US tech giant $Apple (AAPL.US)$is set to reveal its long-awaited mixed reality (MR) headset in the 'second half' of 2022. The new MR headset would cost roughly $2,000 and will not be a standalone device. It ill require tethering to an iPhone or MacBook with a Bluetooth connection. It will also include a camera and laser optical sensor, contain a "high-strength, lightweight magnesium alloy material" for top durability, and would weigh up to 110 grammes.
Apple wants to create an App Store for the headset, with a focus on gaming, streaming video content, and video conferencing. It has been described by Bloomberg as an "all-encompassing 3-D digital environment" designed for gaming, watching video, and communicating.
After $Meta Platforms (FB.US)$CEO Mark Zuckerberg changed his company's name from 'Facebook' to 'Meta', the company is planning to transition from a social media company to a metaverse company. In addition to its VR glasses, a haptic glove is created by Meta to bring the virtual world to our fingertips.
These gloves would allow the wearer to not only interact with and control the virtual world, but experience it in a way similar to how one experiences the physical world. The wearer would use the gloves in tandem with a headset for AR or VR. A video posted by Meta in a blog shows two users having a remote thumb-wrestling match. In their VR headsets, they see a pair of disembodied hands reflecting the motions that their own hands are making. In their gloves, they feel every squeeze and twitch of their partner's hand—at least that's the idea.
Mooers, which tech giant will be the winner in this 'Metaverse War', Apple or Meta? Leave your comments here!
Source: MacRumors, XR TODAY

Stocks, U.S.futures hold gains amid low volumes
Global stocks and U.S. index futures rose as signs of a solid recovery in the world's largest economy offset jitters over inflation and a faster tapering of Federal Reserve stimulus.
Trading volumes narrowed around the world as U.S. traders stayed off for the Thanksgiving holiday. The turnover in Asia's equity benchmark was 17% lower than its 30-day average. It shrank 26% in Europe and 30% in Latin America.
Stock funds took in more cash in 2021 than two decades combined
Investors have poured almost $900 billion into equity exchange-traded and long-only funds in 2021 -- exceeding the combined total from the past 19 years -- according to analysts at Bank of America Corp. and EPFR Global.
The combination of cheap money and an economy roaring out of the pandemic set the stage of an unstoppable rally, with frenzied retail trading and a lack of other good investment options adding fuel to the fire.
Oil steadies after OPEC says reserves release will bloat surplus
Oil was steady, with U.S. traders on holiday, after OPEC said a planned coordinated release of reserves may swell a crude surplus expected early next year.
Futures in New York traded slightly above $78 a barrel for a third straight day, and volumes were thin with Thanksgiving in the U.S. The surplus warning was made by the producer group's advisory body ahead of a meeting with allies next week. Some of the cartel's delegates warned this week that releasing strategic reserves may lead to the group holding back crude supply in January.
E-commerce needs real store locations now more than ever
After losing ground to e-commerce, bricks-and-mortar stores are back in style.
Retailers this year are expected to open more stores than they close for the first time since 2017, according to an analysis of more than 900 chains by IHL Group, a research and advisory company. Most of the growth is coming from mass merchants, food, drugs and convenience chains.
Department stores and specialty retailers, which experienced the biggest shakeout over the past five years, are still closing more stores than they are opening. But the pace of closures has slowed from record levels.
What inflation? Small investors keep piling into flashy growth stocks
Conventional Wall Street wisdom says inflation, which has been rising all year, is bad for growth and technology stocks. So far, many small investors don't care.
Individual investors continue to stampede into shares of growth companies, the types of buzzy stocks that have enjoyed explosive price gains this year. $Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)$, $NVIDIA (NVDA.US)$ and $Apple (AAPL.US)$ are the three stocks most purchased this month by individual investors, according to VandaTrack, a Vanda Research flow tracker that measures net purchases.
The EU is planning a 9-month expiration date on its Covid vaccine passports
"It is evident that the pandemic is not yet over," European Commissioner Didier Reynders said Thursday. Various European nations are facing a higher number of Covid-19 infections, notably in the countries where the vaccination rate remains low.
Sitting out the season: A record number of Americans say they won't be buying holiday gifts this year
Predictions for holiday retail sales are rosy, with the National Retail Federation calling for record gains of 8.5% to 10.5% from year-ago levels. But a record-high amount of people, or 11.5% of Americans, aren't buying any gifts this holiday season, according to a survey by Deloitte.
Wealthy consumers are planning to spend more, which will mask the fact that many others are sitting out the season. Higher-income households in the U.S. plan to spend five-times that of lower-income households this holiday season, said Deloitte.
BOE chief is worried by El Salvador's move to adopt bitcoin
"It concerns me that a country would choose it as its national currency," Bailey said in response to a question at an appearance at the Cambridge University student union on Thursday. "What would worry me most of all is, do the citizens of El Salvador understand the nature and volatility of the currency they have."
He added that the IMF, which monitors risks to global financial markets, is not happy with El Salvador.
Source: Bloomberg, WSJ, CNBC

$Corsair Gaming (CRSR.US)$ Alright I know we have lots of bagholders out there on this stock. I've been buying shares of the company since February and currently have my cost basis at $33.74. I am still bullish on the stock because it is a solid company with a long runway for growth ahead despite the short-term headwinds of supply chain/inflation issues. I don't plan on selling, but this stock is definitely getting discouraging with the seemingly never-ending downtrend. What are your guys thoughts on the company?

Weekly market recap
U.S. stock futures rose slightly in overnight trading on Sunday as investors readied for the first trading of November. Market participants are gearing up for another week of corporate earnings, a key Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday and October’s jobs report.
Stocks closed out the month of October on Friday and all three major averages closed at record highs. The $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$and $Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC.US)$clinched their best months since November 2020.
Corporate earnings season dominated October amid solid earnings even with global supply chain concerns. About half of the S&P 500 companies have reported quarterly results and more than 80% of them beat earnings estimates from Wall Street analysts, according to Refinitiv.
Here's a look at the return of S&P 500 sectors
This week ahead in focus
There will be a lot on investors' radar this week, as third-quarter earnings season continues, October jobs numbers come out, and the Federal Reserve's policy committee potentially details its bond purchase reduction plans.
Some 160 S&P 500 companies are scheduled to report, plus dozens of small and mid cap firms.
The main event on the market calendar this week will be the conclusion of the Federal Open Market Committee's October monetary-policy meeting on Wednesday. Officials have strongly signalled that they will announce their plans to begin tapering the central bank's $120 billion in monthly asset purchases at the meeting. Interest-rate increases are still far off.
Monday 11/1
$Arista Networks (ANET.US)$, $Clorox (CLX.US)$, $Franklin Resources (BEN.US)$, $McKesson (MCK.US)$, $NXP Semiconductors (NXPI.US)$, $Public Storage (PSA.US)$, $SBA Communications Corp (SBAC.US)$, and $Simon Property Group Acquisition (SPGS.US)$release quarterly results.
The Census Bureau reports construction spending for September. Consensus estimate is for a 0.4% month-over-month increase to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.59 trillion.
The Institute for Supply Management releases its Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index for October. Expectations are for a 60.1 reading, slightly less than the September figure.
Tuesday 11/2
$Activision Blizzard (ATVI.US)$, $Amgen (AMGN.US)$, $ConocoPhillips (COP.US)$, $Eaton (ETN.US)$, $Estee Lauder (EL.US)$, $Ferrari (RACE.US)$, $Match group (MTCH.US)$, $Mondelez International (MDLZ.US)$, $Pfizer (PFE.US)$, and $T-Mobile US (TMUS.US)$US report earnings.
It's Election Day in an off-year headlined by gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia.
Wednesday 11/3
The FOMC announces its monetary-policy decision. The Fed is all but certain to maintain the federal-funds rates near zero and is expected to announce it will begin tapering its $120 billion in monthly asset purchases.
$Coca-Cola (KO.US)$holds a conference call to discuss its ESG initiatives.
$Booking Holdings (BKNG.US)$, $CVS Health (CVS.US)$, $Electronic Arts Inc (EA.US)$, $Emerson Electric (EMR.US)$, $Marriott International (MAR.US)$, $MetLife (MET.US)$, $MGM Resorts International (MGM.US)$, and $Qualcomm (QCOM.US)$announce quarterly results.
ISM releases its Services PMI for October. Economists forecast a 61.5 reading, roughly even with the September number.
ADP releases its National Employment Report for October. Consensus estimate is for private-sector employment to gain 472,500 jobs, after a 568,000 rise in September.
Thursday 11/4
$Airbnb (ABNB.US)$, $Becton, Dickinson and Co (BDXB.US)$, $Expedia (EXPE.US)$, $Illumina (ILMN.US)$, $Kellanova (K.US)$, $Moderna (MRNA.US)$, $NRG Energy (NRG.US)$, $Block (SQ.US)$, $ViacomCBS (VIAC.US)$, $Uber Technologies (UBER.US)$, and $Zoetis (ZTS.US)$hold conference calls to discuss earnings.
Friday 11/5
$Dominion Energy Inc (DCUE.US)$, $DraftKings (DKNG.US)$, and $Sempra Energy (SRE.US)$release quarterly results.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases the jobs report for October. Economists forecast a 435,000 gain for nonfarm payrolls and for the unemployment rate to remain unchanged at 4.8%. In September, the economy added 194,000 jobs, about 300,000 short of estimates. Both August and September had large shortfalls compared with expectations, as the labor shortage has persisted longer than many economists expected, despite a near-record level of job openings.
Source: CNBC, Barron's

Weekly market recap
Stock futures edged lower in overnight trading Sunday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched its third positive week in a row at a record high.
Wall Street is coming off a winning week on the back of strong corporate earnings. The blue-chip $Dow Inc (DOW.US)$ gained more than 1% last week and closed Friday at a record. The $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$ rallied 1.7% last week, also posting its third straight positive week and hitting an all-time high Friday.
Of the 117 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported earnings to date, 84% posted numbers that beat expectations, according to Refinitiv. S&P 500 companies are expected to grow profit by about 35% in the third quarter.
Here's a look at the return of S&P 500 sectors
This week ahead in focus
Some of the biggest technology companies are slated to report earnings this week, including $Meta Platforms (FB.US)$, $Alphabet-C (GOOG.US)$, $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$, $Amazon (AMZN.US)$ and $Apple (AAPL.US)$. A third of the Dow companies also is set to release quarterly results this week, including $Caterpillar (CAT.US)$, $Coca-Cola (KO.US)$, $Boeing (BA.US)$ and $McDonald's (MCD.US)$.
Economists and Fed watchers will also be paying attention on Wednesday, when the minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee September meeting will be released. Finally, the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund will run virtually all week.
Economic data out this week includes the Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index for October on Tuesday, the Census Bureau's durable-goods report for September on Wednesday, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis' preliminary estimate for third-quarter GDP on Thursday.
Economists' consensus estimate is for a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 4%, after the economy grew 6.7% in the second quarter.
Monday 10/25
Mega-cap tech companies headline the week's quarterly results starting with Facebook, which reports after the close. Alphabet and Microsoft follow on Tuesday, and Amazon.com and Apple on Thursday.
$Cadence Design Systems (CDNS.US)$, $Kimberly-Clark (KMB.US)$, and $Otis Worldwide (OTIS.US)$release quarterly results.
Tuesday 10/26
$3M (MMM.US)$, $Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)$, $Ameriprise Financial (AMP.US)$, $Capital One Financial (COF.US)$, $Chubb Ltd (CB.US)$, $Ecolab (ECL.US)$, $Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.US)$, $GE Aerospace (GE.US)$, $Hasbro (HAS.US)$, $Invesco (IVZ.US)$, $Lockheed Martin (LMT.US)$, $MSCI Inc (MSCI.US)$, $Novan (NOVN.US)$, $RTX Corp (RTX.US)$, $S&P Global (SPGI.US)$, $Sherwin-Williams (SHW.US)$, $Texas Instruments (TXN.US)$, $Twitter (Delisted) (TWTR.US)$, $United Parcel Service (UPS.US)$, and $Visa (V.US)$ report earnings.
The Census Bureau reports sales of new single-family houses for September. Consensus estimate is for a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 775,000 homes sold, 35,000 more than the August figure.
The Conference Board releases its Consumer Confidence Index for October. Expectations are for a 110 reading, similar to the September data. The index is 15% lower than its recent peak in June, with concern about the spread of the Delta variant and inflation dampening consumer optimism.
S&P CoreLogic releases its Case-Shiller National Home Price Index for August. Economists forecast a 20% year-over-year rise, a tick higher than July's 19.7% increase. If that estimate proves correct, it would be the fifth consecutive monthly record gain for the index.
Wednesday 10/27
$Automatic Data Processing (ADP.US)$, Boeing, $Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY.US)$, $CME Group (CME.US)$, Coca-Cola, $eBay (EBAY.US)$, $Ford Motor (F.US)$, $General Dynamics (GD.US)$, $General Motors (GM.US)$, $Hilton Worldwide (HLT.US)$, $International Paper (IP.US)$, $The Kraft Heinz (KHC.US)$, McDonald's, $Norfolk Southern (NSC.US)$, $Old Dominion Freight Line (ODFL.US)$, $ServiceNow (NOW.US)$, $Spotify Technology (SPOT.US)$, and $Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO.US)$ release quarterly results.
The Census Bureau releases the durable-goods report for September. New orders for manufactured durable goods are expected to decline 0.5% month over month to $262 billion, after a 1.8% gain in August. Excluding transportation, new orders are seen rising 0.8%, above August's 0.3% gain.
Thursday 10/28
$Altria (MO.US)$, $American Tower Corp (AMT.US)$, Caterpillar, $Comcast (CMCSA.US)$, $Gilead Sciences (GILD.US)$, $Intercontinental Exchange (ICE.US)$, $MasterCard (MA.US)$, $Merck & Co (MRK.US)$, $Moody's (MCO.US)$, $Newmont (NEM.US)$, $Northrop Grumman (NOC.US)$, $Sanofi (SNY.US)$, $Shopify (SHOP.US)$, $Starbucks (SBUX.US)$, and $Yum! Brands (YUM.US)$ hold conference calls to discuss earnings.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports its preliminary estimate for third-quarter GDP. Consensus estimate is for a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 4%, after the economy grew 6.7% in the second quarter.
Friday 10/29
$AbbVie (ABBV.US)$, $Cboe Global Markets (CBOE.US)$, $Charter Communications (CHTR.US)$, $Chevron (CVX.US)$, $Colgate-Palmolive (CL.US)$, $Exxon Mobil (XOM.US)$, $L3Harris Technologies (LHX.US)$, and $Weyerhaeuser Co (WY.US)$ report quarterly results.
Source: CNBC, Barron's

Weekly market recap
U.S. stock index futures were about unchanged during overnight trading on Sunday, after the major averages posted their best week in months amid a stronger-than-expected start to earnings season.
The major averages are coming off a winning week. The $Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI.US)$advanced 382 points on Friday, ending the week with a 1.58% gain for its best week since June. The $S&P 500 Index (.SPX.US)$rose 1.82% last week for its best week since July, while the $Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC.US)$saw its best week since the end of August, with the tech-heavy index adding 2.18%.
So far 41 S&P 500 components have reported third-quarter results, with 80% of them topping EPS expectations, according to data from FactSet. Taking into account the companies that have already reported and estimates for the rest, third-quarter profit growth will total 30%, the third highest quarterly growth rate for S&P 500 companies since 2010, according to FactSet.
Here's a look at the return of S&P 500 sectors
This week ahead in focus
Seventy-two S&P 500 companies report earnings this week, as third-quarter earnings season ramps up. Several big U.S. banks got things off to a strong start last week. This week's earnings highlights will include results from notable companies in telecom, consumer staples, energy, technology, health care, and the airline industry.
Economic data highlights this week include the Conference Board's Leading Economic Index for September on Thursday and IHS Markit's Manufacturing and Services Purchasing Managers' indexes for October on Friday. All are seen easing back from their prior months' levels.
Other releases this week include the Federal Reserve's most recent Beige Book, describing economic conditions across the U.S., and a pair of September housing-market indicators: The Census Bureau reports new residential construction data on Tuesday and the National Association of Realtors reports existing-home sales on Thursday.
Monday 10/18
The Federal Reserve releases industrial production data for September. Economists are looking for a 0.20% rise after a 0.4% increase in August. Capacity utilization is expected at 76.5% for September, roughly in line with August's 76.4%.
$Albertsons Companies (ACI.US)$, $Royal Philips (PHG.US)$, $Steel Dynamics (STLD.US)$, and $State Street (STT.US)$are among companies releasing quarterly financial results.
Tuesday 10/19
The Census Bureau reports new residential construction data for September. Economists forecast a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.623 million housing starts, compared with 1.615 million in August.
$Halliburton (HAL.US)$, $Procter & Gamble (PG.US)$, $Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.US)$, Synchrony, $The Travelers Companies (TRV.US)$, $Philip Morris International (PM.US)$, $Kansas City Southern (KSU.US)$, $Netflix (NFLX.US)$, and $Dover (DOV.US)$are among companies hosting earnings conference calls.
Wednesday 10/20
The Federal Reserve releases its beige book about current economic conditions across the central bank's 12 districts.
$Abbott Laboratories (ABT.US)$, $Biogen (BIIB.US)$, $NextEra Energy (NEE.US)$, $Bed Bath & Beyond Inc (BBBY.US)$ $ASML Holding (ASML.US)$, $Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd (CP.CA)$, $Verizon (VZ.US)$, $Tesla (TSLA.US)$, $IBM Corp (IBM.US)$, and $Anthem (ANTM.US)$discuss quarterly financial results.
Thursday 10/21
The National Association of Realtors reports existing-home sales for September. Economists forecast a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.10 million homes sold, compared with 5.88 million homes in August.
$Dow Inc (DOW.US)$, $Freeport-McMoRan (FCX.US)$, $Genuine Parts (GPC.US)$, $Southwest Airlines (LUV.US)$, $Valero Energy (VLO.US)$, $Blackstone (BX.US)$, $Quest Diagnostics (DGX.US)$, $BARCLAYS PLC (BCLYF.US)$, $Danaher (DHR.US)$, $AT&T (T.US)$, Nucor, $American Airlines (AAL.US)$, $AutoNation (AN.US)$, $Intel (INTC.US)$, $Snap Inc (SNAP.US)$, and $Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG.US)$host earnings conference calls to discuss quarterly results.
The Philadelphia Fed diffusion index, a measure of overall manufacturing activity, is expected to fall to 24 in October from September's 30.7 reading.
The Conference Board releases its Leading Economic Index for September. Expectations are for a 0.50% rise, after August's 0.90% gain.
Friday 10/22
IHS Markit releases the Manufacturing and Services Purchasing Managers' indexes for October. Consensus estimate for the Manufacturing PMI is 60.3, while the Services PMI is expected to be 54.7, compared with 60.7 and 54.9, respectively, in September.
$Whirlpool (WHR.US)$, $Honeywell (HON.US)$, $Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF.US)$, $Celanese Corp (CE.US)$, $HCA Healthcare (HCA.US)$, $Schlumberger (SLB.US)$, $VF Corp (VFC.US)$, and $American Express (AXP.US)$host investor conference calls.
Source: CNBC, Barron's