

Walmart is making major investments in augmented reality. For its fifth AR innovation in the last six months, the retailer is giving customers a chance to test clothing on their own bodies virtually. The technology, revealed to customers as Be Your Own Model, is powered by artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning models.

The AR tech uses the algorithms and machine learning the way a similar instrument would develop topographic maps. Several functions work together to map out the user’s body, while neural networks translate the clothing’s color, sizes, length, and other attributes.

Once components including body parts, face, and hair have been detected, the system layers the clothing’s attributes on top so the user can try them on. It’s not just a flat 2D image either. Shadows and fabric movement will be factored in to create the most accurate rendering of how different outfits will look on your body.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/9/15/a00d5357-cc59-4935-a7dc-8207dc90f4a0-walmart_be-your-own-model_image-2.png?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

See what clicks — Back in March, Walmart introduced a similar feature that allowed you to see a garment on over 50 models of various body types and heights. But if you want to be the model this time, the “Try It On” button will prompt you to take a new photo and add your height. (You can’t use an existing photo from your camera roll.) More 270,000 pieces are eligible for the new feature across various brands on Walmart’s website.

Virtual AR try-on technology is a hot commodity in retail these days. [Amazon](https://www.inputmag.com/style/amazon-augmented-erality-try-on-sneakers-ar-shopping-app), [Hugo Boss](https://www.inputmag.com/style/hugo-boss-augmented-reality-try-on-feature-reactive-reality), and [GOAT](https://www.inputmag.com/style/goat-nike-air-max-day-ar-try-on-augmented-reality) are just a few companies that let you try on apparel or sneakers on your digital form. Even [Snapchat](https://www.inputmag.com/style/dior-fendi-ralph-lauren-try-on-clothes-snapchat-augmented-reality) is making it easier to flex with luxury brands you might not ever plan on purchasing from. There are a few kinks to work out [in terms of privacy](https://www.inputmag.com/style/virtual-try-on-privacy-lawsuit-louis-vuitton-estee-lauder-illinois), but it doesn’t look like stepping into a physical store for retail therapy will be much of a necessity anymore.

iPhone users can now download the Walmart app in the Apple store, but Android users will have to wait a couple weeks to participate. Eventually, users will be able to upload the photos they took on mobile to their desktop. We always knew online shopping was the future, but virtual try-on takes the game to a whole new level.

Walmart is using AR to let you try on clothes virtually

Samsung is giving us a behind-the-scenes look at durability tests for its Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, including water resistance and fold durability.

Watch how Samsung put its new foldables through the ringer



Meta is raising the price of its popular Quest 2 VR headset by $100, starting August 1, the company [announced via blog post](https://www.oculus.com/blog/meta-quest-2-pricing-changes/?utm_source=tw&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=1-aw-barkerus-202207/26&utm_term=1). The reason? Well, losing a bit less money on each face computer will help Meta “continue to grow \[it\]s investment in groundbreaking research and new product development that pushes the VR industry to new heights.”

Price bump — In plain terms, the 128GB Quest 2 will now start at $399 and the 256GB model will go for $499. The price change will also affect accessories for the Quest 2, and the price of refurbished units.

For comparison, the $299 Quest 2 originally shipped with only 64GB of storage, [something Meta rectified in 2021](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/the-new-oculus-quest-2-doubles-the-storage-for-the-usual-price) when it doubled storage to 128GB. At the time, that was one of the best deals in VR, but for $100 more, it feels a lot more standard.

As a small consolation for the change, Meta _is_ offering the game _Beat Saber_ at no additional cost to anyone who buys a Quest 2 between August 1 and December 31, as long as they activate their headset by January 31, 2023. A $30 rhythm game isn’t a great substitute for a cheaper price overall, but maybe that’s something?

> The company is looking for ways to **bleed less** on its way to **brute forcing** the creation of a new 3D internet.

Subsidized — The fact of the matter is that Meta sold its Quest 2 at a loss, because all it cared about was making VR and its plans for “the metaverse” popular and accessible (financially, less so every other way). That’s the kind of strategy only a social media platform that made billions connecting advertisers to users at scale could get away with — but clearly even Meta has its limits.

Developing VR and AR technology is just too expensive, and with inflation, [the chip shortage](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/biden-administration-concedes-it-cant-do-much-to-end-the-chip-shortage), and recent changes to [how effective Meta’s ad machine can really be](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/facebook-concedes-ios-privacy-changes-are-hurting-its-ad-business), the company is looking for ways to bleed less on its way to brute forcing the creation of a new 3D internet.

It’s just a shame that this price bump is coming two years after launch without any real changes to features — and after Meta has likely priced competitors out of the market. Maybe a more expensive Quest 2 is psychologically preparing us for the $1,000 or more we’ll have to pay for [the Quest Pro](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/meta-quest-pro-design-features-release-date-price), but either way it doesn’t feel great.

Meta can't afford to sell the Quest 2 for $299 anymore

It looks like [Motorola](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/motorola-foldable-phone-third-gen-razr) wants to draw some of the hype away from Samsung and its August Unpacked event. Motorola announced in a [Weibo post](https://weibo.com/1645915085/LDr0Qf1jq) that it’s planning to reveal the Moto Razr 2022, along with the Moto X30 Pro, on August 2. Even if the new Razr will be revealed before Samsung’s upcoming [Galaxy Z Flip 4](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/galaxy-z-flip-4-rumors-price-release-date-battery-life-hardware), it’s going to be limited to Chinese markets at launch, with European markets afterwards.

From leaked images and [videos](https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/1529155575979855872), it looks like Motorola is doing away with that iconic chin that the Razr is known for. The upcoming chin-less Razr shares a lot more resemblance to the [Z Flip 3](https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-3-review-you-cant-hate-this-foldable-phone) now, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing since Samsung nails the clamshell foldable design. It’s hard to tell if Motorola can differentiate the Razr 2022 enough to take away some of Samsung’s pull and nostalgia alone might not be enough.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/7/22/64ffeaf7-cbb7-4353-aec9-7ae2d2ab28f9-motorola-razr-2022-launch-event.png?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Flagship specs — We should get more concrete details about the Razr 2022 during the reveal, but we do have some idea thanks to rumored specs. According to rumors, the third-gen Razr is expected to come with Snapdragon’s 8+ Gen 1 processor, a 6.7-inch [foldable display](https://twitter.com/DSCCRoss/status/1525132326614642693), 128GB of RAM, 512GB of internal storage, but the same 2,800mAh battery. Rumors also note camera improvements with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 32-megapixel selfie cam, and a wide-angle and macro lens that are both 13 megapixels.

Considering foldables are a departure from the traditional flat smartphone design, price is a major consideration when comparing the two styles. After all, foldables have to be priced affordably enough to convince people to switch away from their iPhones and Galaxy S22s. According to leaks from OnLeaks, via [CompareDial](https://www.comparedial.com/news/exclusive-official-motorola-razr-3-pricing-and-colours-331), the European pricing for the Razr 2022 starts at €1,149 or about $1,175. If those prices are accurate, that’s much more affordable than the $1,400 price tag of the previous Moto [Razr 5G](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/motorola-razr-2-a-5g-follow-up-to-its-folding-flipping-flop), which is a smart move from Motorola.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/7/22/e2b13e1e-8614-43ce-a03c-5c2c66c9e3b1-159255-1200-auto.png?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

A real competitor — Samsung has all but set the bar for foldables with its Z Flip 3 at its reasonable price of $999. We do have some leaks hinting at Samsung hiking the price of its upcoming Z Flip 4 to around $1,100. If that’s the case, Motorola might be able to seriously compete with Samsung’s upcoming foldable.

Competition is always a good thing for the consumers, but we’re curious where Motorola wants to position themselves in the foldables market. There’s a chance that the Moto Razr 2022 really surprises us at its reveal on August 2. However, even if the new Razr exceeds our expectations, you’ll only have to wait a few more days to see what Samsung’s Z Flip 4 will look like.

Motorola’s next foldable Razr to launch week before Z Flip 4

The collab features three Sonic-themed mechanical keyboards, but the Dreamcast one is chef’s kiss.

Higround and Sega collab on chaotic Sonic, Dreamcast keyboards

Somebody get Nothing some [Flex Seal](https://youtu.be/JZLAHGfznlY?t=37) because the leaks have been flowing. Most recently, Twitter user [Mukul Sharma](https://mobile.twitter.com/stufflistings/status/1542448780867317760) shared a first look at what looks like Nothing’s next pair of earbuds, the Ear (1) Stick.

The leaked earbuds have a couple details that differentiate it from Nothing’s [Ear (1) earbuds](https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/nothing-ear-1-black-edition-review-fixed-bugs) that came out last year, but overall share a very similar profile. The leaked images also show a cylindrical case instead of the square case, while still sporting Nothing’s signature transparent design.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/6/30/cccc961e-8a0e-4f40-b9a5-7c8e1e5129d4-fwff-izuuaamjqx.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

The leaker does have a track record of releasing early info about the Phone (1), having spotted a pre-emptive [Amazon listing](https://twitter.com/stufflistings/status/1542385753241464832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1542385753241464832%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.xda-developers.com%2Fnothing-phone-1-price-specifications-leak%2F) that offered prices and specs. According to the listing, the Phone (1) will come in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB variants. The listing showed the entry level model listed at €470, or roughly $490, while the higher end version was priced at €550, or around $570. The listing also showed off a very attractive-looking black colorway of the Phone (1).

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/6/30/5abec253-19a0-466f-a0f6-193de7083cb2-fwwzdfouiaecdug.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Potential Phone (1) pricing — The Amazon link had the option for a bundle with the Phone (1) and the Ear (1) that totaled €567, or roughly $590. Since the listing was paired with Nothing’s Ear (1) earbuds, it could mean that the leaked Ear (1) Stick won’t be ready in time for the [smartphone’s release on July 12](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/nothing-phone-1-release-date-tech-specs-livestream-rumors-news). Since the Amazon link is already gone, we should note that the prices might differ on release.

The mid-range pricing of the Phone (1) does make sense though, since Nothing’s Carl Pei confirmed to _Input_ that it [would use a mid-range chipset, the Snapdragon 778G](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/exclusive-nothing-phone-1-mid-range-snapdragon-778g-plus-chip)+, for performance, power consumption, and cost reasons. Staying in the mid-range price point hints that Nothing is looking to compete with the likes of [Google’s Pixel 6](https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/google-pixel-6-6-pro-review-camera-comparison-iphone-13-pro-galaxy-s21-ultra), but not with other flagship smartphones like the [Galaxy S22 Ultra](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/samsung-galaxy-s22-plus-ultra-cameras-features-pricing-release-date) that have top-of-the-line specs.

Similar style — For the Ear (1) Stick, it’s only an alleged _leaked_ photo we’re going off of, so we don’t really know the specs or how different it is from the Ear (1). Visually, the leaked earbuds from Nothing don't look too different from the first generation, but you can see a change of the branding on the stem and two dots that could potentially be magnetic. We’re also hoping that there are some upgrades with the charging case since there’s at least a clear visual difference there.

Without a lot to go off of, it’s difficult to say for sure if the new wireless earbuds will be a significant upgrade, but they’ll definitely represent a chance for Nothing to redeem itself after the [rocky launch of its Ear (1) earbuds](https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/nothing-ear-1-review-clearly-something-is-wrong-here), which saw a slew of quality control issues.

Nothing could surprise drop a successor to its Ear (1) earbuds


NFTs are inescapable enough online, and some brands are doing their part to make them omnipresent in physical spaces, too. Tag Heuer is updating its smartwatch technology to allow wearers to show off their NFTs right on their wrist. Three different, and equally insufferable, watch faces will be able to show the time as well as NFT artworks and are compatible with all collections on the Ethereum blockchain.

The new feature is being added to the Tag Heuer [Connected Calibre E4](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/tag-heuer-next-gen-smartwatch-connected-calibre-4) smartwatch and will also become available as a free update for smartwatch owners via Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. Users can securely connect to crypto wallets such as [Metamask](https://www.inputmag.com/guides/how-to-install-metamask-buy-sell-nfts) or Ledger Live on watches, too.

Flaunt your NFTs IRL — Tag Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault — son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault — plans to use the added function himself with an NFT he bought from [the Bored Ape Yacht Club](https://www.inputmag.com/culture/bored-ape-yacht-club-nazism-racism-claims-yuga-labs-ryder-ripps), he [told](https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/tag-heuer-watches-to-display-nfts-the-ultimate-status-symbol) _Vogue Business_. His own Bored Ape boasts an eyepatch and diamond grin, a design considered the 2470th most rare ape, [according to](https://www.theboredapegazette.com/post/tag-heuer-ceo-fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric-arnault-aped-into-the-bored-ape-yacht-club-the-full-story-here) fellow collectors.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/6/21/b1ef91e5-6242-409f-a56a-17d9b14daf47-95db9b_e946cc3fe3604a6e92673e7abbca249f_mv2.webp?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

“We think that the wrist is a great place to display your NFT — to have it close to you but also as a way of authentication between members of the community, like a badge of honor, in a subdued way,” Arnault added. That said, seeing an NFT on someone’s wrist could just as much act as a deterrent.

A number of digital collectors were involved in the development of the watch feature, with some even lending their NFTs for a campaign backing its launch. Following their feedback, Tag Heuer plans to launch its fully digital campaign on Twitter, where many collectors connect with each other. Events on Discord — an invite-only social media platform — and physical experiences will potentially follow at a later stage.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/6/21/41f7e1ca-5e1d-48a2-b79f-4a4ad026d870-tag-watch-scaledjpg.webp?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

More to come? — While Tag Heuer doesn’t plan to launch its own NFTs, the brand is looking to further its connection with Web3. “We believe in digital twins and proof of ownership associated with mechanical watches,” Arnault told _Vogue Business_, hinting at future projects for the watch brand. As of now, Tag Heuer accepts crypto payment for its products, something Arnault said speaks more directly to the NFT community. With the brand’s latest update, he expects “strong growth” this year.

Tag Heuer’s smartwatches let you flaunt your NFTs on your wrist

As Meta continues its march to realizing [the future of the mobile internet](https://www.inputmag.com/culture/meta-wont-build-metaverse-nick-clegg-facebook) or “metaverse,” it both needs to get useful VR (and someday, AR) hardware in the hands of consumers and provide a compelling reason for why people should spend several hours a day with screens strapped to their faces.

In a presentation led by Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Scientist of Meta’s Reality Labs Michael Abrash, and several members of the Display Systems Research team, the group showed some of the company’s in-development hardware, that makes the case for just how realistic future VR displays could look. While the fruits of those labors are impressive, they’re still a ways off — many, many years off —and might not be what’s needed to justify the metaverse in the present.

“\[The display\] is in a lot of ways the last link in the chain,” Zuckerberg said. “It’s the component that takes the final rendered graphical output and converts it into the photons that that go arrive that you can see.”

The Visual Turing Test
----------------------

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/getty/2022/6/16/81b244c8-dbc8-4c20-9c79-d1abb22fb825-getty-1395406245.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Subjectivity — Meta believes the major selling point of virtual reality, augmented reality, and whatever mix you can experience in between them, is a sense of presence that’s altogether lacking in most digital communication. There are a lot of different ways the company is hoping to convey that “presence,” but the one they’re attempting to address with these prototypes is purely visual.

Can a VR display convincingly replace what you normally see in your day-to-day? Can VR images be indistinguishable from reality? Meta refers to these basic questions as a “Visual Turing Test,” inspired by the original Turing Test created by Alan Turing to see whether humans could be fooled into thinking a computer program is a person. Importantly, Turing’s original test and Meta’s new VR spin rely on subjective human experience. It doesn’t matter if an AI gives the right answer or VR headsets achieve a certain level of visual fidelity (Meta estimates that to convey the field of view of a human with 20/20 vision would require something greater than an 8K display). Humans have to be convinced first and foremost.

“I think we're in the middle right now of a big step forward towards realism and in the creativity that that unlocks,” Zuckerberg. “I don't think it's going to be that long until we can create scenes with basically perfect fidelity.

No VR headset currently passes the test, but Meta thinks its new prototypes are getting it ever so slightly closer.

“The human visual system is very complex and it's deeply integrated. Just seeing a realistic-looking image isn't enough to make you feel like you're really there. To get that feeling of immersion, you need all of the other visual cues as well that go with that.”

Four criteria — Meta’s Display Systems Research team settled on four _display_ criteria to try and pass their test: resolution, focus, distortion, and high dynamic range (HDR). Resolution is largely limited by screen technology, but focus, distortion, and HDR can all be meaningfully improved in future VR hardware.

“We estimate that getting to 2020 vision across the full human field of view would take more than 8K resolution,” said Zuckerberg. “Because of some of the quirks of human vision, you don't actually need all those pixels all the time because our eyes don't actually perceive things in high resolution across the entire field of view.”

“Today’s VR headsets have substantially lower color range, brightness, and contrast than laptops, TVs, and mobile phones,” said Abrash. “VR can't yet reach that level of fine detail and accurate representation that we’ve become accustomed to with our 2D displays.”

“Basically, the challenge that we set for ourselves is to find out what it would take to get to that, retinal resolution in a headset,” Zuckerberg said.

As part of its research and development, Meta made a headset dubbed “Butterscotch” to achieve greater visual fidelity. It resembles a bulkier version of the Quest 2, but its extra display components makes it “nowhere near shippable” according to Abrash.

For focus, the main challenge is making VR behave more like how our eyes already work. Eyes are constantly focusing and refocusing on things as they look around the world, but VR headsets present a fixed focus, the display stays at the same distance even if we move virtual objects closer to our face. That can keep a VR experience from feeling as real as it could be.

Meta’s “Half-Dome” headset prototypes attempt to address this issue with varifocal displays that can change focal lengths depending on where you’re looking in VR. Moving an object closer to your face in VR mechanically moves the screens closer. “It’s kind of like how autofocus works on cameras,” explained Zuckerberg.

Later prototypes have achieved the same effect electronically, and in the tests the research team ran, a majority of people preferred varifocal to fixed focus VR. “They experienced less fatigue and blurry vision,” Abrash said. “And they're able to identify small objects better and had an easier time reading text, and reacted to their visual environment more quickly.”

Similar adaptations have to be made to account for distortion. Our eyes are round, but so are thick VR lenses. Traditionally, Meta uses software to curve images so they’ll look right while you’re actually wearing a [Quest 2](https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/oculus-quest-2-review-facebook-puts-all-other-vr-headsets-to-shame), but distortion actually changes depending on where your eyes are looking, which means for images to appear static and realistic, you also have to do some kind of eye-tracking.

“The problem with studying distortion is that it takes a really long time,” Abrash said. “Just fabricating the lenses needed to study the problem can take weeks or months. And that's only the beginning of the long process of actually building a functional display system.”

To speed up this research into distortion correction, the Display Systems Research team built a virtual simulator that uses “virtual optics and eye-tracking to replicate the distortion that you would see in a headset... and then display it using 3D TV technology.” This not only shaved prototyping time from months down to minutes, according to Abrash, but also allowed them to not have to build actual expensive headsets, further reducing costs.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/6/16/25875d81-5681-42c5-a8a8-1f510010064f-meta_starburst_research_prototype_reality_labs.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

High dynamic range is all about brightness and color reproduction, but according to Meta, fitting an HDR-compatible display into something as small as the Quest 2 (or ideally smaller) presents challenges. In some of Meta’s experiments, like its “Starburst” headset, bright HDR-compatible displays meant the headset had to have giant handles to be manageable.

“The vividness of screens that we have now compared to what the eye is capable of seeing in the physical world is is off by an order of magnitude or more,” Zuckerberg said. Meta believes for VR to achieve realism that’s comparable to reality, its headsets will need to go beyond 10,000 nits of peak brightness. Abrash said in its research, that 10,000 nits is the preferred brightness for TVs, even though few TVs currently get that bright, and most max out just above 1,000 nits.

Holocake 2 and Mirror Lake
--------------------------

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/6/16/736ba39e-a9a5-4e75-9ade-1b8854c4f355-meta_holocake_research_prototype_reality_labs.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Holocake — These experiments have led to impressive progress. Meta bundled some of the results of its different work on focus, distortion, and HDR into a new prototype it’s calling Holocake 2, “the thinnest and lightest VR headset \[its\] ever built.” The device has some surface-level similarities to [the design of Project Cambria](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/meta-cambria-vr-headset-renders-quest-2), the high-end mixed-reality headset Meta plans on releasing later this year, but features all-new internals.

To shrink the overall size, Holocake 2 trades a traditional curved lens for a “hologram of a lens,” to borrow Zuckerberg’s description. Holographic lenses are slimmer and flatter than normal lenses, but still direct light in a consistent pattern. Combined with “polarization-based optical folding” (what’s sometimes called “pancake optics”) the Holocake 2 is slim while delivering the same performance as Quest 2, only tethered to a PC.

The Future — Mirror Lake, a concept Meta’s exploring but hasn’t successfully built in any form other than 3D renders, takes the idea further, combining the size improvements of Holocake 2 with all of the varifocal goodness and HDR performance of the Display Systems Research team’s other experiments. Mirror Lake looks a bit like ski goggles and incorporates varifocal displays, eye-tracking, and holographic pancake optics. A real —though not yet _physically_ real — look at what Meta’s future mixed-reality hardware could look like.

A reason to exist
-----------------

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/6/16/d2a2b71f-f2a7-4a64-9945-e02342a67941-wall-of-headsets_l_dsr_14.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

It definitely seems like, with enough time and money, there’s a good chance Meta will create VR displays that can create convincingly real reproductions of the world. But in the present, that’s not really the problem.

Skepticism lingers [around VR and “the metaverse”](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/htc-viverse-metaverse-ai-5g-nft-nonsense) not just because of Meta’s pedigree, or the accessibility of VR hardware, but because there still hasn’t been a completely coherent case for what people will be doing in VR. Meta’s continued to expand its flagship software suite of [Horizon Workrooms](https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/sick-of-zoom-facebook-wants-people-working-in-vr-using-workrooms), Horizon Venues, and [Horizon Worlds](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/meta-horizon-worlds-creators-item-selling). But there’s no real sense of how or when these pieces will fit together — or if developers are working on apps that will work together with them in a way that makes sense.

“We **need** a **reason** to put on these fancy **VR headsets** right **now**.”

Meta was clear that its presentation of new prototypes and the research it’s been doing with displays are really just one part of a bigger solution to create realistic VR and AR experiences. I can’t criticize them for not showing me something they never intended to show. And as part of its plan to have two VR lines — one expensive “prosumer” line with more experimental features, and a consumer line sold at cost — expensive VR display tech could eventually be accessible to everyone.

But as impressive as these future displays are, I can’t help but think they’re being shown off at the wrong time. We need a reason to put on these fancy VR headsets right now, not just the promise that they’ll be even better in the future. To put it another way, the picture’s starting to come into focus, but it’s not clear if it’ll happen fast enough to justify all the work Meta’s doing.

Meta's latest VR headset prototypes will help it pass the 'Visual Turing test'

Meta has a sweet vision for VR, but it's a long way from reality for the rest of us

Mark Zuckerberg has so many VR headset prototypes to show us

Metaverse progress update: Some VR headset prototypes nowhere near shipping

Meta Is Developing Dozens Of VR Headset Prototypes But This One Is The Most Promising

Meta's goal in next-gen VR headsets: 'indistinguishable from reality'

How Meta is trying to make VR indistinguishable from reality

Like the proud father of a very goofy child, Mark Zuckerberg demoed Meta’s future mixed reality controller to the executives of EssilorLuxottica on Wednesday.

The event, besides [producing an Instagram post](https://www.instagram.com/p/CdIm4dbAw6T/), adds further confirmation to [reports of Meta’s plans](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/meta-ar-glasses-2024-iphone-moment) to use EMG technology to interact with its future augmented reality glasses.

> [](https://www.instagram.com/p/CdIm4dbAw6T)

Neural interface — Meta’s team was in Italy to discuss future smart glasses plans with its current eyewear partner EssilorLuxottica (creators of the [Ray-Ban Stories](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/ray-ban-stories-aka-facebook-glasses-are-a-privacy-nightmare)). “Here Leonard is using a prototype of our neural interface EMG wristband that will eventually let you control your glasses and other devices,” Zuckerberg wrote in his Instagram post. The man wearing the chunky band in question is Leonardo Del Vecchio, the cofounder and chairman of EssilorLuxottica.

Meta’s demoed the neural interface wristband before [as a Facebook Reality Labs project](https://www.inputmag.com/design/facebook-reality-labs-wrist-worn-controller-input-control-augmented-reality-motion-commands-using-gestures/amp). The company bought CTRL-Labs, the team behind the differential electromyography tech that powers wristband, in 2019. Showing the wristband off to business partners, though, and directly connecting it to a future pair of AR glasses made with EssilorLuxottica, seems to suggest that Meta’s pretty confident in the technology.

What about hands? — Meta’s current VR hardware is heavily dependent on either controllers or [hand-tracking](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/meta-hand-tracking-improved-quest-2-more-accurate-less-janky) to use, but clearly the final goal is even more ambitious. Hand-tracking is more natural than using a controller, but barely having to move at all — as the current wristband prototype seems to allow — would be even better, especially for anyone using AR or VR hardware with limited mobility.

Reports suggest [the ideal version of Meta’s wristband](https://www.theverge.com/23022611/meta-facebook-nazare-ar-glasses-roadmap-2024) (i.e. one that isn’t the size of a first-generation [Garmin Forerunner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garmin_Forerunner#:~:text=Image-,Forerunner%20101,-2003%2D03%2D02)) is still many years off, but Zuckerberg seems content to keep betting the farm on “the metaverse,” even if the methods seem even more invasive than cameras. Maybe his Italian friends are convinced too.

Mark Zuckerberg demoed Meta's neural interface wristband to smart glasses partners

We’re one step closer to being able to build a PC with all Unit-01-themed components. Asus Republic of Gamers is collaborating with the classic anime, _Neon Genesis Evangelion,_ putting out a graphics card and motherboard styled after the Evangelion Unit-01.

Officially, Asus hasn’t actually dropped this collab yet, but they did put out a teaser on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cc_5ytQJXHm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) a couple of days ago. It was Twitter user [@momomo\_us](https://twitter.com/momomo_us/status/1520624751596564480?s=20&t=a8UhcpzC82WS6yVfTztt2g) who spotted the Evangelion-themed graphics card and motherboard up for preorder on the Taiwanese online retailer [CoolPC’s website](https://www.coolpc.com.tw/tw/shop/gpu/rog-eva-vga/).

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/5/3/00f45d7e-c70f-4ac0-947b-21cd09afb549-83e5c76e-a32b-4833-9e2e-4d90fc01f148-asusevagpu1.jpeg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/5/3/4b8ed54f-99e2-46c6-81bd-ad081ef84d03-1e2317c1-24cb-4b4f-bbcf-3fe05f343856-asus-rog-evangelion-motherboard-rog-z690-hero-_3-low_res-scale-4_00x-1077x1480.jpeg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

The color scheme of the limited-edition Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card and the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard feature heavy purple-and-green designs with accents of red throughout. If this looks familiar, it’s because MSI also recently worked with _Evangelion_, but [their collab](https://www.inputmag.com/design/msi-evangelion-hardware-gaming-anime-collab) included a motherboard, liquid cooler, power supply and PC case that were all similarly skinned to resemble Unit-01.

100 percent synch rate — Now, we get a similarly-themed graphics card to go with all of MSI’s hardware. Asus’ _Evangelion_ graphics card is based on the GeForce RTX 3090, but will most likely have similar specs to other ROG Strix variants, like the [white edition](https://rog.asus.com/us/graphics-cards/graphics-cards/rog-strix/rog-strix-rtx3090-o24g-white-model/) of the ROG Strix RTX 3090 O24G graphics card.

The Evangelion edition offers a more vibrant colorway with Unit-01 styling and lettering throughout. Since it’s such a massive graphics card, it’ll also come with Asus’ ROG Herculx GPU holder. Like the graphics card, the Evangelion edition of the ROG Maximum Z690 Hero motherboard is also purple and green throughout and even has a BIOS that’s Evangelion-themed.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/5/3/c80f7e0c-2009-4b6c-94d0-b099ac7dc75b-asus-rog-evangelion-motherboard-rog-z690-hero-_1-low_res-scale-4_00x-1480x1021.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Very limited edition — The preorders are still live on [CoolPC’s website](https://www.coolpc.com.tw/tw/shop/gpu/rog-eva-vga/), but will stop once the 15 units are reserved or if the timer runs out on May 7. The graphics cards are priced at 63,990 TWD or around $2,170, while the motherboard will cost 17,960 TWD or around $609.

According to CoolPC, they will be looking to ship the components around May 16. We’re not sure how many of these Asus x Evangelion PC parts will be made available and in which markets, but it’s a safe assumption that these will sell out fast. Now that we have two hardware makers offering their Unit-01 designs, it’s about time for some Unit-02 colorways.

Asus' new ‘Evangelion’ hardware transforms your PC into Unit-01

In the ever-shifting conflict that is the console war, new fronts open and close, and unlikely alliances are struck between bitter foes.

Recently, it seems that [Xbox](https://www.inputmag.com/gaming/xbox-series-x-s-are-outpacing-all-previous-xbox-sales-somehow) has managed to gain ground on its ancestral enemies — that is, of course, if you take Microsoft's word for it. In a [call to investors](https://seekingalpha.com/article/4503841-microsofts-msft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-q3-2022-results-earnings-call-transcript), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that Xbox has increased its market share globally, though it did not say by how much, or what other company lost ground. (You can probably guess which one it is, though.)

Big boost — Nadella further stated that Xbox was the "market leader" among next-gen consoles in North America, the U.K., and western Europe.

> [](https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1518583604317618177)

NPD's numbers have indicated for quite a while now that the Xbox Series X and S have sold very well in the U.S. over the past few months. In fact, combined sales for the two consoles in March exceeded Microsoft's wildest expectations, giving Xbox [its best March](https://twitter.com/MatPiscatella/status/1518583604317618177) in terms of console hardware revenue ever.

However, NPD also indicated that the Nintendo Switch is the best-selling console in the U.S. for all of 2022 so far. Also, _Elden Ring_ was the best-selling premium game of the period, surprising no one.

In its report, NPD suggested that Xbox consoles are more widely available compared to the PlayStation 5, and that's a major factor in their increased sales. (Indeed, PS5's are still out of stock quite frequently, even at big retailers.)

Pass it on — The popularity of [Xbox Game Pass](https://www.inputmag.com/gaming/playstation-plus-netflix-game-subscription-future-already-here-sucks) is likely also a big draw for new buyers. However, unlike previous investor calls, we did not get a new Game Pass subscriber count, but it's certainly higher than the 25 million that the company announced in January. Unfortunately, most of those subscribers apparently aren't interested in _Halo Infinite._ (Neither am I.)

Xbox is eating up console market share, at least according to Xbox

There was “breaking” news today about [Apple’s Studio Display](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/apples-new-27-inch-studio-display-monitor-release-date-price). The [really bad, really grainy, webcam](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/apple-studio-display-web-cam-problem-software-fix-coming) from the monitor that starts at $1,600 is supposed to be better after you install the latest macOS Monterey 12.4 beta and update the display’s firmware.

Apple [told _The Verge_](https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/26/23042940/apple-studio-display-webcam-beta-fix-release-image-quality) _“_an update to the Studio Display firmware is now available with today’s beta release of macOS Monterey 12.4. This beta update has refinements to the Studio Display camera tuning, including improved noise reduction, contrast, and framing.”

Jason Snell over at _Six Colors_ has [shared comparisons](https://sixcolors.com/post/2022/04/hands-on-with-apples-studio-display-firmware-update/) of the webcam pre-update and post-update. How much better is the webcam’s image quality? Hardly better.

Mind you, the fix is still in beta, so Apple could still improve things. But if this is the “fix” it’s really not much of one. At least not in terms of dramatically improving image quality.

Spot the difference? — As you can see in his video comparison video above, there’s barely a difference. Snell says the new firmware makes the Studio Display’s webcam produce a less aggressive image and the “contrast could still be better.”

> In terms of image quality, beyond having access to extra pixels due to framing, it looks like the camera is being a bit less aggressive when it comes to softening the image and in trying to decrease contrast. In some of the lighting conditions I tested, the dynamic range of the image seemed to be a little wider—highlights weren’t as crushed down, though blacks were still a little more of a gray.

Snell concludes that the firmware doesn’t magically make the Studio Display’s camera as good or better than an iPad’s.

Other observations include the camera framing a wider shot instead of a closer one and Center Stage being more responsive and less jerky than before.

Shame Apple shipped such a bad webcam on such a good-looking monitor. Maybe I was right and Apple [should have left the webcam](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/apple-studio-display-cheaper-without-three-features) out of the Studio Display and lowered the price. Get yourself a webcam like the [Opal C1](https://www.inputmag.com/design/opal-c1-review-revolution-webcams-need-disrupt-logitech) if you really want a good-looking video.

At least the speakers in the Studio Display are phenomenal — seriously, I’ve heard them for myself and they are so loud and powerful and clear. It’s like a completely different team botched the monitor’s webcam.

Apple says it's fixed the Studio Display's bad webcam, but tests show otherwise

Google’s upcoming Pixel watch leaks keep coming, this time courtesy of images provided to [_Android Central_](https://www.androidcentral.com/wearables/google-pixel-watch-live-images-exclusive) showing a prototype smartwatch that was apparently left at a restaurant in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

The images look like the Pixel Watch that we’ve been eagerly awaiting. It’s a bit of a late entry into the smartwatch market from Google, since there’s already serious competitors like the Series 7 [Apple Watch](https://www.inputmag.com/reviews/apple-watch-series-7-review-easy-victory-bigger-screens-faster-battery-charging-durability) or the [Galaxy Watch 4](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/samsung-galaxy-watch-4-classic-vs-watch-4-release-date-specs-colors-preorder-price) from Samsung. This is also the first time we’re seeing a potential prototype of the Pixel Watch, after a recent render leak from [_91Mobiles_](https://www.91mobiles.com/hub/exclusive-this-is-rohan-googles-pixel-watch/) showed a similarly chunky, rounded-off design. Last year, the [Pixel Watch leaks](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/huge-leak-shows-off-google-pixel-watch) looked much different, showing a flatter, bezel-less design.

Stay skeptical — Following the news from _Android Central_, a Reddit user claiming to be the friend of the bartender who found the prototype, posted a [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/ub2jbb/im_the_guy_who_leaked_the_pixel_watch_to_android/) and stuck around to answer some questions.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/4/25/d43679a8-07f2-4299-9c0e-d098449824b8-z4cjhdbqayp3gh9aipjs6k-970-80jpeg.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

The redditor, u/tagtech414, said the Pixel Watch prototype was around a 0.5-inch thick and 1.5-inch in diameter, and compared it in size to a 46mm Galaxy smartwatch. The redditor also noted that the prototype felt well-built and premium, offering click-y buttons. Unfortunately, the device doesn’t get past the boot screen with the Google logo and it can’t be charged with wires or wirelessly.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/4/25/6a19c0da-aeac-434b-a6b4-2ca6fd68ddfe-gwpxnot.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

We should all maintain a healthy dose of skepticism here because there’s no real verification behind this. The only proof we have comes from one of u/tagtech414’s [comments](https://www.reddit.com/r/GooglePixel/comments/ub2jbb/comment/i61he1f/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), posing the prototype next to his thread. The redditor also mentioned that the watchbands were wrapped up and also found with the prototype, which is sounding off some alarm bells that this could’ve been left behind on purpose to drum up hype for an eventual release.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/4/25/a808f1e0-5bcb-4e28-8f7f-f61f7048ea64-gtg2eyt.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Waiting for the reveal — As the leaks and rumors ramp up, we still don’t have any official word from Google about its Pixel Watch. We’ve been able to piece together the puzzle with the most recent leaks showing off the design, but also through a Google trademark filing for “Pixel Watch” that was spotted by [_9to5Google_](https://9to5google.com/2022/04/22/google-pixel-watch-trademark/). There’s still hope we could maybe get a reveal during Google’s upcoming I/O event in May.

Google's Pixel Watch prototype found mysteriously abandoned at restaurant

The godfather of streetwear has brought his uniquely minimalistic aesthetic to Leica’s cameras. The German camera maker teamed up with renowned designer Hiroishi Fujiwara and his company [Fragment Design](https://www.inputmag.com/style/travis-scott-fragment-design-air-jordan-1-high-nike-release-date) to reskin the Leica M10 Monochrom and the Leica Q2 Monochrom.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/4/21/bdec1dbb-1aa0-4517-a927-eb9dd69fb46d-leica-m10-monochrome-fragment-edition-camera-1.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/4/21/0688091f-780d-4c24-9554-ee961c46eaee-leica-q2-monochrome-fragment-edition-camera-1.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Fujiwara decided to add his mark to two of Leica’s Monochrom cameras, so they’ll only be able to shoot in black and white as the name implies. But the collaboration is fully embracing a black-and-white approach, even on the exterior, since it excludes the iconic red dot Leica logo. It’s not the first time that Leica removed its recognizable logo, since they did the same with its [Q2 Reporter camera](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/leica-kevlar-q2-reporter-not-bulletproof), but it is the first time they’ve worked with Fujiwara.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/4/21/75d9e78c-0a35-4436-9bc0-40babe28bb73-leica-q2-monochrome-fragment-edition-camera-2.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

The legendary Japanese designer and his Fragment Design brand have been known to collaborate with fashion and streetwear brands like Louis Vuitton, Nike, and Supreme. But, he’s also worked outside of the fashion world for certain collabs, like with MSI for the limited-edition [Creator Z16](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/msi-fragment-hiroshi-fujiwara-partner-exclusive-creator-z16-laptop-limited-686-units) laptop.

Blacked out — According to Leica, the Fragment editions of the two Leica cameras will use a special cowhide leather that wraps around the body of the camera, instead of the normal leather used for its regular models. The specialized M10 Monochrom and Q2 Monochrom also feature the coveted dual-thunderbolt logo engraved onto their top plates, next to some Fragment Design lettering.

![](https://imgix.bustle.com/uploads/image/2022/4/21/b4cf69b2-356e-4b30-8c17-db20058b7ed6-leica-m10-monochrome-fragment-edition-camera-2.jpg?w=500&fit=max&auto=format%2Ccompress)

Other than those external accents, the specs for both of the cameras remain the same. The Fragment edition of the Q2 Monochrom is still a full-frame camera with a 47-megapixel sensor and a fixed 28mm Leica f/1.7 lens and the customized M10 Monochrom still has a 40-megapixel sensor and a quiet shutter.

Extremely limited — Leica priced the Fragment Edition of the M10 Monochrom at ¥1,375,000, or roughly $10,700, and the Q2 Monochrom at ¥990,000, or about $7,700. But, it’s unlikely you’ll get your hands on either one as Leica is only making 20 units of each. Plus, the Fragment Edition Leicas will only be available at the end of May at Leica’s Ginza Six store in Toyko, coinciding with the store’s fifth anniversary. Considering the Fragment Design brand name and the extremely-limited quantities, you can expect these Leicas to sell out fast and probably see very inflated resale prices.

Leica and Fragment launching two blacked-out cameras, limited to 20 units each

When the world retreated towards [video teleconferencing](https://www.inputmag.com/culture/zoom-paid-no-taxes-at-all-on-the-billions-it-made-due-to-covid-19-shutdowns) during the onset of the pandemic, user privacy took another [harrowing turn](https://www.inputmag.com/tech/facetime-just-killed-zoom-good-riddance). Opting in to Zoom’s services means that many users are giving the company insight into audio data generated in work meetings or calls with friends and family. In fact, video-conferencing apps like Zoom are so hungry for user data, they may even collect data _after_ users mute their microphones.

A [pre-print study](https://news.wisc.edu/youre-muted-or-are-you-videoconferencing-apps-may-listen-even-when-mic-is-off/) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison that ran tests on a range of videoconferencing applications found that even after hitting mute, companies often still retained access to a given user’s microphone. Some of the applications tested include Zoom, Slack, Google Meet, and Discord.

The study has not officially been published yet, but Kassem Fawaz and Yucheng Yang, the two researchers behind the investigation, will be presenting their findings at the [Privacy Enhancing Symposium](https://petsymposium.org/2022/) in July.

One particular piece of the study summary was especially surprising:

> They found that all of the apps they tested occasionally gather raw audio data while mute is activated, with one popular app gathering information and delivering data to its server at the same rate regardless of whether the microphone is muted or not.

Per Zoom’s [terms of service](https://explore.zoom.us/en/privacy/), the company may collect meeting and webinar content that is “generated in meetings, webinars or messages that are hosted on Zoom products.” This content includes audio and image data, depending on one’s settings, however, Zoom claims that webinar or meeting content is not used for any marketing or third-party advertising purposes.

Some background— Fawaz first got the idea to conduct a formal analysis on the extent to which video conferencing applications were collecting information on muted users, after his brother noticed his microphone light remained on despite muting himself. From there he partnered with Yang, and together with some researchers at Loyola University in Chicago, the two broke their study into two parts.

Initially the testing involved a survey of 223 videoconferencing app users about their understanding of the mute button and how companies should be handling audio data. The results spoke to an overwhelming agreement that apps should not be collecting information when users decided to mute themselves.

Following this first part, the team then created their own algorithms to see if the data collected while on mute could be parsed for activities like cooking, cleaning, and playing music, among others. In their findings, the team was able to identify background activities with up to 82 percent accuracy. For those interested in the actual methods of analysis for muted audio collection, [here](https://wiscprivacy.com/publication/vca_mute/) is a link to the unpublished abstract.

“When you’re cooking, the acoustic signature is different from someone who is driving or watching a video,” says Fawaz. “So these types of activities can be distinguished just based on this acoustic fingerprint that was actually sent out to the cloud.”

While the results of the study aren’t necessarily surprising — data collection in any app is unfortunately par for the course — there seems to be a rift between what users _think_ features like mute do and the reality. It’s safe to say we can all just assume our apps are tuning in, even when we don’t want them to.