Meta Planning 4 AR/VR Headsets; More Pixel Watch; Apple Watch Getting Body Temp Sensor; Former TikTok Exec Launches Dating App

Meta apparently has four…count ‘em….four AR/VR headsets in the works, and is shooting to release all of them by 2024. The Information reports that the one Meta has teased as Project Cambria is being described as a ‘Chromebook for the face.’ Apparently it will have “high-resolution image quality for reading text, with the idea that people can use it to send emails or code.” Its mixed reality nature also means that the external cameras can be activated to view your surroundings (“full color pass-through”) with similar resolution. The price target is $799. Meta sees this device as eventually replacing your laptop or work setup. A second iteration of the Cambria dubbed Funston is planned for 2024. The company is also working on a less pricey Quest headset, which is code named Stinson and Cardiff. Those rigs are planned for next year and 2024. Google is expected to release its first mixed reality headset (Project Iris) in 2024, and who knows when Apple will roll theirs out…so the next couple years could see a bumper crop of mixed reality headsets hitting the market. 

While a lot has already leaked out about the upcoming Pixel Watch, here are a couple more leaked details. According to 9to5google.com, the watch will have a 300 mAh battery and will also have cellular connectivity. The latter may not be on all three models, that’s unclear. For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 has a 247 mAh battery. That watch touts a 40 hour run time, so the Pixel should have no trouble making it through the day on a charge. The big detail still unknown….how much will the Pixel Watches sell for. We will probably know more later this month as Google holds I/O.

It may not get the golden fleece blood sugar measurement or even blood pressure, but it looks like the Apple Watch Series 8 may get body temperature sensing if the algorithm pans out. Appleinsider.com notes that getting a core body temp reading is more tricky than you would think…that’s why most doctor offices or hospitals still use under the tongue or ear instruments. Your skin temperature can vary quickly depending on outside elements. Apple had wanted to announce the feature in the Watch 7, but didn’t think it was good enough. Samsung is reported to be working on a temperature sensing feature too, and grappling with the same issues.

Alex Hoffmann, former president of musical.ly (now TikTok) has dropped a dating app. Techcrunch.com says that Hoffmann had just intended to be an investor after ByteDance Bought musical.ly 4 years ago, but couldn’t resist getting back to making apps. He notes that most apps and platforms have multiple products (think Meta with Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), so founded a company called 9count. So far, they have made Everland, Helpline, and a friend making app called Wink, which has attracted several million users. Now, its a dating app called Spark. Unlike a lot of dating apps, there’s no swiping left or right…you see a grid of people who have some proximity to you…rather like Grindr. With Spark, though, you can only get messages from someone if you have both ‘sparked’ (or liked) each other. Messages on Spark go ‘poof’ and disappear after 24 hours. Its subscription based…$19.99 a month, with a small discount for either 3 or 12 months in advance. Hoffmann uses AI moderation tool Hive to try to keep NSFW stuff from profiles. They also field a 24/7 trust and safety team.