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Quest 3 won’t replace Quest 2 for ‘quite a while,’ confirms Meta

Side-by-side view from the bottom of both the Meta Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets showing the new version’s slimmer design.
Quest 2 vs. Quest 3. | Image: Meta

Is it really a good idea to buy a Meta Quest 2 for $299 now that the $499 Quest 3 is on the way? Won’t Meta stop supporting the old headset with games?

You shouldn’t be worried about that anytime soon, according to the company’s CTO. “The games we announced in the Gaming Showcase are all playable on both Quest 2 and 3, and we expect that to remain the norm for quite a while,” Meta CTO and VR / AR leader Andrew “Boz” Bosworth tells me.

He’s not ruling out the possibility of Quest...

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 7:47 pm


Walmart’s taking a rare $20 off of a set of four AirTags

A close-up image depicting a set of hands holding a selection of Apple AirTags.
Apple’s tiny location trackers can help you keep better tabs on your belongings, including keys. | Image: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

The busy summer travel season has already begun, so you might want to prepare for rounds of flight delays, crowds, and the potential for lost luggage. Luckily, you can prepare for the chaos ahead of time with today’s Walmart deal on a pack of Apple AirTags. The retailer is selling four AirTags for $79.99 ($20 off), which is just $5 shy of the all-time low set during Black Friday. Be aware that when this deal has come around in the past, it’s been quite fleeting, so try not to sit on the fence deciding for too long.

An AirTag is an accessory you’ll want to pack because it just makes traveling less stressful. The ultra wideband Bluetooth trackers help you keep track of your belongings so you can quickly pick up your luggage from baggage...

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 7:39 pm


The Rock is coming back for another Fast & Furious movie — because of course he is

Orlando Guardians v Houston Roughnecks
Photo by Bob Levey / Getty Images

Back in 2021, Hobbs & Shaw star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson swore up and down that his beef with his longtime Fast & Furious co-star Vin Diesel had gotten so serious that he would never make another movie for the core franchise. That already dubious assertion has only grown more so over time. But in case there was still anyone out there assuming they’d never see Johnson’s Luke Hobbs flood a car’s engine with nitrous oxide again, there’s some good news coming your way.

In a turn of events that would best be described as “predictable,” Johnson announced today in a lengthy Twitter video that he has signed on for a new movie in the Fast & Furious universe that won’t be another Hobbs & Shaw or Universal’s already announced Fast X sequel.

“De...

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 7:31 pm


AI boosters need to learn how to edit

Two people viewing the Mona Lisa
What’s she smiling at, anyway? | Photo by Li Yang / China News Service via Getty Images

I feel a little insane typing this because it is so incredibly obvious, but I guess it needs to be said: part of creativity is knowing when to stop.

Over and over, from AI art proponents, I’ve heard that we can simply extend a beloved piece of art — whether that’s the Mona Lisa or the cover of Abbey Road — to infinity. And in some ways, I’m sympathetic! One of the first ways we locate our creativity is by extending a work we loved; I wrote my very first short story in the universe of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Catwings around the age of six. It is possibly still kicking around in my dad’s attic somewhere.

Derivative work is...

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 6:55 pm


Nuclear fusion startups set to receive $46 million from the Department of Energy

Jennifer Granholm stands behind a podium, smiling with her thumbs up.
US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announces a major scientific breakthrough from researchers at Nuclear Security and National Nuclear Security Administrations Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Washington, DC, on December 13th, 2022. | Photo by Olivier Douliery / AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Energy is pumping $46 million into eight companies developing nuclear fusion power plants, which has been an elusive clean energy dream for scientists for over half a century. Now, after a big scientific breakthrough in December, the Biden administration aims to achieve “a pilot-scale demonstration of fusion” on an incredibly fast timeline that’s “within a decade.”

The funding announced yesterday is a big bet on what’s considered the “Holy Grail” of clean energy. Generating electricity from nuclear power plants mimics the way stars create their own energy. And while some researchers are optimistic about the timeline Biden’s proposing, many experts say it will likely be several decades before these futuristic power...

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 6:39 pm


The Motorola Razr Plus’ new cover screen is a big deal

Motorola Razr Plus in-hand showing cover screen interface.
The Razr Plus’ cover screen is the biggest on a flip-style phone right now.

Moto is adding two new foldables, led by the Razr Plus. Its 3.6-inch cover screen makes it more than just a nostalgic tribute to your favorite 2000s flip phone.

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 6:00 pm


These robot vacuums are getting smarter

The latest robot vacuums have new tricks, like this Ecovacs model that lifts its mop 9mm off the floor. | Image: Ecovacs

Those of you concerned about artificially intelligent robots taking over the world should really be keeping an eye on robot vacuums. I swear these things are breeding. This week, two of the big brand names in the robotic floor cleaning space announced the latest, cheaper versions of their flagship robot vacuums: Ecovacs’ $1,099 Deebot T20 Omni and Roborock’s $1,299 S7 Max Ultra.

Roborock is also adding the $899.99 Q Revo to its midrange line, which does basically all the things its flagship model does for $400 less. All three models will be available to buy later this month. Earlier this year, Ecovacs added the budget Deebot N10 Plus, T9 Plus, and T10 Omni to its line. In January, Roborock launched its S8 series featuring the S8, S8...

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 5:59 pm


The biggest announcements from Meta’s Quest Gaming Showcase

A photo of somebody using the Meta Quest 3.
Image: Meta

Meta has just wrapped its latest Quest Gaming Showcase, where it previewed a bunch of virtual reality games coming to its Quest headsets. This year could prove to be an important one for Meta in gaming: it just announced the Quest 3, and with Sony’s recent launch of the PSVR 2 and Apple’s rumored headset likely having some major games of its own, there’s growing competition for VR gamers. But for players invested in Meta’s VR platform, it seems like there will be some good games to look forward to.

Below are some of the most notable announcements from the show. If you want to see the full list of what was revealed, check out Meta’s blog post.

Asgard’s Wrath 2 looks like a massive RPG adventure

Image: Meta

One of...

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 5:53 pm


The best Father’s Day gifts on a budget

Illustration by William Joel / The Verge

We’ve rounded up a number of inexpensive gifts that dad will love, from portable speakers to camping stoves.

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 5:00 pm


Fold the phone: all the foldables coming in 2023

A Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 next to the Google Pixel Fold.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 next to the Google Pixel Fold | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

Phone makers are going all in on folding screens, with everything from tiny flip phones to larger devices that unpack tablet screens contained inside.

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Published on 1 June 2023 | 4:47 pm