headsets

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on headsets:

5 reasons to get excited about the Apple VR/AR headset

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An AI-generated image of Tim Cook wearing an Apple-branded VR headset.
We don't yet know what the Apple VR/AR headset will look like, but that doesn't mean it's too soon to get excited about it.
AI image: Midjourney/Cult of Mac
WWDC23

Multiple sources predict Apple will launch its first VR/AR headset three weeks from today at WWDC23. As the company’s first major new product category to launch since Apple Watch, there’s a lot riding on the headset. And yet not everyone’s buzzing with anticipation.

For those who aren’t yet feeling excited, here are five reasons you should look forward to the big reveal next month.

Apple VR/AR headset might actually be good

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Apple VR/AR headset concept by Ahmed Chenni.
This concept might be very close the VR/AR headset that Apple unveils later in 2023.
Concept: Ahmed Chenni/Freelancer.com

Apple supposedly made great improvements in the software for its upcoming VR/AR headset recently. Someone who got a chance to test prototypes several times reportedly was “blown away” by the latest iteration, after finding earlier versions disappointing.

If true, this would help explain why Apple finally apparently stopped delaying the release of the product, which will combine virtual reality and augmented reality features.

The scramble to create killer apps for Apple’s AR/VR headset is on

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Apple VR/AR headset concept by Amin Jony.
Surprise: the Apple VR/AR headset might be able to run iPad apps right out of the box.
Concept: Amin Jony/Freelancer.com

There’ll be a lot more to Apple’s VR/AR headset than new hardware: an unconfirmed report leaks details on Apple’s plans for software. There’ll be games and fitness apps, a VR version of FaceTime and more.

That’s not surprising. What is eye-opening is the assertion that the headset will be able to run third-party iPad applications right out of the box.

Tim Cook sees augmented reality as tool for collaboration, not isolation

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Tim Cook sees augmented reality as tool for collaboration
Tim Cook is very optimistic about the potential for augmented reality once practical AR glasses become possible.
Illustration: Open AI/Cult of Mac

Apple CEO Tim Cook sounds very upbeat about the potential for augmented reality in a new interview. He says the technology “could greatly enhance people’s communication, people’s connection.”

Cook stayed mum about a related tech, virtual reality, though.

Second-gen Apple VR/AR headsets coming in 2025

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Apple VR/AR headset concept by Amin Jony.
Apple is allegedly prepping a product line of AR/VR headsets running xrOS.
Concept: Amin Jony/Freelancer.com

A new report from a reliable tipster indicates that the second-generation of Apple’s VR/AR headsets will launch in 2025. This will supposedly consist of two models.

But Apple still needs to get the first generation on the market, and it’s possible the release date for the product is slipping yet again.

You might actually want to wear this Apple VR/AR headset concept

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Apple VR/AR headset concept by Ahmed Chenni.
This concept might be very close to the VR/AR headset that Apple unveils later in 2023.
Concept: Ahmed Chenni/Freelancer.com

Those eager for their first glimpse at Apple’s VR/AR headset should check out a concept design that might well be our best look yet at a product supposedly coming later this year.

It’s heavily based on leaked info about the upcoming virtual reality/augmented reality device — possibly called the “Reality Pro” — but with style added.

Why Apple’s VR headset won’t be the next iPhone

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Why Apple’s VR headset won’t be the next iPhone
Apple VR/AR headset won't be anywhere near as successful as the iPhone. But it is leading to something big.
Graphic: Cult of Mac/Minh Pham/Unsplash License

The AR/VR headset likely coming from Apple in 2023 will not be the company’s next smash hit. It will have fans, just not huge numbers of them.

But this first headset will be an important stepping stone toward an Apple device that will change the world.

New Logi webcams feature ‘Show Mode’ and a take on Center Stage

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Logitech Brio 500 webcam series and Zone Vibe headphones series are designed for hybrid workers.
Logitech Brio 500 webcam series and Zone Vibe headphones series are designed for hybrid workers.
Photo: Logitech

Logitech unveiled its new Brio 500 webcam series and Zone Vibe headphones series for hybrid workers Thursday. The company said “they bring quality, style, affordability, and sustainability to today’s workers for ultramodern collaboration experiences.”

“Many remote and hybrid workers are still underequipped and grappling with pre-pandemic era solutions,” said Scott Wharton, Logitech Video Collaboration general manager. “Our innovative new genre of Brio webcams and Zone Vibe headphones answer the call of modern workers who need business-grade quality, style, and affordability for work and play.”

Lenovo wearable private display puts a Mac monitor on your face

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Lenovo wearable private display puts a Mac monitor on your face
Lenovo Glasses T1 promise a big screen experience without a big screen.
Photo: Lenovo

Take a walk out to the cutting edge with Lenovo Glasses T1, which put a tiny OLED screen in front of each eye where they offer a “portable and private big screen experience.” Users can even connect the wearable to their Mac, or to an iPhone for use on the go.

Lenovo touts the gaming and entertainment possibilities of the glasses, but also points out that they can be used for working on business documents in complete privacy.

Run the show with this new wireless intercom headset system

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If your team is within 1,000 feet, you can talk to them.
If your team is within 1,000 feet, you can talk to them.
Photo: Hollyland

Anyone who works in event management — weddings, conferences, film sets — knows that fluid communications are key. But rather than run around with your iPhone glued to the side of your head while everything goes to pieces, why not invest in a wireless intercom headset system? Hollyland launched a new set Thursday that could fit the bill.

That way, you and your team can keep in constant touch and you’ll look super-important, too.

Apple might be forced to push VR/AR headset back to 2023

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Apple mixed reality headset
It probably won't look anything like this.
Photo: Vu Hoang/Flickr CC

One of the most hotly anticipated products of 2022 could be delayed until 2023, according to an unconfirmed report. Apple’s VR/AR headset might not be announced until late this year and not ship until next year.

Mechanical and software problems reportedly delayed the device, which supposedly will offer both virtual reality and augmented reality capabilities.

Apple’s first AR/VR headset might look like ski goggles

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Apple’s first AR/VR headset might look like ski goggles
Information supposedly leaking from Apple indicates the Apple AR/VR headset will look a lot like this.
Photo: RendersByIan

A concept artist took the rumors about an upcoming Apple augmented reality and virtual reality headset and turned them into a possible design for a product that could be unveiled in 2022.

This model is undeniably bulky, but but less so than rival Oculus, Valve and Sony versions.

Logitech kicks off big Memorial Day sale — up to 56% off accessories

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Logitech Memorial Day sale 2021
Enjoy it before it ends!
Photo: Logitech

Save on stellar accessories in Logitech’s big Memorial Day sale. You can get up to 56% off mice, keyboards, webcams and more, with prices starting at a mere $7.99. Start shopping before the sale ends!

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Best List: Heartache is in the (stolen) bag, plus audio gear and more

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Jeans designer Ulrich Simpson likes to say he makes jeans for everybody. And when he says

Jeans designer Ulrich Simpson likes to say he makes jeans for everybody. And when he says "everybody," he really means "every body."

The biggest problem with premium jeans is finding a pair that fits. They tend to come in a very narrow range of cuts and sizes. Not so Simpson's UBi-IND jeans, which are available in five styles and sizes from 29- to 48-inch waist.

They'll fit any body type, from skinny skateboarders to Olympic speed skaters with grotesquely overdeveloped quads (see the Athletic cut). In fact, Simpson's customers range from NBA stars to surfers and cowboys. Simpson's jeans are 100 percent made in the USA from premium Cone Mills denim. — Leander Kahney

Buy from: UBi-IND (online and in San Francisco), Union LA (Los Angeles), AB Fits (San Francisco) Standard & Strange (Oakland), Canvas (Malibu)


Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Game On (And On) With These Stunningly Superb Siberia Elite Gaming Headphones [Review]

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DSC04948

Gaming headsets are quite the rage lately, with products from Turtle Beach, Logitech, and Sony gracing any decent gaming aisle at your favorite retailer.

Siberia Elite Gaming Headset by SteelSeries
Category: Headsets
Works With: Mac, iPhone, Android, PCs
Price: $199.00

SteelSeries has a long history of providing high quality gaming peripherals, like mice, keyboards, and controllers, for the high-end PC gaming market. They’ve recently made some fantastic forays into iOS gaming peripherals, as well, like the SteelSeries Free controller for iPad and iPhone.

These Siberia Elites, then, have a fantastic pedigree at a fairly competitive price, and I’ve fallen in love with their sound, build quality, and fancy extras.

Bluetooth Keyboard Doubles As Telephone Handset

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Turn your tablet into an old-school Nokia Communicator
Turn your tablet into an old-school Nokia Communicator

When the iPhone launched, “pundits” said that it would fail thanks to the lack of a physical keyboard. Then the iPad debuted to the same knee-jerk whine. Years passed, and tens of millions of units were sold, yet there are still people who think they want a keyboard to take up half the face of their device, all the time. For you, my dear Luddite friends, there is the TK-MBD041, a tiny Bluetooth keyboard that will mimic your precious (and tiny) BlackBerry buttons, and packs a special secret function (spoiler – it works as a phone handset).