Hey, so here we go again. It’s that funky time of year with all sorts of holidays and folks disappearing on mini-vacations. Not me, though. Nope, I’m celebrating Labor Day by, you guessed it, laboring away. Guess what? That’s why this newsletter’s making a fashionably late entrance. Classic me. Just don’t worry, the quality’s still there—I think. But hey, if you’re off work tomorrow, enjoy your time. Hug your loved ones or dive into Harpagun, ’cause who doesn’t want a free VR game to play?
Top Tidbits of the Week
Meta’s Tango with Ray-Ban
Oh, Meta’s doing their thing, pushing out updates for those Ray-Ban Meta glasses. Let’s dive in:
- Live translation is getting spicy, adding French and Italian. Probably ’cause of some mysterious Essilor-Luxottica link-up.
- The AI services? They’re expanding in Europe now. Nice touch after those privacy roadblocks.
- Live AI sessions (remember CES?) are soon hitting US and Canada.
- You can Instagram call with your glasses now. Wild, right?
- Some fancy Skyler glass designs dropped too.
- Expanding sales to spots like Mexico and UAE.
Meta’s going all in on these glasses. Fingers crossed this smartglass trend doesn’t just vanish, right?
Refurbished Quest 3S for a Steal
Hold your hats, Meta’s flogging refurbished Quest 3S for $270! Sure, no Batman VR game, but with those savings, who needs it? The Quest 3S might not beat the Quest 3, but at this price, I’d jump.
BigScreen’s Small Hiccup
Oh, speaking of BigScreen Beyond 2—shipping’s hitting a snag. They found a PCB flaw right before shipping 5,000 units. Oops. But, they thrashed them all instead of sending dodgy stuff out. Crazy commitment for a startup, but good on them for quality first. It’s costing them time and cash though.
Italy’s Wild Metaverse Plan
Now here’s a laugh. Italy dropped a strategic document on AR/VR. Yay? Except reading it felt like chatting with ChatGPT on a mischievous day. Gems like:
- Italy at the AR/VR forefront? News to me… Maybe I’m stuck in the Matrix sans headset.
- AR/VR idea born in 1992? Tell that to the 80s folks. Mind = blown.
- Oh, Luxottica and Oculus VR? Did Palmer Luckey know he was replaced by Luxottica? Plot twist!
- Dead products galore! Like, HTC Vive? Nostalgia or oversight? Hmmm.
Anyway, at least they care about immersive tech, right? Comments via email—300 characters max. Good luck fixing that mess.
Quickie Mentions
- Spacetop AR Laptops: $200/year plan to use those snazzy AR glasses with Windows tablets. Cool but FOV might rain on the parade.
- Varjo’s Teleport 2.0: Scan your space with any camera—drone, DSLR, your neighbor’s security cam, maybe? Now even has a free plan!
- Quest 3 Room Meshing: Demo shows live room mapping. Spooky cool.
- Insta360 X5 360 Camera: New and shiny for $550.
- NewImages Festival: Cool XR storytelling stuff. Check it if you’re into that flavor.
Other Juicy Bits
- Meta’s Top VR Games: Curious what topped their lists?
- Google I/O Sessions: XR focus anyone?
- Meta Layoffs: 100 roles gone, tough times.
- Celebrity Avatars in Horizon Worlds: Starting with… Doja Cat!
Random XR Fun
- Creed VR Graveyard: Broke many screens already?
- Physics Sandbox Madness: Fun or chaotic vortex? You decide!
Good Deeds to Do
Usual wrap-up: take a second for Ukraine, maybe toss a bit towards the Red Cross. And massive thanks to all the kind souls supporting my work—the list of amazing folks is longer than a Monday.
Look at all that! So much happening, right? And yet, here I am, still working through it all. Anyway, spark some VR action or share a few laughs, whatever floats your boat!
