Apple is planning to sell its $3,499 Vision Pro headset on an appointment-only basis at launch, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. According to Gurman, Apple will create designated sections where customers can try on the headset in its stores, with the first ones appearing at stores in major areas like New York and Los Angeles.

Apple will reportedly ask in-store buyers to schedule an appointment to purchase the Vision Pro, similar to the rollout of the first Apple Watch in 2015. During the appointment, Gurman says Apple will ensure that the Vision Pro fits the wearer and also outfit the device with prescription lens inserts if needed. Gurman says Apple Stores will need to keep “hundreds or thousands of lenses” in stock as a result.

The other element he mentions is that Apple’s working on both an iPhone app and a physical machine that scans a person’s head to figure out if it has the right light seal — a component that prevents light from interfering with a wearer’s field of view. When the company opens online orders in the US in early 2024, it will reportedly have customers upload their lens prescription and their head scan data.

The demos at the last WWDC didn’t include that step, with only a vision test and ear scanning for spatial audio.

The headset, which is set to launch in the US early next year, won’t be available in other countries until late 2024, Gurman says. After it releases the Vision Pro in the US, Apple will reportedly bring the headset to the UK and Canada afterward, with other countries in Asia and Europe to follow. The company doesn’t plan on bringing the device to third-party retailers until at least 2025, Gurman notes.

Apple may also be working on some additional accessories for the Vision Pro. According to Gurman, it’s exploring a second strap that goes across the wearer’s head to help people with “smaller body sizes and heads” wear the headset for long periods of time. It is also looking into creating a shoulder pouch for the Vision Pro headset’s external battery pack, as some people who wear certain kinds of cultural apparel may not have pockets.

]]> https://www.latest-apple-news.com/2023/07/06/apple-reveals-first-look-at-brad-pitts-formula-one-film/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:02:47 +0000 https://macdailynews.com/?p=264072 Apple Studios has revealed a first-look image from Brad Pitt’s hotly anticipated Formula One feature. The drama is produced by…

The post Apple reveals first look at Brad Pitt’s Formula One film appeared first on MacDailyNews. Apple Studios has revealed a first-look image from Brad Pitt’s hotly anticipated Formula One feature. The drama is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment and seven-time F1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton’s Dawn Apollo Films banner.

Abid Rahman for The Hollywood Reporter:

The untitled film, which also features Snowfall star Damson Idris in a lead role, is set in the world of elite motor racing. Pitt stars as a former F1 driver who returns to race for the fictional APXGP team, a middling outfit, alongside Idris’ character.

In June 2022, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the deal for Apple’s F1 feature was a potential game-changer in Hollywood. The unique deal, which calls for a wide theatrical release with a meaningful window, will have the creative team paid three ways: their upfront fees, hefty buyout fees and the theatrical backend. THR reported that instead of a token release in a few theaters or a day-and-date opening, the movie would have an exclusive — and global — run of at least 30 days (one source says it could even go as high as 60 days) before heading to the Apple TV+ platform.

The F1 feature is the second Apple starring vehicle for Pitt, with the Oscar-winning actor also appearing in Jon Watts’ upcoming thriller Wolves alongside George Clooney and Amy Ryan. Wolves was also subject to an intense bidding war among Hollywood’s studios and streamers.

MacDailyNews Take: Another big draw for Apple TV+ looms as the number of people who’d rather watch at home dwarfs the number who’ll first go see it at the movie theater.

FIRST LOOK: Introducing APXGP, starring in an Apple Original Film#F1 pic.twitter.com/0qDe3zMicp

— Formula 1 (@F1) July 6, 2023

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 reveals first look at Brad Pitt’s Formula One film appeared first on MacDailyNews.

All of today’s best deals are now headlined by the first chances to save Apple’s just-released M2 Max Mac Studio at up to $310 off. You can also outfit your iPhone 14 with Anker’s latest MagSafe power banks at all-time lows from $32, which are joined by the best price yet on Logitech’s colorful POP mechanical keyboard for Mac at $60. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

more…

The post Deals: M2 Max Mac Studio first discounts at $310 off, Anker MagSafe power banks from $32, more appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Vision Pro is all about the ‘experience’ as you watch videos, FaceTime family, and get work done. But that experience looks awfully isolating.

The year is 2025. I’m sitting on the couch next to my husband, who appears in my field of vision whenever we talk to each other. When we aren’t talking, he fades out of view so I can focus my attention on the screens in front of me. I’m editing a presentation for work, FaceTiming with my family across the country, learning Spanish, and watching cooking demos on YouTube at the same time.

I get a notification — it’s time for my daily meditation. The screens darken, and the room around me fades away completely so I can focus on a calming animation and count my breaths. When I’m done, the session is automatically logged in my journal, along with my daily mood: pleasant. Just like yesterday. The FaceTime call comes back into focus just as my family members’ photorealistic personas are laughing at something funny my mom said. I’m not sure what it was, but my avatar laughs along with theirs anyway.

This vision of the future might not be exactly the one that Apple is trying to sell us with its new headset, but I don’t think it’s far off. The Vision Pro is a $3,500 screen for one person: you and you only. Maybe it’s the future of the iPhone. Maybe it will usher in a blissful utopia where we are all tuned into our surroundings as much or as little as we would like to be. Maybe it’s a really expensive way to look dumb in the comfort of your own home. But I think there’s one thing that’s for sure: it looks lonely as hell.

Image: Apple

Exactly what the Vision Pro is and what it’s designed to do has been extremely well documented over the past 48 hours, but in case you missed it, here’s the synopsis: Vision Pro is a state-of-the-art pair of goggles that puts a screen on your face. It’s mostly a VR headset, even though Apple is allergic to saying VR, with some augmented reality elements woven in. It captures the world outside the headset with outward-facing cameras, and it will show you more or less of it as needed. If it recognizes that you’re talking to someone, they’ll come into view. If you want to tune out and watch a movie on your flight, the real world will fade away.

Apple very much wants us to believe that we can participate in the “real world” while wearing the headset. The company is heavily emphasizing the Vision Pro’s augmented reality capabilities, and there’s even a physical dial to control how much of the real world you see at any time. There’s also an external display so anyone else in the room can see your eyes rather than a big black box on your face. And in the keynote, Apple highlighted a parent using the headset in their kitchen with a child playing nearby. The kid kicks a soccer ball toward the headset wearer, and he kicks it right back without missing a beat. See? Nothing to worry about! You can do five things on your headset and be an engaged parent all at once!

Image: Apple

But even though it’s not supposed to totally take you out of reality, by design, it puts you at the center of your own little screen-filled world. That’s an inherently more isolated experience than interacting with a 6-inch screen that you hold in your hand. How do you show someone a funny TikTok you just watched in your headset? How do you watch a cute video you took of your kid with your spouse? How do you show everyone on your FaceTime call that your cat just jumped into your lap? Won’t Apple please think of the pet moments we’re going to miss?

Putting a screen on your head when you want to zone out and watch Netflix is one thing, but Apple’s not selling this as just a screen for your face. You’re supposed to be able to walk around your home, grab a drink from the fridge, and interact with your spouse while you wear it. In fact, Apple’s promotional video portrays it almost exclusively as something you wear at home alone.

And take FaceTime, one of the big use cases. Apple’s pitch is that it’ll make it seem like the people you’re talking to are right there in the room with you. But they don’t see you exactly — they see a photorealistic representation of you as you talk, built from a scan of your face taken with the headset. I have a very hard time understanding how I’m supposed to feel closer while FaceTiming my family across the country when they can’t even see my actual face.

To be clear, I don’t want to declare this product — which is still many months away from shipping — a disaster for society or anything like that. Even if it takes off, nobody’s going to come to my house and replace my iPhone with a headset overnight. It’s very easy to opt out of this whole experience simply by not spending $3,500 on a headset.

But I also can’t help noticing the juxtaposition between the Vision Pro and its very self-centered nature and Apple’s simultaneous push for better tools to manage mental health. In the very same keynote that it announced the Vision Pro, Apple revealed a couple of new features for iOS 17 to help people understand their own emotions and moods. You’ll be able to log your daily mood and moment-to-moment emotions in the Health app, and you’ll also be able to access a standard survey that health professionals use to screen for depression and anxiety.

There’s also a new journaling app, which can automatically prompt you to stop, reflect, and write a journal entry based on things you’ve recently photographed or places you’ve been. It’s probably not a bad thing to take a break from the constant pressure to share your photos, videos, and thoughts with the world and just write something for yourself.

And not to be forgotten, Apple has spent years building features designed to help you keep track of and minimize your screen time. If we already have a hard time putting our phones down, how hard will it be to peel yourself away from TikTok when you’re actually wearing the screen? Apple is willing to outfit us with a few flimsy tools to help us keep healthy relationships with our phones, but it’s also willing to sell you a screen to literally keep strapped to your face.

There’s every chance that the Vision Pro will flop and we’ll just keep happily (and unhappily) using our pocket screens for the rest of time. But Apple is a company with tremendous power to shape how we interact with technology and the track record to prove it. When it releases a product in a new category, it’s reasonable to wonder if that thing represents some version of the future — how we interact with each other and how we relate to ourselves. And if Apple’s Vision Pro is indeed a significant part of that future, then I won’t be surprised if it feels a little bit lonelier.

Suffice it to say, with the introduction of the Beats Studio Buds Plus and Amazon’s latest pair of Echo Buds this morning, it’s been a busy week on the wireless earbud beat. But if you’re someone who doesn’t need the latest and greatest pair of earbuds, Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro are currently matching their all-time low of $84.99 ($85 off) at Amazon, Walmart, and direct from Soundcore (with offer code WS24A3952BD).

Anker may not have the same kind of brand recognition in the earbuds space as Apple, Sony, or Bose, but the Liberty 3 Pro offer a lengthy list of features and an affordable price tag. They pack in active noise cancellation and powerful sound as well as multipoint Bluetooth support, IPX4 water resistance, and a robust selection of ear tips. They even come in a range of attractive styles — just in case you prefer a pop of color over a muted black.

Read our Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro review.

If you’re shopping around for a computer monitor, there are a lot of options to consider. However, few of them are quite as unusual as Samsung’s M8 Smart Monitor, which is on sale in green right now at Amazon for $467.30 (about $233 off). Alternatively, if you prefer a different color, you can pick up the 32-inch panel at Best Buy or direct from Samsung for $499.99 ($200 off), which is still one of its better prices to date.

Unlike most monitors, Samsung’s stylish M8 is brimming with features that allow it to pull double duty as both a monitor and a 4K TV. The low-profile panel supports things like picture-in-picture, AirPlay, and all your favorite streaming apps in addition to HDR10 Plus and Tizen’s smart TV interface. It also features great color and contrast as well as a USB-C port with DisplayPort and 65W charging, so you can use a lone cable to connect your laptop when the game ends and you need to get work done.

Admittedly, you could get a better 4K TV or a more capable monitor for the price of the M8. But if you could use a device that functions as both, Samsung’s smart monitor provides tremendous value at less than $500.

Read our Samsung M8 Smart Monitor review.

We all know that, in most instances, install sizes are only getting bigger. Newer triple AAA titles like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor can require 155GB of storage, whereas even svelte titles like Tears of the Kingdom can clock in at up to 16GB. Fortunately, if you want to carve out some extra space on your Nintendo Switch, Samsung’s Pro Plus microSD card is on sale at Amazon in the 512GB configuration for $44.99 ($65 off).

Regardless of whether you’re using the standard Switch or the OLED model, 512GB is going to be ample space when compared to the built-in capacity of either console (which tops out at 64GB on the OLED model). Samsung’s Pro Plus exceeds Nintendo’s requirements, too, making it a good choice if you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive way to quickly outfit your Switch — or your Steam Deck, an Android phone, or any other compatible device — with a bit more space.

Deals, discounts, and other savings of note

• The physical edition of Octopath Traveler II is currently on sale at Amazon and Target right now for $44.99 ($15 off), a new all-time low. The current promo applies to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation versions of the classic-style RPG, which, despite drawing on the same core gameplay as its 2018 predecessor, is markedly better.
• Apple’s HomePod Mini is down to $79.99 ($20 off) for Costco members right now, which remains one of its lowest prices to date. It may no longer be Apple’s newest smart speaker (that would be the second-gen HomePod), but it’s still a good option if you’re someone who has already bought into the Apple ecosystem and can make do with Siri. Read our review.
• Samsung’s Odyssey Ark, a massive 55-inch gaming monitor, is once again available for its all-time low of $1,999.99 ($1,500 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Samsung. We certainly wouldn’t recommend the curved display for most people — it’s still a $2,000 monitor, after all — but it does offer exceptional build quality and a bevy of high-end specs that are sure to please anyone who can actually afford it. Read our review.
• Govee’s interlocking Glide Y Lights are on sale for $159.99 ($70 off) on Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon or via Govee for the same price with promo code YLT20. The modular, Y-shaped lighting panels can display more than 16 million colors and work with both Alexa and Google Assistant, giving you an easy way to bypass the mobile app.
• LG’s 65-inch C2 OLED is still on sale at Woot for $1,394.99, which is about $200 less than we typically see it go for. The 4K set offers all the hallmarks you might associate with OLED panels — terrific viewing angles, deep black levels, etc. — along with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDMI 2.1 support, and a host of gamer-friendly features that make it a great pick if you use a next-gen console like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. Read our review.
• Sony’s WF-C700N earbuds are already $10 off at Amazon and Walmart, where you can pick them up in black for $109. The reliable entry-level earbuds aren’t the best when it comes to noise cancellation and battery life, but for the price, they provide a great fit, enjoyable sound, and enough software tricks to make them worthwhile. Read our review.

I can’t stop looking at these earbuds. You might’ve already seen leaks about the new Beats Studio Buds Plus, available beginning today for $169.99, but there’s something even more attention-grabbing about their translucent design in person. Maybe it’s because I came of age in the late ’90s, when these semiopaque finishes were a common sight on gamepads, household phones, and other gizmos. (I’m looking at you, iMac G3.) There’s certainly a nostalgia factor. But Beats also really nailed the execution with these. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself closely poring over all the small inner details now visible: the orange ring around the USB-C port; the way that light reflects off metal surfaces inside the case as you rotate it in your hands; and yes, the plainly visible battery just underneath the “b” logo.

At their core, the Studio Buds Plus are an upgraded refresh of earbuds that originally debuted in 2021. Though I praised their comfort, I was underwhelmed by the rest of what the Studio Buds had to offer. Now, Beats is trying to address those weak points with this “Plus” model: the sound has been refined, there’s more powerful active noise cancellation, and the transparency mode sounds more natural. Battery life has also been stretched out further.

Beats has stuck to the same outer design for the most part, and that’s good news. Sure, it means the carrying case still lacks wireless charging — you won’t see a Qi charging coil when peering through the back — but it also means that the Studio Buds Plus remain exceedingly comfortable. They’re very discreet, lightweight, and retain the clicky physical buttons on each earbud for controls. But I think the current AirPods Pro gestures are more versatile since you can adjust volume by sliding your finger up or down the touch sensor. If you want to use the long-press gesture on the Beats for volume, you’ll be giving up convenient methods of toggling ANC or activating Siri.

But even if the Studio Buds Plus share a close resemblance to their predecessors, Beats is quick to point out that 95 percent of the internal components are new. The microphones are three times larger and offer better sensitivity, which aids noise cancellation, transparency mode, and voice call quality alike. The case’s battery grew by 50 percent and the batteries in each earbud by 16 percent. The venting system has been reworked for improved air release, less ear pressure, and to allow for greater freedom of movement from the transducer.

Taken individually, the changes don’t seem radical, but all of them together lead to a noticeably superior pair of earbuds. I’ve enjoyed listening to these way more than the older Studio Buds (which will remain available at $149.99), and while the snazzy design helps, the company has also made progress under the surface.

And these sure as hell look cooler. This is going to be subjective, but I prefer the smoked translucent approach to the fully transparent casing used by Nothing. With these, you don’t need to worry about fingerprint smudges or a bunch of hairline scratches building up on the case over time.

The Beats case can pick up some finger oils, but more often than not, it just looks very nifty. Pluck the earbuds out, and you’ll notice the magnets beneath their plastic cradle. You’ll spot some wiring if you look closely, but Beats has done a good job keeping the case’s innards neatly arranged, and despite the semitransparent housing, the circular charging status LED doesn’t send stray light anywhere in the case.

Battery life is rated at up to six hours of playback with ANC enabled or nine if you leave it off. The case includes another 18 or 27 hours of juice depending on the same criteria. The earbuds provide IPX4 water resistance, which should make them suitable for daily exercise and inclement weather on occasion.

Four sizes of silicone ear tips come in the box; like the AirPods Pro, Beats now includes an extra-small set. Tragically, the included USB-C cable doesn’t match the translucent theme of the actual product; it’s just a black cable. For shame. You should’ve gone all the way, Beats.

Putting style aside for a minute, it seems unlikely that Apple would ever let a Beats product outshine its flagship second-gen AirPods Pro when it comes to overall sound quality and noise cancellation. The Studio Buds Plus aren’t far off from the AirPods Pro in terms of sound signature; you can tell these teams are comparing notes. The Beats never sound harsh or unpleasant, there’s plenty of clarity to the mids and vocal frequencies, and there’s a satisfying amount of bass to keep you grooving. The AirPods (along with other premium selections from Samsung, Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser) have finer detail and a broader, more immersive soundstage, but if my Pros fell down a sewer grate tomorrow and I could only listen to the Studio Buds Plus, I’d get by just fine.

The active noise cancellation lags several steps behind the AirPods Pro, and this contrast is more noticeable. Beats says the Studio Buds Plus are 1.6 times more powerful than the original Studio Buds, but those never ranked near the top of the class to begin with. The ANC is more useful this go-around across environments like busy coffee shops, noisy Brooklyn parks, and when taking the train, but on average, I could hear more of the general outside world cacophony coming through when wearing the Beats than I did with the AirPods.

Apple’s flagship buds prove their worth even more for those key tests like airplane cabin noise and screeching subway cars, but at least Beats has managed a respectable showing. Transparency mode on the Studio Buds Plus is perfectly decent and clear, but not quite as convincing as what Apple delivers with the AirPods Pro, nor is it “adaptive” and capable of quickly lowering the volume of sudden loud noises.

This can partly be explained by Beats’ decision to use a different chip in the Studio Buds Plus instead of Apple’s own silicon as it does with the Beats Fit Pro. The original Studio Buds also used a unique chip, and here again, it results in an odd mishmash of some — but not all — Apple ecosystem features that iPhone owners might expect. You’ll get the essentials like one-step pairing, Control Center integration, hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands, and the Studio Buds Plus will appear on Apple devices signed in to your iCloud account. But other bonuses like audio sharing, automatic device switching, personalized spatial audio, and an ear tip fit test are omitted. (There’s no head-tracking spatial audio here, either.)

So while there are some compromises for Apple fans, sticking with its existing solution allows Beats to natively support Android features to a greater degree than any AirPods or the aforementioned Beats Fit Pros ever could. The Studio Buds Plus are designed to work with Fast Pair, audio switch, and Google’s own Find My Device platform. Those all work out of the box, and you can install the Beats app for Android to adjust earbud settings or update firmware. Neither side gets every ecosystem bell and whistle, but at least both can enjoy a handful of software features.

Voice call performance is a step up from the regular Studio Buds, but even with that newly improved mic hardware, the Buds Plus still struggled in my local coffee shop when the place was at its busiest. That’s a torture test that not many earbuds can handle, but in more casual conditions, people could hear me without any complaints.

Beats has done a much better job with its second swing at the Studio Buds. The Plus edition is more well-rounded than the first pair from two years ago. At just $20 extra, the sound is fuller and richer, the ANC is more capable (albeit still with room for improvement), and that translucent color option feels novel and fun. I could easily see these earbuds having a moment on TikTok thanks to their unique appearance.

Every time I show them to someone, they’re a hit. You can also buy them in black or ivory, but come on. Where’s the fun in that? The AirPods Pro are functionally superior, and the Beats Fit Pro might make better gym companions, but these are a clear standout for their style — and the rest of the package is better than the first time around.

Photography by Chris Welch / The Verge

Great deals this week on Amazon, up to $250 off MacBook Pro 14-inch.

If a MacBook Pro is too much computer for your needs, Apple’s M2 MacBook Air is on sale for $999.99 in Space Gray, a $200 discount off the retail price. Amazon also slashed prices on Apple Watches, iPads, and accessories, allowing you to outfit your gear for less.

Read more…

Great deals this week on Amazon, up to $250 off MacBook Pro 14-inch.

If a MacBook Pro is too much computer for your needs, Apple’s M2 MacBook Air is on sale for $999.99 in Space Gray, a $200 discount off the retail price. Amazon also slashed prices on Apple Watches, iPads, and accessories, allowing you to outfit your gear for less.

Read more…