Table of ContentsTable of ContentsApple Vision Pro and visionOSMeta Quest and Horizon OSSamsung Moohan and Android XRAn exciting year for XR headsetsFor years, it felt like VR headsets were a technology that would never break through. Fun, yes but game-changing? No.2025 just might be the next big test for the technology, as more companies than ever invest in the future of the technology. Apple, Meta, Google, Samsung, and many more will all be attempting to plant their flag this year, and the amount of interest is a good sign. Heck, even Microsoft is rumored to get back in the game at some point.Recommended VideosMany of the best VR headsets already support mixed reality, and with the launch of high-end color passthrough in headsets like the Meta Quest Pro or Apple Vision Pro, the hardware is finally in place to make XR headsets take the next big leap forward.Heres where the fun begins. I enjoyed the Vision Pros look and pinch user interface. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsWhen Apple enters a market, it brings great hardware and integrated software that often gives it the edge over competing solutions. Apple worked in secret for many years designing and developing an XR headset. The result is the Vision Pro, an impressive device thats even better thanks to the refinements brought by visionOS.RelatedAs part of the Apple ecosystem, the Vision Pro can access iCloud and seamlessly syncs photos, music, notes, logins, and more. Some iPad apps can run on the Vision Pro, and you can even access printers and security cameras from the headset. Its almost like a multi-screen iPad Pro.Still, theres room for improvement. The Vision Pro could get access to Apple Intelligence in 2025. Notification summaries, image generation, writing help, and more would be a welcome improvement to streamline visionOS so you can focus on what you want to do in XR.Immersive gaming will get a big boost if rumors are true that Apple might add support for Sony PSVR2 controllers. Hand-tracking can be used for gaming, but most VR developers design games for more popular headsets that use controllers. Porting to a hands-only system is difficult, so a motion controller option could greatly expand the number of games available to Vision Pro owners.A simulated view of Apples Vision Pro showing the interface for Apples Immersive Videos. AppleApple has released more immersive content but its still a relatively small library. You can expect to see more 3D movies and videos, as well as live sports, possibly from stadiums fitted with spatial cameras for immersive video.Beyond software, weve heard rumors of two new Apple XR headsets, a more affordable version of the Vision Pro and a second-generation model thats even more powerful. Its unclear which will arrive in 2025 but one seems likely.A less expensive Apple Vision might sell for as low as $2,000, making it much more attractive to shoppers despite some inevitable tradeoffs. The external EyeSight display will probably be cut, the internal display resolution could be reduced, and Apple might optimize its algorithms to minimize tracking cameras.A good fit and the right head strap are essential when wearing a heavy Vision Pro. Zeke Jones / Digital TrendsThe Vision Pro 2 will definitely come with a faster processor, likely an Apple M5 chip with stronger neural and graphics performance. It should offer better comfort, solving a common complaint about the Vision Pro. Apple will continue to push the limits of display technology, likely giving the second-generation Vision Pro sharper optics and brighter panelswithout increasing the price.2025 could see a flood of XR headsets that aim to match or exceed many of the unique features of Apples first-generation Vision Pro, but the advances coming to the Vision Pro 2 should keep it at the top of the list of the best ultra-premium XR headsets.Scanning Microsofts Mixed Reality Link QR code with a Meta Quest 3. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsMeta is an old pro at VR, acquiring Oculus in 2014 and releasing the first consumer VR headset with a passthrough camera in 2019. That laid the groundwork for Meta to take the lead in mixed reality and led to a thriving marketplace of third-party developers and accessory manufacturers.The affordable Meta Quest 3 and low-cost Quest 3S provide an unbeatable combination of price and performance, ensuring Metas reign as the XR headset leader for a few years at least.Metas most expensive headset, the $1,500 Quest Pro that launched in 2022, flopped, and it seems the company is content with promoting the Quest 3 as its top solution at least for now. That doesnt mean its surrendering the high ground to Apple though.Meta is opening up Horizon OS to other manufacturers, and several tech leaders have signed on including Lenovo and Asus ROG. That opens up possibilities for high-end productivity and gaming headsets that dont fit Metas plans to keep Quest prices incredibly low.Meanwhile, Horizon OS continues to evolve into a robust platform that features remarkably smooth hand-tracking, undistorted passthrough views, voice recognition, and even multimodal AI via Metas advanced LLaMA 3 model.Since Meta demonstrated lifelike avatars on its low-power Orion AR glasses prototype, we may get similar upgrades for messaging in Horizon OS in 2025. While the Meta Quest 3 and 3S lack the look and pinch interface of the Vision Pro, the latest updates make Horizon OS similar to visionOS in many ways with up to six adjustable windows appearing in a more attractive design.I can adjust virtual screens with my hands while using my Windows PC, keyboard, and mouse via a Meta Quest 3. Photo by Tracey Truly / Digital TrendsHorizon OS even supports quick connection to a Windows PC just by looking at and tapping a button, matching Apples Virtual Display feature. Its a quick, convenient way to extend your desktop to multiple screens without the cost and space of physical monitors.Moving to hardware, Meta isnt in a rush to launch the Quest 4, which might not arrive until 2026. Since the Quest 3 was such a big upgrade over the Quest 2, focusing on software improvements and leaving 2025 VR headsets for other manufacturers makes sense.However, serious competition is arriving from another Android-based platform with a big 2D software advantage. Meta might accelerate its headset rollout if its hardware partners delay manufacturing.Samsungs Project Moohan XR headset looks similar to Metas Quest Pro. GoogleAndroid XR is the culmination of over a decade of Google research in AR and VR. In 2014, Google published a guide showing how to build a DIY VR headset out of cardboard. Aptly named Google Cardboard, the key components include your phone, which runs a companion app, and lenses that let you focus when the screen is about an inch from your eyes.Google advanced beyond Cardboard with its Daydream headset in 2016. Lenovo joined the Mirage headset on the Daydream platform and even launched a Mirage camera that recorded 3D videos in VR180 format in 2018.While Daydream never took off, Google continued developing XR software for Android phones with AR features in Google Maps, 3D flythroughs with Google Earth, and ARCore APIs that any Android developer can use to make spatial apps.Android XR, like visionOS benefits from the Android ecosystem and Google apps like Chrome, YouTube, Google TV, Google Maps, Google Photos, and the Play Store where you can install more. Headsets built on this platform will benefit from Quick Share, Find My Devices, Family Link, multi-user support, and more.Android XR can show multiple virtual windows. GoogleAndroid XR headsets will be able to run Android apps, unlocking a library of over a million games and apps. As mobile apps theyll appear in resizable 2D windows, hovering in space around you.While Meta still holds a massive lead with hundreds of immersive VR games and mixed reality experiences that blend virtual worlds into your room, Android XR could catch up quickly since Horizon OS is also based on Android and uses Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 chips. Unity already supports Android XR, simplifying porting Quest games built with Unity and OpenXR.While the Vision Pro lacks even the somewhat limited AI of Apple Intelligence, Googles Android XR will have Gemini fully integrated. It goes further than Metas current Horizon OS implementation, accepting virtual and passthrough input. Gemini will have contextual awareness of everything you see when wearing an Android XR headset.Android XR will come with Google apps and more Android apps available via the Play Store. GoogleAlongside Android XR, Samsung introduced Project Moohan, an XR headset that could challenge Apple. Samsung has shared limited details about the device, so its unclear whether Moohan will be strong enough to compete with the Vision Pro. However, we know it will have at least some features the Quest 3 lacks.We had a hands-on demo of Samsungs Project Moohan running Android XR. In our brief time with the device, it seems like an impressive headset with many of the qualities that make the Vision Pro stand out from other VR headsets.For example, it features high-resolution displays and eye-tracking with pinch gestures similar to Apples Vision Pro. However, the physical design is closer to Metas Quest Pro. A forehead pad and halo strap remove cheek pressure and the open sides let you see your actual surroundings in peripheral vision. There will be spatial controllers like Meta Quest headsets, but its unclear if these will be included or sold separately.Samsungs Project Moohan sounds awesome, and officially its coming in 2025. Were eager to learn more details such as the price, full specifications, and launch date. Stand by for more information in a few weeks. We dont expect Samsung to launch its XR headset that soon, but well probably learn more about Project Moohan at Galaxy Unpacked.Sony, Xreal, and Lynx are also working on Android XR devices. While Sony and Lynx are most likely to launch headsets, Xreal is a smart glasses manufacturer and is the first Android XR glasses partner announced. Google is working on Android XR glasses as well.2025 will be one of the most exciting years for XR headsets in many years, as multiple tech giants stake their claims on the next frontier in computing.Hardware is important, but software and content are what make a new platform successful. While Apple and Google can lean heavily on big libraries of 2D apps and content, Meta has a significant lead in VR games. My guess is that the Quest 3 and Quest 3s will continue to be the XR headsetsthat will be hard to beat.Competition will be a great motivator, inspiring developers and content creators to triple their efforts to create XR games, apps, and experiences to run on visionOS, Horizon OS, and Android XR.The best VR headsets already include mixed reality capabilities, but those innovations need more games, apps, operating system refinements, and content to become engaging and useful enough to sway the masses. With several new devices arriving in the coming year, 2025 could be the dawn of a new era for XR headsets and AR glasses.Editors Recommendations

Next year is shaping up to be the most important for Xbox ever. A number of significant titles that could finally give Microsoft a foothold during this console generation are scheduled to release in 2023. We'll also likely learn whether or not Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard will go through. As such, there's a lot for Xbox fans to look forward to in 2023.

During the pandemic, when we couldn't travel, I told my sons they could pick a trip for their birthdays.My oldest picked Seattle, and my youngest picked Disney. It's a gift to me being able to spend time with them and letting them call the shots. In a few days, I'll leave my husband and 15-year-old son at home while I board a plane bound for Orlando with my 13-year-old son. We're going to the most magical place in the world at the busiest time of the year, and while I'm dreading the crowds, I can't wait for the experience.In those early days of the pandemic, when all of our travel plans had been canceled, and it felt like we'd never escape our four walls, I told my two sons that we would make up for the lost time when we could. I made them a promise: when they each turned 13, we'd take a trip anywhere they wanted to go in the United States. It was a way to dream about brighter days and celebrate their milestone birthdays.I got to see them in a different wayMy older son, the quieter and more reserved of the two, turned 13 in December 2022. When we started brainstorming potential destinations, he was surprisingly decisive: Seattle. It was an unexpected pick for a teenager from Virginia who doesn't know anyone in Washington state. Then I remembered all those nights he caught glimpses of the Seattle skyline while his father and I watched "Grey's Anatomy." Maybe that image stuck with him, or maybe it was just his love of big cities and rainy landscapes. Whatever the reason for his choice, we were bound for the Emerald City.When we arrived in Seattle, I saw a different side of my son, a quiet confidence that is often overshadowed by the chaos of daily life and squabbles with his brother. It took a couple of days for him to stop asking, "What are we doing next?" and to believe me when I told him that we could do whatever he wanted. He selected our meals and set our schedule, and we lingered for as long as he wanted at his favorite places the top of the Space Needle, among the sculptures of the Chihuly exhibit, among the fishmongers flinging their catch at Pike Place Market.It felt different than a regular vacationI was charmed by the things my son found interesting and the details he noticed. Walking in the rain back to our hotel one afternoon, I was struck by how different it felt from our usual family vacations. Those trips are wonderful in their own way, but they often involve a lot of compromise and juggling everyone's interests. This trip, though, was tailored entirely to my son's curiosity and pace, and it gave us a chance to connect in a way that felt new. We ate a lot of pizza, claimed a favorite doughnut place, and since he's as much of a night owl as I am stayed up far later than we should have, giggling over late-night TV that I hadn't watched since before he was born. Our trip reminded me that he's not just my child but his own person with a growing sense of identity and independence.I'm grateful for the time I get with themNow, I'm gearing up for my younger son's birthday trip. He turned 13 in September, and his destination of choice was EPCOT in Florida to "eat around the world" in the World Showcase. We'll also be spending a day at Magic Kingdom and a day resort hopping to see the holiday decorations, and we'll rate and review our meals and snacks as we go. Compared to his older brother's urban excursion, this feels a little less bold, especially since he's typically the more adventurous of the two, and we've done Disney as a family. But I'm looking forward to seeing this trip through his eyes and being surprised by what he chooses and what holds his interest when it's just the two of us.I'm grateful for the opportunity to share these moments with my sons. What started as a pandemic promise has become a tradition I love. I've already floated the idea of doing international trips for their 16th birthdays. My older son wasted no time declaring that he wanted to go to Australia, while my younger son is leaning toward Paris. Wherever we go, being able to travel with them is a privilege that I don't take lightly. What I hope they someday realize is that sharing these birthday trips with them is a gift for me, too.

Lemon8, TikTok's sister app, is surging in popularity ahead of a possible TikTok ban.Lemon8 uses TikTok's algorithm and is owned by the same Chinese company, ByteDance.The Supreme Court will decide this month on the fate of the law that could ban TikTok and Lemon8.TikTok owner ByteDance's other social media company, Lemon8, is growing in popularity amid confusion over a possible TikTok ban in the United States.This week, Lemon8 shot to the No. 1 spot for free apps on Apple's App Store.What users might not realize is that the law that would ban TikTok, if it is held up by the Supreme Court and then enforced by the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, would also likely ban Lemon8.Lemon8 is the "sister app" to TikTok. It's a social media platform for photo slideshows, more similar to Pinterest or Instagram than TikTok, which is an exclusively short video platform. Lemon8 uses the same algorithm as TikTok. It is now the No. 2 free app, beating out competitors like ChatGPT.But, like TikTok, its future is tenuous.Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act in April. The law gives ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, until January 19 to sell TikTok. If a sale doesn't take place, TikTok will be banned in the United States.TikTok filed a lawsuit in May, arguing that the law violates the First Amendment. The DC Circuit Court upheld the law on December 6. TikTok then filed an appeal to the Supreme Court on December 18. The court is expected to hear arguments on January 10.Trump filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court on December 27, asking the justices to pause the law until after his inauguration so he could "pursue a political resolution."The law would also likely ban Lemon8. The bill's text specifically names TikTok and ByteDance as covered companies. However,its language is broad and could affectany company owned by a foreign "adversary" that permits users to "create an account or profile to generate, share, and view text, images, videos, real-time communications, or similar content."Experts previously told Business Insider that Lemon8's success indicates that ByteDance is willing to introduce new apps to keep growing despite a TikTok ban."This is a huge business for ByteDance. They're not gonna go down without swinging," David Glancy, a professor at the Institute of World Politics, previously told BI.

The theater chain's celebrating January's National Popcorn Day with a Bring Your Own Bucket promo to get more butts in seats.

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A majestic humpback whale, dramatic coastlines, and a coral reef ecosystem shine in the NOAA and and National Marine Sanctuary Foundations Get Into Your Sanctuary photo contest. The winning photos celebrate the National Marine Sanctuary System, which encompasses more than 629,000 square miles and includes 17 national marine sanctuaries and Papahnaumokukea and Rose Atoll marine national monuments.Freediving into a school of akule in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.Sanctuary Recreation, Second PlaceCredit: Christian Crook Winners were named across five categories: Sanctuary Views, Sanctuary Life, Sanctuary Recreation, Sanctuaries at Home, and Sanctuaries Around the World. Sunset at Rialto Beach in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.Sanctuary Views, Second PlaceCredit: Elliot Gilfix Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island is one of few wind-protected places to hunker down for the night in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Even still, wind and swell sneak their way into the small anchorage under the setting sun.Sanctuary Views, Third PlaceCredit: Dustin Harris Camping under the stars in Florida Keys National Marine SanctuarySanctuary Recreation, First PlaceCredit: Daniel Eidsmoe McWay Falls in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.Sanctuary Views, First PlaceCredit: Peter Reinold Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) are ocean-dependent birds that spend most of their lives on open water. The productive North Atlantic Canadian waters surrounding Newfoundland provide some of the best habitat for these beloved marine birds.Sanctuaries Around the World, Second PlaceCredit: Carolyn Copper Male lined seahorses (Hippocampus erectus) like this one at the Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach, Florida, receive eggs from the female and keep them in a pouch where they fertilize and carry them until they are ready to hatch.Sanctuaries Around the World, Third PlaceCredit: Tamara Christian A humpback whale (Megaptera novaengliae) dives at sunset in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This photo was taken with a telephoto lens from a safe distance.Sanctuary Life, Third PlaceCredit: Kaelyn DeYoung An arrow crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) sits in front of a Caribbean long spine sea urchin (Diadema antillarum) in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.Sanctuary Life, First PlaceCredit: Gabriel Jensen Giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) walks the deep coldwater reef in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.Sanctuary Life, Second PlaceCredit: Robert Lee Kite flying on a beach near Palm Coast, Florida.Sanctuaries at Home, Second PlaceCredit: Daniel Eidsmoe A green sea turtle (Chelonia) surfaces for air in the shallows of Playa Punta Corola on San Cristobal in Galapagos, Ecuador.Sanctuaries Around the World, FinalistCredit: Dan Shipp Split shoreline and underwater view of the coral reef ecosystem around Fakarava Atoll in French Polynesia.Sanctuaries at Home, First PlaceCredit: Justin Wallace The post 13 dramatic photos that capture the beauty of marine sanctuaries appeared first on Popular Science.

Each area in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy offers unique challenges and obstacles for our dynamic duo to overcome, and while you can make it pretty far by only grabbing a few Power Cells in each locale, finding them all is crucial to getting the true ending and (On PS4 and PS5) the Platinum Trophy.