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Xbox Game Pass can now officially be accessed in virtual reality.

Game Pass is coming to VR, starting with the Meta Quest HMDs. The subscription can now be enjoyed on Quest 2, Quest 3, or Quest Pro headsets, but users won't be able to download full games just yet. Technically, only half of Xbox Game Pass is available for Quest owners.

Today Microsoft and Meta announced that VR users can now stream Xbox games via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Microsoft has released a dedicated Xbox Cloud Gaming app on the Meta Quest Store that allows Ultimate subscribers to stream a selection of games directly to their VR headsets. Bringing Game Pass to VR was originally mentioned in the FTC v Microsoft trial.

Good things come in threes: Hideo Kojima's games production company has filed for three interesting trademarks since 2019, and the more recent ones give clues on what to expect from his new horror game OD.

Hideo Koijma's games are enigmatic and stylish, but the auteur will often provide surprisingly obvious clues on what he's working on (hindsight is 20-20, after all). Take his new game, OD, for instance; since 2019, we've been writing about Kojima's desire to create a new kind of interactive gaming experience using horror. That project has manifested with OD, an Xbox-funded title that will apparently use the cloud to deliver a uniquely social horror game. Kojima is even enlisting horror mavens like Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, NOPE) to help out. We've also seen Kojima do livestreams with Peele in the past.

So what's up with OD? Not much has been revealed, but new trademarks give us some hints. It turns out Kojima Productions has filed for 3 separate trademarks that all have 3 words that begin with the letter S in them. The Social Strand System trademark was filed in 2019 for Death Stranding, and refers to the more loose and indirect online co-op featured in the game.

The online world is a colorful place that often descends into stupidity, or beyond, and some of the fads witnessed on TikTok (and elsewhere) demonstrate this - the latest being huffing the fumes from the Steam Deck's cooling vents.

Yes, you read that right - the idea is to directly breathe in the exhaust fumes, with one Steam Deck owner messaging Valve to check if it's safe to do so, observing that they "kinda like" doing this.

As you might guess, this is a practice that's probably best avoided on balance.

Support for AMD's FSR 3 has been very thin on the ground so far, but we've just learned that another title is inbound, with support coming to Starfield.

As you may recall, Starfield launched with FSR 2 support, but no DLSS - although recently it was furnished with DLSS 3. Which led to the slightly odd situation of the AMD-sponsored game having cutting-edge frame generation with NVIDIA and not with Team Red's graphics cards.

At any rate, we've been told by Bethesda that FSR 3 support will be debuting in early 2024, a bit too late for some gamers, no doubt, but still very definitely better late than never.

A team of researchers has published a new paper in the journal Nature Electronics that details the creation of a "biocomputer" that consists of lab-grown human brain tissue and electronic circuits.

The scientists behind the study explained they took a bunch of bundled human cells called "organoids" and changed them into neurons, which were then attached to a circuit board. Together, these ingredients created what the researchers call "Brainoware," a so-called bridge between AI and organoids. The question the researchers asked themselves was, "Can we leverage the biological neural network within the brain organoid for computing?"

The researchers hooked up Brainoware to a plate made up of thousands of electrodes. The scientists then sent data in the form of electric pulses to the organoid, and then "decoded" the response through a machine-learning algorithm. According to the study, the team was able to get the organoid to recognize the voices of different people speaking after being fed the data from 240 voice recordings.

Samsung has announced that two new gaming monitors sporting its latest QD-OLED technology will be hitting the market next year.

Samsung Display is rolling out seemingly thousands of QD-OLED displays as companies such as GIGABYTE, AGON, and more have announced new gaming monitors using the Samsung Display panel technology. Seeing multiple brands adopting the new technology, we can expect that CES 2024 will be littered with many gaming monitors utilizing the gorgeous OLED technology, which means plenty of competition in the gaming monitor space, and that's only good for gamers.

According to Samsung Display, the company's latest QD-OLED designs include a 31.5-inch model and a 27-inch model. The 31.5-inch model is a flat panel, supports a resolution of up to 3840 x 2160 (UHD), and has a pixel density of 140 PPI. As for the 27-inch, Samsung Display says it will also be a flat panel that has a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 (QHD), but will be able to push its refresh rate up to a crazy 360Hz.

Miss Evelyn Mackenzie is part of what is only an epic piece of film history, as the photographic film she snapped back in 1889 has finally been developed 134 years later.

The film that was recently developed was a Kodak nitrate-based celluloid roll film and was originally shot on a No.1 Kodak camera owned by Miss Evelyn Mackenzie. As the name suggests, the No.1 Kodak camera was the very first camera the company produced and was the first camera to successfully use negative film.

As for what it was capable of, reports indicate it was able to take up to 100 photos, and for buyers to get those photos, they would need to send the camera back to Kodak, where the images were developed, then printed and mailed back to the photographer along with their camera + fresh film. Notably, the camera was only able to take "brilliant instantaneous pictures" in "clear sunlight".

By complete coincidence, astronomers have discovered and mapped the first-ever stellar stream, an elongated thread of gravitationally linked stars that have been likely torn away from their original galaxies, only to be left in intergalactic space (the space between galaxies).

Previously, astronomers have mapped these stellar streams within galaxies but never outside of galaxies. According to the study published on November 30 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, the researchers identified and mapped the first intergalactic stellar stream called the Giant Coma Stream (GCS).

The paper states the GCS passes through the Coma Cluster, also called Abell 1656, which is a group of more than 1,000 galaxies located approximately 321 million light years from our planet. The team that discovered the GCS isn't quite sure how it has grown so large, with speculation pointing toward the original target for their observations - dark matter. The team suggests that it's possible the currently invisible dark matter may have caused GCS to form into its current shape.

Starfield is far from complete, and Bethesda knows it, as the company is planning on rolling out a bunch of updates that will add some highly-requested features.

Bethesda has confirmed that Starfield will be getting a series of new updates that include many features that players have been requesting. The confirmation from Bethesda can be traced back to a Reddit comment by the company that said the developer has been "hard at work" on many of the "features you asked for, from city maps, to mod support, to all-new ways of traveling (stay tuned!.)"

These updates will be rolled out "roughly" every six weeks, and according to Bethesda the official mod tools for Starfield are expected to release sometime in 2024, and are expected to involve some version of the Creation Kit tool that was present in previous Bethesda titles. As for bug fixes, Bethesda says its working on those as well and early next year to expect an update that will include FSR3 and XeSS.

New research has found that Sun eruptions that result in solar storms may cause train accidents during peak travel times.

The new study published in the journal Space Weather by researchers from Lancaster University in England found that solar storms caused by Sun eruptions have a chance of interfering with electrical signaling stations, which may result in the railroad indicators switching from red (stop) to green (go). For those that don't know, the Sun ejects charged particles in the form of large, fast-moving waves.

This wave of charged particles slams into Earth's magnetic field, sending charged particles toward the planet's poles. The interaction between the solar particles and the molecules in Earth's atmosphere produces what are known as auroras. Additionally, depending on the severity of the CME, or solar flare, the solar storm can be so powerful it knocks out radio communications and electrical equipment.

Apple released the watchOS 10.2 update yesterday, adding a new feature that could make it way easier for people to access their health data. With watchOS 10.2 installed, Apple Watch owners can ask for information from within the Health app or, in some cases, write to that information as well. But only if they have an Apple Watch Series 9 or an Apple Watch Ultra 2.

The feature allows people to do things like ask their Apple Watch how many steps they have taken or provide information instead. That could include telling the Apple Watch that they have already taken their medication, but this all requires a new Apple Watch to work. Now, Apple has explained why that is, and it turns out that it's all in the name of data privacy.

Speaking with CNET, Deidre Caldbeck, Apple's senior director of product marketing for Apple Watch and Health, explained that the new Apple Watches are the only ones capable of handling this kind of Siri request on-device, meaning that there is no cloud component. That in turn means that none of this private health information requires Siri to compute its response online, making the feature more private as a result.

When Apple released the iOS 17.2 software update to the public yesterday it brought with it a number of new features and improvements. But alongside those was a whole new app. Dubbed Journal, the app is designed to make it easier for people to get into journaling, allowing them to be more mindful in the process.

The new app is included free with all iOS 17.2 installations and includes a Journaling Suggestions feature. That feature is perhaps the biggest part of the whole app because it can make recommendations for things that you might want to journal about. Those recommendations are based on real things, too, including the photos that you take, the music you listen to, and the activities that you partake in. All of that and more can then be fed into a journal entry with the whole thing protected by iCloud backup and Face ID biometric security.

But that isn't the most vital part of this new app, because Apple is also making that Journaling Suggestions feature into an API, allowing third-party apps to also hook in and make use of the same information. That means that users of apps like Day One can also be prompted with ideas for a new journal entry, with the app's developer already confirming support. We can also expect other developers to follow suit, too.

When Apple announced the Vision Pro it confirmed that it would have a fancy new 3D video feature that allows videos to be captured in spatial video using its built-in cameras. Those videos can then be viewed on the headset itself, and now the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can both record those videos as well.

Apple announced that feature would be coming when it unveiled the new Pro iPhones in September, and with the release of iOS 17.2, that feature is now rolling out. That will give people a way to start capturing content in spatial videos right now, ready for the Vision Pro's arrival. The augmented reality headset isn't expected to be released until around March time, although there is always the possibility that it could come sooner.

With the release of the iOS 17.2 update, Apple has given iPhone owners a way to start capturing spatial videos right now, something that could be especially beneficial considering that we are coming into the thick of the holiday season. Apple will no doubt have wished that the feature could have been ready before the Thanksgiving festivities, however.

All modern iPhones have NFC chips inside that can be used by features built by Apple, but nobody else. That means that while NFC payments are possible when using Apple Pay, those same capabilities are not offered to other developers. However, that could be about to change with Apple reportedly ready to allow other companies to access its NFC capabilities.

That's according to a new Reuters report which claims that Apple has already offered exactly that to EU lawmakers in an attempt to avoid potential antitrust fines. It's been suggested that by not allowing other payment companies to offer their wallets on the iPhone, Apple has given Apple Pay an unfair advantage.

In an attempt to keep regulation at bay, Reuters reports that Apple has offered to give the same NFC capabilities to others.

Alongside the release of new software updates for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Aooke TV, Apple also recently released a new macOS update for the Mac. That update, dubbed macOS Sonoma 14.2, brings with it a number of new features and a few of them are going to make a big difference to the way people get things done. But perhaps the biggest change is one that will make it way easier for people to fill out those pesky PDFs that they sometimes receive.

We've all had to fill out PDFs for companies, whether they're insurance documents or perhaps the paperwork for a new job. Whatever the reason, entering data just got easier with macOS Sonoma 14.2 thanks to the arrival of an enhanced AutoFill feature.

Apple says that the new feature identifies fields in those PDFs and other forms and then enables users to populate those documents with information such as names and addresses from contacts. That could be a really big improvement for some, especially if you're someone who spends their days filling out such forms.

Apple is reportedly ready to start paying artists and record labels more money for the songs that are streamed if those songs also have a version with spatial audio support - notably, the song streamed doesn't have to be a spatial audio one, just so long as there is a spatial audio version in Apple Music's library.

Spatial audio uses Dolby Atmos technology to create a 3D soundscape that can sound pretty great, especially when used with headphones. The HomePod supports spatial audio, but it's when listening with earbuds or headphones that things can come alive. But right now the number of songs with spatial audio support is limited and some of those that have it already sound pretty poor. Now, Apple seems to be ready to throw money at the problem.

That's according to a new Bloomberg report which says that unnamed sources have reported that Apple is in talks with those involved in the industry to make the new payment model work. It's one that should see more music have spatial audio versions available, with the report noting that the costs involved with making a Dolby Atmos version of a song are not prohibitive.

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are the two longest-operating spacecraft in history, and now NASA has announced that the first of the duo is unable to send data back to Earth.

The space agency took to its website to briefly explain the issues it's facing with Voyager 1 communications. Firstly, NASA states that Voyager 1's flight data system, which is responsible for collecting onboard engineering information about the spacecraft's scientific instruments, has experienced a glitch that has severed communications with Voyager 1's telecommunications unit (TMU).

This overall problem is causing Voyager 1 to send back its data packages in a way that appears "stuck," as it's "transmitting a repeating pattern of ones and zeros." Notably, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are currently in interstellar space, the region of space between stars. Both spacecrafts are approximately 15 billion miles from Earth, and due to their distance, a transmission takes 22.5 hours to reach the spacecraft. One back-and-forth communication with Voyager 1 is typically 45 hours.

Tesla has finally unveiled the next generation of its highly anticipated Tesla Bot, an idea that was once laughable and now seemingly coming into reality.

When the Tesla Bot was first announced, it was clearly a prototype, and a lot of work had yet to be done on it for it to be really brought to life in the way that company CEO Elon Musk was describing. At the time, the Tesla Bot was barely able to walk around the crowd, but now that we have arrived at Optimus Gen 2, it seems those issues have been ironed out, and many significant improvements have been made across the entire design.

For those that don't know, successfully designing a viable humanoid robot that can carry out monotonous manual labor tasks has been an engineering problem for quite some time, but Tesla believed they could solve the issue with its battery technology and by implementing AI, specifically its AI used in its various self-driving vehicles. So, what is Optimus Gen 2?

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You can also snag Windows 11 Professional for just $13.25 (reg. $199) during the Christmas Sale. For users of refurbished computers with outdated operating systems and computer users who are in need of a versatile machine that supports business, Windows 11 Pro features exclusive new applications, features, and updates that are not available to Windows 10 users. Whether you're looking for a Christmas gift for a loved one or just want to grab a bargain for yourself, the GoDeal24 Christmas sales roundup has something for you.

Google has released its annual Year in Search 2023 list, and even though there are still a few weeks left before we call it quits on 2023, we've now got a bunch of Top 10 lists covering the most searched movies, games, TV shows, and more. And with that, it's easy to conclude that the most popular searches are stand-ins for the most popular 'x' things for 2023.

Taking a look at games, Hogwarts Legacy takes the crown, beating Sony's The Last of Us franchise, Bethesda's Starfield, Baldur's Gate 3, and Diablo IV. The list of games isn't all heavy-hitter blockbusters, as some of the popular games for 2023 include Battlegrounds Mobile, the Wordle-style Connections from The New York Times, and a Japanese puzzle game that loosely translates to 'Watermelon Game.'

Interestingly, although Baldur's Gate 3 swept The Game Awards and is widely viewed as the best RPG released this year, it sits behind Bethesda's Starfield. Another interesting takeaway is that Grand Theft Auto 6 is nowhere to be found.