Tag: oculus

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Mobile Syrup

Apple reportedly hires Meta’s AR communications lead as 2022 headset launch approaches

Although unconfirmed by Apple, the existence of an AR headset device developed by the iPhone maker continues to stack. Apple has reportedly hired Meta’s former AR communications and public relations lead, Andrea Schubert.

News of Schubert’s new role was first reported on by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in the latest Power On newsletter (seen by 9to5Mac). Gurman states that Schubert’s hire is the latest move by Apple as it prepares itself to launch its first AR headset sometime in 2022.

Schubert has worked at Meta since 2016. Her role largely revolved around leading the AR, XR, Portal and Research comms teams at Reality Labs, Meta’s consumer hardware division. She was largely involved in the launch of Oculus Rift & Rift S, Oculus Go, Oculus Quest & Quest 2.

Previous reports have said that Apple’s AR headset will be a more premium device in the company’s catalogue. It’s said to feature two 8K high-resolution displays. Advanced eye tracking is also said to be another core feature of the headset. As far as processing power, Apple’s AR headset is believed to use an M1-based chipset. Apple’s headset may also need to be tethered to an iPhone, Mac, or iPad, similarly to early versions of the Apple Watch, in order to function. The price for the headset is rumoured to be around the $3,800 CAD price point.

With Apple entering a brand new segment of technology, it’ll be important to nail the messaging behind the headset. Schubert has a proven history in launching AR/VR devices so her expertise could be invaluable to Apple in the new year and beyond. The hype over AR and VR has dwindled down a bit compared to previous years. However, with interesting software to go along with it, Apple may be able to offer a tantalizing new device.

Source: 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

Meta launches new patch for Oculus Quest 2 with Cloud Backup and more

Facebook Meta has launched a new patch for the Oculus Quest 2 that adds several new features to the standalone virtual reality headset, including Messenger calls in virtual reality, a mixed reality camera and Cloud backup.

Cloud backup gives users a way to save data in the cloud, including game saves and headset settings. This will come in handy if you ever need to reset your Oculus Quest. The feature is available within the ‘Device’ tab in the settings menu. Developers can opt not to use Cloud Backup, but it will be optional by default.

There’s also a new mobile mixed reality camera feature that enables users to see, record and share videos of themselves in a VR game or app. This feature is a step above ‘version 29’s’ ‘Live Overlay’ functionality, which superimposes you in the real-world over footage from your headset’s point of view. Instead, this new feature pulls the camera back so you can see yourself actually in the game.

The new mixed reality overlay is available on the iPhone XS or newer running iOS 11 or higher. Meta says it will be available in various apps, including Pistol Whip, Superhot VR, Synth Riders and more.

There are several other more minor updates included in the patch. Meta is also opening up Oculus Quest beat testing to more users.

If you’re interested in checking out Oculus Quest 2 features before they’re available, you can sign up here.

Source: Meta Via: The Verge 

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Mobile Syrup

Oculus Black Friday 2021 sale offers up to 52 percent off games, experiences

Meta is running a sale for Black Friday 2021 on the Oculus Store that offers up to 52 percent off various VR games and experiences.

See below for some of the most notable deals:

Oculus’ Black Friday sale runs until November 28th. The full list of promotions can be found here.

Image credit: Meta/Lucasfilm

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Mobile Syrup

Meta says it won’t require Facebook accounts for VR headsets

Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, says it won’t require a Facebook account to use its VR headsets.

Incoming Meta CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth made the announcement in a broader blog post discussing the Facebook name change.

“We’re working on new ways to log into Quest that won’t require a Facebook account, landing sometime next year,” Bosworth wrote. “This is one of our highest priority areas of work internally.”

This is a notable reversal for Meta, which had previously said Facebook accounts would eventually be required to use its Meta Quest VR headsets (formerly Oculus Quest). It was a highly controversial move from a company that has already faced immense scrutiny over privacy, among other subjects.

The company also says it’s no longer using the Oculus branding “to make clear” that its VR division is tied to Meta. However, the names of the company’s apps — Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp — will remain the same.

In general, the tech giant’s overall name change is meant to signal its intention to expand beyond a social media company into a “metaverse” company. To put it simply, this is a world in which avatars of people can interact, work, play, go to concerts and other activities. This will leverage augmented and virtual reality technology and be built over a period of five to ten years, according to the company.