Oculus Quest hands-on review

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Oculus Quest

The future of virtual reality is finally upon us, and it looks fantastic. Two years ago at its developer conference, Facebook teased a wireless VR future in the form of Project Santa Cruz. This year, at Oculus Connect 5, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the final evolution of the project: Oculus Quest. It comes out in Spring of 2019, offering Rift-quality games without wires, but we got some hands-on time with the headset to see if it lived up to that promise.

Like the bigger Rift, Quest is designed to deliver a PC-like gaming experience with high fidelity audio, and powerful graphics. However, unlike the Oculus Go, which Facebook debuted earlier this spring, Quest is also capable of spacial tracking in a package that’s completely designed for mobile thanks to a new technology called Oculus Insight. Insight, which took more than two years to develop, swaps out the Rift’s external sensors to track your movements in the virtual world with four front mounted cameras on the headset. These cameras allow you to play games in a smaller space like a New York City apartment — or a larger space like the living room of a larger home.

“There’s no external tracking accessories,” Oculus Quest product marketing manager Allison Berliner explained of Insight during an interview at Oculus Connect. “Everything you need is onboard. And because Oculus Insight is so robust, you can really have a precise and accurate experience in VR almost anywhere.”

The quest for mobile perfection

Whereas Rift relies on powerful computer processors and graphics cards to deliver an immersive VR experience, Oculus claims that it can bring the same high quality experience to Quest on more mobile hardware. Not only does Quest shed the cables for a truly immersive experience — you’re not “chained” to anything from the physical world as you navigate the virtual world — but the headset ships with a mobile processor more commonly found on smartphones. In fact, Quest relies on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835, a processor that’s found on last year’s Samsung Galaxy S8.

Chuong Nguyen/Digital Trends

Berliner explained that even though the Quest relies on the Snapdragon 835, the performance is still top-notch because Oculus is building the headset just for VR. “And because we’re owning so much of the stack, we can get so much out of that,” she said. “What goes into the overall experience is much more than just compute. A lot of it comes down to things that are totally unique to VR — the immersion, the presence, and the interaction that comes from touch. We are bringing the best learnings, the best practices, to Oculus Quest.”

At Oculus Connect, through several game titles that were developed by Oculus’ in-house studio, Facebook created demos to showcase what Quest is capable of. Early titles — the demo staff claims that most of these games should be available for consumers to purchase in the future — include first-person shooter Superhot VR, a sports-oriented Project Tennis Scramble, a fear-filled Face Your Fear adventure, and Dead and Buried, a VR twist on laser tag.

Because Oculus Insight is so robust, you can have a precise and accurate experience in VR almost anywhere.

Thanks to clever tuning, the results were impressive. We came into Facebook’s demo expecting lags, screen door effects, and a low quality experience, but we were left completely blown away by our experience with Quest. The resolution for each eye is 1,600 x 1,440, which is a meaningful upgrade over the Oculus Rift’s 1,080 x 1,200 and matches the Oculus Go. That’s still behind the higher resolution of the HTC Vive Pro (1440 x 1600 pixels per eye), but it’s nearly half the price.

Getting started with the games was extremely easy. Because you don’t have to worry about turning on a PC, tripping on wires, or setting up sensors, all you have to do is don the headset. Like the Rift, the Quest comes in a similar setup, with an elastic strap that wraps around the sides of your head and a second strap on the top of your head to secure the Quest in place. The demo staff recommends that you put Quest on “like a baseball cap” by securing the rear portion first, and then sliding down the front portion over your face. You can also make adjustments to tighten or loosen the straps with the velcro tabs on the sides.

On the head, the Quest feels extremely comfortable. The package feels a lot lighter than it looks, and we didn’t experience any fatigue even after several 30-minute sessions of gameplay. In addition to the headset, there are also two hand controllers. According to researchers Yelena Rachitsky and Isabel Tewes at Oculus Labs, the hand controllers are important components that help transport our physical selves into the virtual world to make games feel immersive and lifelike.

Chuong Nguyen/Digital Trends

The controllers come with a ring for the circular sensors, but unlike the Rift, these sensors curve to the top. There is a joystick, control buttons, and buttons for the grip and trigger. The controllers were lightweight and felt ergonomic to use.

Another difference between the Quest and the Rift is that the Quest comes with an open audio system. Rather than requiring headphones, the Quest uses spatial audio to aim sound at your ears. If you have a friend watching you play on the couch, Quest’s open audio design may be better — it allows you to still hear sounds from the game while still being able to carry on with conversations. We found the audio to be plenty loud, even in the noisy demo halls at the San Jose Convention Center, and we appreciated being able to hear and communicate with the demo staff.

Oculus Quest Compared To

Oculus Rift

HTC Vive

Oculus Go

Lenovo Mirage Solo with Daydream

HTC Vive Pro

Sony PlayStation VR (2017)

Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset…

Google Daydream View (2017)

Samsung Odyssey

Sony PlayStation VR

Google Daydream View

3Glasses D2 Vanguard Edition

Samsung Gear VR

Homido

Quest will map out your room before you start a game. This way, boundaries and obstacles can be avoided, and the goal is that you won’t collide with a wall or the living room sofa.

Game selection could be tricky

As a stand-alone headset, Oculus Quest will have its own store, like the Rift, and you can buy and manage your games directly from inside the VR headset. Users can also buy games through a companion app, Oculus staff informed me, though the company did not demo that process. Staff mentioned that the Quest will have its own Wi-Fi radio, so you can connect the headset directly to your home network. However, like a wearable, you’ll need your phone initially to setup the Quest. After that, you can do everything from the headset.

Although Oculus wants to see developers port over Rift games to the Quest, we don’t yet know how robust the software selection will be. Oculus has until Spring of 2019 to broaden the portfolio, but given how light VR content has been in general, it could be a significant issue. The games Oculus did have, however, were impressive.

Project Tennis Scramble showcases the Quest’s six degrees of freedom, or DoF, allowing you to move around in three-dimensional space. By comparison, the Oculus Go only comes with three DoF, and the Rift relies on external sensors to achieve the same sort of tracking abilities.

The spatial mapping still allows you to play fluidly in multi-player games even if your opponent may have a smaller space mapped for VR games. When we played our virtual tennis match against our opponent, we were in a smaller “living room” while he was playing in a larger game room. Despite the differences in sizes of our real-world space, Oculus Insight was able to map my space and allow me to still move around and hit the ball with forehand and backhand shots.

Chuong Nguyen/Digital Trends

The graphics in the game weren’t lifelike, the experience being more akin to some of the more active games on Nintendo’s Wii system. This is not to say that the graphics was poor or felt unfinished, it’s just that it appears that the scenes weren’t as detailed as some of the games on the PC-powered Rift. Nonetheless, Project Tennis Scramble was still fun to play, and unlike the Wii, we felt like we were actually on the court. Spectators were cheering us on, and the spatial audio made the whole experience feel immersive.

Face Your Fear is an adventure game that will either get you over your phobias or leave you with nightmares. The goal is to explore the environment, using a combination of panning and navigation with the left and right joysticks, along with a bit of walking. Thanks to spatial mapping, when you’re approaching a physical wall in the real world, you’ll see a blue grid appear to alert you, and you can pan with the joystick to continue maneuvering the virtual space, similar to a first-person shooter.

Chuong Nguyen/Digital Trends

As you’re exploring the environment, you’ll see phobia-inducing things pop out at you, and these range from bats to spiders and all sorts of crawly critters. The graphics were well done, and even though your brain knows that you’re not seeing a swarm of spiders running towards your legs, you still get the goosebumps. Oculus shows that even though graphics may not be top notch — you’re not getting Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080’s ray tracing effects — but it’s still an immersive experience.

The last demo showed off was Dead and Buried, which was another great example of Quest Insight’s mix of augmented reality and virtual reality. Like laser tag, this game requires teams of multiple players spread out over a large space. Quest Insight maps the terrain, and you can have boxes as shields. Press a toggle, and you can see the augmented reality — basically outlines of the terrain, boxes, and your teammates and opponents. However, release the toggle and you’re transported in time into a western setting. Those boxes in the real world transform into crates, and you’re engaged in a gunfight with the opposing team.

The wireless future

The Oculus Quest might not be the most powerful VR headset in the world, but it’s more than the sum of its parts.

The full package is what creates the visual fidelity in Oculus Quest.”

“We look at resolution on a per product basis, because there are a lot of components that go into visual fidelity,” explained Berliner. “So things that make this exciting is that on top of resolution, we also have the adjustable IPD, or lens spacing, and we’re bringing over our best-in-class optics from Oculus Go. The full package is what creates the visual fidelity in Oculus Quest.”

Sure, the graphics could be a bit better to match the Rift or Vive Pro — the Quest relies on a smartphone processor after all. But at no point during my experience with the Oculus Quest did we feel like we weren’t immersed in our adventures. The screen and the visuals were clean, and unlike the PlayStation VR, there wasn’t that annoying orange peel effect.

“For us, it’s the full package. It’s everything we’ve squeezed into the headset, and it’s also the form factor — the fact that it’s an all-in-one-system.”

The Oculus Quest headset is set for release in Spring of 2019, starting at $400.

Lenovo sets computer to stun, shows off Star Trek Enterprise PC

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As the result of what we can only assume was a Star Trek-induced Netflix binge, the design team at Lenovo showcased its latest addition to the PC market, and it’s in the shape of the USS Enterprise. Modeled after the 23rd-century Federation starship, the Lenovo Titanium Enterprise NCC-1701A is a massive metal construction PC poised to freeze Star Trek fans in their tracks. The exterior design of the machine isn’t all that’s impressive, either, taking a look inside reveals quite a few surprises.

Avid Star Trek fans may be quick to point out that the PC doesn’t quite match the design of the Enterprise, but rest assured, Lenovo named the machine accordingly, and it matches the USS starship as close as possible while fitting in all the needed pieces. After all, where else would you fit in Nvidia’ next-generation GeForce RTX 2080 graphics? That’s right; there is more than just a warp core onboard this ship.

The Lenovo Enterprise PC comes stocked with the aforementioned GeForce RTX 2080 GPU, an overclocked ninth-generation Intel CPU, 32GB of DDR memory, a 1 TB M.2 SSD, and a 2 TB HDD. The Enterprise is also set to receive transmissions with a custom high-performance LAN and Wi-Fi setup. It has been made clear that this PC isn’t just a showpiece; it is aimed at serious gamers with a bit of a Star Trek obsession.

The Star Trek dream PC was unveiled in China at Lenovo’s Beijing Tech World Conference and has been receiving attention for its unique design. Beyond the standard specifications we would expect to find on a desktop PC, Lenovo has also managed to fit in a few surprises including LED lighting and a mini projector. We aren’t sure if you will be taking this machine into the boardroom anytime soon, but if you choose to do so, know that you will be able to present a killer PowerPoint.

Trekkies looking to purchase the PC starship will find it starting for around $2,180, but it is only available in China. Lenovo has yet to comment whether or not the Titanium Entperise will be traveling to any other countries. Until then, we can at least relish in the fact that Lenovo has boldly gone where no computer manufacturer has gone before.

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‘LoJax’ rootkit malware can infect UEFI, a core computer interface

Bill Hinton/Getty Images

Modern computers utilize what is known as a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) to get up and running. When you press the power button on your Mac or PC, the UEFI begins communicating with your computer’s hardware and your operating system of choice, whether that be MacOS, Windows, or Linux. However, in a terrifying turn of events, ESET researchers have discovered a malicious piece of software, a rootkit, that burrows into your UEFI and is nearly impossible to get rid of, even when detected.

Rootkits are malicious bits of computer software that can infect a user’s machine and gain access to areas that are typically off-limits, such a private user data or protected system files. While the concept of rootkits taking advantage of a computer’s UEFI isn’t new, this is the first time that a sample has been detected in the wild.

The UEFI rootkit, code-named LoJax, takes advantage of a legitimate software designed by the Canadian company, Absolute Software. The security company offers an anti-theft solution for computers known as LoJack, which can assist victims in locating their stolen property. One of LoJack’s most exceptional features is its ability to stay present on a machine when the operating system is reinstalled, and the now malicious LoJax variation has taken keen advantage of that function.

LoJax has been shown to be the child of cyber espionage and hacking group Fancy Bear. Typically acknowledged as a product of the Russian military intelligence agency, GRU, the group has been behind many prominent attacks including those in the German parliament, the White House, NATO, the Democratic National Committee, and the International Olympic Committee.

What makes a UEFI rootkit particularly dangerous when compared to a standard rootkit is its ability to survive. Not only can LoJax gain access to restricted files on a user’s machine, but it can withstand the digital equivalent of a complete holocaust. Due to the way in which the rootkit attaches to a machine’s SPI flash memory, the chip in which a computer’s UEFI is kept, wiping your internal drive, or even completely replacing it, won’t get rid of it.

The LoJax rootkit can only be removed from a system by either reprogramming the SPI flash memory, a very delicate and complex operation, or by completely swapping out the motherboard. Individuals can help to keep themselves safe against the attack by ensuring that their machines have Secure Boot enabled; this prevents unauthorized firmware on your UEFI from booting your computer.

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These crazy alien-like structures were built by MIT’s silkworm-inspired robots

When it comes to futuristic construction technologies, few things can make 3D printing or bricklaying robots look like old news. A new swarm of silkworm-inspired robots built by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers certainly fits the bill, however. Called Fiberbots, these diminutive cylindrical robots are capable of spinning giant cocoons made of fiberglass, which spring up like otherworldly plants from a sci-fi movie.

The Fiberbots use a tiny arm to wind fiberglass thread around their bodies, pulling it up from a tank on the ground. The materials are then mixed in a nozzle and heated using ultraviolet light to form a hard tube. The robots spin 3-inch segments of tubing, before deflating themselves, and using a tiny onboard motor and wheels to crawl to the end of that segment, ready to begin the process again. The Fiberbots are even able to communicate with one another so as to avoid colliding with one another, and to coordinate the most efficient means of building. Over a 12-hour period, a swarm of 22 of these robots can weave multiple treelike structures stretching almost 15 feet in the air.

While it sounds like (and is) an impressive tech demo, the Fiberbots could have promising real-world applicability. Fiberglass might be a lightweight material, but it’s surprisingly strong and resilient against the elements. For example, the treelike structures built by the Fiberbot robots can survive weather conditions including extreme winds, rain, and snow for months at a time.

Due to the challenge of transporting large structures long distances, the hope is that tools like the Fiberbots could one day be used to build structures in inhospitable environments, such as on Mars. In that scenario, human builders wouldn’t be required and instructions would simply be transmitted to the robots for them to follow.

Is this the future of construction as we know it? The Fiberbot project seemingly isn’t yet ready to graduate on to more advanced structures such as houses or bridges just yet, but all the signs are there that this could be a significant development.

A paper describing the work, “Design of a multi-agent, fiber composite digital fabrication system,” was recently published in the journal Science Robotics.

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Apple Seeds First Public Beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.1

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update to its public beta testing group, two days after seeding the first beta to developers and three days after releasing the macOS Mojave update.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after the initial beta has been installed using the appropriate profile from Apple, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the “Software Update” option.

The 10.14.1 update re-introduces support for Group FaceTime, a feature that was removed during the beta testing period. Group FaceTime, which lets you chat with up to 32 people at once, is also present in the iOS 12.1 beta.

It’s not clear what other improvements the first update to macOS Mojave will bring, but it likely includes performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that weren’t addressed in the first release of macOS Mojave.

macOS Mojave is a major update that brings features like a systemwide Dark Mode, stacks for organizing messy desktops, new Finder capabilities, new tools for taking screenshots, a Continuity Camera option for easily transferring photo scans and documents from iPhone to Mac, and more. For more on macOS Mojave, make sure to check out our roundup.

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Apple Releases watchOS 5.0.1 Update for Apple Watch With Activity Ring Fix

Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 5 to watchOS 5.0.1. The new watchOS 5.0.1 release comes 10 days after Apple released the watchOS 5 update.

watchOS 5.0.1 can be downloaded for free through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General -> Software Update.

To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the iPhone.

The watchOS 5.0.1 update is minor in scale and focuses on fixing bugs that have been discovered since the watchOS 5 update. According to Apple’s release notes, watchOS 5.0.1 addresses an issue that caused a “small number of users” to see increased exercise minutes, fixes a bug that caused some users not to receive stand credit in the afternoon, and solves a problem that could prevent the Apple Watch from charging.

watchOS 5, the latest major watchOS update, brought a slew of new features to the operating system. It includes Activity Competitions for challenging friends, a Walkie-Talkie mode with real-time push-to-talk communication, support for Siri shortcuts, new watch faces, and tons more.

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For details on everything new in watchOS 5, make sure to check ourtour watchOS 5 roundup.

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The cheap Realme 2 Pro offers 8GB of RAM and A.I. camera trickery

Despite being the youngest smartphone company on the block, only springing out of Oppo on August 3 on this year, Realme has wasted absolutely no time in putting out as many phones as possible, launching the Realme 1 and the Realme 2 in just a matter of months.

Realme isn’t pausing to take a breath yet, as it’s now launching the Realme 2 Pro — a new offering with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, full 1080p resolution, and A.I.-powered camera trickery. Here’s everything you need to know.

Design and display

You won’t find any outdated looks here — the Realme 2 Pro follows the global smartphone trend of reducing bezels in favor of a larger screen. The front of the device is dominated by a 6.3-inch display surrounded by exceptionally thin bezels for an extremely high screen-to-body ratio of 90.8 percent. There’s a very slight notch at the top of the screen, where the bezels slope inwards in a teardrop shape to accommodate the front-facing camera — which Realme calls the “Dewdrop Full Screen”.

Flip the phone over and you’ll find two camera lenses arranged horizontally on the top left, with a fingerprint sensor found centered beneath the camera. The back panel of the phone itself has been ergonomically shaped to fit the hand better, and should improve grip on the device. It comes in three varieties: Blue Ocean, Black Sea, and Ice Lake.

Specs and battery

The Realme 2 Pro comes with some solid midrange specs, including a strangely varied amount of RAM.

Key Specs

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660

Memory: 4/6/8GB

Storage: 64/128GB

MicroSD storage: Up to 256GB

Screen size: 6.3 inches

Resolution: 2340 x 1080

Battery: 3,500mAh

Operating system: Android 8.1 Oreo (under ColorOS)

Users will be able to pick between several different models of the Realme 2 Pro. The base model contains 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the next model upgrades the RAM to 6GB while retaining 64GB of onboard storage, and the top model contains 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. That’s an awful lot of RAM for a midrange phone, so hopefully the Realme 2 Pro will run extremely smoothly as a result. Users will also be able to upgrade that storage by up to 256GB, thanks to MicroSD card support.

Regardless of the amount of RAM and storage, each Realme 2 Pro will come powered by the respectable Snapdragon 660 processor — the same chip we saw in the BlackBerry Key2. That efficient processor should keep the phone running smoothly and for a while, thanks to the hefty 3,500mAh battery. That battery also works with an artificial intelligence to conserve battery when a user isn’t using their phone, maintaining battery levels through an A.I. sleep mode.

Software and special features

The Realme 2 Pro is equipped with Android 8.1 Oreo running underneath the ColorOS 5.2 custom skin. We’ve seen Oppo’s ColorOS in other phones before, including the Find X and the Realme 2, and we’re not massive fans of this particular Android skin. Whether or not Realme has managed to tame some of the operating system’s eccentricities will likely be key to this phone’s performance.

Outside of the OS itself, the Realme 2 Pro’s features read off well. There’s support for facial unlocks, AR music stickers, and improved sound quality, as well as support for the Google Assistant, Smart Scan, and a gaming mode that promises to boost user experience within games.

Camera

You’ll find two camera lenses around the back of the Realme 2 Pro — a 16-megapixel main lens, paired up with a 6-megapixel lens that gives the DSLR-like “bokeh” background blur that we’ve all come to know and love. This portrait mode supports five different lighting effects, but also comes with A.I.-powered assistance to help you take the perfect shot. This A.I. is able to recognize backgrounds and do some automatic post-processing after the shot, removing noise and altering the exposure levels.

Switch around the front and there’s a monster hiding in the dewdrop. The Realme 2 Pro is equipped with a massive 16-megapixel front-facing lens with an f/2.0 aperture. Realme is particularly proud of the Realme 2 Pro’s selfie shooter, and boasts it can recognize up to 296 facial identification points, and offer 8 million beautification options for your selfies.

Release date and price

The Realme 2 Pro costs 13,990 Indian rupees (roughly $194) for the 4GB/64GB model, 15,990 Indian rupees (roughly $220) for the 6GB/64GB model, and 17,990 Indian rupees (roughly $250) for the 8GB/128GB model. For this level of smartphone, that’s pretty darn cheap.

Interested? Bad luck for the moment — while Realme has global ambitions, the Realme 2 Pro is currently only available in India.

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Surface Studio 2 benchmarks show a system with unimpressive hardware

Benchmark results that are purportedly from Microsoft’s second-generation Surface Studio have appeared on the Geekbench website, and though the scores it achieved are notably higher than those put out by the original Surface Studio, they don’t exactly blow them away. That could be because the hardware configuration isn’t exactly class-leading.

The original Surface Studio debuted in 2016 and was designed to be a compact all-in-one with touchscreen functionality that enabled hands-on design work and the use of its innovative Surface Dial tool. It was an expensive, but impressive piece of kit with a unique use case that meant it was practically unrivaled in terms of performance and interactivity. The Surface Studio 2, however, doesn’t appear to do much more than that, as per MSPowerUser.

Despite Intel having released two generations of CPUs since the original Surface Studio was unveiled — and being on the verge of debuting another — the Surface Studio 2 benchmark results suggest it’s using an Intel Core i7-7820HQ. That’s a more powerful CPU than the 6820HQ found in the original Surface studio, but not by much. An eighth-generation alternative would have been preferable.

The RAM speed is reported as 1,200MHz, though that is likely a halving of the double-data-rate (DDR) RAM, and therefore operates at a respectable 2,400MHz. But that’s only a couple of hundred megahertz faster than the original Surface Studio — although it does appear to come with 32GB, rather than the typical 16GB of the first-generation all-in-one.

This results in performance that is in some cases less than 10 percent greater than that of its predecessor. Where the Surface Studio scored 4,225 and 14,417 points in single and multi-core tests, respectively, the Surface Studio 2 managed just 4,680 and 15,915. Most individual tests detailed on the results pages paint a similar picture, although some scores like crypto score are improved by even less of a margin.

It’s worth noting, though, that there have been a number of Surface Studio 2 benchmarks over the past few weeks, with slightly different configurations, such as faster and less RAM. That impacts performance a little, with some scoring slightly higher thanks to that speed bump.

None of this tells us much about what graphics hardware the Surface Studio 2 is running. The original all-in-one came with options up to an Nvidia 980M. We would hope at least Pascal 10th-generation hardware is present in the new build, as that could provide a nice performance improvement in graphically taxing settings.

Although these results might not be the most exciting for those interested in buying a Surface Studio 2, we’ll get to learn more in the very near future, with Microsoft expected to unveil a lot of new Surface hardware at its upcoming October 2 show.

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eBay Debuts New Sitewide Coupon Letting You Take 15% Off an Order Today Only

eBay this morning has debuted a new 15 percent off sitewide coupon for its shoppers, which will last until 6:00 p.m. PT tonight. This means that for the next ten hours you can save 15 percent off a minimum purchase of $25 across eBay, although there are the usual exclusions of warranties and protection plans, coins and paper money, gift cards and coupons, and real estate.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with eBay. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You’ll have to use the coupon within a single transaction, and it will be capped at a maximum value of $100. To use the discount, head to eBay and browse, add items that total over $25 to your cart, and enter the coupon code PICKSOON in the checkout screen. eBay shoppers with an address located in the United States, Canada, Latin America, or the Caribbean are eligible for the coupon.

eBay’s sitewide coupons are a great chance to save on a huge variety of products, which can include Apple MacBooks, iPads, iPhone cases, Apple TV 4K, and more. Another good idea for the sitewide coupon is looking for discounts on HomeKit items, including the Nanoleaf Aurora Rhythm Smarter Kit, the iDevices Switch and Outdoor Switch, Philips Hue’s range of products, and more.

As with any eBay shopping, unless the item is being sold by an official retailer’s eBay store — like Best Buy’s Nanoleaf Aurora kit — it’s important to remember that buying off of eBay does come with some risk. To be safe, remember to check the seller’s item sold count and positive feedback rating. It’s also typically useful to see if the images provided appear to be taken by the seller and not used from stock imagery of the product.

Head to eBay and eBay’s Daily Deals pages to start shopping, and remember that the PICKSOON coupon code will expire tonight at 6:00 p.m. PT. You can also find more information on other sales happening throughout the week in our Deals Roundup.

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Five Apple Stores to Reopen This Saturday With Modernized Designs

Apple has announced that five of its retail stores across the United States and Australia will reopen this Saturday, September 29. Four of the stores have moved to new locations, while one has been renovated.

Apple Scottsdale Fashion Square via The Arizona Republic/Storeteller

• Apple Lehigh Valley: An expanded Apple Store is opening in the outdoor section of Lehigh Valley Mall in Whitehall, Pennsylvania, near Allentown, on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time.
• Apple Deer Park: An expanded Apple Store is opening in the outdoor Deer Park Town Center shopping complex in Deer Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time.
• Apple Scottsdale Fashion Square: A new Apple Store opens at the Scottsdale Fashion Square shopping mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time. Apple’s nearby store at Biltmore Fashion Park will be permanently closed after Friday.
• Apple Green Hills: Apple has renovated its store at The Mall at Green Hills in Nashville, Tennessee. The store reopens in its existing location on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local time.
• Apple Robina: A new Apple Store is opening in the Robina Town Centre shopping mall in Robina, Australia, roughly 50 miles south of Brisbane along the Gold Coast, on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. local time. Apple’s existing location in the mall will be permanently closed after Friday.

Apple has been modernizing its chain of over 500 retail stores since 2015, as part of an initiative led by Apple’s retail chief Angela Ahrendts and design chief Jony Ive. The remodeled stores often gain additional square footage, which many locations desperately need due to ever-increasing customer traffic.

Apple’s latest retail design typically includes large glass doors, large video screens for product marketing and in-store events, and wall-mounted sequoia wood shelves called Avenues for smaller products and accessories.

These reopenings will occur eight days after the launch of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4.

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