There’s something about traveling to new places and experiencing new things that sparks the imagination, recalibrates one’s view of what’s possible, and allows association of apparently unrelated ideas like the Apple Vision Pro and Macintosh launches into analogies that can illuminate our future outlook.
Here’s what my own recent travels made me think about Apple’s ambitions for the new year. The introduction of Vision Pro, at the 4th decade of the Macintosh, plays into this.
When Apple debuted the first Mac way back then, there were no flagship Apple Stores. There was no track record of building great development tools, nor any App Store supporting the distribution, updates, and sales for Mac software.
New owners of the Apple Vision Pro may be disappointed by the selection of native apps at launch, with claims that roughly 150 have been developed with experiences made for the headset.
Apple’s visionOS menu system
Apple opened up a version of the App Store for the Apple Vision Pro on January 16, giving developers the opportunity to add their apps ahead of the headset’s February 2 release date. However, it seems that very few developers will be actually offering apps to users that actually take advantage of the headset’s capabilities at the start.
On the weekend, research by AppFigures reported byTechCrunch indicates that there may be little more than 150 apps that have been updated to include Vision Pro-specific functionality, namely some form of virtual reality or mixed reality component. It’s still possible that more will be added by the time the Apple Vision Pro is in users’ hands, but it’s still a very small start for a major new platform.
Mere days after Alphabet and Google CEO Sudar Pichai warned of more job attrition this year, the company is shedding more staff, at its moonshot lab. Alphabet is also restructuring X (not to be confused with what used to be called Twitter) to make it easier to spin out projects with backing (read: money) from outside investors.
X division head Astro Teller told staff in a memo that the company was “expanding our approach to focus on spinning out more projects as independent companies funded through market-based capital.”
X has attempted to tackle bigger-picture challenges and problems worldwide, like climate change, the future of the internet and cybersecurity, but it hasn’t found consistent success through its spinoff businesses. The company hopes this could refocus heady ideas into those with a future.
— Mat Smith
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iOS 17.3 is available to install now, and while it’s not shaking things up too much, it does have Stolen Device Protection. The feature first popped up in the developer beta of iOS 17.3, and it’s actually pretty handy. If someone steals your iPhone or iPad, and you’re updated to OS 17.3, you can lock them out of the system by forcing Face ID or Touch ID access. This works even if they have your passcode. The update also has AirPlay hotel support, optimized crash detection and collaborative playlists on Apple Music — something I’ve been waiting for since my iOS 17 preview.
It can add ray tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older games.
NVIDIA has finally leased a beta version of its RTX Remix tool. This software is for modders and can add ray tracing and AI-upscaled textures to older games. For those who know what they’re doing, it’s capable of end-to-end remastering of just about any DirectX 8 or 9 game from the past. NVIDIA has released a list of compatible games — classics like Call of Duty 2, Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, Garry’s Mod, Freedom Fighters and Need for Speed Underground 2.
It stars Noomi Rapace and premieres on February 21.
Apple
Apple’s newest TV series follows an astronaut, played by Noomi Rapace, after an emergency return to Earth. According to the trailer, it will be filled with unreliable narrator twists and turns — and it’s in HDR, so it should really pop on that new Vision Pro headset.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-alphabet-cuts-jobs-at-its-moonshot-labs-121537179.html?src=rss
Want to prank your friends? These voice-changer apps for iOS and Android can alter your voice, making you sound like a robot, a chipmunk, or Darth Vader.
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