Leander Kahney

Even at $3,500, Apple’s Vision Pro headset looks like a relative bargain

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A panoramic photo in Apple's Vision Pro headset.
Apple's Vision Pro headset ain't cheap; new technology never is.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

People might be squawking about the $3,499 price tag of Apple’s new Vision Pro headset, but let’s put things in perspective. When Apple introduced the Macintosh — the first computer with a graphical user interface — it cost an eye-watering $7,400 in today’s dollars.

The Apple II — the first truly “personal computer’ — proved even more expensive. In 1977, an Apple II with maxed-out memory (a whopping 48KB of RAM, yes kilobytes) cost the equivalent of $14,400.

All that makes the $3,499 price tag of Apple’s new Vision Pro VR headset seem like a relative bargain. It packs insane 4K OLED screens to mesmerize your eyes, an outside screen that shows your face while wearing it, and an array of sensors to capture your hand movements, facial expressions and more.

If Apple is right, and the headset represents the dawn of a new era of 3D spatial computing, then 3,500 bucks isn’t so much to be at the cutting edge. New technology is always pricey … and it could have been even worse. Given the amount of new tech involved, and the high price of nearly a decade of development, the Vision Pro could have been even more expensive. It’s no $10,000 Apple Watch Edition!

Mac Pro finally gets updated to Apple silicon, is 3X faster

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The new Mac Pro features Apple's powerful M2 Ultra chip with PCI expansion.
The new Mac Pro features Apple's powerful M2 Ultra chip with PCI expansion.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

Apple’s transition to its own silicon is finally complete with the launch of a new Mac Pro, which combines Apple’s powerful M2 Ultra chip with PCIe expansion.

The new Mac Pro features the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer,” and is up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Intel-based model.

Mac Studio updated with ‘most powerful chip ever made for a personal computer’

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Screenshot of Apple introducing the new Mac Studio at WWDC23.
The Mac Studio has been updated with the powerful M2 Ultra chip.
Screenshot: Apple
WWDC23

The Mac Studio just got its first update, and it’s a screamer.

The desktop machine now comes with Apple’s new M2 Ultra chip — the “most powerful chip ever created for a personal computer,” according to Apple.

The new chip, based on Apple silicon, triples the performance of the previous M1 machine.

Get 50% off Scrivener, the writing tool pros swear by

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Writers of all kinds can use a $29.99 lifetime subscription to Scrivener to get organized.
Turn your Mac into a writing work station with Scrivener 3, now only $29.99.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

I’ve written six nonfiction books about Apple, and every time during the writing process, I’d grind to a halt because I had no idea how to organize all the material I’d gathered.

So I’d do what every writer has done since time immemorial: I’d take reams and reams of notes, cut them up into small pieces, and then tape them together in an order that made some kind of sense. The trouble is, it rarely did!

Little did I know, there’s a much easier way: Scrivener.

Happy 20th birthday to Safari, Apple’s browser that blossomed late

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The original logo for Apple's Safari web browser with the headline,
The first version of Safari, running on Mac OS X Panther. At launch, Apple's browser was fast but buggy.
Image: Cult of Mac

The Safari browser turns 20 years old today, and I remember excitedly firing it up for the first time.

When Steve Jobs introduced Safari at Macworld 2003, he described the brand-new browser as a speed demon and way easier to use than competitors.

“Buckle up,” he said with a smile. “We have done our own browser and it’s hot … it’s sweet.”

A few weeks later, I deleted it in disgust. Safari wasn’t sweet. It sucked!

iPhone 14 Pro review: Dynamic Island and massive camera sensor offer something new ★★★★★

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A Silver iPhone 14 on a wet picnic table★★★★★
iPhone 14
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Out of the box, the new iPhone 14 Pro looks almost identical to its predecessor, the iPhone 13 Pro, with its frosted glass back, shiny steel band and triple-lens rear camera.

But switch it on, and you immediately see an obvious difference — the new Dynamic Island, a fun, interactive UI element that alone is almost worth the upgrade. But what cinches it is the new 48MP camera sensor, which takes absolutely fantastic pictures.

Hermès intros two new Apple Watch bands (and a horsey face)

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Apple Watch Hermès will debut two fancy new bands and a horsey watch face.
Apple Watch Hermès will debut two fancy new bands and a horsey watch face.
Photo: Apple

Rumors that Apple is discontinuing its partnership with Hermès appear to be completely wrong.

Among the flurry of announcements during Wednesday morning’s ‘Far Out’ event was news that the French fashion house is introducing two fancy new Apple Watch bands, plus a new watch face that celebrates the house’s equestrian roots.

Apple unveils Watch Series 8 with new body temp sensor, focus on women’s health

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Apple Watch Series 8
The Apple Watch Series 8 focuses on women's health with a new body temperature sensor that can detect ovulation.
Screenshot: Apple

Apple just unveiled the Watch Series 8 with a focus on women’s health, including a body temperature sensor that can help with advanced cycle tracking.

The new watch, available to pre-order today and shipping September 16, also features car crash detection, a new low-power mode, international roaming and new faces and bands.

Pricing starts at $399 for GPS, and $499 for cellular.

Humane’s upcoming iPhone-killer looks to be a projection device

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Humane's teaser video has a strong
Humane's teaser video has a strong "1984" vibe.
Photo: Humane

It looks like Humane’s upcoming iPhone-killer will be a laser-projection system after all, based on a cryptic teaser video that dropped Friday.

Humane is a San Francisco startup staffed with a glittering roster of ex-Apple talent, many of whom were instrumental in developing the original iPhone.

The company hasn’t yet announced its first product, but patents hint Humane is working on a smart, screenless device that projects information onto the environment around the user.

With Jony Ive gone, Apple’s design team deserves more glory

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Apple's Industrial Design team at the Apple Watch unveiling.
Apple's Industrial Design team at the Apple Watch unveiling.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Now that Jony Ive and Apple have finally severed ties completely, it’s time for Cupertino’s current Industrial Design team to get the recognition it deserves.

Ive’s old Industrial Design team at Apple has been doing stellar work in his absence, but without getting the full credit. As long as Ive was still an Apple consultant, the credit was muddied: Was this Ive’s work or someone else’s?