Meta Quest 3S officially launches

Photo: Meta

Meta's newest entry-level virtual reality headset officially launched on October 15. And for a limited time in the US, you can get the new Meta Quest 3S bundled with Batman: Arkham Shadow. This Quest 3-exclusive (and now Quest 3S) action game pits the Caped Crusader against the Rat King. This bundle is available for both storage configurations (128GB and 256GB) until April 30, 2025, at US$300 (around CA$413) and US$400 (~CA$550), respectively.

The Meta Quest 3S is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chipset as the Quest 3 and features the same 8GB of RAM. It also comes with a pair of Touch Pro controllers to navigate menus with gestures. The Quest 3S supposedly offers better battery life with an average playtime of two-and-a-half hours. (Its predecessor tops out at two hours).

Click to read more ...

Rumoured Apple Macbook Pro M4 laptops went on sale online in Russia

Photo: Apple

In what can be considered the biggest Apple leak since the iPhone 4 landed in the hands of Gizmodo, Apple's yet-to-be-unveiled M4-powered MacBook Pro was recently spotted for sale on a Russian classified ads website. The computer, which Apple will supposedly unveil later this month, showed up on Avito (Russia's Craiglist) with an asking price of 720,000 rubles (around CA$10,264). The listings have since been taken down for violating the site's policy on selling "nonexistent products."

In the same week, two Russian YouTubers shared an unboxing of the alleged laptop, which showed three Thunderbolt 4 ports and a baseline configuration of 16GB of RAM. What's more curious is how these devices made their way to Russia, given the strict sanctions the US has imposed on the country. MacRumors speculates that a batch of laptops made in China was somehow intercepted and smuggled into Russia. It's doubtful we'll get official statements on these leaked models, and it's unclear if they are the real thing. But it does remind us that new MacBook Pros are coming real soon.

Source

Apple iPad mini gets more power and AI

Photo: Apple

Apple is bringing its smallest tablet into the Apple Intelligence era. The company announced the new Apple iPad mini via a press release, which isn't surprising given it's mostly a spec bump. However, it is the tablet's first upgrade since 2021.

The Apple iPad mini now runs on the new A17 Pro processor, offering 30 percent faster CPU, 25 percent faster GPU, and a Neural Engine that's twice as fast as its predecessor. It also supports the new Apple Pencil Pro and gets a storage bump from 64GB to 128GB for the base model. (The AI models will need all the extra space they can get). It also now has a faster Wi-Fi 6E processor and a USB-C port.

Click to read more ...

Google reveals top Halloween trends

Photo: Julia Raasch/Unsplash

With Halloween just around the corner Google has revealed what's already trending for the spooky season. Everything from costumes to decor to food and DIY. We honestly are not surprised that Raygun - the most criticized and dragged through the mud Australian Olympic breakdance competitor made the list. Deadpool is still making the list and Sabrina Carpenter? Taylor Swift?

Click to read more ...