The Morning After: This is the PlayStation VR2 headset

Like the PlayStation 5 before it, Sony has eked out specifications and teasers for its next-generation virtual reality hardware. We saw the controllers a while back (which have now been further refined, and color-swapped to white), but finally the headset itself is breaking cover.

It suitably matches the aesthetic of the latest PlayStation: all whites, curves and soft lines. It still carries the DNA of Sony’s first VR headset, but looks even more slender. The spherical profile apparently represents the users’ 360-degree view they’ll experience.

PlayStation SVP Hidekai Nishino noted that ergonomics were a major focus, with a new lens adjustment dial to help users ensure good eye comfort and a design that will offer improved airflow when you’re strapped in. The bad news is the lack of news on launch dates and prices. Rumors have pointed to a late 2022 reveal. At least that’s this year.

-Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

It’s laid off 111 staffers as it pivots to cargo.

Virgin Hyperloop will exclusively focus on moving cargo, and has slashed almost half of its total workforce. A spokesperson confirmed to the Financial Times that the shift away from passengers was taking place, with supply chain issues and COVID contributing to the change.

Since its inception, the company has been developing its vacuum-tube system to carry both passengers and freight. One of the earliest concepts VH floated was an “inland port,” in which cargo vessels would put containers onto capsules that are shot inland before they’re processed.

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Is DJI actually the most innovative camera company in the world?

We don’t review many cinema cameras, but DJI’s latest, with LiDAR autofocus, a Z-arm stabilizer and much, much more, deserved some attention. Associate Editor Steve Dent put it to work. The Ronin 4D isn’t entirely perfect. It weighs a lot and there’s a rolling shutter effect at play too, but there’s nothing else out there that can rival its tech and design. It’s surprisingly easy to operate, offers good image quality and is seemingly designed to make cinematic recording easier for you. Take a closer look.

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You’ll need $90 and a Premium subscription to use it.

Spotify’s Car Thing first debuted last April after breaking from cover nearly two years prior. Back then, you needed to be part of a select few to get one. In October, the company expanded its invite list for all users in the US. Yesterday, Spotify announced that the Car Thing is available for anyone in the States to purchase directly from the company. The device is $89.99 and requires a Premium subscription for you to be able to use it in your car. Car Thing is essentially a Spotify box for most cars — so long as you have an aux jack or Bluetooth connectivity. Oh and a power source. Intrigued? We put one to the test .

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The birds displayed rare cooperative “rescue” behavior.

Dominique Potvin, an Animal Ecology professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia, said he and his team recently witnessed a mischief of magpies display a rare cooperative “rescue” behavior when they attempted to track the birds. The researchers made a lightweight but tough tracking harness the birds could wear like backpacks. They also created a feeding station that would wirelessly charge and download data from the trackers. It even had a magnet for freeing the birds of the harness. Within 10 minutes of Potvin’s team fitting the final tracker, they saw a female magpie use her bill to remove a harness off of one of the younger birds. Hours later, most of the other test subjects had been freed of their trackers too. Better luck next time, scientists.

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An owner claims it knew about a bug that allowed ape purchases far below market value.

A man who unknowingly sold his Bored Ape NFT for a pittance is suing OpenSea, claiming it knew about a flaw in its platform that allowed hackers to buy unlisted NFTs at a fraction of the market price, decrypt has reported. Timothy McKimmy alleged in a complaint that he didn’t even list his Bored Ape #3475 for sale, but a hacker managed to buy it for just .01 ETH ($26) before turning around and selling it for 99 ETH ($250,000 at current prices). He claims that despite the bug being widely reported in the media, OpenSea refused to halt trading.

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