Latest news with #October2024
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Meta Quest 3S Shines as a Gaming Device: Here's Where to Buy the All-in-One VR System Online
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Meta is doubling down on mixed reality, and this time it's doing so with one of the most accessible devices the category has seen to date. The Meta Quest 3S, which launched in October 2024, has quickly emerged as one of the most talked-about pieces of tech in 2025 — not just for its price, but for how much performance it manages to pack in. At $299 for the 128GB model (and $399 for 256GB), the headset offers many of the same capabilities as its higher-end sibling, the Meta Quest 3, at nearly half the cost. More from Variety 'Deadpool' VR Game Starring Neil Patrick Harris Set From Meta Quest, Marvel Blumhouse and Meta Launch 'Horrorverse' Game Featuring M3GAN, 'The Purge's' Lady Liberty and More (EXCLUSIVE) James Cameron, Meta Team to Produce 3D Entertainment for Quest VR Headsets The Quest 3S shines as a gaming device, offering access to Meta's vast library of VR titles while delivering the processing power to handle newer, more graphically demanding games. Its Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip allows for smooth gameplay in immersive hits like 'Asgard's Wrath 2,' 'Resident Evil 4 VR,' and 'The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.' The headset also supports mixed reality experiences like 'Demeo Battles and First Encounters,' which take advantage of its full-color passthrough to blend gameplay with the physical environment. Plus, with the recent Xbox Game Pass integration, users can stream titles like 'Halo Infinite' and 'Starfield' to a virtual screen inside the headset, turning the 3S into a portable console alternative for cloud-based gaming. Buy Now $299.99 $299.99 Built on the same Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip and 8GB of RAM as the Quest 3, the 3S boasts high-fidelity hand tracking, full-color passthrough and improved thermal efficiency. While it does trade down in display quality — offering a resolution of 1832×1920 per eye, compared to Quest 3's 2064×2208 — it maintains a smooth and responsive experience, especially in games and mixed reality apps optimized for Meta's ecosystem. Bundled content and promotional partnerships have further strengthened its value. Meta initially packaged the headset with 'Batman: Arkham Shadow,' one of the most anticipated VR titles of the year. And in June, the company introduced an Xbox-branded bundle that includes the headset, Touch Plus controllers a white Xbox wireless controller and three months of Game Pass Ultimate for $399.99 — a limited-time offer brings in more than $95 in savings. While the Quest 3 remains Meta's flagship, the 3S has quickly carved out a space for itself as a 'smart choice' alternative, giving users a taste of next-gen XR without the premium price tag. Shop and learn more about the Meta Quest 3S here. Best of Variety Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Telegraph
‘My Range Rover caught fire – it's more common with diesels than EVs'
In October 2024, cybersecurity professional Michala Hart took her three Labradors for their morning walk a little over a mile's drive from her Cambridgeshire home. When she returned to her car, fire was ripping through the 2020 Range Rover Vogue diesel. 'The fire started about 10 minutes after I parked. A farmer was loading grain in the farmyard near where I had parked and he noticed white smoke coming from the driver's side wheel. He walked over to take a look and the smoke quickly became black so he retreated and within a couple of minutes it was a blazing inferno, banging and cracking,' she said. 'I could see the smoke from where I was walking and thought it was the grain lorry the farmer was loading. Then the farmer appeared. He'd driven out to find me and said: 'I am really sorry but your car is on fire.' 'It took the fire brigade about 20 minutes to get to us and they took another 15 to 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze, so the whole fire lasted about 40 minutes. All that was left was a pile of ash. The lead fire officer said to me: 'It will be an electrical fault. It is common with these.'' For Hart it was a terrifying experience, but it could have been so much worse. She explained: 'Thank goodness it hadn't happened 24 hours earlier as I had the horsebox on the back with two horses on board. And thank goodness I hadn't parked with the dogs in the car. The blaze did confirm to me that this car had an electrical gremlin.' The fire was the culmination of a series of electrical problems with her Range Rover. 'When the first fault developed, the vehicle shut down and I lost all power and steering. It came to a halt against a kerb on a roundabout. If I'd been travelling on a motorway or towing horses, the consequences would have been much worse. I questioned the suitability of the vehicle to be used for towing live animals.' Hart had bought the Range Rover in July 2023. In November that year, it went to Jaguar Land Rover to have a new alternator fitted in an effort to cure its problems. The car was off the road for 106 days, during which time JLR provided a Land Rover Defender courtesy car. She had a stressful back-and-forth experience with Land Rover customer service while waiting to get her car back – updates on the status of her vehicle were few and far between. 'No one would take ownership of the issue. The dealership I purchased the vehicle from disengaged as Land Rover Assist had sent the car to a different dealership when they recovered it. The dealership which had the vehicle for repair provided updates on a regular basis, but the updates were always that there was no update.' When Michala finally did get her beloved Range Rover back, it burst into flames only months later. Crucially, Michala's vehicle had a diesel engine. Electric car (EV) fires tend to make the news because of their intensity, but combustion cars that rely on burning petrol or diesel still account for about 99 per cent of car fires in the UK – in 2023, the London Assembly and Greater London Authority recorded 493 petrol cars and 138 diesels catching fire. At the same time, just seven EVs went up in flames. Following the fire, the investigator from Hart's insurer concluded: 'It is my opinion that the vehicle had an underlying electrical fault that was not diagnosed and caused the fire. The severed and heat-damaged cable suggests this occurred either close to or within the junction box.' A JLR spokesperson commented: 'Vehicle and client safety is our top priority, and our vehicles undergo stringent testing and are made with strict adherence to safety standards. While we recognise how difficult this experience must have been for the client, an investigation by JLR found the cause of the incident could not be established and the matter is now in the hands of the client's insurer.' At the time of writing, Hart has still not received a pay-out from her insurer. The experience was made even more disappointing because Hart had always aspired to own a Range Rover. 'Since I was a young girl growing up in a rural village and admiring Range Rovers, it was my dream car,' says Hart. 'I have been a Range Rover driver for 15 years and have always loved them. 'I tried a couple of times to leave the brand [she test drove models from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen] but got stuck in. They are far and away the best luxury workhorse available. This was my seventh Range Rover. I tow horses on a regular basis, own three labradors and use the car for what I believed Range Rovers were built for: to be a highly functional yet luxury vehicle.' Despite her evident love of the brand, the experience has caused her to move away from it. She says: 'Given the history with the vehicle from four months after purchase, I had completely lost confidence in it, JLR and the network that is in place to support customers. 'I have heard of two or three that have had similar 'thermal events', as JLR refers to them. I will also be super nervous of driving any car that starts showing faults that cannot be identified or rectified, as happened to mine after the alternator repair. 'I deliberated over purchasing a [Land Rover] Defender. I was told they have a different wiring loom and configuration to the Range Rover, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend more money with JLR. I am now driving and towing with a Volkswagen Amarok. It is a compromise: it's a great truck. But it is a truck, not a luxury vehicle.'
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Paramount, Trump in ‘advanced' discussions to settle $20 billion lawsuit
A settlement appears close in President Donald Trump's lawsuit against CBS parent company Paramount, which he sued in October 2024 over a complaint about the editing of a '60 Minutes' interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The parties began mediation in April, though it had not been clear whether they were nearing a resolution to the case. Trump had filed the lawsuit for $20 billion, alleging that CBS had aided Harris's bid for president by editing an answer she gave to a question asked by correspondent Bill Whitaker about Israel in an effort to make her sound better and 'sabotage' Trump's campaign.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
ACX Token Slides 10% as Accusations of DAO Manipulation Rock Across Protocol
Accusations of governance manipulation and insider trading have rocked Across Protocol's ACX token on Friday after well-followed X users alleged that core contributors front-ran a Binance listing and still control the supposedly decentralized DAO. However, the team swiftly denied any such claims. Across Protocol's token, ACX, is down 10% amid the drama. The allegations, whether substantiated or not, appear to have shaken trader confidence, with ACX seeing a spike in trading volume alongside the price drop, suggesting market participants are reacting swiftly. Across co-founder Hart Lambur has called the accusations 'categorically untrue' and denied all misdoings. 'Risk Labs was granted ACX tokens from the DAO to build the Across protocol,' he wrote in a Friday post. 'This is standard practice for DAOs! Since the first grant passed (in October 2023), we shipped Across v3 and grew the protocol massively.' 'Since the second grant passed (in October 2024), we have built Across v4 with some incredible new technology (to be announced very, very soon), and we've hired brilliant new team members with these tokens (that vest over 4 years). We are using the ACX tokens exactly as intended,' Lambur added. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNET
6 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Internet and TV Bundle Prices Are Up This Year: Here's How to Cut Back
If you've noticed your TV and Internet bills going up, you're not alone. Recent JD Power data shows that both Internet and TV bundles have increased in price for the first quarter of 2025. What's most surprising is that only unbundled Internet bills saw a slight decrease. Finding ways to cut back on monthly bills can feel nearly impossible, especially when there's an increase every few months. But it's possible. Here's more on JD Power's findings and what CNET experts recommend to help lower your TV and internet bills. TV and streaming is getting more expensive According to JD Power's findings, here's how much bills have gone up. It's no surprise that we're seeing price hikes, since most providers increase prices over time. But it's important to understand why, even if the price change seems small. It could be due to the end of a promotional offer you signed up for, cable companies charging you more because networks are charging more for their content or even inflation. Average monthly bill Locating local internet providers January 2025 October 2024 Bundled cable or satellite TV $187.99 $180.30 Unbundled cable or satellite TV $121.86 $120.93 Streaming $73.47 $73.09 Regardless of the reason, every cent can help toward other goals. If you're paying more than you'd like for TV, you may consider a few options to save money on your monthly TV bill -- especially if you're paying for streaming services. Ask your streaming or TV provider about special promotions, such as military discounts or family bundles, to try to cut back. And as much as ads may be inconvenient when watching your show, the monthly cost for a service with ads is usually cheaper than no-ad options. Or you may cancel some streaming services altogether. "The advantage of streaming services is there's no contract and no penalty, so you can always sign back up whenever you want to -- especially if you are on a monthly subscription," Kourtnee Jackson, CNET's senior editor of streaming and home entertainment, previously stated. Even if you're in a TV service contract, take a close look at your contract to see what you're paying for and ask if some services can be altered or cancelled. You may be successful at negotiating a lower bill. Only unbundled wireless internet is slightly cheaper Bundling your internet with other services may seem like a way to save money, but not if prices are going up. The only option that's gotten less expensive is unbundled wireless internet, which decreased by nearly two dollars per month. Here's a closer look. Average monthly bill February 2025 November 2024 Bundled wired internet $170.06 $169.14 Bundled wireless internet $145.40 $145.21 Unbundled wired internet $83.35 $82.96 Unbundled wireless internet $71.53 $73.64 We saw a similar trend in a CNET survey earlier this year that shows 63% of US adults saw their Internet prices increase last year. But what's more surprising is that 51% of US adults still have unreliable internet despite monthly bill increases. There are a few ways to lower your internet bill, especially if you're unhappy with the service. Try negotiating with your provider or using your own equipment. Bundling your internet with TV or phone services may still be a money-saver, despite JD Power's data, but it's best to do the math first.
