SAN FRANCISCO — I demoed the Vision Pro at the Apple Store here on Chestnut Street. It’s the most impressive tech product I’ve ever seen. It makes the iPhone seem like a primitive stone tablet. It’s amazingly intuitive, works literally like magic, and is incredibly emotional. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

You don’t have to buy a Vision Pro, but you absolutely must go to a store and get a free demo. We put together a video (below) that will show you what to expect from your Vision Pro demo.

February brings BEAST: Bio Exo Arena Suit Team, a 3v3 online action game with animal heroes piloting powerful mechanized armor, to Apple Arcade.

Adults might prefer Words in Progress, a puzzle game, which is also newly available for iPhone, Mac and more.

Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin shows how Franklin joined the Peanuts gang. The special will debut on Apple TV+ in mid-February.

Apple released the trailer on Friday so fans can take an early look.

Also this winter, Apple’s streaming service will release season two of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock from the Jim Henson Company. The second season of Sago Mini Friends came out, too.

If you’ve ever forgotten to put your phone on the charger at night (and who hasn’t?), you know how much it can throw off the entire next day. The pace of modern life doesn’t leave a lot of room for empty batteries to catch up, but now there’s a portable/travel charger that can make up for lost time: The Omnia X6i 66-watt compact wall charger.

It’s small, it packs three charging ports, and it even comes with international adapters to make your travels easier. Plus, it’s on sale for just $64.99.

If you’re gonna spend $3,500 on a face-hugging computer, you’ll want to get your money’s worth of mind-blowing experiences. For that, you’ll need the best Vision Pro apps available on day one.

Here are some of the coolest apps, concepts and use cases we’ve seen so far:

Now that Apple’s Vision Pro is out, Disney let everyone know Friday exactly which 3D films are available to watch on the headset. There are 42 different Disney+ 3D movies on Vision Pro at launch. The mix includes Star Wars and Marvel movies, as well as Disney’s celebrated animated fare.

And because of the immersive qualities of Vision Pro experiences like Environments, watching these 3D flicks could be pretty mind-blowing.

The first foldable device from Apple could be a 7-inch or 8-inch iPad, according to an unconfirmed report coming from Asia.

The potential tablet would be an iPad mini that could fold down small enough to easily slip into a pants pocket.

Sonos audio products are popular for a reason — they sound great and they’re not too far from affordable. Today’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display user thinks the monitor’s built-in speakers are good for many uses, but when they really want the big sound — for gaming, it turns out — they’re all about their Sonos One SL speakers and Sonos Beam soundbar.

Independent record labels say Apple’s recent promise to pay 10% more for Dolby Atmos tracks in Spatial Audio will take money away from them and give it to major labels and their stars, according to a new report Friday.

“It’s literally going to take the money out of independent labels and their artists, to benefit the biggest companies in the marketplace,” said a senior executive at one of the bigger independent record companies.

CEO Tim Cook teased Apple’s upcoming AI features during the company’s Q1 2024 earnings call Thursday, saying the company’s efforts will start to bear fruit later this year. It is rare for an Apple executive to provide even hints of the company’s future plans, but Cupertino has something to prove when it comes to artificial intelligence.

Google, Microsoft and other tech giants have invested heavily in AI, while Apple has little to show. However, the release of iOS 18 later in 2024 could change this. Cook says he’s “incredibly excited” about what’s to come.

A couple of weeks after Vision Pro’s preorders went live, the headset is now available for sale through Apple’s retail stores in the US.

If you could not get your preorder, grab the $3,499 mixed-reality headset from your nearest Apple store today. And if you preordered on time, your unit should arrive later today.

Also, if you didn’t feel comfortable laying down that kind of cash for a face-hugging computer without trying it first, you can book an online demo at an Apple Store — but it’s likely to be difficult to book a session. Apple’s booking system appears to be overwhelmed, and big crowds are mobbing Apple’s stores.

Got big plans for a job search in 2024? Ensure you become a top candidate with exclusive pricing on an AI-powered resume tool primed to help anyone take their next professional step forward.

Avoid the stress and frustration of fruitless job hunts with a lifetime subscription to the AI Resume Builder, available for just $29.97 (regularly $468) through February 4. Then get ready to impress future employers more easily.

Apple’s holiday quarter financial results offer good news for investors. iPhone is doing great! And CEO Tim Cook talked about AI. But there’s rotten news coming out of China.

We pored over the results, and listened to the call Apple executives held Thursday with Wall Street analysts, so you don’t have to. Here’s the information you ought to know.

Apple returned to revenue growth during its most recent critical holiday quarter. The total it took in during the December period went up 2% — that’s after the company experienced declining revenue in each of the four previous quarters.

“Today Apple is reporting revenue growth for the December quarter fueled by iPhone sales, and an all-time revenue record in Services,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a press release Thursday announcing Apple’s fiscal first-quarter results.

If you wear an Apple Watch or you’re thinking about getting one, you should enter our latest giveaway. That way you might win a super-cool and rugged new Lululook Waterproof FKM Sport Band. We’re giving away one orange band and one blue one, and anyone in the world can enter to win through February 10.

The band is designed for the handsome and tough Apple Watch Ultra 2/1, but it fits Series 9 and SE, as well (42mm/44mm/45mm/49mm).

Apple has a huge problem with the Vision Pro that no one has talked about: It’s highly addictive!

The astonishing visuals that Apple’s new headset pumps directly into your eyeballs make the real world seem dull, according to Nick Bilton, a Vanity Fair reporter who got behind-the-scenes access for a cover story published Thursday.

In fact, Bilton says Vision Pro is “like a drug” that offers a “dopamine hit.” And an unnamed source in Bilton’s story likens the Vision Pro to “tech fentanyl.”

Some people think the first picture of Tim Cook wearing a Vision Pro also has a surprise: an iPad that Apple hasn’t released yet. But no. The tablet looks a bit odd, but that’s not because it’s a future one with a new design.

Here’s why.

Do AirTags make noise? They don’t look like they make any sound, but yes indeed they do. They make noise for a variety of reasons, and in my experience, it can sometimes be mysterious — or irritating.

• What does the setup chime mean?
• Why is this AirTag I found beeping?
• And how do I stop it?

I have about half a dozen AirTags, my family has about a dozen more, and we use them regularly to find lost or forgotten items.

But they can sometimes be mysterious and the sounds they make aren’t always obvious. Here are all the reasons why it’s beeping at you, and how to stop it. But be warned: it’s not a simple yes/no situation.

A day ahead of Vision Pro’s release, Apple put a spotlight on more than 600 new “spatial” apps and games made specifically for the headset. They join more than a million Vision Pro-compatible apps Friday in the App Store.

“Apple Vision Pro is unlocking the imaginations of our worldwide developer community, and we’re inspired by the range of spatial experiences they’ve created for this exciting new platform,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations.

Amazon’s latest deal slashes nearly $400 off the price of the 15-inch MacBook Air with 512GB storage to a new low of $1,103.

While Apple’s 15-inch Air has been frequently discounted since launch, this is the best deal on the machine yet.

The Complete 2024 Microsoft Tech Certification Training Super Bundle takes you on a deep dive into the skills and subjects you need to land a job in the IT industry. While finishing this educational bundle alone won’t get you certified, it will set you up for success. Finish the courses, then ace the critical exams to earn the certifications you need.

For one low price, you get unlimited access to 11 courses with 246 hours of material, covering everything from desktop management to Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Teams. And for a limited time, it costs just $69.97.

Apple has extended its modem deal with Qualcomm for almost two years until March 2027. The three-year contract was supposed to expire in 2025.

Apple’s extension of its modem deal with Qualcomm comes as the Cupertino giant struggles to develop its in-house modem.

Artificial intelligence tools are making their rounds in the creative world, and next up is AI-powered image generation. Just in time for you to cash in on the craze, this $29.99 e-learning bundle can help you tame these robots and get them to work for you. With a small investment of time and money, you’ll be creating AI art that turns heads.

While these (mostly free) bots typically only need a text prompt to generate content, many nuances affect how well they work at outputting images that meet your requests. So, this course bundle is the right place to start. Well, only if you want to save time and turn your Mac into a complete productivity powerhouse.

Apple earning results to be announced Thursday will reveal how well the company performed financially during the all-important holiday quarter of 2023. Analysts predict that revenue stayed steady in the October-through-December timeframe compared to the same period of the previous year, but the Mac-maker will announce a jump in earnings per share.

A strong earnings report might stop a recent slide in APPL share values — the stock price dropped about 5% over the last week or so.

Drop, owned by gaming powerhouse Corsair, rolled out the compact new CSTM65, a 65% mechanical keyboard, the company said Wednesday. It allows a high degree of personalization much like the larger, recently released CSTM80.