Latest news with #VictoriaSong
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Samsung Project Moohan Headset Specs Revealed In Benchmark Test
Samsung Project Moohan headset A benchmark result published online appears to have revealed as-yet unannounced core specs of the upcoming Samsung Project Moohan headset. It will be the first to show off the Android XR platform. Geekbench 6 is a great tool for comparing the power of mobile hardware, but by default any results are automatically uploaded to the platform's online database. This has happened to Samsung's upcoming SM-i610, revealed to be Samsung's Project Moohan headset months ago. Abishek Yadav highlighted the Geekbench entry on X, which reveals the headset on test has 16GB RAM and CPU specs that match those of the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2. That includes six performance-driven CPU cores and an Adreno 740 graphics chipset. This chipset is one generation on from the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor used in the Meta Quest 3, but they both use an Adreno 740 series CPU. In Geekbench 6's test run, the device scored 2453 points overall, which is only roughly comparable with a flagship phone many years old. However, the graphics processor is the more important metric here, and the headset lacks the additional efficiency cores found in phones — an architecture style Geekbench 6 is really designed to test. The Adreno 740, meanwhile, is used in the punchy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. And a phone with one of those SoCs might score somewhere in the ballpark of 9000 points in Geekbench 6. It's also worth noting VR headsets often will not score well in Geekbench 6, likely influenced by the additional overheads of the interface, compared to a plain Android phone. It may still be worth comparing the 2453 points of Project Moohan with the Meta Quest 3, which scores around 1500-1600 points in most test runs. Some listed on Geekbench's database are far higher, though, with scores above 2000 points. The Geekbench listing also suggests Project Moohan runs Android 14, suggesting this is the kernel used in the first version of Android XR. It's behind the latest phones, which run Android 15, while Android 16 was unveiled earlier this month. Android XR is Google's new interface for mixed and augmented reality, the showing off of which is a primary reason for Samsung's Project Moohan to even exist. A handful of journalists and influencers have already had the opportunity to try out the Project Moohan headset first-hand. The Verge's Victoria Song says it's 'much lighter and more comfortable to wear' than the Apple Vision Pro, while noting the experience of actually using it feels quite similar to that of Apple's headset. TechRadar's Jacob Krol says the headset is 'clearly a bit less premium' than Apple Vision Pro, but with that comes significantly reduced weight. He also highlights the tight integration with Google Gemini, which is core component of Android XR. Two important questions remain unanswered. Samsung has not announced when Project Moohan is out beyond that it's planned for 2025 still, or revealed how much it will cost.
24-05-2025
- Business
Tech expert unpacks Trump's threat to add a 25% tariff to the iPhone
ABC News' Stephanie Ramos spoke with Victoria Song, a senior reviewer for The Verge, about whether Apple can meet President Donald Trump's demand to manufacture iPhones in the U.S.
The Verge
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Verge
Eight Sleep adds a pricey blanket and speakers to its Pod 5 sleep system
Eight Sleep is launching the Pod 5, the fifth generation of its expensive smart sleeping system. It packs two main upgrades: a temperature-controlled blanket and speakers that can play 'soothing soundscapes.' The Pod 5 builds on top of Eight Sleep's existing tech, shipping with the same temperature controlled mattress cover and height-adjustable base that Eight Sleep says helps to reduce snoring. The new blanket complements the cover by syncing up with it, delivering the same water-powered cooling and warming range of 55 to 110 Fahrenheit, but now from all around you. Just like the existing cover, you can set different temperatures on each side of the bed to avoid midnight squabbles. The other big addition is a set of surround-sound speakers integrated into the updated base. Eight Sleep has worked with neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman on a set of Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) guided meditations 'for achieving deep relaxation and restorative states.' There's also a selection of white noise and other calming sounds, which can be set to turn off once you fall asleep, or keep playing all night if you prefer. Eight Sleep is also improving the Pod's health tracking with Health Check, a new report in the Eight Sleep app. It monitors users' heart rate and breathing during sleep, and 'AI-powered algorithms' will flag any issues in the morning. My colleague Victoria Song tested out Eight Sleep's Pod 4 Ultra last year and apparently had the best sleep of her life. That would be great, if it didn't come at such a high price: the Pod 5 starts at $2,849 for a full size Core model that only includes the mattress cover and a hub to power it. The price jumps to $4,099 to add on the blanket, and $6,099 for the adjustable base and speakers, and there's a mandatory subscription too, which starts at $199 per year.
The Verge
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Verge
Eight Sleep adds a pricey blanket and speakers to its Pod 5 sleeping system
Eight Sleep is launching the Pod 5, the fifth generation of its expensive smart sleeping system. It packs two main upgrades: a temperature-controlled blanket and speakers that can play 'soothing soundscapes.' The Pod 5 builds on top of Eight Sleep's existing tech, shipping with the same temperature controlled mattress cover and height-adjustable base that Eight Sleep says helps to reduce snoring. The new blanket complements the cover by syncing up with it, delivering the same water-powered cooling and warming range of 55 to 110 Fahrenheit, but now from all around you. Just like the existing cover, you can set different temperatures on each side of the bed to avoid midnight squabbles. The other big addition is a set of surround-sound speakers integrated into the updated base. Eight Sleep has worked with neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman on a set of Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) guided meditations 'for achieving deep relaxation and restorative states.' There's also a selection of white noise and other calming sounds, which can be set to turn off once you fall asleep, or keep playing all night if you prefer. Eight Sleep is also improving the Pod's health tracking with Health Check, a new report in the Eight Sleep app. It monitors users' heart rate and breathing during sleep, and 'AI-powered algorithms' will flag any issues in the morning. My colleague Victoria Song tested out Eight Sleep's Pod 4 Ultra last year and apparently had the best sleep of her life. That would be great, if it didn't come at such a high price: the Pod 5 starts at $2,849 for a full size Core model that only includes the mattress cover and a hub to power it. The price jumps to $4,099 to add on the blanket, and $6,099 for the adjustable base and speakers.
The Verge
10-05-2025
- The Verge
Whoop backpedals on its paid upgrade whoops
Whoop is in damage control mode. After debuting its Whoop 5.0 fitness tracker, users were angered to find it had reneged on a promise of free hardware upgrades. In a new Reddit post, the company now says users who have been members for over 12 months can get the Whoop 5.0 for free. Part of the outrage was prompted by Whoop's confusing messaging. Early yesterday morning, my colleague Victoria Song reported that to get a Whoop 5.0 band, users would need to extend their existing membership by an additional 12 months or pay a one-time upgrade fee. However, until at least March 28th of this year, Whoop's website had a blog post that said users would only need to have been a member for at least six months to get a free upgrade to next-gen hardware. After the backlash, Whoop is now changing its tune — somewhat. Those with 'more than 12 months remaining' are 'eligible for a free upgrade to WHOOP 5.0 on Peak,' one of its new subscription offerings. Those with less than 12 months left, still have to either extend their membership another 12 months or pay a one-time upgrade fee, the company says. The same information is reflected in an update on its membership pricing page. The company addresses the earlier blog post, writing that 'a previous blog article incorrectly stated that anyone who had been a member for just 6 months would receive a free upgrade. This was never our policy and should never have been posted.' Whoop goes on: As noted above, our policy for upgrades from WHOOP 3.0 to WHOOP 4.0 was that members with 6 months or more remaining on their membership were eligible for a free upgrade to WHOOP 4.0. We removed that blog article when it came to our attention and updated WHOOP Coach with the proper information. We're sorry for any confusion this may have caused. That seems to line up with a Forbes interview that a Reddit user found, in which Whoop CEO Will Ahmed told the outlet that members with a Whoop 3.0 band could upgrade to the 4.0 model, so long as they had 'at least 6 months of membership left on their account.' The company used similar language in a 2021 blog post about the Whoop 4.0 band. Still, Redditors aren't responding well to the company's response, with some complaining about the need to extend their subscription even if they have 11 months left, or threatening to cancel their subscription. Even some who are more accepting of the change have criticisms. One person writes that while they're 'pleased with the change,' they don't buy that the blog post was made in error. 'They should just own that they changed their mind/policy rather than claim it was a false posting to begin with.'
