It’s been nearly a decade since Google released Android 4.4 KitKat, which brought memory improvements, initial support for identifying the source of phone calls from unknown numbers, the introduction of the “OK Google” voice keyword, an immersive mode for apps and games, and other features… some of which have survived through the years in one […]
mixed reality
Report: Apple’s cheaper Vision headset coming in 2025
The Apple Vision Pro is expected to be the most powerful mixed-reality (or virtual reality) headset to date when it hits the streets early next year. It’ll also be one of the most expensive, with a $3,499 price tag. But the Vision Pro is very much a first-gen product aimed at developers. Apple watcher Mark […]
Meta Quest 3 headset coming this fall for $500 with high-color passthrough for mixed reality
Facebook parent company Meta has been making big bets on virtual and augmented reality in recent years – so big that the company changed its name to Meta to represent its vision for the so-called “metaverse.” And Meta’s Quest headsets have largely dominated that space. But with Apple poised to announce its first mixed-reality headset […]
Apple’s Reality Pro headset will allegedly run thousands of apps at launch… for up to two hours at a time
Apple has reportedly been working on a mixed reality headset for years, and the company is expected to officially unveil it in June before taking orders for the $3,000 headset later this year. That will make it one of the most expensive virtual or augmented reality devices around, but it’s also expected to be one […]
Lilbits: Netflix is ending the DVD-by-mail service you didn’t know it still had (plus Pixel Fold and Apple XR headset leaks)
Netflix pretty much launched the streaming video revolution when it introduced its subscription-based streaming movies and TV shows over the internet in 2007. But the company got its start in 1998 when it launched something a bit more old-school: a DVD-by-mail subscription service that was designed to compete with BlockBuster Video rather than broadcast and […]
Lilbits: Apple is building a virtual world for its upcoming headset, more Pixel 7a leaks, and Xfce on a Linux phone
Meta’s Horizon Worlds may be the butt of many jokes these days due to disappointing graphics, a small user base, and not much you can actually do in the company’s VR meeting place. But Meta isn’t the only company that seems to think a virtual world could be key to the success of virtual reality. […]
Lilbits: Say goodbye to Google Hangouts, hello to a bunch of new Apple gear (and increased Steam Deck shipments)
The Valve Steam Deck is one of the most popular handheld gaming PCs to date, and certainly the highest profile model thanks to an affordable price tag, robust software ecosystem, and the fact that it comes from the company behind the popular Steam game client (plus popular games like Portal, Dota, and Half-Life). One problem? It’s […]
Lilbits: Steam Deck, Apple’s AR headset, a Linux-friendly video capture card and more
Valve has confirmed that its Steam Deck handheld gaming PC is on track to begin shipping in February, following a short delay. And Apple may be looking at a somewhat longer setback for the virtual reality/augmented reality glasses it’s reportedly been developing since 2015: originally expected to ship this year, they may not be ready […]
Microsoft Mesh is a cross-platform mixed reality platform for virtual meetings (and maybe Pokémon GO)
Microsoft has been demonstrating how its Hololens mixed reality headset could be used for virtual meetings for about as long as Hololens has been a thing. Now the company is launching a new virtual meeting platform called Microsoft Mesh that works with Hololens, but also with a range of other hardware including phones, tablets, PCs, and […]
Microsoft introduces HoloLens 2 Development Edition
When Microsoft unveiled HoloLens 2 a few months ago, the company emphasized that it would be aimed at enterprise customers at launch… but hinted that the mixed-reality headset might support games and other consumer-friendly apps eventually. But first, developers need to build those apps. So Microsoft has unveiled a new HoloLens 2 Development Edition which […]