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Apple Vision Pro Secondary Head Strap Design ‘Yet to Be Finalized’

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 09:58:32 +0000

When Apple unveiled the Vision Pro at WWDC in June, members of the press invited to try out the headset were able to use an optional secondary head strap that sits across the top of the head. The strap was spotted in Apple’s promotional videos for the mixed reality device, but its marketing material made no mention of the accessory.

Still from Apple’s WWDC keynote video showing over-the-head strap in use

The braided headband that goes around the back of the head has a fit adjustment dial, but the one headband may not be comfortable or secure enough for some users, especially if the device is going to be worn for extended periods of time, which is where the secondary over-the-head strap comes in.

But Apple has apparently not yet fine-tuned the secondary head strap. According to a new report by Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the secondary strap was introduced after testing determined that some people with smaller body sizes and heads struggle to wear the headset for more than half an hour or thereabouts. However, the design of the strap has “yet to be finalized,” says Gurman.

One member of the press who got to try the headset in person at Apple Park was MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera. “A lot of people probably didn’t know this just by looking at some press images, but there is another band that goes over the top of your head,” said Dan in his initial impressions video.

In his opinion, with the additional strap attached, the Vision Pro is “not that far off from other headsets in terms of weight,” but it does “a really good job of dispersing that weight” and making it not so front-heavy. “I do think most people will want to use it,” he added.

Apple has not revealed the weight of the Vision Pro, but Apple’s decision to offload the battery to an external pack highlights the need to keep the headset as light as possible. Apple is also apparently aware that some customers may not wear clothes with pockets capable of storing the battery pack, so it is considering asking accessory makers to create shoulder-worn pouches.

Other accessories could eventually be sold to protect the device, according to Gurman:

The company has found that the front of the headset could be prone to scratches, but it will likely outsource screen protectors to third-party makers as it does with its other products. Another concern: the front glass cracking if a user walks into a wall or an object. To help prevent such incidents, Apple has built in alerts to deter people from wearing the device while walking at certain speeds.

Gurman’s latest report also reveals that Apple plans to launch the Vision Pro headset in the U.K. and Canada by the end of 2024, with preparations for the device’s complex retail launch in the U.S. early next year already at an advanced stage.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro

Tags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman

Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

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5 facts about Vision Pro Apple doesn’t want you to know yet

tigaman webdesign — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 02:37:46 +0000

Macworld

For a product that isn’t debuting until 2024, Apple has said a lot about the Vision Pro, its mixed reality headset. Apple spent nearly an hour in the WWDC keynote discussing it. It has rolled out developer tools for visionOS, which has given us even more clarity about what visionOS can and can’t do.

And yet I remain firmly convinced that Apple hasn’t told us the whole story. The WWDC keynote was the time to make a first impression–but there’s half a year to go before the final story is told. As a result, Apple emphasized the features of the device that it felt would best represent the device. It emphasized the fact that it’s an augmented-reality product that keeps you connected with people around you as a way to blunt criticism that Apple’s trying to use its technology to wall people off from each other.

With the Vision Pro, there’s more to come. Here’s where I think Apple will have a much larger story to tell.

Yes, it’s really a VR headset

By defaulting to a view of the world around you and requiring that the user dial reality out via the Digital Crown, Apple sends the signal that the Vision Pro is an augmented-reality headset. But the truth is, it’s a VR headset that emulates AR, and that emulation can be dropped easily. If you don’t want to work in the very spacious rooms on display in Apple’s demo video, you can just as easily work in a virtual-reality environment.

Apple touted the Vision Pro’s functionality with augmented reality, but

that AR is emulated.

Foundry

But even more than that, app developers can create entire VR experiences within their apps. While Apple will strongly encourage apps to work in augmented reality–and if you want to walk around objects, it’s required–that won’t stop the ability for apps that do what we think of as “traditional” VR experiences.

In other words, Apple didn’t talk about VR games, the most popular category of software in existing VR hardware, but VR games will absolutely be a part of the Vision Pro experience. No, we don’t know how good Apple’s hand- and eye-tracking technology will be when it comes to the needs of various VR games. But we will certainly find out.

Yes, there will be fitness apps

Apple didn’t announce any Vision Pro integration with its Fitness+ service, which I admit was a bit of a surprise. On Meta’s headsets, apps like Supernatural and Beat Saber have gained huge followings as ways to spice up the drudgery of regular workouts.

I can’t say whether Fitness+ will appear on Vision Pro at launch–Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests it won’t–but if Apple doesn’t fill the gap, someone else will. Savvy app developers will try to be the next Beat Saber. And no matter how heavy or awkward the Vision Pro might be, no matter how much sweat the Vision Pro’s 3-D-knit headband might soak in, people will try to use VR for workouts. It’s going to happen.

Apple Fitness+ seems like a natural fit for the Apple Vision Pro, but the company has yet to reveal any plans for the service.

Apple

Yes, there will be Memoji

Apple wanted to impress everyone with the Digital Persona, a replica of your face created via an in-depth initial scan that’s animated by Vision Pro sensors looking at your eye, face, and body gestures. I found them creepy, and I definitely wasn’t the only person who used the Vision Pro at WWDC who thought so.

I’m pretty sure Apple has never intended the Digital Persona to be the only option for users who need a proxy for interaction with other people when wearing the Vision Pro. It’s technology Apple was proud of, so it showed it off as a way to boast–as well as a way of explaining how the EyeSight feature was created.

But it can’t be the only option. Let’s start with the fact that not everyone will feel comfortable using a representation of themselves as they are if they can help it. There’s a good reason why Apple’s Memoji creation interface lets you choose a wide range of characteristics, including many that don’t even exist in human beings! Or you can choose to be an animated emoji character.

And really, if we’re being honest, it’s highly likely that the entire Memoji project was an early move in the direction of avatars for the Vision Pro. Do we really think Apple’s going to insist on Digital Personas for everyone, even if they’d rather just be an elephant? Not gonna happen.

Memojis seem like a natural fit with the VIsion Pro.

Foundry

Yes, Siri will be involved

Apple’s film about the Vision Pro shows a user reading out a website address via voice at one point. It’s pretty much the only example of Apple’s voice assistant being shown with the headset. But it’s almost inconceivable that voice control won’t be a major portion of the device’s interface.

When I used the Vision Pro, there were numerous moments when I realized that rather than manipulating a virtual interface via hand gesture, I’d probably be better off just issuing a voice command. But Siri wasn’t active on our demo headsets, probably because it’s just not good enough–and because if Apple leaned into it too much, it would make the rest of the Vision Pro interface work the company has done look a little less special.

A reliance on voice control by all of those people in solitary environments, sprawled on couches or sitting in chairs, might also reinforce the antisocial nature of these devices–if you’re comfortable constantly interjecting to Siri, that implies that nobody else is within earshot–and that’s very much not the impression Apple wants to give right now.

But there’s just no way that visionOS is a platform that isn’t strongly linked to voice commands. It just makes too much sense.

Yes your other Apple devices will play a role

The Vision Pro appears to be a peer to the iPad and iPhone, capable of running iOS apps itself without any connection to those devices. Still, we didn’t see much direct integration between Apple’s most popular product and the Vision Pro.

Perhaps it won’t be there on day one, but I have a hard time believing that the iPhone won’t work tightly with Vision Pro. In macOS Sonoma, Apple’s introducing the concept of iPhone widgets that are projected right onto your Mac desktop. Why not extend that to Vision Pro? What about launching apps on your iPhone and viewing them right within Vision Pro? Maybe even more than one at a time?

Sure, you can look down and use your iPhone while using Vision Pro, but that’s always going to be a pretty limited experience. I have to think that Apple is working hard to figure out the best ways to use Continuity features to attach all of its devices to the Vision Pro–but most especially the iPhone.

The Vision Pro won’t be here for some time yet. We’ve heard Apple’s opening sales pitch, but it isn’t nearly time for the company to close the deal. There’s more to this story than we’ve heard so far. Stay tuned.

Virtual Reality

UGREEN’s new 10,000mAh MagSafe Power Bank can refuel three devices at once [Deal]

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 15:25:38 +0000

UGREEN today is launching the latest addition to its lineup of MagSafe accessories, with its most capable iPhone 14 power bank yet hitting shelves. Centered around a 10,000mAh battery, the new UGREEN MagSafe Power Bank goes one step further than other offerings with the ability to refuel three devices at once. It’s also debuting with to ensure its price stands out, too.

more…

The post UGREEN’s new 10,000mAh MagSafe Power Bank can refuel three devices at once [Deal] appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 has dropped to a new all-time low

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 13:10:43 +0000

Both the 40mm and 44mm versions of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 are discounted. | Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

With Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event just around the corner, the chances we’ll see a new Samsung smartwatch very soon are high. If you can’t wait until then, though, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 has hit a new all-time low at multiple retailers. Right now, you can buy the Bluetooth-enabled 40mm wearable at Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Samsung in select configurations starting at $199 ($80 off). You can also buy its 44mm variant, which offers a larger screen and battery, starting at around $229 ($81 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

The lightweight Android watch offers all the standard health, fitness, and sleep tracking features you’d expect, along with some unique extras, including body composition analysis. It can also measure your skin temperature, comes with a new sapphire crystal glass cover for improved durability, and offers better battery life than its predecessor. Just be mindful that there are some features only Samsung phone owners can take advantage of, which really only makes the Watch 5 the best fitness tracker if you already own a Samsung phone.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review.

As the first $70 Nintendo Switch game, any deal on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is worth a look. Today’s deal, though, is one to pay particular attention to given it’s one of the better prices to date on the recently released Nintendo Switch title. If you’ve yet to get your hands on what is arguably this year’s biggest game, Amazon is currently selling the standard version for $57.80 ($13 off), which is just $1 shy of its all-time low. My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total members, meanwhile, can get the game for free when they buy two Nintendo Switch games from this list.

The newest Legend of Zelda game is similar to its predecessor, Breath of the Wild, in both its storyline and gameplay. However, it comes with some new building tools, which people have been using in some pretty fun — and sometimes downright weird — ways.

Read our Tears of the Kingdom review.

If you missed out on the 15-inch MacBook Air deals we saw on the laptop shortly after its debut, fret not because they’re back. Right now, you can buy the M2-powered MacBook Air 15 at Amazon and B&H Photo with 8GB of memory, 256GB of storage, an eight-core CPU, and a 10-core GPU for $1,199 ($100 off), which matches the laptop’s best price to date.

The latest MacBook Air is the perfect laptop if you’re looking for a lot of screen real estate but don’t want to buy one of the higher-end, more expensive MacBook Pros. It doesn’t offer quite the same level of power as the Pro models, but it’s more than capable of handling your average workload and most entertainment needs. At the same time, it’s relatively affordable, with a larger display and better speaker array than the 13-inch MacBook Air from last year.

Read our 15-inch MacBook Air review.

Don’t leave just yet…

Amazon Prime members can already take advantage of significant discounts on Amazon devices ahead of Prime Day next week. Right now, for instance, Prime members can buy the new Echo Pop for just $17.99 ($22 off) along with the latest clock-equipped Echo Dot with an 800-lumen Sengled smart bulb for $29.99 ($44.99 off). You can even buy older devices at new lows, like Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which is on sale for just $24.99 ($30 off).
You can grab the Belkin BoostCharge Pro for $27.50 at Amazon or for $23.99 direct from Belkin, the latter with promo code EARLYBTS23. The excellent wireless charger provides 15 watts of power to MagSafe-compatible iPhones and comes with a 6.6-foot cable.
In addition to a new smartwatch, Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy Z Flip 5 is likely to make its debut during Samsung Unpacked. If you want a terrific foldable right now, however, you can buy an unlocked Galaxy Z Flip 4 at Amazon and Best Buy with 128GB of storage for $899.99 ($100 off). The Flip 4 folds into a pocketable 3 x 2-inch block, yet it’s still plenty powerful and comes with a spacious 6.7-inch 120Hz screen. Read our review.
Valve is still taking up to 20 percent off various configurations of the Steam Deck through July 13th, with the 64GB base model starting at $359.10 ($40 off). It’s a powerful handheld overall, one that functions as a portable gaming PC you can use to play a wide range of games. Read our review.

Apple Watch could detect Parkinson’s disease up to 7 years earlier

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 20:48:12 +0000

Smartwatches like the Apple Watch may be able to provide data to AI models that are capable of detecting Parkinson’s disease nearly a decade before patients show symptoms.

Apple Watch

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological degenerative disease that typically appears in people over 50. There is no cure for Parkinson’s, and current treatment largely focuses on managing symptoms.

5 Vision Pro features Apple doesn’t want to talk about

tigaman webdesign — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:30:00 +0000

Macworld

With the Vision Pro, there’s more to come. Here’s where I think Apple will have a much larger story to tell.

Yes, it’s really a VR headset

Apple touted the Vision Pro’s functionality with augmented reality, but

that AR is emulated.

Foundry

Yes, there will be fitness apps

Apple Fitness+ seems like a natural fit for the Apple Vision Pro, but the company has yet to reveal any plans for the service.

Apple

Yes, there will be Memoji

Memojis seem like a natural fit with the VIsion Pro.

Foundry

Yes, Siri will be involved

But there’s just no way that visionOS is a platform that isn’t strongly linked to voice commands. It just makes too much sense.

Your other Apple devices will probably be more involved

Virtual Reality

15-inch MacBook Air only possible with Apple Silicon

tigaman webdesign — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:04:51 +0000

Apple in June introduced the 15-inch MacBook Air, the world’s best 15-inch laptop. With an expansive 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display, the incredible performance of M2, up to 18 hours of battery life, and a silent, fanless design, the new MacBook Air brings power and portability — all in the world’s thinnest 15-inch laptop.

Only possible with Apple silicon, the 15-inch MacBook Air is the world’s best 15-inch laptop. It comes in four gorgeous finishes, including starlight, space gray, silver, and midnight.

With an all-new six-speaker sound system, the 15-inch MacBook Air delivers immersive Spatial Audio, along with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, MagSafe charging, and the power and ease of macOS Ventura for an unrivaled experience. the 15-inch MacBook Air is now available for order.

Jason Aten for Inc.:

I spoke with Laura Metz from Mac product marketing, and Thomas Tan, from Apple’s enterprise product marketing, about why Apple Silicon is helping the company better serve its customers by building the products they really want. The 15-inch MacBook Air is a great example.

“When we set out, we wanted to make a 15-inch MacBook Air,” Metz told me. “But when you think of what the designs looked like previously, it just didn’t work. It just did not say ‘Air’ to us. It was only with Apple Silicon where we were able to have all the right components to bring that larger display along with the battery life and performance that users would expect from a MacBook Air.”

“We knew there were users who wanted more screen real estate, but did not need the additional capabilities and performance of the 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro,” said Metz. “We also know that the 15-inch PC laptop market is significant–that carries over into the enterprise space as well, where users are interested in having that larger display.”

“Apple Silicon suddenly made MacBook Air that much more capable for business use,” said Tan. “So we’re certainly seeing a lot of customers making that wholesale switch that otherwise we wouldn’t have seen before. We’re seeing customers in retail industries adopting MacBook Air for everyday use, we’re seeing that in manufacturing, and we’re seeing that in health care. So we think Apple Silicon has broadened the appeal to enterprise customers by a significant margin.”

MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote just last week, “While our favorite road Mac, perhaps ever, is the 11-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch MacBook Air, weighing just 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg), is calling our names as we debate moving back to Mac desktops for our desktops and MacBooks for the road. (Right now, we’re still using 16-inch MacBook Pro units everywhere which are just a bit big and heavy for the road, especially compared to the 2.38-pound (1.08 kg) 11-inch MBA units we used to carry.)”

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Apple on the losing side as Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:00:58 +0000

Last August, Apple was among a group of nearly 80 companies filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of affirmative action programs being challenged at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The court on Thursday specifically ruled against race-conscious affirmative action in college admissions programs.

U.S. Supreme Court

Yahoo Finance:

Those programs “violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the 6-3 majority ruling in both cases, Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.

Dozens of major corporations across various industries took interest in the case, including Apple, Google, General Motors, General Dynamics, Dell, and Starbucks.

Those companies and nearly 40 others joined in an amicus brief contending that diversity in higher education ultimately helps their businesses by providing a diverse pool from which they can recruit.

In concurring with the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that under the 14th Amendment, “the color of a person’s skin is irrelevant to that individual’s equal status as a citizen of this nation.”

MacDailyNews Take: Regarding affirmative action, as we wrote back on December 31, 2015:

Getting the absolute best people should remain Apple’s ultimate goal. Forced diversity carries its own set of problems. Would the group be comprised of the best-qualifed people possible or would it be designed to hit pre-defined quotas? Would some employees, consciously or unconsciously, consider certain employees, or even themselves, to be tokens meant to fill a quota? That would be a suboptimal result for Apple and everyone involved.

The best and desired outcome is for the quest for diversity to work in Apple’s favor. Truly looking at qualified people from a larger pool would likely result in delivering different viewpoints and new ways of looking at things and tackling problems than a more homogenized workforce would likely be capable of delivering.

Regardless and of course, someday it sure would be nice for everyone to just be able to evaluate a person’s potential, not measuring and tabulating superficial, meaningless things like skin color and gender.

How do we ever get to the point where people “will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” when we insist on judging people by the color of their skin?

See also: Apple backs affirmative action in U.S. Supreme Court case – August 1, 2022

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

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The post Apple on the losing side as Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple on the losing side as Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:00:58 +0000

U.S. Supreme Court

Yahoo Finance:

Those programs “violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the 6-3 majority ruling in both cases, Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina.

Dozens of major corporations across various industries took interest in the case, including Apple, Google, General Motors, General Dynamics, Dell, and Starbucks.

Those companies and nearly 40 others joined in an amicus brief contending that diversity in higher education ultimately helps their businesses by providing a diverse pool from which they can recruit.

In concurring with the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that under the 14th Amendment, “the color of a person’s skin is irrelevant to that individual’s equal status as a citizen of this nation.”

MacDailyNews Take: Regarding affirmative action, as we wrote back on December 31, 2015:

How do we ever get to the point where people “will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” when we insist on judging people by the color of their skin?

See also: Apple backs affirmative action in U.S. Supreme Court case – August 1, 2022

Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!

Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.

The post Apple on the losing side as Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions appeared first on MacDailyNews.

Apple Vision Pro safety concerns limit ‘fully immersive’ apps

tigaman webdesign — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:57:10 +0000

Developers can create Apple Vision Pro apps that take over a user’s whole vision, but if that user moves a certain distance, Apple will switch off the app.

An example of a fully immersive Vision Pro app. (Source: Apple)

Apple doesn’t tend to talk about fully Virtual Reality (VR) in regards to its Vision Pro headset, but the device is capable of it. What it’s more likely to be used for, though, is what Apple calls a “fully immersive experience.”