Last Week in AVP #46: Samsung/Google Launches AVP Competitor, New Apple Immersive Video Series - Wild Life, AVP Named Gadget of the Year, ResMed Debuts Ergonomic Head Strap and more!
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This Vision Pro clone from Samsung and Google is good news for Apple users (source)
Now the competition can push Vision Pro forward
Iโm deep in the Apple ecosystem, and it would take a lot for me to change that.
I suspect if I tried Samsungโs currently-unnamed headset, Iโd have plenty of complaints. Samsung and Android products tend to work in ways I find frustrating.
But regardless, this new headset should motivate Apple to keep pushing harder with the Vision Proโand any other Vision products in development.
For example, I love how Google seems to have made Gemini a core part of the Android XR operating system.
Google had been developing Android XR for several years, but โtook a pauseโ to rebuild the software around AI. The companyโs AI features are now core to the operating system. For instance, glasses with Android XR can use external cameras to analyze a newly bought piece of furniture and then provide instructions to assemble it. On a headset, it can control actions like mapping out a vacation in Google Maps.
Apple Vision Pro takes you on an immersive dive with tiger sharks eating lunch (source)
In the third entry of the Apple Immersive Video series called Wild Life, weโre treated to an in-depth and underwater dive with Epic Diving out of Florida to swim with tiger sharks.
As you can imagine, this close encounter with Jaws and company includes lots of stunning views and opportunities for nervous laughter. Any time those jaws open up or bop your face, youโll need to remind yourself that this isnโt as real as it feels!
New Apple Immersive video โAdventure: Ice Diveโ coming on December 20 (source)
New Apple Immersive video โAdventure: Ice Diveโ coming on December 20. 15 minutes long.
Popular Science declares Vision Pro to be gadget of the year (source)
From a hardware perspective, this headset offers a 23-million-pixel screen, which dishes out more than 4K quality to each eye. Itโs a true AR device, so external cameras pump a real-time view of the outside world into the display. Virtual displays, AR game boards, and other digital artifacts integrate seamlessly into your view of the real world. Itโs actually jarring to take the headset off and see the real world free of floating UI. There are no controllers to use, buttons to press, or other obstacles between a user and the augmented space.
von Holzhausen Carry Sling for Apple Vision Pro (source)
Thrilled to be launching another design at @Apple. Sleek, functional, and sustainble using our plant-based Banbลซ.
ResMed Debuts Ergonomic Head Strap for Vision Pro (source)
"Over the last 35 years, our team has constantly pushed the innovation boundaries to create life-changing health technologies that people love," said Justin Leong, Chief Product Officer for ResMed. "With our deep knowledge in engineering head-worn products, we are excited to bring our expertise to designing lightweight and comfortable facial interfaces to the Apple Vision Pro community through the Kontor Head Strap."
Apple Vision Pro finally delivers a killer feature justifying the VR headset's price (ZDNet)
Overall Vision Pro experience
Normally, when using the Vision Pro, its unique immersive experience is the star of the show. It's all about the Vision Pro. But when using Mac virtual displays, it's your work productivity on the Mac that's the raison d'รชtre of the experience. The Vision Pro is, quite literally, a peripheral.
And, the overall Mac experience is just so-so. I'll enumerate the annoyances I found, mostly in order of when I experienced them.
To be able to get the most out of my Vision Pro, I had to customize its assistive features. One feature I rely upon is the little blue assistive cursor. Usually, VisionOS just slightly brightens or dims whatever you're looking at and about to select. I find that very difficult to use, so I turned on the little round blue cursor. It helps a lot.
Playstation Remote Play is now on Vision Pro (source)
Playing "Little Cities" on Apple Vision Pro (source)
Got to play "Little Cities" on Apple Vision Pro and I love it. Classic cozy-game world-builder. A very hands-on experience with familiar mechanics โ a hint of the spatial computing world to come.
Spatial Analogue new app for collaborating 3D immersive design platform (source)
Excited to be able to share that Spatial just launched Analogue, a collaborative 3D immersive design platform for Vision Pro! Easily visualize 3D designs and collaborate in real-time spatial context. No code or app publishing needed. View-only now, full tools arriving in 2025.
Speaking of which, the 3D remake of FF4 is available on Apple Arcade. It also supports Apple Vision Pro, so now you can do FF with AVP lol I use a Nintendo Switch controller.
App that simulates sky ceiling environment (source)
Latest Immersive 180 HDR (Apple MV-HEVC) Film is on Spatial Film (source)
Your support helps us continue creating long-form immersive 180 experiences. Thank you!
Convert smart drone videos into 3D models viewed in AVP(source)
Converting smart drone videos into 3D models to create virtual keepsakes of your IRL hiking adventures ๐คฏ
We are truly living in the future
Crazy Taxi on Apple Vision Pro
Spatial Pizza the era of spatial food computing with pizza simulator (source)
Say hello to the reason weโve been eating so much pizza lately ๐๐๐ โSpatial Pizzaโ is an interactive Vision Pro experience by Brian (@Mix_Interactive) and me. This project has been โcookingโ for quite some time, based on a concept I came up with back in July.
So hereโs the pitch: Imagine youโre in a distant future, youโre hungry, and once again, youโre too lazy to cook. Instead of opening a website and ordering pizza the old-fashioned way with boring drop-down menus and checkboxes, you get to playfully create your pizza right on your living room table. Once youโre done, simply hit โOrder,โ and your creation will be delivered straight to your doorstep.
Happy Clouds on Apple Vision Pro: Demystifying Shader Graph
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I look forward to these. Keep it up!