Technology

The auto industry gets real at CES 2025, evolving concepts and technologies and setting realistic production goals. That may not sound exciting, but it means you could hit the road with all of these cars and tech as early as next year.

Some robots look like Swedish supermodels, some resemble metallic movie characters, and some look like snuggly toys.

• The bHaptics vest and sleeves let you feel VR
• Compatible with Meta Quest 3, PC VR and PSVR 2
• I've tried them, and I love them

I adore VR and the incredibly immersive experiences it can facilitate through headsets such as the Meta Quest 3. But despite everything VR headsets do well, they’re limited to just sight and sound – with basic haptic rumblings in the controllers (and, in some cases, headset rumble) only doing a little to immerse you via touch. These simple haptics are not properly feeling a VR world, but with bHaptics’ accessories – which I’ve tested at CES – you can unlock a superior experience.

For my demo I was outfitted with three accessories: the TactSuit Pro haptic vest on my chest, a pair of TactSleeve haptic arm guards, and my Meta Quest 3 headset was equipped with the haptic Tact Visor to provide head haptics.

I was then dropped into a custom XR sandbox outfitted with various weapons and items which showcased the bHaptics tech’s capabilities.

Picking up a virtual shotgun, I could feel the kickback in my arm and shoulder, while the electro rifle sent a tingly ripple down my arm and side. I could feel healing drinks in my stomach and gentle waves through my body to signify I was back at max health.

(Image credit: bHaptics)

To help showcase the differences, the demo also featured non-haptic versions of every object so I could directly compare them with the haptics – and the haptic versions are huge leap ahead for immersion. I’ll admit that they weren’t perfect all the time in terms of feeling like real life, but I’d score them at an 8 or 9 out of 10, while the non-haptic-accessory controller rumbles are maybe a 2 or 3.

The experience took another step up when feeling the same weapons I fired before being fired at me. Thankfully it wasn’t painful, but I could shoot electro blasts and lasers at a model representing me and feel the attacks – with my actions sending realistic signals through the vest, arm and headset haptics.

It was surprisingly accurate – tracing the laser across my back I could feel differently placed haptic sensors activating as it moved – and gave VR attacks a more tactile oomph than they usually would.

(Image credit: bHaptics)

What was perhaps best of all is that these haptic gadgets aren’t some prosumer accessory that only businesses or folks with a lot of cash to splash can enjoy. The vest is priced at $499, the sleeve at $199, and the visor at $149 – which aren’t cheap, but aren’t prohibitively expensive either. Plus they’re compatible with Quest, PSVR 2, and PC experiences across games like Beat Saber, Dungeons of Eternity and Arizona Sunshine 2 to name a few.

The team was also explaining that community members can create their own custom haptic mapping mods for currently unsupported titles on PC – or to augment the haptics in supported titles, so you won’t always have to wait for a developer to incorporate haptics themselves.

I’d love to test them out more, but from my brief demo I was very impressed with what bHaptics has created. If you’re looking to upgrade your VR headset setup, I’d suggest not just looking at a headset strap or carry case, but one of these haptic vests too.

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

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• Sony's new XR headset is all about creating content
• The new Xyn sub-brand covers 3D scanning and creation
• It's similar to other headsets, with one major design difference

Even without unveiling its next-generation Bravia TV lineup, Sony still has a pretty packed CES 2025. Case in point is Xyn, a new sub-brand within Sony focused on capturing, creating, and playing within spatial worlds, and I got to go hands-on with the Xyn Headset Prototype as well as a new solution for capturing in 3D.

The entire lineup is about spatial creation, so unlike PlayStation VR 2 or Meta Quest 3 or 3S, Xyn’s Headset is all about people and brands – big or small – who want to create content.

The Xyn Headset is pretty lightweight and takes a familiar form; I was right at home demoing the prototype, which easily rested on my head and, like countless other headsets, could be tightened or loosened via a dial at the back. The real stars here are the fact that it can be self-powered (meaning it doesn’t need to be plugged into any other device) and the 4K screens.

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In my hands-on, which you can see a video of below, I was viewing a digital environment on 4K micro-OLED displays – one for each eye. The space around me consisted of some ground, various building elements, and even skeletons. The main event, so to speak, was a bunch of crystal rock formations of varying shapes and designs; I was tasked with placing them in and around the environment.

And these elements weren’t just drawn up in a creative app, but rather scanned in using another piece of the Xyn portfolio. With the controller in hand, I could resize the crystals and place them anywhere, all fairly easily. It all felt pretty fluid even for an early prototype. While the graphics were good, the real difference here is that the screen can easily flip up, putting you back in the real world.

Considering these elements were scanned in using a station with a traditional Sony Alpha camera that had a phone running a prototype Xyn app connected to it, it makes the case that a flippable screen to potentially see the items you’re creating 3D images of can be pretty handy.

And that process of scanning items, be it crystals, shoes, or even fancy china, was pretty simple. I watched as a Sony rep snapped several photos of the object and saw the app on the phone show a heat map that glowed blue in the area that was captured.

Scanning an object in using a Sony camera and a beta Xyn app to create a 3D object. (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

From there, it gets processed in the cloud, and I could view those 3D models back on a custom glasses-free 3D monitor that has a camera for eye tracking to make the effect really pop. I could see this being handy for folks who want to get started with 3D production, building or creating these elements for virtual world, and even for larger productions.

What’s really neat is the accessibility, because you don’t need a degree in 3D modeling or design, as the app makes the experience quite seamless… at least in this early stage.

(Image credit: Future)

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

It could potentially help to open up creating spatial content to more folks, so while the Xyn Headset itself is still a prototype and might not be sold directly to consumers for content consumption, the worlds, objects, and environments potentially created with Xyn Capture and tweaked to perfection on the headset could be seen on more mainstream VR platforms in the future.

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• Verizon has secured a major US Air Force contract, despite recent security issues
• The contract will see Verizon delivering 5G network upgrades to bases across the US
• The win comes despite recent network breach by foreign hacker

Verizon has announced it will be providing the US Air Force with 5G network upgrades at 35 installations across the United States.

Through the agency’s Offer to Lease program, Verizon will provide network enhancements like new macro builds, small cells, and C-band carrier adds, hopefully offering higher speeds, increased bandwidth and lower latency for base personnel and community.

However some may raise eyebrows at the news, which comes little more than a week after Verizon and AT&T confirmed their networks were free of Chinese state-sponsored attackers Salt Typhoon.

Verizon military contratcs

The wide-ranging attack saw nine major firms breached, and over 100,000 routers compromised in one network alone, and the attackers were able to ‘geolocate millions of individuals, to record phone calls at will’, according to Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber and Emerging Technology.

It’s unclear whether the deal was made before the breach was announced, but the intrusion is considered one of the worst of its kind in telecommunications breaches, and the consequences of the breach are still being understood.

Verizon already holds contracts with the Armed Forces in supporting flight line testing equipment, animated simulation and training, full-motion, high-definition video to support telemedicine for its airmen, and ultra-fast artificial intelligence for biometric identification.

“This is Verizon’s 7th OTL win out of 8 attempts, which serves as a testament to the trust the U.S. Air Force has in the strength and speed of our network, as well as the quality of the professional and managed services expertise they gain from our people,” said Maggie Hallbach, senior vice president, Verizon Public Sector.

“We are honored to have Verizon Business serve as one of their most trusted partners.”

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• The OmniStudio X has a 32-inch 4K display and is yet another Next-Gen AI PC
• HP chooses to stick with to Intel and its Core Ultra 7 CPU range
• A smaller version of the OmniStudio X with a 27.5-inch display is also available

HP has introduced the OmniStudio X series, featuring 27-inch and 32-inch All-in-One desktops which look to rival Apple's iMac.

Both models are powered by Intel's Core Ultra processors and Arc Graphics GPUs, with 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 MT/s RAM and four PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD storage options; 2 TB, 1 TB, 512 GB, or 256 GB.

The display is available in Full HD (1920 x 1080) touch and non-touch options, as well as a 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) non-touch variant.

HP OmniStudio X

All display options feature IPS technology with anti-glare coating and support 99% sRGB colour accuracy, as well as TUV Eyesafe and flicker-free technology to counter blue light emission.

Expect 550 nits of brightness, and HDR 600 support, covering 95% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut.

The Ultra 7 258V, Ultra 7 256V, and Ultra 5 226V processors in the OmniStudio X series will provide clock speeds of up to 4.8 GHz.

Connectivity options include USB Type-C and Type-A ports, HDMI-In and Out ports, a headphone/microphone combo jack, and an RJ-45 Ethernet port. It also supports Intel, MediaTek, or Realtek Wi-Fi options along with Bluetooth support up to 5.4.

Both models include AI-enhanced productivity tools, such as the HP AI Companion, and security features like adaptive dimming and lock on leave.

The HP AI Companion allows users to ask questions, get intelligent assistance, analyze personal files, and optimize their system through personalized PC settings and support.

Though the energy consumption of AI remains a problem, HP maintains that the OmniStudio X product series uses recycled materials to reduce environmental impact.

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• Researchers from Patchstack find two new flaws in Fancy Product Designer
• The Radykal-built WordPress plugin has more than 20,000 active users
• The flaws allowed for remote code execution, arbitrary file upload, and more

A popular WordPress plugin was found carrying two critical vulnerabilities that allow threat actors to upload files, tamper with databases, and essentially take over compromised websites.

To make matters worse, the vulnerabilities remained in the code for more than half a year, despite the developers being notified, and actively working on new versions in the meantime.

Cybersecurity researchers from Patchstack claim in late March 2024, they discovered two vulnerabilities in Fancy Product Designer, a premium website builder plugin developed by Radykal, which allows users to create and customize products, such as t-shirts, mugs, or posters, with various design tools and options for e-commerce stores. It has more than 20,000 sales.

Silence of the vendors

The vulnerabilities are tracked as CVE-2024-51919 (severity score 9.0), and CVE-2024-51818. The former is an unauthenticated arbitrary file upload vulnerability, while the latter is an unauthenticated SQL injection flaw. Since the former allows for remote code execution (RCE), it could lead to full website takeover in some scenarios.

Patchstack claims to have notified the vendor of the issues in late March, but never heard back from the company. In the meantime, Radykal was working on new versions of the plugin, and released 20 of them. The latest one was pushed two months ago (6.4.3), and it still carries the critical security flaws.

To warn users of the risks, and to draw attention to the problem, Patchstack added the bugs to its database, and published an in-depth blog, with the technical information found within enough to build an exploit and target websites using Fancy Product Designer.

To prevent that from happening, web admins should create a whitelist of allowed file extensions, and thus stop threat actors from uploading whatever they please. Patchstack added that users should sanitize user input for a query to defend against SQL injection attacks, too.

Via BleepingComputer

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