Pang1

Virtual reality has plenty to offer those gamers looking for a truly immersive experience. However, one issue can force many players to stop in their tracks and return to the real world: motion sickness. The researchers behind HyperJump think they might have found a solution, though. At Siggraph 2022 – a tech conference in Canada celebrating some of the latest developments in VR – I had the opportunity to try out HyperJump for myself, and I can comfortably say I’d love for this movement system to come to my Oculus Quest 2 as soon as possible. To boldly go... If you want to move around a VR world, you typically have one of three methods from which to choose. The first is to literally walk around in the real space that you’re in. This method is the most immersive, it doesn't require a controller, and – provided there’s very little latency – it's the least unsettling. However, a clear downside is that you require a lot of physical space, or you'll only be able to play a g...

At Siggraph 2022 – a tech event where researchers can show off their latest projects – I had the opportunity to try out a prototype VR headset that Meta will never release to the public. This isn’t the first time Meta has showcased its prototype headsets . Back in June, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and members of Meta’s Reality Labs division revealed more than a dozen devices they will never launch.  One of these headsets is the Starburst – a bulky VR headset that can achieve a brightness of up to 20,000 nits, which makes it around 200 times brighter than the Oculus Quest 2 . This extra brightness isn’t intended to turn the headset into some kind of eye-burning torture device. Instead, it helps Meta experiment with HDR.  HDR (high dynamic range) is the tech used in displays to make colors pop in bright scenes, all the while ensuring that dark objects are detailed in shadowy scenes. TVs lacking HDR will show more muted colors, and scenes set in dark environments will be littl...

IFA 2022 will see the return of Europe's biggest consumer electronics trade show, and will run between September 2-6 in Berlin, Germany. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, last year's event was cancelled , and the year before that, attendance was strictly reduced ,  So, the news that IFA 2022 will once again be an in-person event will be welcome to anyone who wants a glimpse of the tech some of the biggest companies in the world are working on. We should see some big announcements from the likes of LG and Samsung, as well as showings from Lenovo, Huawei and more. There's one big name that seems to be absent from this year, however: Sony. We've not heard anything about its plans, and considering how dominant the Japanese company is in TV, audio and entertainment, it's odd that it wouldn't have a presence at this year's event, despite attending previous IFAs. We've contacted Sony to find out its plans, and until then, read one to find out what we do know...

ByteDance could once again be coming for Meta’s lunch if reports that it’s preparing to launch two new Pico 4 VR headsets are true. The main (read: only) name in VR right now is Meta, thanks entirely to the hugely popular Oculus Quest 2 . While we believe the Valve Index is the best VR headset in the world, the Quest 2 still packs a punch and costs less than half what the Index does – and is even cheaper if you factor in not needing a VR-ready PC to run Meta’s standalone device. A new-ish competitor looks to be ready to bring Meta down a peg or two, though. Real competition Pico has been on the VR scene for a while but so far its consumer efforts have mostly been focused on China – which is where its parent company ByteDance is based. There was the Pico Neo 3 that launched in the UK and the rest of Europe in April this year, but it hasn’t yet made much of a splash. However, we could see the brand become a more well-known name when its leaked Pico 4 headsets finally drop. Acco...

Amazon’s next store update will let you digitally explore shopping malls and pick up new clothes and items that'll be delivered to you the exact same day. The new pilot program is coming to 15 cities across the US including Chicago, Washington, Seattle, and Las Vegas. If you live in one of these places (and have an Amazon Prime membership) you’ll be able to access digital versions of your local mall’s Diesel, Pacsun, Superdry, and GNC – picking out clothes and items just like you would from the shelves. Once you’ve placed your order, an Amazon delivery driver will then go pick it up and bring it to you later that same day – just like a takeout delivery service such as GrubHub (which is free for a year with Prime) or DoorDash but for regular stores. Unfortunately, even though this is a Prime benefit, you don’t automatically get free delivery – you’ll have to spend at least $25 on your order or cough up $2.99 to get your new goodies. As part of an exclusive report from the Toda...