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Facebook’s Virtual World: Glimpses of Meta’s Metaverse Horizon Worlds is the first glimpse of Meta’s idea of a metaverse, and you can see it for yourself through Meta’s Rift S or Quest 2 VR headsets. This virtual reality experience builds on older products like Oculus Rooms and Facebook Spaces, but it allows you to create a single avatar and move seamlessly between a variety of different games, activities, and events. Some examples of the activities you can take part in include playing games with your friends, having a work meeting with colleagues, and attending a music event with thousands of other users....

Overall Findings The Metaverse and virtual reality are intertwined, but they aren’t the same thing, and they aren’t even in the same class of concepts. The Metaverse is a platform that could augment or even replace the Internet, while virtual reality is a technology that lets you experience virtual worlds. Virtual reality is also something you can experience right now, while the Metaverse is still in development, and its final form isn’t yet clear....

Metro by T-Mobile Services Metro by T-Mobile offers several domestic-service packages, none of which incur per-minute roaming charges in the nationwide coverage area or on the networks of T-Mobile partners. Metro by T-Mobile plans don’t require a contract, so it’s easy to switch to a plan that makes more sense for you and your family. Popular Metro by T-Mobile plans include a 10 GB high-speed tier for $40 per month and an unlimited data plan for $50 per month (you get discounts when you add lines)....

Siri’s Stubborn Streak in Action If you ask Siri questions about where to eat, it presents you with a list of local restaurants. But when you ask it to read you a story, poem, or joke, it’s quick to make up excuses. Ask it again, and it can be equally aloof. On the third or fourth time, it will give in and share a lengthy, entertaining story. Siri and Its Movie-Star, Techy Friends In addition to its working knowledge about its friends in Westworld, 2001 a Space Odyssey, and Inception, find out what happens when you chat it up....

Netflix said the two new features are a bi-weekly kids recap email that parents receive, as well as a Kids Top 10 row so kids can discover new shows they might want to watch on the platform. The bi-weekly emails will give parents kid-friendly show and movie recommendations based on shows your child has watched, as well as printable coloring sheets and activities featuring kids’ favorite characters, a breakdown of the top topics your kid likes to watch (such as science or friendship), and tips on how to use kid-friendly features on Netflix....

The features cover a wide range of disabilities, but the main ones are Door Detection for people with vision challenges, Apple Watch Mirroring for people who have physical difficulties, and Live Captions for those who have hearing impairments. Apple provided no exact release date for the features, but the company confirmed they would be releasing throughout 2022 via software updates. Door Detection is a new mode coming to Apple’s Magnifier app....

The US has slowly been moving towards closing the digital divide and a new assistance program from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could provide key information to help shape those plans moving forward. Registration for the Emergency Broadband Benefit opens on May 12, allowing eligible Americans to sign up for discounts that will help them get access to internet they couldn’t afford otherwise. The information we learn from this program could help us better address the country’s growing broadband needs....

Sony hopes to make VR gear easier to wear with its newly revealed next-generation PlayStation VR2 headset. The gadget features a new vent design and a weight reduction. It’s part of a broad effort to transform VR headsets. “The industry goal is to make the headsets smaller, lighter, and sleeker-looking while simultaneously increasing the field of vision and image quality,” Emma Mankey Hidem, who runs a virtual reality content production company, said in an email interview with Lifewire....

A little over a week after the last iOS 15 update (version 15.0.1), we now have version 15.0.2 to download. The update specifically fixes yet another security flaw. The latest exploit, referred to by Apple as CVE-2021-30883, makes it possible for hackers to take control of your iPhone or iPad. According to Apple, the issue “may have been actively exploited,” meaning that malicious actors may know about it and have started taking advantage of the loophole....

The Indie World presentation will be around 20 minutes long and air on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel, with the company showing off the latest indie games coming to the Switch. Nintendo has been pretty tight lipped about what’s going to be shown during Indie World, but that hasn’t stopped fans from fiercely speculating. One common thread you will see browsing social media is fans asking for information on Hollow Knight: Silksong, a follow-up to the immensely popular indie game Hollow Knight....

Where the original Switch is a hybrid portable console, the Switch Lite is a more traditional handheld gaming device. It still provides most of the best features of the full-sized Switch, but it’s also Nintendo’s only pure portable since the discontinuation of the 3DS family of handhelds. Although I appreciate what Nintendo has done here with the Lite, a few key missing features might not make it the optimal choice for everyone....

This list takes you through several alternatives, because you have other options than just Apple’s iWork or Microsoft’s Office for Mac, though those popular options are available as well. Free Versus Premium Options This list begins with free options then moves to premium alternatives if you have a little money to invest in your productivity software. Many free suites offer plenty of tools for some users, so you may be able to save money....

Before we get to the questions a bit further down the page, here are several of our cloud backup pieces that you may not have seen but might be helpful: Unlimited Online Backup Plans Free Online Backup Plans Business Online Backup Services Please let us know if you have another question you’d like us to answer that you also think others would appreciate. Do I have to copy my files somewhere to keep them backed up online?...

I switch between Chrome and Safari, and while these two browsers, both in their mobile and PC versions, can render almost any site well, they also come with too many features that bog them down and can be distracting. Opera is among the many alternative browsers that let you do more with less. Doing More With Less Opera has rebranded the Opera Touch iOS browser as just Opera, and the stripped-down name fits the latest version’s minimalist design....

The Netgear Orbi AC6000 is a Wi-Fi 6 mesh router system that allows you to custom tailor your Wi-Fi network according to the specific requirements of your space. As a Wi-Fi 6 system, it supports 802.11ax while remaining backward compatible with 802.11ac, and it comes with some useful features that might make your life easier like parental controls and malware protection. I recently unboxed an Orbi AX6000 system and swapped out my regular mesh system for some hands-on testing....

The 3D TV Era The latest era of 3D in movie theaters began in 2009, and 3D TV viewing at home started up in 2010. While there are some loyal fans, many feel that 3D TV is the biggest consumer electronics folly ever. Here are some pros and cons of the 3D TV phenomenon. 3D TV—PROs Viewing 3D Movies, Sports, TV shows, and Video/PC games in 3D: Seeing 3D in the movie theater is one thing, but being able to view 3D movies, TV programming, and 3D Video/PC games at home, although an attraction for some, is another....

This Read Mode or Reading Layout provides a different experience thanks to a darker screen layout and background color. Here are tips and tricks for getting the most out of this Read Mode for Office 2013 or later versions, or Reading Layout view for previous versions of Office. How to Use Read Mode Tips for Using Read Mode Some documents feature a Read-only Mode. This is a security feature because it allows you to open that file in a protected mode....

One of the key advantages of e-books is that they are virtually indestructible. Thanks to back-ups and cloud storage options, once you buy an e-book, it takes a considerable amount of effort to delete the book in a manner that is irrecoverable. Sure, the e-book reader itself is vulnerable, but you can buy protective cases that minimize the risk. Short of laminating every page, there is no equivalent in traditional printed books....

Rewind AI solves a huge problem with modern computers: Where was that thing you just saw? Was the link sent via Slack, iMessage, or email? Did you view it in Safari or Chrome? You’re sure somebody mentioned something in some meeting, but did they say it out loud, or was it a chat message? The goal of Rewind is to make everything you do on your computer searchable, but there’s a pretty big privacy and security concern: It records and stores everything you do....

Reasons Why the Ring Doorbell Is Offline or Not Working If your Ring Doorbell is offline, it cannot connect to the Ring app and execute functions like using the camera to see who is at the door. Often, if a Ring Doorbell goes offline, it’s due to a Wi-Fi issue. Other common reasons why a Ring Doorbell may go offline include: A power surge has disconnected the router.A wire has been disconnected from the router....