The post Apple releases developer tools to create spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro appeared first on MacDailyNews. Apple today announced the availability of new software tools and technologies that enable developers to create groundbreaking app experiences for Apple Vision Pro — Apple’s first spatial computer. Featuring visionOS, the world’s first spatial operating system, Vision Pro lets users interact with digital content in their physical space using the most natural and intuitive inputs possible — their eyes, hands, and voice

Starting today, Apple’s global community of developers will be able to create an entirely new class of spatial computing apps that take full advantage of the infinite canvas in Vision Pro and seamlessly blend digital content with the physical world to enable extraordinary new experiences. With the visionOS SDK, developers can utilize the powerful and unique capabilities of Vision Pro and visionOS to design brand-new app experiences across a variety of categories including productivity, design, gaming, and more.

Next month, Apple will open developer labs in Cupertino, London, Munich, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tokyo to provide developers with hands-on experience to test their apps on Apple Vision Pro hardware and get support from Apple engineers. Development teams will also be able to apply for developer kits to help them quickly build, iterate, and test right on Apple Vision Pro.

“Apple Vision Pro redefines what’s possible on a computing platform. Developers can get started building visionOS apps using the powerful frameworks they already know, and take their development even further with new innovative tools and technologies like Reality Composer Pro, to design all-new experiences for their users,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations, in a statement. “By taking advantage of the space around the user, spatial computing unlocks new opportunities for our developers, and enables them to imagine new ways to help their users connect, be productive, and enjoy new types of entertainment. We can’t wait to see what our developer community dreams up.”

Developers can build new experiences that take advantage of the groundbreaking features of Apple Vision Pro by using the same foundational frameworks they already know from other Apple platforms, including powerful technologies like Xcode, SwiftUI, RealityKit, ARKit, and TestFlight. These tools enable developers to create new types of apps that span a spectrum of immersion, including windows, which have depth and can showcase 3D content; volumes, which create experiences that are viewable from any angle; and spaces, which can fully immerse a user in an environment with unbounded 3D content. To help developers optimize 3D content for their visionOS apps and games, an all-new tool available with Xcode called Reality Composer Pro lets them preview and prepare 3D models, animations, images, and sounds, so they look amazing on Vision Pro.

Developers can also interact with their apps in the new visionOS simulator to explore and test various room layouts and lighting conditions. And every developer framework comes with built-in support for Apple’s innovative accessibility features to ensure spatial computing and visionOS apps are accessible to everyone.
Starting next month, developers who have been building 3D apps and games with Unity’s robust authoring tools can port their Unity apps to Apple Vision Pro and take full advantage of its powerful capabilities.

Developers who have previewed the visionOS SDK and APIs are excited for the potential of the platform and how it will enable them to create all-new app experiences for their users:

“With Apple Vision Pro, Complete HeartX will help prepare medical students for clinical practice by using hyper-realistic 3D models and animations that help them understand and visualize medical issues, such as ventricular fibrillation, and how to apply their knowledge with patients,” said Jan Herzhoff, Elsevier Health’s president, in a statement. “Learning through Complete HeartX on Apple Vision Pro will transform medical education and prepare future health professionals for practice.”

“The djay app on Apple Vision Pro puts a fully featured DJ system right at a user’s fingertips. With a reimagined spatial interface, anyone can mix their favorite music and apply real-time effects using just their eyes and hands,” said Karim Morsy, Algoriddim’s CEO, in a statement. “Whether for a beginner or a seasoned professional, djay on Vision Pro transforms the user’s surroundings with stunning environments that automatically react to their mix, enabling them to experience and interact with music in ways never before possible.”

“JigSpace and Apple Vision Pro empower people and businesses to easily communicate their ideas or products in all-new ways,” said Zac Duff, JigSpace’s cofounder and CEO, in a statement. “It uses the high-resolution CAD files companies already have, so their marketing, sales, product, or support teams can securely collaborate with colleagues or customers from anywhere in the world and get people to that ‘Aha!’ moment in a fraction of the time it usually takes. This level of fast, effective communication simply wasn’t possible before.”

“Manufacturers can use AR solutions from PTC to collaborate on critical business problems by bringing interactive 3D content into the real world — from a single product, to an entire production line,” said Stephen Prideaux-Ghee, PTC’s chief technology officer of AR/VR, in a statement. “With Apple Vision Pro, stakeholders across departments and in different locations can review content simultaneously to make design and operation decisions. This capability will unlock a level of collaboration previously not possible.”

The visionOS SDK, updated Xcode, Simulator, and Reality Composer Pro are available for Apple Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. Registered Apple developers have access to a variety of resources to help them design, develop, and test apps for Apple Vision Pro, including extensive technical documentation, new design kits, and updated human interface guidelines for visionOS.

MacDailyNews Note: To learn more about designing new app experiences for Apple Vision Pro, or to apply for a developer kit starting next month, developers can visit developer.apple.com/visionos.

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The post Spotify plans to charge extra for high-fidelity audio, which Apple Music includes for free appeared first on MacDailyNews. Spotify is planning a more expensive subscription option that’s expected to include “high-fidelity” audio in an effort to drive more revenue. Apple Music began offering lossless audio in June 2021, along with Spatial Audio (that Spotify does not offer), all at no additional cost to Apple Music subscribers.

Ashley Carman for Bloomberg News:

Dubbed “Supremium” internally, according to people familiar with the strategy, the new tier will be Spotify’s most expensive plan and likely offer a HiFi feature the company first announced it was working on in 2021. Spotify delayed that product’s rollout after two of its competitors, Apple Music and Amazon Music, began offering the feature for free as part of their standard plans. The new tier will launch this year in non-US markets first.

Chief Executive Officer Daniel Ek said on an earnings call earlier this year that the company balances pricing changes with the desire to grow subscribers. In 2022, the company increased prices in more than 40 markets.

MacDailyNews Take: Alternate headline: Spotify suckers to pay more for less.

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The post Apple TV+ series ‘Hijack’ starring Idris Elba is a ‘first-class thrill ride’ appeared first on MacDailyNews. Told in real time, “Hijack” is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and authorities on the ground scramble for answers. Elba will star as Sam Nelson, an accomplished negotiator in the business world who needs to step up and use all his guile to try and save the lives of the passengers — but, his high-risk strategy could be his undoing. Panjabi will play the role of Zahra Gahfoor, a counterterrorism officer who is on the ground when the plane is hijacked and becomes part of the investigation. The series also stars Christine Adams, Max Beesley, Eve Myles, Neil Maskell, Jasper Britton, Harry Michell, Aimée Kelly, Mohamed Elsandel and Ben Miles.

Created by George Kay (“Lupin,” “Criminal”) and Jim Field Smith (“Criminal,” “Truth Seekers”), who also wrote and lead directed the series respectively, the seven-part series also stars Emmy Award and NAACP Image Award winner Archie Panjabi (“The Good Wife,” “Snowpiercer,” “Blindspot”). “Hijack” takes flight on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, with the first two episodes, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through August 2.

Dave Nemetz for TVLine:

Flying on an airplane has to rank right up there with the least enjoyable experiences we face these days — so imagine my surprise when spending a few hours on a plane with Apple TV+’s Hijack actually turned out to be downright pleasurable. The new hostage drama starring Idris Elba (premiering Wednesday, June 28; I’ve seen three of the seven episodes) is a good old-fashioned pulse-pounder that takes full advantage of its claustrophobic setting with perfectly calibrated tension and high-intensity action scenes.

We’ve seen stories like this before, of course, but the quality of the execution here sets it apart. The hijackers’ motivations are murky at first (and that gives us a mystery to unravel as the episodes go on), but the danger they present is very real. Most of Hijack‘s characters are smart, too, which is a refreshing change; no one makes dumb decisions simply as a cheap way to propel the plot forward. Plus, the premiere ends with an intriguing twist that forces us to question who exactly is the bad guy.

“Hijack” is produced by 60Forty Films, the production company set up by Emmy Award-winning executive producers Jamie Laurenson and Hakan Kousetta (“Slow Horses,” “The Essex Serpent”) under its exclusive content deal with Apple TV+, alongside Kay and Field Smith’s own production company Idiotlamp Productions, and also marks the first series to debut from Elba’s first-look deal with Apple TV+ and his Green Door Pictures. In addition to writing and directing, Kay and Field Smith each serve as executive producers alongside Elba, Laurenson, Kousetta and Kris Thykier.

MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.

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The post Best Buy Upgrade+ program adds iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra appeared first on MacDailyNews. Wednesday, Best Buy introduced iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra to its Upgrade+ program, making it easier than ever to experience Apple’s latest technology at unbelievable monthly prices.

Customers will now be able to get their hands on select models of iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra through the exclusive program, offering more flexibility to get the products that best fit their tech needs – and their budget. The program also includes the latest models of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac mini.

“We’ve seen a lot of excitement from our customers for the Upgrade+ program, specifically for how much easier and more flexible it is for them to get access to the latest Apple technology,” said Jason Bonfig, chief merchandising officer at Best Buy, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to now bring this same opportunity to iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra.”

Through Upgrade+, customers can apply for financing to purchase the devices, spreading the payments across 36 months with the option to upgrade to a newer device in month 371 . For example, customers can finance iPad Pro or Apple Watch Ultra from $17.32/month for 36 months and the $175.78 final payment is due in month 37, based on an original price of $799.

After 36 months, customers who purchase select models will have the option to:

• Upgrade to a newer model by returning the qualifying product and remaining in the program
• Make the final payment to keep the device that was originally purchased
• Or simply return the device and leave the program.

If a customer chooses to either upgrade to a newer model or to return the original product, Best Buy will make the final payment on their behalf.

AppleCare+ is also available through the program to keep their devices protected, as well as select Apple accessories. Financing options are available for these additional purchases over 36 months.

MacDailyNews Note: More info about Best Buy’s Upgrade+ program here.

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The post Best Buy Upgrade+ program adds iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra appeared first on MacDailyNews.

The post Best Buy Upgrade+ program adds iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra appeared first on MacDailyNews. Wednesday, Best Buy introduced iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra to its Upgrade+ program, making it easier than ever to experience Apple’s latest technology at unbelievable monthly prices.

Customers will now be able to get their hands on select models of iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra through the exclusive program, offering more flexibility to get the products that best fit their tech needs – and their budget. The program also includes the latest models of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac mini.

“We’ve seen a lot of excitement from our customers for the Upgrade+ program, specifically for how much easier and more flexible it is for them to get access to the latest Apple technology,” said Jason Bonfig, chief merchandising officer at Best Buy, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to now bring this same opportunity to iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra.”

Through Upgrade+, customers can apply for financing to purchase the devices, spreading the payments across 36 months with the option to upgrade to a newer device in month 371 . For example, customers can finance iPad Pro or Apple Watch Ultra from $17.32/month for 36 months and the $175.78 final payment is due in month 37, based on an original price of $799.

After 36 months, customers who purchase select models will have the option to:

• Upgrade to a newer model by returning the qualifying product and remaining in the program
• Make the final payment to keep the device that was originally purchased
• Or simply return the device and leave the program.

If a customer chooses to either upgrade to a newer model or to return the original product, Best Buy will make the final payment on their behalf.

AppleCare+ is also available through the program to keep their devices protected, as well as select Apple accessories. Financing options are available for these additional purchases over 36 months.

MacDailyNews Note: More info about Best Buy’s Upgrade+ program here.

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The post Best Buy Upgrade+ program adds iPad Pro and Apple Watch Ultra appeared first on MacDailyNews.

The post Apple shares hit new all-time high ahead of XR headset launch appeared first on MacDailyNews. Apple has hit a new all-time high ahead of its most significant product launch event in nearly a decade, after benefiting from a broader rotation back into technology stocks.

Shares of Apple were up 1.6% at $183.62 in morning trading Monday. The stock needs to finish above the $182.01 closing level it achieved on Jan. 3, 2022, in order to record a new all-time closing high. It has already traded as high as 183.86 Monday, surpassing the record intraday level of $182.94, which was set on Jan. 4, 2022, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

Ryan Vlastelica for Bloomberg News:

The stock has risen consistently throughout 2023, with investors viewing it as a safe haven in periods of economic risk or uncertainty given the strength of its balance sheet, its capital-return program, and its durable revenue streams. In addition, its recent results topped expectations, thanks to a rebound in its iPhone and growth in its Services business.

“Even with how much it has risen, it still feels like a quality company, with a lot of cash, continued innovation, a fortress balance sheet, and a large customer base upgrading their products,” said Devon Drew, chief executive officer of DFD Partners. “It should continue to grow, but it can also weather any storm. That means it works in both risk-on and risk-off environments, and that makes me very excited to own it.”

At the current price, Apple is poised to add $16.5 billion of market cap, putting it even closer to a historic $3 trillion valuation. It is the largest public company by far, and comprises about 7.5% of the weight of the S&P 500 Index.

MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote on December 22, 2022 on which day Apple traded as low as $130.30:

Back up the Tonka truck for Apple at these discount prices, kids! You’ll likely never time the market perfectly, but you can make a lot worse investments than buying Apple over time, especially when it’s beaten down, reinvesting the dividends every quarter, and holding for the long term.

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The post Apple shares rise to near 52-week high appeared first on MacDailyNews. Apple shares rose $2.44 (+1.41%) to close at $175.43 in Friday trading. The company’s 52-week high of $176.39 was set on May 19th.

Earlier this month, Apple reported Q223 earnings of $2.34 per share on revenue of $97.3 billion, beating analyst expectations of $2.18 per share on revenue of $94.1 billion. The company also announced that it would be returning $90 billion to shareholders in the form of buybacks and dividends. The strong earnings and buyback announcement have helped to further boost investor sentiment in the company.

Charley Grant for The Wall Street Journal:

The S&P 500, which is up 8.1% in 2023, would be down for the year without the contribution of the eight largest tech stocks. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has advanced 21%, its best start to a year since 1991, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

Microsoft, which in January announced a $10 billion investment in OpenAI, the startup behind ChatGPT, is up 36%. Apple, Google parent Alphabet and Amazon.com have each added more than 33%.

Based on the volume of calls he has received from clients, [Joseph Zappia, co-chief investment officer at LVW Advisors said] that interest from mom-and-pop investors hasn’t yet reached a point that suggests a bubble is developing. “If I were to use past frenzies as a reference point, it’s nothing like people saying to me two years ago, what coins should I buy?” he said. “The crypto craze was on a whole other level.”

MacDailyNews Take: A nice way to end the week ahead of the long Memorial Day holiday!

A huge thank you to those who have served or are serving in the U.S. military!

Interns, please do your duty and Tap That Keg! Prost, everyone!

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[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]

The post Apple shares rise to near 52-week high appeared first on MacDailyNews.