There’s very little the Flash can’t outrun, but it seems audience interest is one of those things. The Flash movie, which opened to a significantly less-than-expected box office of $55 million, way down from Warner Bros.’ expected/optimistically hoped-for $75 million. But if that was the Flash stumbling, the hero has…
Meta is getting into the games subscription business. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced Meta Quest+, a plan that grants users access to “the best titles on the platform” for $8 per month or $60 per year. The subscription is available starting today on Quest 2 and Quest Pro. It’s also coming to Quest 3 when that headset arrives this fall. Those who sign up to Meta Quest+ by the end of July will only pay $1 for their first month.
You’ll get access to two curated titles on the first day of each month. The first two are the hit first-person shooter Pistol Whip and Pixel Ripped 1995. August’s titles are Walkabout Mini Golf and Mothergunship: Forge. As with services like PlayStation Plus Essential, you’ll retain access to the games as long as you remain a member. If you cancel Meta Quest+ and sign up again later, you’ll once again have access to the games from your original membership period.
Meta has been embracing subscription models as of late. Along with Meta Quest+, the company this year introduced Meta Verified, which is a verification service for Facebook and Instagram. In addition to a checkmark, the subscription includes extra protection against impersonation and “direct access to customer support.”
This isn’t the only subscription service for a VR headset, however. HTC has offered access to hundreds of VR games, apps and videos through its Viveport Infinity service since 2019.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-quest-subscription-offers-two-vr-titles-per-month-153724017.html?src=rss
Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump were killed in the shooting at a drag show in November 2022.
In 1970, the renowned paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey found an ancient, nondescript leg bone sitting on the ground in Ileret, Kenya. Now, 53 years on, a research team has found marks on the bone they believe could be evidence of “systematic cannibalism” in the hominin fossil record.
Qualcomm just revealed its new budget-friendly mobile chipset, Snapdragon 4 Gen 2. This refresh brings plenty of improvements that will kick lower-tier smartphones up a notch. The platform is designed for excellent battery life, with the company promising “all-day use.” Qualcomm also promises fast CPU speeds, 5G connectivity and the potential for upgraded visuals via integrated cameras.
The chips feature the proprietary Qualcomm Kryo CPU, with peak speeds up to 2.2 GHz, which is a slight increase over the previous generation. Qualcomm’s latest and greatest also boasts quick-charging technology, with the company stating that you get a 50 percent charge in just 15 minutes at the plug.
The platform offers support for modern FHD+ displays with frame rates up to 120fps. Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 also allows for some serious camera upgrades, like electronic image stabilization, faster autofocus, enhanced blur reduction and more. The chipset even provides multi camera temporal filtering (MCTF) for drastic reduction in noise when making videos.
Of course, this is a modern product announced in the year 2023, so there’s gonna be a focus on AI. This comes in the form of more camera upgrades, with AI-based lighting adjustments for snapping photos in dim environments and an AI-enhanced background noise removal tool.
As for connectivity, there’s the proprietary X61 5GB Modern-RF system that promises “blazing-fast speeds” with increased network and frequency support. These chips aren’t in budget-friendly smartphones yet, but they’ll start showing up later in the year. OEM brands like Redmi and vivo have already pledged to begin adding the chipset to their lineups.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/qualcomm-introduces-new-snapdragon-4-gen-2-chipsets-for-budget-friendly-phones-150023133.html?src=rss
Republicans are zeroing in on an allegation that the Justice Department wouldn’t allow charges against Hunter Biden outside of Delaware.
If you’ve got a road trip planned this summer, you’ve no doubt got Apple Maps or Google Maps ready and waiting to get you from place to place, as well as a music, podcast, or audiobook app to provide audio accompaniment for the journey. However, there are plenty more apps out there that can make your traveling a whole…
Netflix announced that Canadian users will no longer have access to its cheapest streaming subscription tier that doesn’t include ads. Netflix’s help page now notes Canadians looking to get Netflix or switch plans will no longer have access to the $9.99 Basic option. Their choices now are to accept ads into their…
A local shop might deliver your next Amazon order. The company tellsAxios it’s launching an Amazon Hub Delivery system that uses small businesses in 23 states (including California, New York and Washington) to complete shipments to customers. Those businesses need secure storage areas and must deliver an average of 30 packages every day outside of major holidays. However, Amazon isn’t fussy about business types for this program — bodegas, coffee shops, florists and other locations can all qualify.
Hub Delivery is ultimately an expansion of previous initiatives. Amazon debuted an “I Have Space” system in India in 2015, and expanded it to both Japan and Spain. An American pilot program began in late 2020, although it focused on improving delivery for rural customers. The new approach covers over 20 major cities, including Boston, New York City and Los Angeles.
The incentives are clear. Amazon gets more reliable deliveries by offloading “last mile” shipments to small businesses rather than relying solely on dedicated couriers. Partners in turn can grow their businesses and supplement their income, Amazon VP Beryl Tomay says. Axios estimates that, at $27,000 in earnings per year, Amazon is paying about $2.50 per package. The online retailer hopes to team with 2,500 small business drivers by the end of 2023.
The strategy comes months after Amazon announced mass layoffs as the pandemic recovery and a rocky economy ate into profits. It also comes amid labor complaints that include past allegations of misusing Flex drivers’ tips. Hub Delivery theoretically helps Amazon not only trim costs, but minimize the labor disputes that might come with using its own workers for shipping. Not that the tech giant is completely averse to using its own staff. It’s still committed to buying about 100,000 Rivian delivery vans that will bring packages to customers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-will-use-small-businesses-to-help-deliver-packages-in-the-us-132503498.html?src=rss
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