your service tier, you may not share your subscription outside of your household,” the notice said, according to Mobile Syrup. “If we determine that you have violated this agreement, we may limit or terminate access to the service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this agreement.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger had said last month that the company planned to crack down on password sharing, following in the footsteps of streaming giant Netflix, which started charging $8 for extra users on an account earlier this year.

Netflix’s account-sharing rules allow premium subscribers to have two extra people on their account; standard subscribers can add one extra person; and the lower tiers don’t allow any extra users. It’s unknown yet whether Disney Plus will have similar rules according to your plan tier.

Disney Plus will be increasing its pricing on Oct. 12, including for its bundled services with Hulu. The streaming provider didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

When it comes to choosing a new streaming device there’s no shortage of options. There’s also no denying that the Apple TV is one of the most costly, but the App Store and the games and apps it offers make it a great choice. And that’s even before you settle in to watch the new must-binge show. However, finding a deal is the best way to get over the sticker shock, and we’re here to help you do just that.

There are deals to be had on various Apple TV boxes, so make sure you’re choosing the one that’s right for you.

If you have a 4K TV at home and want to take advantage of it, the Apple TV 4K is for you. The 2022 model that went on sale late last year has an upgraded, modern A15 Bionic chip powering it, HDR10 Plus support, a USB-C Siri Remote, and double the storage as standard. It also starts at $129, down from the previous $179 starting price, though you’ll need to spring for the $149 128GB model if you want Ethernet support, which was previously included across the board.

Given the pricing proximity, even with the below deals this new 2022 Apple TV 4K has been our recommendation among Apple’s streaming boxes, as its significant processor jump should provide more longevity.

Though it’s now a generation old, the 2021 Apple TV 4K is still a decent option, especially when you can find it on sale. Unfortunately, it’s getting a little hard to come by since it was discontinued by Apple, and it’s only available at full price at the moment. However, we do still see deals pop up occasionally. It comes in two variations, one with 32GB of storage and the other with 64GB, and it runs Apple’s A12 Bionic chip (similar to what was in 2018’s iPhone XS and XR). It also includes a Siri Remote that charges through Lightning and the Apple TV box itself has Ethernet support as standard.

With the unveiling of the 2022 Apple TV 4K, Apple killed off the Apple TV HD. The move makes sense given the new lower starting price for the 4K model and the fact that the Apple TV HD was essentially a 2015 piece of hardware with a 2021 remote. The A8 chip powering it was getting a little long in the tooth, plus ultra HD TVs are way more accessible these days, with a plethora of 4K TV deals available at any time.

Unless the Apple TV HD is on a deep discount, you should avoid it.

In 2021, Apple released a new Siri remote that ditched the previous generation’s design and trackpad and brought better buttons, making it much easier to use. One of the great things is that you don’t need to upgrade your Apple TV in order to use the new remote: You can seamlessly connect it to your existing Apple TV.

Apple has given the remote a minor upgrade with its 2022 Apple TV revision, dropping the Lightning charging port in favor of one with USB-C. Functionally, however, both last year’s remote and the 2022 USB-C versions are identical and work with the same Apple TV devices.

The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have been a staple on TV screens for over 20 years, but the CBS franchise is going into unchartered territory with its latest spinoff show.

Instead of focusing on young and sprightly singletons, The Golden Bachelor instead has contestants in their 60s and 70s looking for their second chance at love.

The Golden Bachelor in question for this first season is Gerry Turner, a 72-year-old widower and retired restaurateur from Indiana. Following a similar format as other shows in the franchise, Turner is set to be introduced to 22 women, all over the age of 60, who will be battling out to win his heart.

Make sure you don’t miss a moment by following our guide to watching The Golden Bachelor from anywhere in the world.

When is The Golden Bachelor broadcast?

The Golden Bachelor premieres in the US on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes arrive every Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, with each episode available to stream the following day after broadcast on Hulu.

How to watch The Golden Bachelor from anywhere on VPN

So what if you’re traveling outside your home country and want to enjoy the show or want an added layer of privacy for streaming? There is an option that doesn’t require searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a VPN, or virtual private network.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the show. If you find yourself unable to watch locally, a VPN can come in handy. Plus it’s a great idea for when you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

Most VPNs, like CNET’s Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it easy to virtually change your location. Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals.

Watch in The Golden Bachelor in the US

Watch in Canada

Can I watch The Golden Bachelor in the UK?

There’s currently no confirmed broadcaster for this first season of The Golden Bachelor in the UK, however we suspect that like The Bachelor, this new show will eventually find its way to Hayu.

Tips for streaming The Golden Bachelor using a VPN

• With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
• If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
• If you’re having trouble viewing after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
• All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a network’s app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
• And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.

Every manufacturer has products it creates simply to maintain its innovative image; these products aren’t really expected to sell much. HP tends to do it a lot less than its competitors, seeming to concentrate more on perfecting concepts others have presented rather than planting a “First!” flag. The HP Spectre Foldable PC is one of the slickest examples of a folding or dual-screen laptop I’ve seen, but that doesn’t mean a lot in such a young category.

But I had the same reaction I frequently do with these devices. I think this would make a great portable monitor — a 17-inch monitor that fits into a bag for a 12-inch laptop — instead of a flexible, but expensive and quirky, computer.

HP bills it as a three-in-one since it can be used as a 17-inch tablet, a laptop or a 17-inch desktop PC. Asus did the same thing when it launched its similar direct competitor, the Asus ZenBook Fold 17 OLED. At $5,000, this laptop clearly isn’t intended for a mass market — Asus’ model is priced slightly lower thanks to its optional stylus — but I couldn’t find it for sale in the US, which reinforces the point.

You can preorder the HP now from Best Buy, and HP expects to ship it in limited quantities (another sign of a market test run) starting in October on HP’s site. It’ll also be available at a small set of Best Buy brick-and-mortar locations.

When I say this is similar to the Asus ZenBook, I mean it’s close to identical in many ways. I think both laptops are based on the same display panel, they have the same class of components: the same Intel CPU and the same amount of memory and storage, possibly the same 5MP webcam and comparable designs which sandwich a Bluetooth keyboard between the folded halves when closed.

But that’s where the similarities end. HP threw in some extras like the stylus (the HP MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen), which are optional for the ZenBook, and has a more nuanced, flexible design that’s thinner (by 0.1 inch/3 mm). The Asus wins some Brownie points, though, for including a sleeve.

Unfolded, the OLED screen is a 17-inch tablet with 1,920×2,560-pixel resolution and DisplayHDR True Black 500 and new (for laptops) Imax Enhanced certification (the only service that streams Imax Enhanced movies at the moment is Disney Plus). Perched on its long edge using the thin built-in kickstand and paired with the keyboard, it’s intended for desktop use, much the same way detachables like the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 work without the keyboard physically connected.

If you fold it at an angle, you can use it in one of two ways: with the keyboard sitting completely on the bottom half of the screen mimicking a 12-inch clamshell laptop or with it sitting on the bottom half of the screen but pulled toward you, leaving half of the screen visible, mimicking an Asus ZenBook Pro Duo (but with the touchpad and wrist-rest section tilted down). This is one of the design perks the HP offers over the ZenBook Fold’s slab keyboard.

There’s magnetic inductive charging for the keyboard and stylus; the stylus snaps onto the screen edge in front of the keyboard, and the keyboard attaches via the same magnetized spot. HP bundles a short cable, USB-C to a proprietary connector, to charge the keyboard separately.

Those magnetic points also help with some automatic behaviors. For instance, when it senses the keyboard movement it can change the screen layout, using Windows’ Snap feature. But the big benefit is that when you “close” it with the keyboard sandwiched between the sides, it will automatically sleep like a clamshell laptop. Having to jump through a lot more hoops before you’re ready to travel is a big annoyance with some other devices.

HP split the six-cell, 94-watt-hour battery into two parts on either end of the display for improved balance when you’re holding it, such as for tablet use. The top (when it’s used as a laptop — it’s the left when used as a desktop or tablet) gets a little warm when charging.

There are drawbacks. Because it’s relatively thin and the way the electronics are arranged, there’s no place for a cell antenna, so it’s Wi-Fi only. When you fold it in half, there’s a 0.2-inch (3mm) gap. That gap is intentional since that’s where you sandwich the keyboard for portability. The gap also enables its thin hinges and presents fewer issues for the screen. But without the keyboard, it’s potentially vulnerable to damage.

It’s got quite a bit of electronics inside, so the screen’s not exceptionally thin — about 8.2mm, roughly the thickness of the iPhone 15 Pro but thicker than an iPad Pro 12.9. It’s also heavier than the LG Gram 17, even without including the keyboard (the LG weighs just under 3 pounds, while the Fold weighs 3 pounds without the keyboard and 3.6 pounds with it). The bezels are relatively thick for a screen in 2023, but with its quad speakers and full laptop innards, there needs to be someplace to put them. Plus, you don’t want something that will be easy to fumble because there’s no place to hold it. It’s not heavy or thick, but if that’s your need or aesthetic, it’s a consideration.

When it’s folded, the strong magnet and the keyboard sandwich make it nearly impossible to open single handed. Even with two hands it’s tricky. It’s also natural to open it by grabbing the two sides near the top — that’s where the volume buttons are, though, and it’s a bit disconcerting to feel them move while you’re unfolding. And you can’t open it from the front middle without removing the stylus, because that’s in the way.

And while a magnetic attachment looks and acts slicker, I’d much prefer a garage or some other more secure way to dock the stylus, at least something like the lip under which you charge the stylus on the Microsoft Surface Studio. I’ve lost two Apple Pencils so far because they’ve flown off the side of my iPad Pro into some black hole I’m convinced lurks in my bedroom, and every time I grab the HP it feels like it’s about to come off. And the keyboard isn’t backlit, which may be a deal-breaker for some people — like me. I work in the dark and had problems seeing the keycap stencils.

Although it has just two USB-C ports, one is well placed for charging when you’re using the machine in laptop or desktop mode. You can find that port down by the hinge. But the second port is on the top left when using it as a laptop, which is awkward. When in desktop mode (full screen, landscape), they switch: the top one is on the left side and the other is at the top of the screen.

Along with the keyboard and pen, HP includes a USB-C hub with two USB-A ports, an HDMI out and a USB-C port for power delivery. But the built-in cable is short — roughly 3 inches (76mm), so either you have to use it only on the lower port or it hangs off the top section.

The kickstand allows you to position the screen within a few angles, but it doesn’t feel stable if you jostle it. It does folds neatly into the rear of the screen, however.

The whole device has the fit and finish of HP’s other premium Spectre laptops. Looking at it closed, no one would ever suspect it’s anything other than a compact laptop.

Performance

It’s slow — not just on benchmarks, but for everyday use — despite having reasonable components. That made me sad. The streaming video battery life isn’t great, averaging just under 8 hours. I had to attach USB headphones (there’s no audio jack, our usual method), which might have drained a little more power than usual.

But the screen is great; as measured its brightness hit 410 nits in SDR and between 510 to 525 nits in HDR, with 98% coverage of P3 and decent calibration, 2.2 gamma and very good uniformity. Plus, it has the effectively zero nit black for essentially infinite contrast. the HDR profile could use a little tweaking, though — brightness peaks too early, giving midtones short shrift in videos. (All measurements are performed using the most recent version of Portrait Display’s Calman Ultimate software using a Calibrite Display Plus HLRead more about our monitor testing methodology.)

The system got a little confused when an application or video maximized to full screen at one point, but I couldn’t replicate it.

The feel of the stylus on the screen grated on me. It feels too rubbery and draggy, a combination of the tip and the particular sensor overlay used to make the screen touch- and pen-sensitive. And I couldn’t be certain, but I always felt that both sensitivities weren’t that great — it seems like I had to try multiple times to get some touches to register. Pen feel is a personal preference, though. If you’re considering it for design work, keep in mind that the slight ripple on the fold presents problems when drawing or sketching. That ripple isn’t really a problem for most other activities, though the fact that it’s really reflective might be.

The webcam is on the top in portrait orientation, a position people have complained about for years on iPads. Technically it wouldn’t be possible to put it on the long edge because of the fold and hinge, but the fact remains that it’s impractical. Especially if you’re using the Spectre as a desktop.

So many mixed feelings about the HP Spectre Foldable PC. I wanted to like it a lot more, especially given the high price. I understand why the more awkward aspects of the design are necessary, but some folks may just find them too impractical. Overall, though, this still feels like a “we’re trying to figure out what these should look and act like” foray into a nascent category. I think it needs another round of design tweaks before the products feel real. And I still can’t help but wish these foldable laptops were portable monitors instead, because bigger portable monitors without the carry bulk are a good thing.

I look at myself through the camera of the phone in my hand: I’m wearing pretty normal-looking Ray-Ban glasses. A tap of a button, and now I’m streaming video from the Ray-Bans straight out to Instagram.

While Meta has ambitions for true augmented reality smart glasses, for now it has updated its two-year-old Ray-Ban smart glasses. Announced alongside the new Quest 3 mixed reality-enabled headset at Meta’s latest developer conference, the new glasses — now called the Ray-Ban Meta Collection — are still just made for listening to music, taking calls and shooting photos and video via cameras embedded in the corners of the frames. Starting at $299, they’re arriving Oct. 17, and despite two years having gone by, not a whole lot has changed philosophically from the 2021 version, although these newer ones come in more designs and promise better performance.

The cameras, microphones and speakers are all improved this time, though, and a brand-new Qualcomm chip inside the glasses could be the start of a wave of other improved smart glasses in the next year. However, by comparison, Amazon’s recently launched improved Echo Frames smart glasses, developed with glasses-maker Carrera, are audio-only.

Qualcomm’s new AR1 Gen 1 chip inside these Ray-Ban glasses could theoretically support embedded displays, but Meta skipped adding any screens this time around. Instead, the proposition is the same as when Meta launched its Ray-Ban Stories in 2021: taking calls, listening to music, snapping photos and videos, and responding to “Hey Meta” to do a few basic tasks. The glasses come in a much larger range of designs and colors this time, though: there are now Wayfarer and Headliner frames, and a range of colors. Transparent blue, yellow and black frame options show off the shape of the circuitry in the arms of what’s an otherwise mostly normal-looking design.

Audio and camera: What’s new

A five-microphone array in these glasses is more sensitive to voice commands and can record spatial audio in video clips (playing back a bit while wearing the glasses, I heard phantom voices around me). The speakers are still open-style, coming from the arms, but audio levels and bass are better. It felt boomier and more like regular headphones than my memories of the first pair of Ray-Ban Stories I reviewed.

Navigation still happens with voice commands or a touchpad on one glasses arm: The touchpad area is larger this time. A capture button on the edge of the frame can also trigger shots or start a livestream — one of the glasses’ biggest new features.

The 12-megapixel cameras can record up to a minute of video at a time at 1080p and can stream to Instagram or Facebook for up to 30 minutes. The streaming feature can swap between phone camera and glasses camera with a button-click on the glasses, enabling on-the-fly dual-camera streaming. The changes remind me of some of the things Snap has done with its previous camera glasses.

There are other practical upgrades: The frames are a bit less chunky-looking, have IPX4 water resistance and last four hours on a charge, recharging in an included leather case for an additional 32 hours or approximately eight charges.

Everyday glasses, but not AR glasses

These are designed to be all-day glasses, something I didn’t get to try in my review back in 2021 because I couldn’t find a Lenscrafters store that would outfit me with prescription lenses. Meta says the process is easier this time, provided a Lenscrafters has the servicing equipment. Prescription, transitions lenses and blue-blocking lenses are all options.

Meta’s still not incorporating any AR tech into its smart Ray-Bans, though. The video they record isn’t 3D, and you can’t add any AR effects. The glasses don’t have displays, either.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously announced that Meta’s working on true AR glasses, and Meta’s partnership with EssilorLuxottica (Ray-Ban’s parent company) looks like a step along that path. Still, two years later, that moment hasn’t happened.

For AR, Meta’s leaning on the Quest 3 and mixed reality functions to begin forging a way forward there. That’s similar to where other companies are at with AR, including Apple and its Vision Pro.

These will be AI glasses, though: Camera-based AI coming next year

The upgraded chip in these glasses is aimed at AI features. Next year, Meta is promising AI onboard that will recognize objects in view of the cameras, or even read text. Generative AI could take photos and post them with AI-written captions. It’s unclear how this will all feel or play out: Will these glasses feel like smart assistants, and when will that activate? Meta announced these upcoming features at its developer conference, but in the meantime it’s a bit of a mystery as to how these new Ray-Bans could, perhaps, turn into a bit more of an AR-esque product minus displays.

For more on the possible capabilities of the chip’s AI chops, we spoke to Qualcomm’s head Hugo Swart — read up for lots of insights, including thoughts on future fitness features.

In the meantime, Meta is hoping that everyday audio glasses with cameras are interesting. Are they? I don’t know. Privacy remains a concern, considering these glasses easily capture photos while looking nearly normal. And while they have an LED light that blinks when recording, is that enough?

I’m curious what they feel like as everyday glasses, though. Hopefully, this time around, I’ll get a better idea of that when I review them with prescription lenses.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.