Holes at the top of this image are vertical shafts to underground aqueducts called qanats
Nazarij Buławka et al
Most of the ancient underground aqueducts that enabled humans to settle in the world’s hottest and driest regions have been lost over time. Now, archaeologists are rediscovering them by using artificial intelligence to analyse spy satellite images taken during the cold war.
The oldest known underground aqueducts that are found across much of North Africa and the Middle East are called qanats and are up to 3000 years old. They were designed to carry water from highland or mountain…
Samsung has filed a new patent for what appears to be an Augmented Reality (AR) headset. The Samsung AR headset patent hints at the design, purpose, and even use cases of the wearable device.
Samsung files patent with the WIPO revealing the design of its AR headset
Nearly every tech giant has launched or announced Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), or MR (Mixed Reality) glasses. Be it Apple’s Vision Pro or Meta’s Quest series, multiple tech companies are actively exploring this segment for productivity, gaming, and remote collaboration.
Samsung has been reportedly trying to enter the emerging AR glasses market for quite some time. It had recently filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
What does the WIPO patent reveal about Samsung’s headset?
Samsung’s latest patent filing says, “the electronic device may be AR glasses and/or a head-mounted device.” It adds the device won’t obscure real-world objects. In other words, Samsung could be designing AR glasses that overlay virtual content similar to Apple’s Vision Pro.
The patent states that the device uses reference points in the virtual space relative to the real-world space for navigation and operation. Users can interact with these virtual images by touching or selecting them.
Instead of separating the processing unit (mobile computer) from the lenses, Samsung’s HMD appears to be clubbing everything. In other words, a single device would have a processor, memory (RAM, SSD ROM, cache), sensors (including camera), and the rest of the hardware. Needless to say, this could make Samsung’s AR headset bulky.
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There’s no indication of a battery pack in the patent. Moreover, it does not reveal if Samsung will tether the AR headset to another device. Previous reports have suggested Samsung intends to connect its AR headset with Galaxy smartphones and other wearable devices. Hence, there could be a wired or wireless connection that isn’t visible in the patent documents.
Samsung doesn’t have any dedicated operating system to run on AR headsets. The design of the AR glasses indicates Samsung may develop an OS specifically for the HMD similar to Apple’s VisionOS or Meta’s Horizon OS.
Samsung does have an entire ecosystem of accessories such as the Galaxy Ring and TWS earbuds, which could offer additional functions and sensors. The patent mentions the HMD has dynamic virtual world mapping. This hints at Samsung’s other wearable devices playing a crucial role in syncing the real and virtual world.
Let’s get this straight up front: The Vive Focus Vision isn’t a competitor to the Meta Quest 3, or the recently released Quest 3S. At $999, how could it be? Instead, it’s another stab at the high-end VR market for HTC Vive, an audience it’s cultivated since the launch of the first Vive headset in 2016. While Meta has leaned more towards cheaper and more mainstream VR headsets over the last decade, HTC Vive has done practically the opposite, aiming for VR gearheads and enterprise customers with PC headsets like the Vive Pro 2 and feature-rich standalone models like the Focus 3.
You can think of the Vive Focus Vision as a cross between the Focus 3 and last year’s goggle-like XR Elite. It’s a standalone headset with two 16MP color cameras for mixed reality, built-in eye tracking and automatic interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment. It could also be appealing to PC gamers with its $149 DisplayPort wired streaming kit, which gives you an uncompressed view of high-end VR experiences like Half-Life: Alyx.
HTC Vive
The Vive Focus Vision is a sleek premium standalone VR headset that can also deliver solid PC VR. But it’s also running aging hardware, it’s riddled with software issues and it’s expensive compared to the Meta Quest 3.
As intriguing as its new features are, though, the more I tested the Focus Vision, the more it felt like a missed opportunity for HTC’s Vive VR platform. For one, it’s running the same Snapdragon XR2 chip as the Focus 3 and Quest 2. That chip originally debuted in 2020, and it simply seems inexcusable in a high-end headset today. Both the $300 Quest 3S and $500 Quest 3 sport the XR2 Gen 2 processor, which is 2.5 times faster than the original chip and also has up to eight times faster AI processing. For a high-end headset at the tail-end of 2024, I would have expected HTC to at least match the power of far cheaper competitors, or – even better – to include Qualcomm’s newer XR2+ Gen 2 chip.
The Focus Vision is also still using older Fresnel lens optics, which are prone to artifacts and light bleeding, instead of the sharper pancake lenses in the Quest 3. At least HTC shoved in 12GB of RAM this time around, compared to the 8GB found on the Focus 3 and Quest 3. And the company still has a resolution advantage over the Quest 3: The Focus Vision delivers 2,448 by 2,448 pixels per eye, compared to Meta’s 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye. HTC Vive’s 120-degree field of view also delivers a greater sense of immersion than the 110-degree FOV in the Quest 3.
The Focus Vision shines best when it comes to overall build quality and comfort. Even though it’s made of plastic like the Quest 3, it’s a sturdy device that clearly looks more high-end than Meta’s offerings. Ample cushioning helps the Focus Vision rest comfortably on your forehead and behind your noggin. And its halo-like head strap, together with the ability to flip up the visor, makes it easy to slip on over large glasses.
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Best of all, the Focus Vision features a removable battery at the back of its headstrap. That provides a helpful counterweight to the bulky front-end, and it could conceivably let you stay in wireless VR all day if you’ve got enough spare batteries. The headset also has a small built-in battery, which allows you to stay in your VR session even when you’re swapping out the larger rear power cell. This is the sort of thing we’ll probably never see in a consumer Quest headset, as it’s simply too expensive to implement, and Meta isn’t building for enterprise customers who demand continuous wireless. (And to be fair, it’s also easy to just plug the Quest 3 into a USB battery pack.)
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
In use
Using the Focus Vision doesn’t feel much different than the Focus — a headset I liked when I reviewed in 2021, but as a business-focused device I warned that no consumer should actually buy it. That’s not too surprising, I suppose, since both headsets share the same basic design, displays and CPU. In standalone VR mode, playing the Maestro demo genuinely made me feel like I was conducting an orchestra (an experience I also had on the Quest 3S), and I enjoyed hopping around a few virtual worlds in VR Chat.
Other experiences, like the classic underwater VR short theBlu, felt just as immersive as they did on clunkier tethered headsets. While I could tell the Focus Vision didn’t have the best lenses around, and I wished it had more graphical horsepower, it still delivered a thrill as I stood in the middle of a sunken shipwreck, waiting for an enormous blue whale to pass by. It was also nice to see the Vive app storefront a bit more populated than it was in 2021. Still, it pales in comparison to Meta’s Quest library, which has far more titles and plenty of compelling exclusives (including Star Wars titles like the Vader Immortal series and Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge).
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
We already knew that HTC Vive could build a decent headset – the Focus Vision’s controllers and speakers are just as capable as they were on the previous model – but what about the Focus Vision’s new features, like mixed reality and eye tracking? Unfortunately, there’s not much to say just yet. There are a handful of mixed reality experiences available, like the creation app Figmin XR and the shooter Yuki, but they’re not exactly mind blowing. The Focus Vision’s 16MP mixed reality cameras deliver a fuzzy view of the real world (similar to the Quest 3 and 3S), so it’s not nearly as immersive as something like the far pricier Apple Vision Pro.
The Focus Vision’s eye tracking feature also refused to work for me entirely, even after I tried to calibrate it without glasses multiple times. That didn’t seem like a huge loss though, as there are only a handful of games in the Vive store that support it (like Capsule Critters and Mare). It’s a feature that seems more useful for developers who want to build their own eye tracking experiences, than it is for people who just want to play games with eye tracking.
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Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Solid stand-alone VR
A better selling point for the Focus Vision is its ability to stream uncompressed desktop VR experiences — but only when you invest in the $149 DisplayPort streaming kit. While Meta’s Quest’s headsets have been able to connect to PCs for years, first via USB-C cables then wirelessly, they also deliver a heavily compressed view of desktop VR. By going straight to the DisplayPort connection on your video card, HTC Vive aims to deliver something closer to what we saw with the Vive Pro 2 and other dedicated PC headsets.
After playing half an hour of Half-Life: Alyx, I can confirm that the Focus Vision delivers a solid desktop VR experience, especially for a standalone headset. But given that it already costs $999 and requires an additional $149 accessory to get there, it’s hard to tell who will find this compelling. True VR heads have likely already invested in serious desktop setups like the Valve Index, or the recent Bigscreen Beyond (which uses absurdly clear microLED screens like the Vision Pro).
The beauty of connecting standalone headsets to PCs has always been about value. It was a huge bonus when the $300 Quest 2 could deliver adequate desktop VR. But that just isn’t the case for the Focus Vision. I suppose if you’re a developer who wants a single device for testing both standalone VR and complex desktop experiences, or working for a business that needs multi-use VR headsets, the Focus Vision could fill some sort of need. But either way, that seems like a fairly niche use case.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
The Focus Vision’s auto-IPD adjustment, which scans your eyes and physically moves the lenses to be in the ideal position, was also hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes it worked just fine and landed near my prescribed IPD of 66. But sometimes the automatic process would land on an IPD of around 72, which made everything look a bit blurry. And occasionally the feature just wouldn’t work at all. Auto adjustment is helpful if you’re sharing a headset with other people, but otherwise manually choosing your preferred IPD is far more useful.
During my typical standalone usage, the Focus Vision lasted for around one hour and 45 minutes, close to the two-hour estimate from HTC Vive. That’s less than what I typically see on the Quest 3 and 3S, but at least you can purchase additional batteries and easily swap them. The built-in battery, which enables hot swapping, lasts for about twenty minutes, but it’s also not something you’ll typically be stressing.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Should you buy the Vive Focus Vision?
Despite my issues, the Focus Vision still sits in an interesting position in the world of VR – especially since Meta gave up on the Quest Pro, which would have been a close competitor. It still delivers decent standalone VR, despite using an aging CPU and lenses. And if you don’t want the clutter of SteamVR sensors in your office, it’s a smart way to tap into powerful PCs for more immersive VR experiences (so long as you buy the $149 DisplayPort kit). But for a $999 headset, it’s a shame HTC Vive didn’t try harder to make the Focus Vision stand out.
Phishing attacks are becoming more complex and harder to detect
Attackers are using new techniques such as QR codes and deepfakes
Some businesses are receiving 36 phishing emails per day
Phishing attacks are consistently on the rise and becoming more sophisticated, as cybercriminals no longer rely solely on basic email schemes, instead incorporating new tactics such as QR code phishing (quishing), AI-powered attacks, and multi-channel phishing to enhance their effectiveness.
A new Egress report has revealed phishing attacks spiked in the second quarter of 2024, with a 28% rise in the number of phishing emails compared to the first quarter.
Phishing attacks are also becoming more sophisticated. Cybercriminals now use a variety of new tactics to bypass secure email gateways (SEGs) and native defenses like Microsoft 365’s security features. In Q2 2024 alone, there was a 52.2% increase in phishing attacks that successfully bypassed SEG detection.
Commodity attacks – a mass-produced threat
One type of phishing that has seen a notable increase in 2024 is commodity attacks. These are mass-produced, malicious campaigns that impersonate well-known brands on a large scale to trick users into clicking on fake promotions, images, or hyperlinks.
The report reveals that during these attacks, organizations experience a staggering 2,700% increase in phishing attempts, with organizations over the 2,000 employee mark would have to deal with over 1,128 phishing emails over 31 days, which is about 36 phishing emails per day. The sheer volume of these attacks can overwhelm many companies’ security systems, making it increasingly difficult to prevent every malicious email from reaching an employee’s inbox.
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One of the methods used to bypass SEG is HTML smuggling, where attackers hide malicious scripts inside HTML attachments. Once opened by the user, the script assembles itself on the victim’s device, bypassing traditional signature-based detection. Another tactic involves embedding phishing links within seemingly legitimate documents or exploiting vulnerabilities in trusted websites to host malware.
Businesses must now implement advanced security measures and foster a culture of awareness to better protect themselves against the growing threat of phishing.
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Phishing attacks are increasingly using AI-powered tools to scale their operations. AI allows cybercriminals to automate and personalize phishing campaigns, making them more convincing and harder to detect. Deepfakes and AI-generated chatbots are now major tools of choice for cybercriminals.
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These technologies allow attackers to impersonate trusted individuals or organizations, further increasing the likelihood of success. This year, there has been a significant rise in “payloadless” attacks which rely solely on social engineering rather than traditional malicious attachments or links, accounting for nearly 19% of phishing attempts in 2024, up from 5.4% in 2021.
Cybercriminals are also using multi-channel phishing tactics, allowing hackers to target victims across multiple platforms such as email, SMS, and even collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams. This multi-channel approach has become more common in 2024, exploiting the relative lack of security on non-email platforms.
The New York Times has introduced the next title coming to its Games catalog following Wordle’s continued success — and it’s all about math. Digits has players adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing numbers. You can play its beta for free online right now. In Digits, players are presented with a target number that they need to match. Players are given six numbers and have the ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide them to get as close to the target as they can. Not every number needs to be used, though, so this game should put your math skills to the test as you combine numbers and try to make the right equations to get as close to the target number as possible.
Players will get a five-star rating if they match the target number exactly, a three-star rating if they get within 10 of the target, and a one-star rating if they can get within 25 of the target number. Currently, players are also able to access five different puzzles with increasingly larger numbers as well. I solved today’s puzzle and found it to be an enjoyable number-based game that should appeal to inquisitive minds that like puzzle games such as Threes or other The New York Times titles like Wordle and Spelling Bee. In an article unveiling Digits and detailing The New York Time Games team’s process to game development, The Times says the team will use this free beta to fix bugs and assess if it’s worth moving into a more active development phase “where the game is coded and the designs are finalized.” So play Digits while you can, as The New York Times may move on from the project if it doesn’t get the response it is hoping for. Digits’ beta is available to play for free now on The New York Times Games’ website
Samsung is kicking off its Black Friday Sale right now, with some pretty incredible offers. Now on top of the deals that we’ll be talking about below, you can get an extra 10% off via the Samsung Shop App, and an additional $50 credit for first time Shop App customers. That’s a pretty incredible deal.
So what does Samsung have in store for these early Black Friday Deals? Well, quite a bit of savings. On the Galaxy S24 series, you can save up to $1,000 on your purchase. On the new Galaxy Z Fold 6, you can save up to $1,600. And those are just a few of the many deals available.
Now you can save big on Samsung’s latest and greatest products, without having to wait for Black Friday.
My husband and I love our cat very much, but boy, does her poop stink up the joint. After seeing an ad for Pretty Litter online, we decided to try it out to see if it would help us. Fortunately, it does, and more. Not only does it have super absorbent silicon crystals that trap odor, but it actually changes color to tell you if your cat has any urinary tract issues. Of course, this doesn’t replace going to the vet, but it’s nice to know what’s going on with your cat’s health. Since the litter is so efficient at keeping odor away, we’ve found that we actually use less litter than before, which helps reduce waste. Plus, our cat seems to like it too. On top of that, the company offers a subscription service, delivering a new bag to your door every month. — Nicole Lee, Former Reporter
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