Technologies

Razer’s Quest 2 VR Strap Hands-on Review: A Mostly Easy Fit

Razer’s first Quest 2 accessories borrow from CPAP headstrap design, with comfort considerations. I like the strap, but not the face plate.

Razer has a lot of gaming hardware and accessories: It’s now in the Meta Quest 2 VR accessory business, too. The first Meta Quest 2-compatible strap and face plate have just arrived after being announced at CES in Las Vegas earlier this year. Trying them both at home, I’m cautiously a fan (of the strap, at least).

The company has partnered with ResMed for the strap design and manufacturing process, which interests me because Resmed happens to make the CPAP machine I use every night. CPAP machines require head straps to get those awkward air masks on and fit snugly but comfortably. A similar goal’s at play here, but for the VR headset on your face.

Razer’s strap fits snugly, for sure (at least on my face), but rests differently than the standard elastic Quest 2 straps. After adjusting the Velcro on the sides and the top strap, the design lets you kind of just lower the headset over your face like a large VR baseball cap. At first, it feels like the back support won’t hold, but it does. It feels a little less fussy, once set up, yet offers enough snugness that it should be good for intense sessions of Beat Saber.

Razer Adjustable Head Strap System for Quest 2

$70 at Razer

I do wish the straps had a little more give, but maybe that’s just me. Or maybe, much like CPAP straps, the elastic, padded strap system will eventually break in and be more fitted to my head.

I also let my 14-year-old son use it to play Beat Saber. (He’s become a VR expert pretty fast.) He told me it fits nicely but a little weirdly: He too felt that the headset was almost strangely balanced on his head. But once you get over feeling like the headset may topple over and then realize it won’t, it actually becomes very comfy. But in intense Beat Saber Expert Plus songs, he felt like it was a bit less secure than the standard Quest 2 strap.

Razer also has a silicone face mask insert that’s designed to replace the foam padded one on the Quest 2. (Meta has its own silicone foam cover included with new Quest 2 hardware.) I’m less enthused about this one. First of all, the regular Quest 2 silicone-covered padding works fine for me. In addition, Razer’s insert seemed to make my glasses fog up more. Maybe it has a tiny bit less ventilation? I don’t know. I prefer less intense padding in my VR headset to help accommodate my thick glasses anyway. It does seem to block out more light, and Razer promises it’s more antibacterial and sweat-resistant.

There’s also the price to consider. The strap costs $70, and the face plate costs $70 too. Considering the entire Quest 2 costs $400, that’s a lot to invest in extras. There’s nothing really wrong with the included Quest 2 strap that comes in the box, which is free. But Razer’s extra level of comfort could be worth it if you’re ready for something else.

What interests me even more than these current Razer Quest 2 products, though, is what comes next. Razer plans to be an ongoing accessory maker for Meta now and will continue its partnership with ResMed. Will that mean Quest 3 accessories in the fall? Could it eventually mean controllers? Or other gaming accessories or VR-compatible peripherals? I’d love to see what’s on deck. This isn’t a bad start.

Technologies

Facebook Brings Back Local Job Listings: How to Apply

One of Facebook’s most practical features from 2022 is being revived by Meta.

On the hunt for work? A Local Jobs search is being rolled out by Meta to make it easier for people in the US to discover and apply for nearby work directly on Facebook. The feature is inside Facebook Marketplace, Groups and Pages, Meta said last week, letting employers post openings and job seekers filter roles by distance, category or employment type.

You can apply or message employers directly through Facebook Messenger, while employers can publish job listings with just a few taps — similar to how you would post items for sale on Marketplace.

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Facebook offered a Jobs feature before discontinuing it in 2022, pushing business hiring toward its other platforms. Its return suggests Meta is attempting to expand Facebook’s usefulness beyond social networking and to position it once again as a hub for community-driven opportunities.

«We’ve always been about connecting with people, whether through shared interests or key life events,» the press release states. «Now, if you’re looking for entry-level, trade and service industry employment in your community, Facebook can help you connect with local people and small businesses who are hiring.»

How to get started with Local Jobs on Facebook

According to Meta, Local Jobs will appear as a dedicated section in Facebook Marketplace starting this week. If you’re 18 or older, you can:

Tap the Marketplace tab on the Facebook app or website.
Select Jobs to browse available positions nearby.
Use filters for job type, category and distance.
Tap Apply or message the employer directly via Messenger.

Businesses and page admins can post jobs by creating a new listing in Marketplace or from their Facebook Page. Listings can include job details, pay range, and scheduling information and will appear in local searches automatically.

The Local Jobs feature is rolling out across the US now, with Meta saying it plans to expand it in the months ahead.

Technologies

Tesla Has a New Range of Affordable Electric Cars: How Much They Cost

The new, stripped-back versions of the Model Y and Model 3 have a more affordable starting price.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 22 #598

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 22, No. 598.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a fun one — I definitely have at least two of these in my house. Some of the answers are a bit tough to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Catch all.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: A mess of items.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

BATE, LICE, SLUM, CAPE, HOLE, CARE, BARE, THEN, SLAM, SAMBA, BACK

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

TAPE, COIN, PENCIL, BATTERY, SHOELACE, THUMBTACK

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is JUNKDRAWER. To find it, look for the J that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind down, over and then up.

Quick tips for Strands

#1: To get more clue words, see if you can tweak the words you’ve already found, by adding an «S» or other variants. And if you find a word like WILL, see if other letters are close enough to help you make SILL, or BILL.

#2: Once you get one theme word, look at the puzzle to see if you can spot other related words.

#3: If you’ve been given the letters for a theme word, but can’t figure it out, guess three more clue words, and the puzzle will light up each letter in order, revealing the word.