SLAM is a foundational technique with broad applications in robotics and AR/VR. SLAM simulations evaluate new concepts, but testing on resource-constrained devices, such as VR HMDs, faces challenges: high computational cost and restricted sensor data access. This work proposes a sparse framework using mesh geometry projections as features, which improves efficiency and circumvents direct sensor data access, advancing SLAM research as we demonstrate in VR and through numerical evaluation.

In this paper, we introduce a new methodology for assessing the positioning accuracy of virtual reality (VR) headsets, utilizing a cooperative industrial robot to simulate user head trajectories in a reproducible manner. We conduct a comprehensive evaluation of two popular VR headsets, i.e., Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro. Using head movement trajectories captured from realistic VR game scenarios with motion capture, we compared the performance of these headsets in terms of precision and reliability. Our analysis revealed that both devices exhibit high positioning accuracy, with no significant differences between them. These findings may provide insights for developers and researchers seeking to optimize their VR experiences in particular contexts such as manufacturing.

Meta Connect is over for another year, leaving nought but some paper plates on the floor and a raft of new AR/VR gear on the table. Because we're nice, we've prepared a comprehensive list of all the goodies announced at the show for you to peruse at your leisure. The headline act is the Quest 3S, a stripped-down version of the Quest 3 that's 200 cheaper than its namesake. Getting the base price down to 300 has meant some compromises, however, like removing the pancake lenses, dropping 4K and reducing the storage. The 3S seems like a smart idea, since cost remains the second biggest barrier to getting VR/AR gear into people's homes.

Although Meta Connect 2024 lacked a marquee high-end product for the holiday season, it still included a new budget VR headset and a tease of the "magic glasses" Meta's XR gurus have been talking about for the better part of a decade. In addition, the company keeps plowing forward with new AI tools for its Ray-Ban glasses and social platforms. Here's everything the company announced at Meta Connect 2024. Today's best mixed reality gear -- like Apple's Vision Pro and the Meta Quest 3 -- are headsets with passthrough video capabilities. But the tech industry eventually wants to squeeze that tech into something resembling a pair of prescription glasses.

It used to go by at least two different names -- Oculus Connect and then Facebook Connect -- but whatever the moniker, Meta's fall event is still a big showcase for the company's latest and greatest achievements in the virtual reality and mixed reality space. Much like last year, we can likely predict the biggest news coming out of Meta Connect 2024 with just two acronyms: AI and AR. Like every other big tech firm this year, Meta will be desperate to demonstrate how it plans to stay relevant in a future powered by AI. And now that we're seven months beyond the launch of Apple's Vision Pro, which arrived alongside a short-lived spike in interest in augmented reality (AR), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is likely eager to show off his own plans to make AR a reality. While Zuckerberg isn't as hot on the metaverse as he was when he renamed his company, the union of AI and AR is one way he can still make the dream of persistent virtual worlds come true.

It used to go by at least two different names -- Oculus Connect and then Facebook Connect -- but whatever the moniker, Meta's fall event is still a big showcase for the company's latest and greatest achievements in the virtual reality and mixed reality space. Much like last year, we can likely predict the biggest news coming out of Meta Connect 2024 with just two acronyms: AI and AR. Like every other big tech firm this year, Meta will be desperate to demonstrate how it plans to stay relevant in a future powered by AI. And now that we're seven months beyond the launch of Apple's Vision Pro, which arrived alongside a short-lived spike in interest in augmented reality (AR), Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is likely eager to show off his own plans to make AR a reality. While Zuckerberg isn't as hot on the metaverse as he was when he renamed his company, the union of AI and AR is one way he can still make the dream of persistent virtual worlds come true.

New Year's resolutions are usually set with the best intentions – I may have already failed at one of mine already -- but the right tools (and resolutions, if I'm honest) can make achieving those goals easier. Naturally, with all the wearables and smartwatches around, there's a fitness theme to half of our guide, but smartwatches can help nudge you into better habits and even remind you to meditate, which is something I've set up on my Apple Watch this week. We've also got to-do list app recommendations, cable organizing advice (that is a weak-ass New Year resolution) and help on how to cultivate a new reading habit in 2024. What are your resolutions for the coming year? And what will you do (or buy) to achieve them?

New Year's resolutions are usually set with the best intentions – I may have already failed at one of mine already -- but the right tools (and resolution, if I'm honest) can make achieving those goals easier. Naturally, with all the wearables and smartwatches around, there's a fitness theme to half of our guide, but smartwatches can help nudge you into better habits and even remind you to meditate, which is something I've set up on my Apple Watch this week. We've also got to-do list app recommendations, cable organizing advice (that is a weak-ass New Year resolution) and help on how to cultivate a new reading habit in 2024. What are your resolutions for the coming year? And what will you do (or buy) to achieve them?

Cyber Monday may have come and gone, but quite a few of the deals are still live. We're also seeing new discounts and bundles pop up that weren't previously listed. If you didn't get everything you need during the frenzy of Black Friday sales, you can still save on Amazon Echos, Dyson vacs, Google Nests and Sony headphones. Amazon has the most deals remaining at the moment, but other retailers, including Sonos, Wellbots, Target and Walmart, still have some worthy sale prices too. There's no telling how long these leftover savings will last, so you may not want to wait much longer to shop. Here are the best Cyber Monday tech deals you can still get today. The Echo Dot smart speaker is down to $23, which is 54 percent off and matches the low price it hit for previous sales at Amazon. The Echo Dot is Amazon's most popular smart speaker and for Cyber Monday, it's down to $23.

If you've been waiting to buy a new PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or Nintendo Switch, Black Friday looks like a good time to pounce. To save you a bit of Googling, we've rounded up the best Black Friday game console deals we could find and laid out everywhere you can buy each device below. The offers include genuine discounts on both of the latest Xbox consoles and both the new slim and (non-slim) PS5, as well as a few noteworthy bundles for all three Nintendo Switch models. If you're looking for a new handheld gaming PC or VR headset, both the ASUS ROG Ally and Meta Quest 2 are seeing unusually steep discounts as well. The new slim PS5 is 10 percent off for Black Friday at Amazon, an surprising discount on the just-released console.