Meta announced that the operating system that powers its Quest virtual reality headsets will be available for third-party manufacturers to use. It’s an unexpected change from the company, whose Meta Quest headsets are the class leader in the U.S. market (via CNBC). Meta says that the VR and mixed-reality market growth means there’s a place for “specialized hardware” designed for specific use cases like gaming, entertainment, or productivity. Now, it’s partnering with trusted manufacturers to do just that, giving them access to the rebranded Meta Horizon OS that powers the Quest line of mixed-r ..read more

Fans of the survival game 7 Days to Die are being rewarded for their patience, as the game is exiting Early Access and getting a full release in the months ahead. As someone who has played 7 Days to Die since it was first released to Alpha in August 2013, I came to terms with the feeling the game might never leave its Early Access state. Then out of nowhere, boom, developer The Fun Pimps hits us with an announcement; after nearly 12 years in development (and almost 11 in Early Access!), 7 Days to Die is finally leaving Alpha for a full release. That means one more of the longest-running Alpha ..read more

Tesla’s Cybertruck had a rocky start, with multiple delays before the first trucks rolled off the line. Now, it’s back on pause with a full recall to fix an issue with the accelerator pedal. The recall covers roughly 4,000 Cybertruck vehicles, every single one delivered to customers since deliveries started in November 2023. In a notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) last week, the reason for the recall was the cover on the accelerator pedal, which “may dislodge and cause the pedal to become trapped by the interior trim.” That’s worrying, especially if the ..read more

Last year, Apple launched its FineWoven iPhone cases and Apple Watch bands as part of its environmentally friendly campaign, hoping to make them one of the best iPhone 15 cases to replace its premium leather alternatives.  Immediately, the new FineWoven material was scrutinized. It was attracting dirt scuffs and had durability issues. To add fuel to the fire, users complained that the new material doesn’t feel as premium as its predecessor, despite Apple charging the same prices. At the time of the launch, the company likely didn’t expect FineWoven to become one of the worst product launc ..read more

The past few Google Pixel 9 series leaks shocked the tech community after they revealed that Google’s next Pixel series would consist of not two but three smartphones: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.  A handful of real-world images have appeared online, claiming to be Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 Pro, and they’re pretty close to the earlier leaked renders. The live images were obtained by Rozetked, a Russian outlet claiming the photos are of a Pixel 9 Pro prototype side-by-side with an iPhone 14 Pro Max.  The report states that, unlike its predecessor, the Google Pixel 8 Pro ..read more

Tesla owners and prospective buyers: There’s never been a better time to buy the company’s Full Self-Driving feature. Trust me—just take it from the guy who spent $12,000 on this feature just a few months ago.  The electric vehicle giant announced that it would be cutting the price of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software by a third, from $12,000 to $8,000. Tesla has reduced prices to encourage more people to use its advanced driver assistance system. Despite the price cut, some (Okay, most) analysts and observers remain skeptical of Tesla’s approach to autonomous driving. Elon Musk’s prom ..read more

The U.S. House of Representatives on Saturday passed a new measure that makes a national ban on the social media app TikTok more likely in the coming weeks. The measure requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to divest the service to a U.S.-based company under threat of a full-scope ban that would prohibit American tech companies from distributing it in their app stores.  The premise of the ban is that the Chinese government utilizes TikTok as a way to gather information on Americans, something lawmakers flag as a security concern. Bytedance, which is based in China, has denied the a ..read more

Whether you game on a PC, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, or even a Sega Genesis, you are going to need things – accessories. Chairs, microphones, headsets, and so on. Gaming is much more than just a console and controller. It’s an entire ecosystem of consumption and creation. It’s an environment created around your gaming needs, to not only complement your sessions but enhance them as well. And there’s no shortage of gaming accessories to choose from, all with broad use capabilities. Because no matter what, we all need something a bit more than what comes in the box, regardless ..read more

AI is mere keystrokes away from making people even less disciplined and skilled when it comes to thoughtful decisions ..read more

Apple has allowed emulators onto the App Store, with Delta being one of the first to go live ..read more