Amazon Prime Video has its share of good and bad originals. The streaming service also offers access to plenty of legacy network shows with a base Amazon Prime subscription (or standalone Amazon Prime Video subscription). Shows removed from the service aren’t necessarily lackluster. Amazon recently canceled well-reviewed shows The Horrors of Dolores Roach and With Love, presumably because of low viewership numbers, though no specific reason was given. Amazon also axed My Lady Jane, a quirky alternate-history story that critics and audiences loved.

Looking for something else? We’ve also rounded up the best new shows to stream, the best shows on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, and the best movies on Disney+.

Meta is offering a $40 accessory for the Meta Quest 3 headset. The “open facial interface” for the Meta Quest 3 opens up the peripheral vision of the wearer.

Meta Quest 3 “open facial interface” is now available for just $40

The Meta Connect 2024 conference was a feature-packed event. Meta’s CEO not only announced the Orion Augmented Reality (AR) holographic display but also the aggressively priced Quest 3S.

One of the products that made its way to the launchpad was the “open facial interface” for the Quest 3 Virtual Reality (VR) headset. According to Android Central, this $40 accessory is trying to fill the gap left by the Meta Quest Pro, which is set to be discontinued.

Meta has announced it has begun selling the new accessory. It is up for pre-order on Meta’s e-store. The earliest estimated shipping date for early adopters is mid-October.

The new accessory is lighter and adds another way to wear the VR headset

The social media giant assures the open facial interface offers an open-periphery experience similar to that of the Meta Quest Pro. Interestingly, when the Quest Pro is no longer officially available, the Quest 3 (with the open facial interface) will be the only official way to use a Meta VR headset with open sides.

The open facial interface is only compatible with the Quest 3, not the new Quest 3S. The Quest 3S has a “breathable facial interface”. But it is certainly no match for the open facial interface. Some reports suggest this accessory could create an illusion of a wider field of view.

Finally it’s available for pre-order.
The Pro feeling is coming to Meta Quest 3!

”Meta Quest 3 open facial interface”

Now just wait for pre order shipment… #VR #Meta #Quest #Open #Facial #Interface #Pro pic.twitter.com/jlHhXt61b8

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— R347ITY (@R347ITY) September 25, 2024

The open facial interface would surely help with the lens fogging issue. By creating a gap between the user’s head and the headset, this accessory also opens access to the wearer’s surroundings.

With this accessory, Meta is now offering a new way to use the Quest 3 VR headset. The default interface that comes in the box is meant for everyday use. The silicone facial interface, sold separately for $40, is intended to be worn during workout sessions and games involving a lot of movement.

Meta claims the open facial interface is “best for spatial experiences”. Interestingly, weighing just 60 grams, this accessory is lighter than the other two. This means using this accessory could subtly lighten the load of the VR headset.

OpenAI is reportedly telling investors that it plans on charging $22 a month to use ChatGPT by the end of the year. The company also plans to aggressively increase the monthly price over the next five years up to $44.

The documents obtained by shows that OpenAI took in $300 million in revenue this August, and expects to make $3.7 billion in sales by the end of the year. Various expenses such as salaries, rent and operational costs will cause the company to lose $5 billion this year.

OpenAI is reportedly circulating the documents the NYT reported on as part of a drive to find new investors to prevent or lessen its financial shortfall. Fortunately, OpenAI is raising money on a $150 billion valuation, and a new round of investments could bring in as much as $7 billion.

OpenAI is also reportedly in the midst of switching from . The business model allows for the removal of any caps on investor returns so they’ll have more room to negotiate for new investors at possibly higher rates.

Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here.

This week was a busy one for the startup and VC world, with its fair share of funding news and, of course, the latest edition of YC’s Demo Day.

Most interesting startup stories from the week

Yes, AI, AI, AI. But it’s more eventful than it sounds.

Departures: Several key people are leaving OpenAI — CTO Mira Murati, as well as the company’s chief research officer and a research VP. There’s more context than we can sum up here, so go have a read if you are so inclined.

Ive mind: It is now confirmed that former Apple designer Jony Ive is working on an AI device startup with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. The unnamed venture could be seeking to raise up to $1 billion by the end of the year.

AltGPT: Letta, an AI startup founded by the researchers behind MemGPT and positioning itself as “the open alternative to OpenAI,” has come out of stealth to much anticipation.

Pipelines: Data startup Airbyte launched Airbyte 1.0 with a focus on AI use cases. It also made its self-managed enterprise service generally available.

Most interesting fundraises this week

COVID-19 almost killed some companies and boosted others. Now companies from both groups are finding their footing, and other trends are getting confirmed.

Working out: German connected fitness startup EGYM closed a $200 million Series G round of funding that confirms investor interest in the broader trend of preventative healthcare.

Digital transformation: Whatfix, a San Jose-based company whose platform demonstrates how to use third-party software, raised a $125 million Series E round led by Warburg Pincus.

AI power: Open source developer platform Supabase raised an $80 million Series C round. The company now positions itself as Postgres-centric and has been enjoying AI tailwinds; 10% of active databases on the service power AI use cases.

Beaming: Marvel Fusion raised €62.8 million in a Series B round to work on making commercial fusion power a reality thanks to lasers. 

In the spotlight: British startup Raycast raised $30 million to bring its Mac productivity app to Windows and iOS, with a focus on “prosumer” users.

Most interesting VC and fund news this week

Exit time: Peak XV Partners, the largest India and Southeast Asia-focused VC fund, realized about $1.2 billion in exits since its split from Sequoia last year, TechCrunch learned from sources.

Skyrocketing: European defense tech will attract $1 billion in VC funding this year, according to a new Dealroom report. This significant increase compared to previous years also goes along rising interest for dual-use technologies.

Sailing: Spanish VC firm All Iron Ventures rebranded as Acurio Ventures and closed a third fund of $166 million that will exclusively make “follow-on” investments.

Last but not least

Taking place on September 25 and 26, Y Combinator’s online Demo Day for its Summer 2024 batch was once again dominated by AI use cases, some particularly exciting. The format itself is changing: Going forward, there will be four Demo Days a year, and YC CEO Garry Tan said that the next one on December 4 will include an in-person element.