Snapchat’s big new augmented reality feature is letting creators make money

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Augmented reality isn’t really a thing yet. But you know what is? Face lenses. Millions of users across Snapchat, Instagram, Zoom, TikTok, and countless other apps are already used to tapping a button and having ... more - theverge

Beat Saber’s downloadable songs are half price until next week

It applies to individual tracks only. Rhythm game Beat Saber is one of the best things to do in virtual reality. But — no offense to its default music packs — buying extra songs from major artists like Lizzo, BTS, Lady Gaga, Green Day, and Linkin Park ... more - theverge

Epic’s free app that turns real-life items into 3D models is available now on iOS

Image: Epic Games Epic Games’ RealityScan app, which lets you scan real-life objects and turn them into 3D models for video games or other projects, is now officially available on iOS as a free download after an initial limited beta launch in April. ... more - theverge

Sony is getting into the metaverse with a new motion-tracking system

Mocopi, a riff on motion capture and “copy”, uses small sensors to control an avatar in virtual reality in real time. | Image: Sony Sony has announced Mocopi, a portable and lightweight motion capture system that can be used to control a digital avatar ... more - theverge

Everybody promised to disrupt the smartphone — and the smartphone outlasted them all

The latest iPhones may not blow minds, but they’re still taking down all comers. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge Everywhere you turned over the last few years, someone was promising The Next Big Thing After Smartphones. Yes, they’d say, ... more - theverge

Wednesday’s top tech news: Hurray for foldable competition

The newly announced Honor Magic VS. | Image: Honor Honor’s second foldable will eventually release outside of China, and people are getting confused about a new car logo. Continue reading… ... more - theverge

Google Maps will help you explore neighborhoods with your phone’s camera

There are some nice new features coming to Google Maps. | Illustration: The Verge Google is adding another big new augmented reality feature to Google Maps that lets you learn more about what’s around you just by looking through your phone’s camera. ... more - theverge

Google search now displays 360-degree views of sneakers from brands like Vans and Puma

Old skewl meets new skewl with Google 3D and AR shopping. | Image: Google It’s now possible to use Google search for more than just Taylor Swift ticket queries: starting today in the US, the search engine will use augmented reality to help you find the ... more - theverge

See how far Pokémon Go creator Niantic’s AR gaming ambitions have come

Pokémon Go developer Niantic has unveiled its latest tech demo showing off what it thinks could be the future of augmented reality gaming. The trailer, which apparently depicts “actual headset gameplay” shows a handful of players wearing AR glasses as ... more - theverge

Google Fi’s throwing in a free year of YouTube Premium for Unlimited Plus subscribers

Illustration: The Verge If you’re subscribed to Google Fi’s Unlimited Plus plan, you can now enjoy an extra perk in addition to unlimited data: one year free of YouTube Premium. Starting today, new and existing members enrolled in Google Fi’s premium ... more - theverge

Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro are $20 off at multiple retailers

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge They might look exactly like the first-gen model, but Apple’s second-gen AirPods Pro sound better and have noticeably improved active noise cancellation. In short, they’re the ones you should get if you’re in the market ... more - theverge

Meta Quest Pro review: get me out of here

Meta’s $1,499 headset is better at showcasing VR’s weaknesses than its new strengths. Continue reading… ... more - theverge

Why Figma is selling to Adobe for $20 billon, with CEO Dylan Field

Photo illustration by William Joel / The Verge We also talk about AI and VR — but we know why you’re here. Continue reading… ... more - theverge

Watch iFixit’s teardown of the ‘largely unfixable’ Meta Quest Pro

At this point, you might have a pretty good idea of what the inside of a smartphone is like, but how about a highly advanced VR headset? The experts at iFixit have posted their video teardown of Meta’s new Quest Pro, and while they conclude that it’s ... more - theverge

How to use Continuity Camera on macOS

Samar Haddad / The Verge Continuity Camera is one of the most exciting features of macOS Ventura. It allows you — if you’re taking a call from your MacBook — to substitute an iPhone’s camera for the webcam. The feature can be a bit of a hassle to set ... more - theverge

VR is still too expensive

The PSVR2 starts at $549.99 and launches next year. | Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge PlayStation VR2 costs more than the most expensive PS5. I get why, but it’s still too much money. We’re on the precipice of a new era for virtual reality. Meta just ... more - theverge

Snapchat’s latest AR shopping experience lets you try and buy eyewear from Amazon

The new Amazon fashion shopping lenses allow Snapchat users to try on eyewear and then buy products via an on-screen link. | Image: Snap Snap and Amazon Fashion are partnering up to provide Snapchat users with the ability to try on branded glasses and ... more - theverge

The Meta Quest 2’s passthrough button melts away, just like reality

Double-tapping the side of the Quest 2 triggers passthrough mode, letting you see what’s happening around you. | GIF by Owen Grove / The Verge Virtual reality is for checking out. The wider the field of vision and the less light peeking in, the better. ... more - theverge

Unlocking your Meta Quest with SideQuest is a fun weekend project

Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge I recently decided that I was going to figure out how to play custom Beat Saber tracks on my Meta Quest 2, no matter what it took. Thankfully, the free program I ended up using, called SideQuest, only took an ... more - theverge

Sony’s new A7R V camera uses a dedicated AI processor to identify and track subjects

The Sony A7R V looks a whole lot like other Alpha cameras until you look closer at its rear LCD. | Image: Sony Sony is trying to reclaim any technological footing it lost last year to the Nikon Z9 and Canon EOS R3 cameras. While Sony was at the forefront ... more - theverge

WhatsApp is back online after a major two-hour outage

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge WhatsApp went down in a major outage affecting the communications app for two hours today. The service started experiencing issues at around 3AM ET, with users greeted with a “connecting” message. WhatsApp web ... more - theverge

How to show your phone’s battery percentage in iOS 16

Lots of recent iPhone models will let you add battery percentage info right to your status bar. | Illustration by Samar Haddad / The Verge With the release of iOS 16, many iPhones can now display the remaining battery percentage right in the phone’s ... more - theverge

Now Mark Zuckerberg’s making fun of Apple for iMessage, too

What’s up with iMessage’s privacy? | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Mark Zuckerberg spent last week dragging Apple about how it could run an ecosystem for VR apps, but now it seems he’s chosen a different target: on Monday, he posted a picture ... more - theverge

Meta’s Horizon Worlds VR platform is reportedly struggling to keep users

Image: Meta Horizon Worlds, Meta’s social universe set in virtual reality (VR), is reportedly struggling to gain and keep users. According to internal documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal , Horizon Worlds currently has around 200,000 monthly ... more - theverge

Apple’s mixed reality headset reportedly lets you make payments with your eyes

Apple’s Face ID has long provided biometric logins for the iPhone. | Photo by Dieter Bohn / The Verge Apple’s rumored virtual and augmented reality headset will reportedly use iris scanning tech for logins and payments, according to The Information . ... more - theverge

Did Mark Zuckerberg’s little dance actually show us real metaverse legs?

Image: Meta During Meta’s Connect conference on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg made a huge announcement: the avatars in the company’s Horizon VR app will be getting legs soon. To demonstrate this groundbreaking technical achievement, Zuckerberg’s digital avatar ... more - theverge

Meta’s workout-friendly Quest Active Pack is releasing October 25th

Image: Meta Meta announced that a new sweat-resistant face mask and controller straps for exercising in the Quest 2 will be available for purchase online starting Tuesday, October 25th. We initially covered the Active Pack exercise-ready accessories ... more - theverge

The Meta Quest Pro will feature the new Snapdragon XR2 Plus VR chip

The Meta Quest Pro virtual reality headset. | Photo by Alex Heath / The Verge Meta finally showed off its Quest Pro virtual reality (VR) headset at its Connect event on Tuesday, revealing that the high-end device will sport the new Snapdragon XR2 Plus ... more - theverge

The Meta Quest Pro costs $1,499 and ships October 25th

The Meta Quest Pro. | Image: Meta Meta has finally announced the Meta Quest Pro: a $1,499 virtual reality headset it’s been teasing for the past year. The Quest Pro is a new branch of the Quest VR headset lineup, featuring a new processor and screen, ... more - theverge

The Meta Quest Pro is a cutting-edge headset looking for an audience

The Meta Quest Pro | Photo by Alex Heath / The Verge Meta’s new high-end headset introduces eye tracking and mixed reality for $1,499 Continue reading… ... more - theverge