Apple to Announce Q4 2018 Earnings on November 1

Apple today updated its investor relations page to announce that it will share its earnings results for the fourth fiscal quarter (third calendar quarter) of 2018 on Thursday, November 1.

The earnings release will provide a look at sales of the new iPhone XS and XS Max during their first week of availability, and we may hear some details on how well the Apple Watch Series 4 sold.

Apple has not provided launch weekend sales for the iPhone XS and XS Max, so earnings will mark the first look at how well the updated devices sold compared to the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X.

Apple’s guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 includes expected revenue of $60 to $62 billion and gross margin between 38 and 38.5 percent. In 4Q 2017, Apple posted revenue of $52.6 billion and gross margin of 37.9 percent.

The quarterly earnings statement will be released at 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report taking place at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern. MacRumors will provide coverage of both the earnings release and conference call on November 1.

Tags: earnings, AAPL
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple CEO Tim Cook to Discuss Privacy, China, Alex Jones and More in VICE Interview Tonight

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sat down for an interview with VICE News Tonight’s Elle Reeve, and the footage from the interview is set to air tonight.

According to a teaser shared by VICE News Tonight, Cook will cover topics that include the importance of privacy, Apple’s relationship with China, and why Apple blocked conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his Infowars app and podcast.

Ahead of the interview, VICE shared several quotes from Cook on the above-mentioned topics. On privacy and its impact on Siri, for example, Cook said that Apple doesn’t believe that personal data is needed to make services better. “Whoever’s telling you that — it’s a bunch of bonk,” he said.

Cook also said Apple has not made it easier for the Chinese government to get data from Chinese customers because the company uses the same encryption everywhere.

It’s not easy for anybody to get it. I mean it’s it’s encrypted like it is everywhere. And so no, I wouldn’t I wouldn’t get caught up in the, ‘Where’s the location of it?’ I mean, we have servers located in many different countries in the world. They are not easier to get data from being in one country versus the next.

On the topic of Alex Jones, Cook said that the removal of the Infowars show from Apple podcasts is an example of the importance of human curation. Cook also said that Apple does not lean one way or the other politically, and it wasn’t taking a political stance removing Jones’ offensive content.

What users want from us and what we’ve always provided them is a curated platform. We think the what the user wants is someone that does review these apps, someone that does review the podcasts, someone that on like Apple news, where a human is selecting the top stories. And that’s what we do. We don’t take a political stand. We’re not leaning one way or the other. You can tell that from the stuff on the App Store and in podcasts etc. You’ll see everything from very conservative to very liberal. And that’s the way I think it should be.

Cook went on to explain that there was no coordination between tech companies after Facebook and Twitter both removed Infowars content after Apple did. “I’ve never even had a conversation about [Alex Jones] with other tech companies,” he said. “We make our decisions independently and I think that’s important.”

We asked Apple CEO @tim_cook for examples of when he has chosen privacy over profit. “Well that would be a very long list, to be honest with you.”

Watch the full exclusive interview on #VICENewsTonight at 7:30 PM EDT on @HBO. pic.twitter.com/zD3t43B4TN

— VICE News (@vicenews) October 2, 2018

To see Cook’s full range of comments, make sure to watch Vice News Tonight at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on HBO.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Tag: Tim Cook
Discuss this article in our forums

MIT’s latest A.I. is freakishly good at determining what’s going on in videos

Just a few frames of information telling a story are all we need to understand what is going on. This is, after all, the basis for comic books — which provide just enough of the important story beats for us to follow what has happened. Sadly, robots equipped with computer vision technology struggle to do this. Until now, at least.

Recently, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated a new type of artificial intelligence system which uses a neural network to fill in the blanks in video frames to work out what activity is taking place. The results make it astonishingly good at determining what is taking place in a video.

“The newly developed temporal relation modules enable the A.I. system to analyze a few key frames and estimate the temporal relation among them, in order to understand what’s going on in the video — such as a stack of objects [being] knocked down,” Bolei Zhou, a former Ph.D. student in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), who is now an assistant professor of computer science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told Digital Trends. “Because the model works with key frames sparsely sampled from the incoming video, the processing efficiency is greatly improved, enabling real-time activity recognition.”

Another exciting property of the A.I. model is that it can anticipate and forecast what will happen early on by viewing frames of video. For instance, if it sees a person holding a bottle, the algorithm anticipates that they might take a drink or possibly squeeze it. Such anticipation abilities will be essential for artificial intelligence used in domains like autonomous driving, where it could proactively prevent accidents by guessing what will happen from moment to moment.

“It [could also] be used to monitor human behaviors, such as a home robot assistant which could anticipate your intention by delivering things beforehand,” Zhou continued. “It [could additionally be employed] to analyze the massive [number of] videos online, to do better video understanding and video retrieval.”

The next step of the project will involve increasing the A.I.’s ability to recognize a broader number of objects and activities. The team is also working with robotics researchers to deploy this activity recognition into robot systems. These could see enhanced perception and visual reasoning skills as a result.

Editors’ Recommendations

• MIT, Adobe’s new A.I. could bring one-click background removal, social filters
• Machine learning? Neural networks? Here’s your guide to the many flavors of A.I.
• Researchers put A.I. inside a camera lens to compute ‘at the speed of light’
• AutoX will soon test its autonomous grocery delivery program in California
• Replaced by robots: 10 jobs that could be hit hard by the A.I. revolution

Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Go

Since the debut of its very first Oculus Rift prototype, Oculus VR has been making virtual reality more accessible. Following on from the Gear VR, it released the Oculus Go in mid-2018 and will follow it up with another standalone headset in 2019, called the Oculus Quest. Both require no additional hardware to operate and have much lower price tags than some of the VR competition, but which is better? We pitted the Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Go, to find out.

Design

VR headset development has improved in recent years and both the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest reflect that. They have different color schemes, but both offer a smooth exterior with no obvious sensor bumps or dips like the HTC Vive. We found both to be comfortable to wear over extended periods, with enough space for various face shapes and sizes. However, we did note some light bleed at the base of the Go’s padding, which meant that it was often more immersive to use in a darkened room.

Although the head mounting mechanisms and cushioning of both headsets are pretty comparable, there is a noticeable difference in weight. Where the Oculus Go weighs the same as the Oculus Rift — around 470 grams — the Oculus Quest with its additional sensors and internal hardware, weighs in at 100 grams heavier. Oculus is reportedly still fine-tuning it, and it didn’t cause any difficulties for us in terms of comfort, but it may become more of a factor for longer play sessions.

Both headsets feature the same spatial audio solution built right into the horizontal headstrap which lets you hear everything in game without completely separating you from the real world. That allowed us to hear instructions from demo staff during our testing, and at home, that should make it easier to communicate with real people outside of VR.

Performance

Where tethered headsets like the Oculus Rift and smartphone powered headsets like the Gear VR are dependent on processing power from separate hardware, the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest are both entirely self-contained. That means they have their own displays, processors, memory, storage, and batteries.

The Oculus Go sports a single 2,560 x 1,440 LCD panel offering 1,280 x 1,440 pixels per eye and operates at a standard 60Hz refresh rate, though some developers can unlock extra performance for a 72Hz refresh rate if the app isn’t too taxing otherwise. Powering that display is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with its own on board graphics. The headset comes in two guises. A 32GB model which retails for $200, and a 64GB model which costs $250.

In comparison, the Oculus Quest has twin OLED displays which have richer colors and deeper blacks than the Oculus Go’s, but do suffer more from ghosting in high-contrast scenes. They each have a resolution of 1,440 x 1,600, which works out to a total resolution of 2,880 x 1,600 — a slight improvement that smooths out the screen door effect a little more, but is more noticeable an enhancement over the Oculus Rift. It also operates at a stock (and locked) refresh rate of 72Hz, for smoother visuals and what should be a slightly more comfortable viewing experience.

Powering those displays is a newer and more capable, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. It’s still a far cry from what PC-tethered headsets are capable of, but it should give a little more graphical grunt to the Quest over the Go, leading to better visuals once developers get to grips with the hardware.

There is only one planned model for the Quest at the moment, though Oculus is said to be considering others. It will retail for $400 and will have 64GB of storage.

The battery life in both models is said to be roughly the same, lasting around 2-3 hours. With the heftier hardware in the Quest, we would expect it to have a slightly larger battery to make this possible, which may be why it comes in heavier.

Tracking and controllers

The starkest difference between the Oculus Quest and Oculus Go is in their tracking capabilities and input options. While neither require external trackers like the Oculus Rift, the Oculus Go utilizes on board sensors like a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer to deliver only three-degrees-of-freedom. That is tilt and rotation tracking. It cannot do positional tracking so won’t notice if you move side to side, up or down, or forward and backwards. Its controller is also quite limited in that it’s a small, wireless remote control with a few button inputs — though some users have reportedly found success connecting third-party gamepads for greater input options.

In comparison, the Oculus Quest offers much more nuanced and expansive tracking and input options. It uses four corner-mounted sensors on the headset itself to track the wearer in 3D space, giving six-degrees-of-freedom that allows for roomscale experiences that are typically only associated with tethered headset solutions. It also offers boundary and object tracking to make sure users don’t walk into chairs or walls.

Oculus even showed off what it called “arenascale” tracking at Oculus Connect 2018, where it placed several Oculus Quest users in a tennis court sized area, all of whom were tracked by their own headsets.

The Quest’s main form of input is a modified pair of Touch controllers that are similar to those used with the Oculus Rift. They have triggers, face buttons, and a thumbstick each, with a relocated ring-sensor for tracking their location. Due to requiring the headset to “see” them in the virtual world, they may not work correctly if moved behind the user — something that isn’t a problem for external sensor VR setups — but they are far more capable for complicated motion inputs in VR than the Go’s limited controller options.

Software

The Oculus Go has an expansive software library with a number of its own titles and many hundreds that were originally built for the Gear VR headset but are fully compatible with the Go.

The Quest, on the other hand, has a much less established library. We’re still as much as six months away from its release, so Oculus has plenty of time to flesh it out with original content, but at this time it’s hoping that Rift developers port their roomscale experiences over to the Oculus Quest to give users more to play with when it’s released.

The best of both worlds

The Oculus Quest might not be ready for a general release just yet, but its potential has us incredibly excited. It’s a powerful, mid-range virtual reality headset with almost none of the drawbacks of the original tethered solutions that debuted back in 2016. It’s entirely wireless, easy to pick up and use for first-time VR explorers, and its price tag isn’t too monstrous at $400, although if you have a decent gaming PC already, it’s worth considering a Rift — or Vive — instead.

The Oculus Go on the other hand, is a more entry-level headset in every way. It’s less detailed, less powerful, and far less capable when it comes to exploring virtual reality. It might be noticeably cheaper, but with just $150 between the 64GB versions of both headsets, the Quest is easily worth spending that bit extra on. Virtual reality is jarringly unreal when you can’t move from one spot, even to lean in close to something, or reach for it with your tracked hand.

The Oculus Quest makes that leap to tangible virtual reality and does so with all of the portability of a mobile VR solution. It’s the kind of easy to use, borderless VR experience that is likely to help bring the technology to mainstream audiences like never before. When it debuts next Spring, that is.

Winner: Oculus Quest

Editors’ Recommendations

• Oculus Quest hands-on review
• Oculus Rift review
• Oculus Go vs. Lenovo Mirage Solo
• The $400 Oculus Quest brings more power to untethered VR gaming
• Oculus ‘Santa Cruz’ VR headset may arrive in the first quarter of 2019

Final leaks show black Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, and Surface Studio

In addition to modest upgrades to its hardware, the biggest change this year to the Surface product would be the addition of a black color. When the Surface RT and Surface Pro initially debuted, Microsoft went with a black coat on the devices’ VaporMg construction.

However, in recent years, Microsoft switched to silver and later added more color options for the Surface Laptop range. Previously, a Microsoft New Zealand event listing hinted at the black color option. “But in October 2018, Surface goes Back to Black,” the listing detailed, confirming earlier leaks and speculations.

And most recently, WalkingCat posted on Twitter what is believed to be final press shots for the black Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, and Surface Studio (shown above).

Microsoft’s refreshed hardware is expected to bring new Intel processors to make the Surface lineup more competitive. It’s believed that the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will get updated to eighth-generation Intel processors, while leaked benchmarks suggest that the Surface Studio will get an updated seventh-generation Intel chip.

Black peripherals

In addition to Surface PCs, Microsoft may also unveil updated peripherals.

Hours ahead of Microsoft’s press event on Tuesday, October 2, Best Buy outed Microsoft’s Modern Mobile Wireless BlueTrack Mouse in the black variant. The listing for the peripheral in the black color gives further credibility that Microsoft may be making a return to black when it refreshes its Surface PC products with color-coordinated accessories.

Although the listing appears to still be live, Best Buy has since pulled the product, noting that the item is no longer available for purchase. “This item is no longer available,” Best Buy said on its website. “But don’t go! We have similar items in stock.”

In addition to the Modern Mouse, Microsoft is also believed to announce an updated model of its Surface Dial and Surface Pen, though we don’t yet know if those will be painted in black.

The company may also use the event to announce updates to its software and services. Given that the next major Windows 10 update, which Microsoft said would be called the October 2018 Update, is around the corner, Microsoft may also demo some of the new features that will be hitting Windows 10 this month.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Microsoft may go back to black with 2018 Surface Pro and Surface Laptop
• The Surface Pro will go back to black, Microsoft event listing confirms
• Microsoft’s Surface Mobile Mouse is the ideal companion for your Surface Go
• Microsoft Surface Laptop review
• Surface Go vs. Surface Pro

SteelSeries’ wireless gaming mouse is charged for battle in 15 minutes

Wireless mice typically aren’t the first choice for most gamers; input lag can be a hindrance on performance and power-hungry batteries can leave players dead in the middle of an intense battle. SteelSeries thinks it can change all that with its new Rival 650 gaming mouse — the first wireless mouse with fast charging and only 1ms of latency. Modeled after the wired Rival 600, SteelSeries hopes to bring the benefits of wireless to the gaming world.

Powered by an internal battery, the Rival 650 can deliver over 10 hours of charging time with only 15 minutes of charging. While the mouse packs a healthy 24 hours of battery life, gamers should be able to feel a bit more confident that they won’t find themselves left in the dust with its fast-charging abilities. Of course, players can still choose to go wired with the included detachable soft rubber cable if they desire.

A gaming mouse wouldn’t be worth anything, even with a full charge, if it couldn’t keep up, and that’s why SteelSeries is promoting Quantum Wireless. Able to maintain a stable and lighting fast connecting with your PC, the Rival 650 packs a minimal 1ms latency with 1,000Hz polling. Addressing the primary concerns for gamers looking to go wireless the new mouse is primed to provide quite a compelling gaming session.

Mostly a 600 with wireless features packed in and ready to go, the newer 650 takes on some of the great traits of its wired counterpart, such as the SteelSeries TrueMove3+ sensor system. With an impressive tracking capability of up to 12,000 CPI and a depth sensor for liftoff detection, it is unlikely your mouse will have trouble keeping up in the arena.

Other features offered by the SteelSeries Rival 650 includes a built-in ARM processor for saving device configurations, embedded RGB lighting, and a customizable weight between 4.2 ounces and 5.4 ounces. The 650 is molded for right-handed players and features an ergonomic grip with a black, soft-touch finish.

Compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux computers with an available USB support, the Rival 650 can be combined with SteelSeries’ Engine software for a customized experience — only available on Windows 7 and Mac. You can purchase the SteelSeries Rival 650 wireless gaming mouse for $120.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best gaming mouse of 2018
• The best gaming headsets of 2018
• The best monitors of IFA 2018
• The best N64 games of all time
• The 25 best GBA games ever made

Leaked Intel processor could help Google Pixel Slate dual-boot into Windows

Leaked benchmarks for the Google Pixel Slate reveals that Google’s first Chrome OS tablet may be released with an Intel processor instead of the ARM-powered chipset found on many Chromebooks on the market today. The device is expected to be unveiled on October 9, and it was previously known in early leaks by its code name, “Nocturne.”

The Geekbench database uncovered by PhoneArena reveals that the Pixel Slate will ship with an Intel Core i7-8500Y processor. The eighth-generation Intel dual-core processor is part of the company’s Amber Lake series, which uses a low-powered 5-watt design. As such, don’t expect performance to be quite as fast as the Core i7 found on mainstream notebooks, but the Intel chipset should still pack in plenty of power.

In addition to the Amber Lake processor, the device is also expected to ship with 16GB of RAM. It’s unclear how this configuration fits in with Google’s Pixelbook lineup, or whether Google will offer a higher end model with a Kaby Lake R processor. The Kaby Lake R chipset would make the Pixel Slate a successor to the current Pixelbook. Although it’s not as powerful as the chipset on the Pixelbook, the Pixel Slate’s Amber Lake processor could make this device more affordable.

Unlike budget-friendly ARM-based Chromebooks, Google has historically leaned on Intel for processing power on its own branded Chrome OS devices, including the Chromebook Pixel and the Pixelbook. This year, with rumors that Chrome OS could allow users to dual-boot into Windows 10, Google’s reliance on an Intel x86 processor is even more important. If this rumor turns out to be true, then the Intel chipset will not only give the Pixel Slate the performance it needs to fluidly handle Chrome OS for demanding users, but it will also bring compatibility with Windows. The addition of Windows means that the Pixel Slate can run apps from three operating systems: Windows, Chrome OS, and Android.

The benchmark showed that the Pixel Slate runs Android 9 Pie. While most Chromebooks on the market today capable of running Android apps run Android 7.1.1, this is the first time that we’re seeing Android 9 Pie on Chrome OS.

As a tablet, the Pixel Slate is expected to arrive with a detachable keyboard, compact design, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The detachable design isn’t the first for Chrome OS — that honor goes to the HP Chromebook x2 — but it will allow the Pixel Slate to compete against other consumer tablets, including Apple’s iPad with its keyboard accessory and Microsoft’s Surface Go.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Chromebook users may soon get the Pixel phone’s best feature: Its camera app
• Google Pixelbook 2: Everything you need to know
• The best laptops
• Google Pixel Slate — the first detachable Pixelbook 2-in-1
• Older Chromebooks may not run Linux programs due to outdated software

Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Rift

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

In 2018 the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset has far more competition than when it launched, and much of it comes from Oculus VR’s other virtual reality products. While the Go is more of an entry-level headset, the Quest has the same price tag as the Rift, and many unique features which make it a worthy competitor for its older brother. To find out which is the best VR headset, we pitted the Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Rift in a classic head(set) to head(set) battle.

Design

The Oculus Rift is the older of the two designs and though it does show, it’s not an antiquated device. It sports a similar fabric-coated exterior to the Quest, a similar tri-strap adjustable headmount, and built in audio. But it’s not identical to the Quest. The Rift is lighter by a full 100 grams, due to the onboard hardware of the Quest, which includes its own processor and battery for wireless operation.

That does mean that the Rift trails wires, where the Quest does not, making the latter a much cleaner-looking headset, especially considering its newly revamped front plate, which wraps around the corners where the four Oculus Insight tracking sensors are located.

Instead of over-the-ear headphones like the Rift, the Quest comes with similar audio to the Oculus Go — a spatial audio solution hidden in the headstrap. That makes it easier to hear what’s going on in the environment around you, whilst still being fully immersed in your VR experience. It’s not necessarily better quality, but it certainly makes it easier to remain present in both the real and virtual worlds.

Performance

The Oculus Quest is the most powerful standalone headset Oculus VR has ever produced, packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with onboard graphics, 64GB of onboard storage, and a battery that gives it between two and three hours of life per charge. As impressive as that all is though, it falls well short of what the Rift can offer, since the wired headset is tethered to a gaming PC. Oculus suggests much higher minimum specifications and the ceiling is far, far higher for potential performance than the Quest’s — think RTX 2080 and 2080 Ti graphics cards. Yet no matter how powerful the PC you hook it up to as well, there’s no concern about battery life, since the headset is powered by your PC via a wired connection.

Although that means that the Rift is capable of running much more detailed virtual reality scenes than the Quest — and for longer — its display has fewer pixels. The Rift’s dual-OLED panels are limited to 1,080 x 1,200 pixels per eye, working out to 2,160 x 1,080 resolution in total. In comparison, the Oculus Quest has twin OLED displays that are 1,600 x 1,440 each, or 3,200 x 1,440. That makes for sharper overall visuals, with a noticeably reduced screen-door effect on the Quest, but its in-game textures, shaders, and models are a far cry from the Rift’s PC-powered visuals.

The Rift handles high-speed motion better than the Quest too, because while its displays are a lower resolution, they have a higher refresh rate. The Quest runs at 72Hz, while the Rift has a fixed 90Hz. That should make it more comfortable for the user too, helping to avoid the dreaded VR nausea.

Tracking and controllers

Both the Rift and the Quest offer high-end virtual reality tracking and inputs, but they take a very different tack with it. The Rift uses the classic external-tracker design using Oculus’  Constellation tracking cameras. Although they aren’t as capable a tracking solution as the HTC Vive’s Valve-developed Lighthouse trackers, they are perfectly capable of offering roomscale tracking in spaces up to 8ft x 8ft with three sensor set ups and more with four.

The Rift’s external trackers mean it’s possible to track the controllers almost anywhere you place them, whether that be behind your back or under objects — as long as they remain in the field of view of at least one camera.

In comparison, the Quest offers a theoretically unlimited tracking area thanks to its use of “inside-out tracking,” Insight sensors on the headset itself. One is located in each corner for a total of four and they scan the environment around the user, tracking their location and movements within it, as well as the motion of the controllers. Oculus debuted what it described as “arena scale” tracking at Oculus Connect 2018, where a number of Quest users walked around a tennis court-sized gaming area at the same time without any major tracking problems. This was further enhanced by the headset’s lack of any wired-tethers, letting users roam freely without being tied down.

However, the controllers must remain within the field of view of the headset’s wide-angle sensors in order to remain tracked. Early testing suggests their field of view is wider than the user’s, but tracking behind the back, or when the user is leaned in close to something, is unlikely to be possible at this time.

Each headset provides a full six-degrees of freedom to the wearer, tracking positional movements, as well as tilt and orientation of the headset, but each solution has its strengths and weaknesses.

Controllers are much the same for both. The Rift uses Oculus’ now classic Touch motion controllers which provide trigger, grip, and gesture inputs, and the Quest uses a modified version of those with a relocated tracking ring. Each provides for nuanced, detailed, inputs into virtual reality with the use of both the wearer’s hands.

Software

Having been on the market for more than two and a half years, the Oculus Rift has a library of games, VR experiences, and 360-degree media numbering in the low thousands. It has a variety of supporting marketplaces and ecosystems, including Oculus Home, Steam VR, and VivePort, and a robust developer and user base that all but guarantees continued support and growth in its content catalog in the future.

The Oculus Quest, on the other hand, is brand new and isn’t even set for release until Spring 2019. As it stands there are a handful of bespoke applications and experiences being used to demo the new hardware and there will no doubt be more when it is eventually released. But Oculus VR is said to be hoping that developers will port their existing Rift games to the Quest to help flesh out its library of content.

Although we would be surprised if the Quest didn’t have a decent spread of applications at, and soon after, launch, the Rift is going to have the more robust catalog of titles for some time to come.

Older VR, done well, wins out

There’s no denying that the Oculus Quest represents the future of consumer virtual reality in many ways. It’s entirely wireless and untethered, has a reliable and borderless — if still imperfect — tracking solution, and sports a more detailed display than its older sibling. In comparison, the Oculus Rift can feel quite antiquated with its chunky cable tether, its reliance on external sensors, and a defined tracking area. When combined with its requirement for a powerful gaming PC, it’s a much less intuitive and forward-thinking VR experience.

Yet with think the Rift is the better option. It’s not going to be the headset of the mainstream in the future and it’s going to feel increasingly dated in the years to come, but if you have a gaming PC, there’s a better VR experience to be had right now with the Rift. For the $400 that both headsets cost ($460 for the Rift with three sensors) you get access to a ton of content on the Rift, today, and its visuals, although less crisp, are much more richly detailed, run at higher frame rates, and are not restricted by battery life.

The cable tie is a drag — literally at times — and we would expect a second-generation Rift to adopt many of the exciting new features of the Quest, but for now, the Rift is still the more high-end VR solution.

The only real must in this setting is having a decent gaming PC. If you do, buy the Rift, if you don’t and don’t plan to, waiting for the Quest is probably a better bet.

Overall winner: Oculus Rift

Editors’ Recommendations

• Oculus Quest vs. Oculus Go
• Oculus Quest hands-on review
• The best Oculus Rift games available today
• Oculus Rift review
• The $400 Oculus Quest brings more power to untethered VR gaming

PSA: A national emergency alert test is happening on your phone tomorrow

The test takes place Wednesday, October 3 at 2:18 PM EDT.

While it can be easy to just think of our phones as tools for checking Twitter, playing games, and watching YouTube videos, they’re also critical in the case of an emergency situation. Tomorrow afternoon, the FCC and FEMA will be conducting the nation’s first test of its wireless emergency alert system.

The test will take place on Wednesday, October 3, 2018, at exactly 2:18 PM EDT. At that time, your phone will make a loud noise and you’ll see a pop-up on your screen that reads:

Presidential Alert. This is A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.

The alert won’t have any adverse effects on your wireless service or device, and after tapping the “Dismiss” button at the bottom of the pop-up, it’ll go away and you can carry on with your day like normal.

Get ready for a lot of simultaneous phones going off at the office tomorrow afternoon.

AMBER Alerts and Android: What you need to know

Get lifetime access to 2TB of Zoolz cloud storage for just $45!

Our current, tech-obsessed world demands a storage solution for your multimedia data, the most convenient being cloud-based storage which you can access from anywhere. Most cloud-based storage services charge a monthly fee, which, over time, adds up to quite a fee. Those of you sick of subscription fees need a storage solution that requires a single payment for a lifetime of access. More importantly, you need cloud storage that is encrypted and can be accessed from all your devices.

Keep your stuff backed up for life! Learn More

Right now, Android Central Digital Offers has a deal on 2TB of cloud storage from Zoolz — a single payment of $45 gives you lifetime access to the two terabytes of secure cloud storage. You just won’t be able to beat this deal!

You will never be charged any extra fees, and you can access your cloud storage from multiple devices. Your data is protected with 256-AES encryption to better safeguard your stuff, and you can schedule backups and throttle bandwidth during uploads. Place files you know you won’t soon need in cold storage — takes three to five hours to access — or place files you frequently need in standard storage that can be accessed instantly.

Get 1TB of instant vault and 1 of cold storage for just $45! Learn More

Considering this level of storage from other popular services costs about $10 per month, this deal will pay for itself in four months, and you can keep using it forever. Even if you don’t think you need it now, you probably will need it in the future.