Alright, folks, let’s dive into the wild and whirling world of tech—and by tech, I mean all the juggernauts like Apple, Meta, Google, and, oh yeah, Valve. You might wanna stick around to the end because, spoiler alert, there’s a mixed reality game giveaway. And if you’re into more of my random musings, check out my recent piece about the XR scene in China and my pending jaunt to Shanghai. Who knew my life would involve so many acronyms?
### The Big Kahunas of the Week
So, kicking things off, let’s talk headsets and tariffs. Headsets bearing the potential wrath of U.S. tariffs seemed like the plot twist of one of those soap operas mom used to watch. Companies like Pimax and BigScreen are biting the bullet. Well, sorta. They’re absorbing some of the tariff hits, not wanting to dump extra costs on us, the squealing public. Pimax will throw in a little surcharge, but hey, at least they’re trying to soften the blow. And just when we thought XR headsets were going under the tax hammer, surprise surprise, the U.S. decided to exempt most electronic devices from tariffs. Special props to Upload VR for reporting that our trusty headsets got spared. But hold your party poppers; we still need a 100% confirmation about these tariffs—or their absence. Sigh, the suspense is killing me.
### Other Stuff From La-la Land (aka Tech World)
And now Apple’s getting cheeky with their Vision Pro 2, which might already be in the assembly line. Rumors are as rampant as teenage scandals—everyone’s got a theory. One whispers about Vision Pro 2 being born, and another predicts a bundle of features bolted onto our Macs. There’s even talk of Apple banging out some shiny AR glasses before Zuckerberg & Co. Honestly, I imagine Tim Cook every night stitching those glasses by himself.
Then there’s Valve, apparently firing up key components for a gizmo called Deckard. If Brad Lynch isn’t messing with us (again), Valve’s planning on using some Faceplate Fancy McFace-off machinery for their Deckard doo-dad. Are we on the cusp of witnessing the birth of a new VR hotness? Only the shadowy powers of Valve know.
Meanwhile, those ever-scheming souls at Google and Samsung are gestating glasses planned for 2026. Yes, that’s right, 2026. I can’t even plan dinner for tomorrow, but these guys are designing the future. They’ve kicked their old project to the curb and are plotting some futuristic specs with displays and cameras. It’s like Iron Man’s HUD but potentially less cool.
### Surprise, Surprise
The resurrection of AltspaceVR hit me like a surprise sixth birthday party—pleasant but utterly baffling; some dude named Danny Mac’s dawning the Altspace mantle anew. Gotta hand it to him; he’s going for the open-source gusto using Basis VR to recapture those cozy cyberspace vibes we never knew we missed. Little info on funding and the crew, but hey, maybe it’s a rags-to-code riches story in the making.
### Quickies On The Fly
Just a speed round for news bites you won’t read anywhere else—unless you have WiFi and a pulse—Meta’s trying in-flight VR for the globetrotting elite. Little plug here for Fiji Airways? Nah, too far. Meanwhile, Varjo’s ghosting the consumer market for more serious B2B deals, and Pico’s pushing a waist tracker because… supa fine tracking accuracy? Sure, let’s go with that.
And finally, you can’t immediately nix Horizon Worlds on your headset anymore. Meta wants it glued to our eyeballs along with barely-requested ads because everyone just loves those, right?
## The Grand Giveaway
Hold up, to punctuate this manic marathon, here’s something grounding: We have a mixed reality game called Alex And The Jets. You can literally turn your living room into battlefield central, and if you’re quick with the clicks, catch one of the codes for free! It’s fun, it’s immersive, and it’s chaotic—much like this write-up.
And if you made it this far through my digital rambling, give yourself a pat on the back and maybe, you know, share this chaos with a friend who might just enjoy the same ride.
Alright, that’s it for the tech carnival this week. Catch you next round as I awkwardly try to navigate through more of life with my barely-functioning GPS.
