ByteDance’s Pico reveals its latest VR headset as it aims to compete with Meta Quest 2

ByteDance subsidiary Pico has unveiled its latest virtual reality headset. The Pico 4 will initially be available in Japan, South Korea, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and eight other European countries. Pico hasn’t revealed US release plans as yet, but it aims to bring the device to Singapore and Malaysia by the end of the year, and China at a later date.

The headset — which has a Qualcomm XR2 processor, an Adreno 650 GPU and 8GB of RAM — can be used as a standalone device. Pico claims the battery, which is in the rear strap to help keep things balanced, offers around three hours of use on a single charge, as The Verge notes. The device weighs 295 grams without the strap and 586 grams when it’s attached.

You can also connect Pico 4 to a gaming PC for higher-end VR experiences. That might be necessary to make full use of the dual displays, which offer higher than 4K resolution at 4,320 x 2,160 resolution for each eye. The displays have a 90Hz refresh rate and 105-degree field of view, according to Pocket-lint.  

The Pico 4 uses inside-out tracking with no need for external beacons. It comes with Pico 4 motion controllers (which have vibration features) and there are four external cameras, as Road to VR points out. According to the Pico website, the device will offer full-color passthrough — something Meta is working on for its Project Cambria headset. 

A person wearing the Pico 4 virtual reality headset.
Pico

Given that ByteDance also owns TikTok, it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s a way to view videos from that app. You’ll be able to share VR experiences to TikTok as well. There will be hundreds more things to watch in VR and 360 formats. Pico is working to bring live sports and “avatar-based concerts” to the platform as well. 

As for games, there are 165 of them in the Pico store and more being added each week. The headset will support the likes of Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom, Demeo, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, All-in-One Summer Sports VR and Just Dance VR (which will arrive in 2023 as a Pico exclusive). There will also be SteamVR support.

Meanwhile, there are plans to launch a metaverse-style experience called Pico Worlds next year. Unlike in Meta’s Horizon Worlds, Pico’s avatars appear to have legs.

Considering the price and specs, it’s Pico is trying to compete with Meta Quest 2 (Meta recently bumped up the price of that product). Whether the brand can hang with Meta on the content front remains to be seen. Users are unlikely to be able to play Beat Saber, for instance. Pico also revealed its latest device just a few weeks before Meta will show off at least one VR headset, likely to be the higher-end Project Cambria model, at Connect.

A Pico 4 with 128GB of storage costs €429 (around $422). A model with double the storage capacity will run you €499 (approximately $491). Preorders open next month and the headset will ship on October 18th. Pico also plans to release some accessories next year. A more accurate fitness tracker, a wireless dongle for PC connectivity and a carrying case will each cost €50 (or around $49).

Affirm’s pay-over-time option comes to Canada through Amazon

You no longer need to live in the US to use Affirm’s buy-now-pay-later services for much of your online shopping. Affirm is expanding to Canada through a partnership with Amazon. Spend $50 or more at Amazon.ca and you can choose Affirm’s pay-over-time option at checkout to split the bill into monthly payments. As in the States, there aren’t any late fees or surprise charges.

The payment option will be available within a month. The Canadian rollout comes roughly two years after Affirm bought local equivalent PayBright — this is effectively a rebranding. Affirm serves Australia as well, but only for people buying Peloton exercise equipment.

This won’t help if you prefer to shop beyond Amazon, and might prove expensive if your purchase amount and pay schedule involve significant interest rates (they range from zero to 30 percent, Affirm says). As with a car or house, you’re paying more overall to make the price easier to swallow. Still, this could be useful if you can’t afford to buy a computer or TV outright and need to spread the costs.

Microscopic robots walk autonomously using simple ‘brains’

It’s long been possible to make extremely small robots, but they usually need some form of direct external control just to operate. Cornell scientists may have solved that problem on a basic level, however. They’ve created microrobots (no more than 250 micrometers across) with basic electronic “brains” that let them walk autonomously. Two- and six-legged robots move relatively simply, while a four-legged “dogbot” changes speed when an operator sends laser pulses.

The trick was to build a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (or CMOS, as computer enthusiasts know it) clock circuit whose signal produces phase-shifted square wave frequencies that set the gait of the robot’s platinum-based legs. Photovoltaics control both the legs and the circuit. The design is far from complex at just 1,000 transistors (for context, a GeForce RTX 4090 has 76.3 billion), and it’s still large enough that it effectively serves as the robot’s body. However, even that is an achievement — the exceptionally low power demands saved Cornell from having to use relatively gigantic photovoltaics.

These inventions are a far cry from the more sophisticated large-scale autonomous robots you see today. They can move forward, but not much else. The researchers see this as just a beginning, though. They believe future microrobots could be crucial to healthcare, where they could perform internal surgery and clean your arteries. Elsewhere, they could detect chemicals and eliminate pollutants. Any such bots are likely years away, but this project suggests they’re technically possible.

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Yale’s redesigned Assure Lock 2 will be one of the first Matter-compatible smart home devices

We’ve already written about the convenience of Yale’s smart locks. But now after five years on the market, Yale is updating its flagship product with a brand new design, a wider range of connectivity options and even more styles to suit your home.

Priced between $160 to $260, the new Assure Lock 2 will be available in four main variations: two touchscreen models (both with and without a key cylinder) and two keypad models (one keyed and one key-free). By default all models with include Bluetooth connectivity, though you can also upgrade to a version with built-in WiFi. But perhaps most importantly, because users will be able to buy and install add-on modules that enable additional wireless connectivity, it’s easy to upgrade your lock post-purchase. Additionally, Yale says the Assure Lock 2 will be one of the first Matter-compatible smart locks on the market when it releases its Matter add-on module shortly after the Matter spec officially goes live later this fall.

Yale's Assure Lock 2 will be available in four main models: a keypad with deadbolt, a touchscreen with deadbolt, a key-free keypad and a key-free touchscreen.
Yale

Alongside a wide range of connectivity options, Yale also says WiFi models will no longer require the use of a dedicated Connect Bridge, which should help streamline installation. And as for the lock itself, the company claims that the Assure Lock 2 is 30 percent smaller than its predecessor while still being compatible with most standard door sizes used in the US and Canada. Meanwhile, to ensure the lock blends in better with your door, customers will be able to choose from three different finishes including black suede, oil rubbed bronze and satin nickel. And as before, on models without a physical key cylinder, if your lock runs out of juice, you can still unlock the door by tapping a 9-volt battery to the contacts on the bottom of the device’s housing. 

Once installed (which Yale says can be done using only a standard screwdriver), users can enable a number of security functions ranging from voice controls (via Google Assistant, Alexa and Siri), two-factor authentication and even the ability to unlock your door by using biometric verification on your phone. Other standard features include auto lock and unlocking, virtual keys/entry codes for shared access and more. 

So while we haven’t had the chance to test out Assure Lock 2 just yet, it really seems like Yale has covered all the bases with its new flagship smart lock. The Assure Lock 2 is available today starting at $160 for the key-free Bluetooth/Apple HomeKit model, with WiFi models starting a bit higher at $240. Sometime later this year, there will also be a version that supports Z-Wave out of the box starting at $190, with additional modules (including the upcoming Matter add-on) slated to cost $80 each.

DJI’s Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal offers improved tracking and a new ‘Quick Launch’ feature

DJI has launched the Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal, and it comes with a larger clamp than its predecessors to accommodate bigger phones or smaller ones with bulky cases. It has a new handle handle designed to be more comfortable to hold, but it kept the Osmo Mobile 5’s built-in extension rod that lets you use it as a selfie stick. The Osmo 6 also features an improved version of DJI’s ActiveTrack, which allows stable tracking for longer distances and enables the phone’s front camera to track subjects that spin or turn to the side.

Another new feature is Quick Launch for the iPhone. So long as it’s an iPhone that’s attached to the stabilizer, the Mimo app instantly enters camera view when the gimbal is unfolded. DJI says it could dramatically reduce prep times and can get the phone ready to take photos three times faster than previous Osmo Mobile models can. 

DJI
DJI

The new gimbal has a built-in status panel that lets you quickly check battery levels, as well as a Mode button that gives you a way to cycle between modes with every tap. When in Follow mode, the camera view stays locked in during rolls but follows the gimbal’s pan and tilt movements. Tilt Lock enables the camera view to follow the gimbal’s pan movements but stays stable during tit and rolls. The camera view follows all the gimbal’s movements in FPV mode for a more dynamic footage, while SpinShot lets you control the camera view by moving the joystick left or right. 

Just like its predecessor, the Osmo Mobile 6 also has a number of intelligent features, namely timelapse, gesture control, automatic dynamic zoom, panorama and story mode. Finally, the gimbal comes with a Side Wheel that lets you control and adjust the focal length and zoom in or out. The DJI Osmo Mobile 6 will be available starting today from the company’s online store for €169/£145 (US$166) and will make its way to more retailers in the future. It will ship with a magnetic clamp, tripod, power cable, wrist strap and storage pouch.