Lewis Wallace, author at Cult of Mac

First looks at Vision Pro: Apple nails the hardware (and the experience)

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Apple Vision Pro
The Vision Pro sizzle reel looks great, of course, but what is the device actually like?
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

First impressions of the Vision Pro headset make it sound like Apple absolutely nailed both the industrial design and the overall “experience” of wearing a mixed-reality headset.

Apple didn’t let most reporters go hands-on (or rather “heads-on”) with the new device following the Vision Pro’s unveiling at Monday’s WWDC23 keynote. However, the company’s handlers let some members of the media into a private area to gawk at the Vision Pro — and a handful of people actually got to strap one on.

The very first glimpses reveal hardware that looks far better than the competition, paired with a compelling visual experience, and triggers only a few negative reactions.

‘For $3500,’ Apple’s Vision Pro headset better …

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Apple Vision Pro price tag: $3,499.
That $3,500 price tag certainly got people's attention.
Photo: Apple
WWDC23

One key feature of Apple’s upcoming Vision Pro headset certainly made a splash after Monday’s unveiling. But it wasn’t “spatial computing” or the way you dial in reality while wearing the sci-fi-looking goggles — it was the Vision Pro’s eye-popping $3,499 price tag.

Shortly after the big reveal during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, “For $3500” trended on Twitter, with people jumping on the chance to take the piss out of Apple’s pricey new product.

This might be the future of computing, but some of these jokes are hilarious.

Yes, no, maybe: Our WWDC23 predictions [The CultCast]

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WWDC23 predictions on The CultCast.
It's more than just a guessing game. Our WWDC23 predictions are all about honor!
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
WWDC23

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With WWDC23 just days away, we’re going on the record with our predictions for Apple’s most momentous developer conference in years. Will iOS 17 allow alternative app stores? Will the Apple headset cost $3,000? Will our reputations survive this public guessing game?

Also on The CultCast:

  • It looks like new high-end Macs will definitely be in the mix — and the leaked specs sound absolutely blistering.
  • The Apple headset’s advanced hardware might make virtual reality look stunningly real.
  • Generative AI shows us what the rest of Taylor Swift’s evermore album cover might look like.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Here’s what we know about iOS 17 so far … [The CultCast]

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A new feature coming soon to iOS 17 sounds like it would be even better on an iPad.
A new feature coming soon to iOS 17 sounds like it would be even better on an iPad.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: iOS 17 might turn your iPhone into a dashboard for your smart home. Plus, Apple’s new journaling app seems like it will arrive soon as well. With WWDC23 just weeks away, we don’t have long to wait.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Three Apple TV+ hits conquer the streaming charts.
  • Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie is a moving and surprisingly inspirational documentary about the actor’s life (and his heroic battle with Parkinson’s disease).
  • MoviePass is back from the dead — and one option actually sounds enticing!

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Insiders are buzzing about Apple’s upcoming headset [The CultCast]

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CultCast 595: AI-generated image of Apple CEO Tim Cook wearing an AR/VR headset, along with the CultCast logo.
No, Apple's headset likely won't look like this AI-generated image.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Well-placed sources say Apple’s AR/VR headset blew them away. Even the guy who dreamed up the Oculus Rift says it’s great.

The more we hear about the device nobody seems to need, the more intrigued we become. And with WWDC23 just weeks away, we don’t have long to wait for answers to our questions. In the meantime, we can imagine the possibilities …

Also on The CultCast:

  • How Apple’s M3 chip will stack up against its predecessors.
  • Five hidden features in iMessage that you should try ASAP.
  • Erfon finally gives us an update on his beloved, but beleaguered, original HomePod.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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First Killers of the Flower Moon trailer mixes oil, greed and murder

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Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in
Robert De Niro, left, and Leonardo DiCaprio bring plenty of star power to Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.
Photo: Apple TV+

The first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon opens with bare-chested members of the Osage Nation dancing exuberantly in slow motion around an oilfield gusher. And then things get dark … really dark, really fast.

It’s a riveting first look at the movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, which comes to Apple TV+ this October.

iPad goes pro, Apple leaker goes dark [The CultCast]

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Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro finally come to iPad, on The CultCast podcast.
The wait is over for Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro on the iPad.
Image: Cult of Mac

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple finally brings Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro to iPad, and apparently uses some clever spycraft to take down a leaker in the process. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.

Also on The CultCast:

  • One feature in the new Final Cut Pro for iPad makes iPhone owners jealous (and hopeful).
  • Erfon thinks it’s a great time to buy a Mac.
  • Humane’s combadge-style gadget might not kill your iPhone, but the company’s vision of a personalized AI sounds promising.
  • Enter for your chance to win an Urban MacBook Sleeve from SwitchEasy.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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Here comes the MacBook Air we’ve been waiting for [The CultCast]

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15-inch MacBook Air will be a dream machine.
The 15-inch MacBook Air will be a dream machine.
Image: Cult of Mac
WWDC23

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: What will WWDC23 bring us? In addition to a sweeping look at the future of all Apple’s platforms, it sounds like we’ll get some major new hardware. Yes, there’s that $3,000 AR/VR headset, but there’s also something we really want: a 15-inch MacBook Air.

Also on The CultCast:

  • The Apple Watch interface will get a major upgrade with watchOS 10. And the same holds true for Stage Manger in iPadOS 17.
  • All about Apple’s new Rapid Security Response system for deploying urgent upgrades.
  • Shockingly, internal strife seems to be one of the things holding back Siri and Apple’s artificial intelligence efforts.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

New features coming in iOS 17 [The CultCast]

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iOS 17 mockup and The CultCast logo
iOS 17 is starting to come into focus.
Image: Cult of Mac
WWDC23

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The iOS 17 leaks start drip, drip, dripping out as we approach Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. Sounds like a minor update overall, but there’s some interesting stuff coming down the pike.

Also on The CultCast:

  • Apple Watch and the Health app might break their chains this year.
  • The journaling app that Apple’s working on sounds kind creepy.
  • Does Apple have an actual plan for its mixed-reality headset?
  • Get the Apple Watch face that keeps Tim Cook cookin’ (free download).

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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Can Apple’s ‘Reality’ headset spark an AR/VR revolution? [The CultCast]

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A woman wearing a VR headset, with The CultCast logo and Episode 591.
Many have tried to make AR/VR a sparkling reality. So far, nobody's nailed it. Can Apple?
Photo: Sara Kurig/Unsplash License/Modified by Cult of Mac
WWDC23

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The latest leaks about Apple’s AR/VR headset — possibly called the “Reality” — get us thinking about real-world applications. Will this thing kick-start a mixed-reality revolution, or flop harder than the Pippin?

Also on The CultCast:

  • The new Apple Card Savings account pays high interest — and we’re definitely interested!
  • WWDC23 might bring additional new hardware beyond the headset.
  • It’s your last chance to snag a limited-edition Sunset Moment iPhone case from Pitaka.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.