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Meta

Is Meta testing Reels on Quest?

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On its Quest headset, Meta is testing a means for users to watch Reels. CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a video on Meta’s broadcast channel showcasing how a Reel will appear in virtual reality.

It appears that you can browse through Reels in a window that opens against your virtual background, much like when you open other apps on the OS.

Meta
Image Source: bizzbuzz.news

It’s unclear whether Reels will be included in Meta’s Instagram app for the Quest or whether users will be able to test it out. The Verge contacted Meta for comment, but they didn’t react right away.

Also Read: How Exciting Is The New Apple Health Features?

In any case, adding Reels to Quest is an indication that Meta is prepared to integrate its systems and apps more tightly. Additionally, it makes an announcement just a week after Meta unveiled the $499 Quest 3 and days after Apple unveiled the $3,499 Vision Pro.

During the WWDC23 event, Apple demonstrated the Vision Pro Mixed Reality headset. The $3499 headset’s transparent visor and several cameras for motion and vision tracking enable it to offer Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality content.

Apple is actively promoting its platforms, apps, and services on the Visio Pro. On the day that Vision Pro launches, content from Disney+ and its affiliated content producers will be available.

Zuckerberg responded to the Vision Pro by claiming Apple’s vision for the device isn’t the one he wants, noting that Apple primarily focused on solitary activities during its presentation. According to Zuckerburg, “Our vision for the metaverse and presence is fundamentally social. It’s about people interacting in new ways and feeling closer in new ways.”

Quest 3, the next-generation virtual and mixed-reality headgear, was unveiled by Zuckerberg last week and will be available later this year. The 128GB headgear starts at $499.99, and customers will also have the option of adding more storage.

Also Read: What’s so ‘pro’ about the Apple Vision Pro headset?

It has a newer Snapdragon chipset, which offers graphics performance that is more than twice as fast as Quest 2’s Snapdragon GPU from the same generation. According to the business, “On Quest 3, our best-in-class Meta Reality technology lets you seamlessly blend your real world with the virtual one.”

Meta is motivated by the creation of a unified ecosystem, to put it simply. Although social media networks like Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, and others exist, Meta would work to maintain the Quest ecosystem’s social nature by encouraging user interaction.

Health Features

How Exciting Is The New Apple Health Features?

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On Monday, Apple unveiled new health features for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and watchOS 10, increasing the scope of the Health app to include eyesight and mental health.

While the new vision health features encourage good behaviors to reduce the risk of myopia, the new mental health features provide users the ability to track their feelings and moods. The most recent Apple software announcement won’t transform the healthcare industry.

health features
Image Source: cnet.com

As a result of their active approach to self-care and monitoring, consumers who don’t need significant healthcare services are instead encouraged to make little improvements.

Also Read: What’s so ‘pro’ about the Apple Vision Pro headset?

The Apple Health app in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 and the Mindfulness app in watchOS 10 provides users with an appealing and user-friendly platform to consider their mental condition. Users can browse among multidimensional shapes to communicate their emotions, which can range from happy to terrible.

Two essential behaviors for kids are advised by eye care professionals to help lower the likelihood of myopia. These actions include spending more time in the sunlight and viewing objects like devices and books from a greater distance.

Apple Watch’s ambient light sensor can now track how much time users spend outdoors thanks to watchOS 10. On iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, users can check the amount of sun exposure time that their Apple Watch has detected.

Children can connect their Apple Watch to their parents’ iPhones using Family Setup, allowing parents to track their children’s exposure to sunshine through Health Sharing.

The TrueDepth camera is used by the new Screen Distance feature on the iPhone and iPad to prompt users to move their gadgets farther away after holding them up close for an extended period of time (closer than 12 inches). Myopia can be brought on by reading or using a device too closely, according to studies.

Younger users can benefit from screen distance by developing good viewing habits that reduce their risk of myopia, while older users can lessen digital eyestrain.

The demographic who needs healthcare the most frequently does not use the services that Apple Health provides for proactive health management. According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, around half of American adults had trouble paying for health care.

Also Read: Snap hires new head of engineering from Google

About 40% of American adults delayed or skipped getting medical care in the past year due to financial concerns. Adults without insurance, Black and Hispanic adults, and those with lower incomes are disproportionately affected by the high cost of healthcare. A larger percentage of American adults avoided or put off getting medical care in each of these groups because of the cost.

The target group who requires gadgets to manage their health proactively cannot afford Apple gear, despite it having technological advancements that might considerably help people manage their health.

Apple Vision Pro

What’s so ‘pro’ about the Apple Vision Pro headset?

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With the Apple Vision Pro, virtual reality, and augmented reality headset, Apple is entering a new product category. The new gadget is not intended for the majority of people because it costs $3,500. It won’t be accessible until the beginning of 2024.

The Vision Pro wraps around your head entirely, covering your eyes with what appears to be a pair of goggles, similar to other VR headsets. A digital crown, resembling the one on the Apple Watch, is located on the top right side of the headset and allows you to adjust how much of the outside world enters your VR experience.

Apple Vision Pro
Image Source: wsj.com

This has the effect of lowering the lights in your immediate surroundings. You may change from augmented reality to virtual reality thanks to the crown.

The most prominent feature of the Vision Pro is visible when it is in augmented reality mode: A live feed of your eyes within the headset is shown on the screen that faces the outside. It is intended that this feature, termed EyeSight, will make it seem less strange to other people.

Also Read: Why Apple is changing the ‘Hey Siri’ trigger to just ‘Siri’?

Actually, the function of the headset depends heavily on your eyes. Along with your voice, hand movements, and eye tracking, the Vision Pro is controlled by you.

Additionally, it uses your eyes as a form of authentication thanks to Apple’s new Optic ID feature, which scans your irises to unlock the Vision Pro. Optic ID is similar to Face ID but for the eyes. Apple essentially wants you to do everything with the Vision Pro.

Your work can be dispersed across a number of sizable digital monitors that are hidden from view from everyone else in the space. On a virtual screen that is 100 feet wide, you may also watch movies, play games, and FaceTime with pals. Apple Immersive Video, which combines a 180-degree view of material with spatial audio, will be supported by the headset.

A new operating system dubbed visionOS powers the headgear and all of its applications. Additionally, it will have its own version of the App Store, which Apple undoubtedly expects to be fully loaded upon release. When the Vision Pro goes on sale, Apple claims that “hundreds of thousands” of iPhone and iPad apps will be compatible with it.

A new operating system dubbed visionOS powers the headgear and all of its applications. Additionally, it will have its own version of the App Store, which Apple undoubtedly expects to be fully loaded upon release. When the Vision Pro goes on sale, Apple claims that “hundreds of thousands” of iPhone and iPad apps will be compatible with it.

Also Read: Apple Plans Major Retail Push With New Stores Across China, US

Those who saw a preview of the Vision Pro at WWDC were quick to praise it as an excellent engineering achievement, but several questioned whether using an AR/VR headset for FaceTime calls is the best option.

The device’s technology is better than that of headsets from Meta, Magic Leap, and Sony, according to Brian X. Chen, a technology columnist for the New York Times. However, Chen notes that he found the new FaceTime Persona function to be uncomfortable.

Apple

Why Apple is changing the ‘Hey Siri’ trigger to just ‘Siri’?

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Apple announced plans to change the wake phrase used to activate the voice assistant from “Hey Siri” to just “Siri” at this year’s developers conference.

Apple is replacing “Hey Siri” with the simple phrase “Siri.” The modification, which is a feature of iOS 17, will make it simpler to call Siri on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices. It comes in response to a Bloomberg story from November that claimed Apple was working on simplifying Siri’s wake phrase.

Apple
Image Source: beebom.com

Since the underlying technical and training work is simpler versus a two-word trigger phrase, Apple has been utilizing “Hey Siri” up to this point. Even though it may appear straightforward, switching to a single wake phrase is a substantial change.

Also Read: Is Apple AR/VR headset the future?

Even Microsoft allowed simply “Cortana” as a wake word before discontinuing its voice assistant on iOS and Android in 2021. Amazon users can activate the Alexa assistant with “Hey Alexa” or just “Alexa,” and Alexa users can trigger the assistant using just “Alexa.”

Instead of using a single “Google” wake word, Google Assistant still supports the “Hey Google” or “OK Google” utterances. Google would have to carefully consider how to stop the assistant from triggering during talks when Google is mentioned if it were to switch to a single wake phrase. After all, Google has evolved into a transitive verb as a result of its dominance in search.

There will be one more tweak to Siri that will somewhat alter how you use it. Users may now ask Siri many inquiries without using the trigger word each time thanks to a recent update from Apple. Now, you just need to speak “Siri” once to activate the assistant and ask subsequent inquiries back-to-back.

With the most recent software update, all devices now support both of these new Siri features. Unfortunately, despite what many enthusiasts might have anticipated after seeing recent advances in AI like ChatGPT, Apple did not make any improvements to the way Siri reacts to customer inquiries.

Also Read: Apple to open the first online shop in Vietnam

The WWDC developer conference began on June 5 and will run through June 9. During the event, the company is anticipated to reveal its first-ever mixed-reality headset, new Macs, and updates to iOS and macOS, among other things.

“Hey, Siri” is a phrase used to activate the voice-controlled personal assistant feature on Apple devices. Siri is an intelligent virtual assistant developed by Apple Inc. It is available on various Apple devices such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and HomePods.

Summer Game Fest

Summer Game Fest 2023 and games conference schedule

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Summer Game Fest is a digital gaming event that was first organized in 2020 by Geoff Keighley, a prominent figure in the gaming industry. It was designed to be a season-long celebration of video games, featuring a series of announcements, reveals, and demos from various game developers and publishers.

Summer Game Fest
Image Source: shacknews.com

During Summer Game Fest, viewers can expect a mix of live-streamed events, gameplay showcases, interviews, and other gaming-related content. The event aims to bring together the gaming community and provide them with exciting updates and news about upcoming games.

In previous years, the fest has featured major game announcements and presentations from companies like Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and many others. It has served as a platform for showcasing new titles, unveiling trailers, and sharing insights into the development process.

Also Read: Is Diablo 4 on Xbox Game Pass?

At 12 p.m. PDT/3 p.m. EDT/9 p.m. CEST on Thursday, June 8, Summer Game Fest will stream live from the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles. Live streams of the program will be available on SGF’s YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Steam channels.

Multiple shows will be part of Summer Game Fest throughout the summer. At the time of writing, the showcases listed below have received formal confirmation.

Summer Game Fest 2023 Opening Showcase- 8th June 2023

Devolver Digital Presentation- 8th June 2023

Wholesome Direct- 10th June 2023

Future Games Show- 10th June 2023

Xbox Games Showcase & Starfield Direct-11th June, 2023

Ubisoft Forward- 12th June 2023

A significant live-streamed presentation with fresh announcements, videos, gameplay clips, and other nuggets from the newest independently made games are scheduled to open the Guerrilla Collective Online Showcase in June 2023. Black Voices in Gaming and New Dames 4 Games have been confirmed as participants.

Also Read: Is Apple AR/VR headset the future?

Guerrilla Collective will also highlight additional organizations in addition to a typical showcase during the course of a week of online and offline events. New trailers and teasers from organizations including Ubisoft, Xbox, PlayStation, CD Projekt, Disney, EA, Netflix, Square Enix, Capcom, Warner Bros. Games, and many more will be presented at this year’s expo.

Geoff Keighley hasn’t said much about what will be revealed during the Opening Showcase, but we do know that this year’s Summer Game Fest will feature more than 40 companies. While some of these publishers, like Devolver Digital and Xbox, do hold conferences during the events, it’s probable that others will attend this particular exhibition.

Apple

Is Apple AR/VR headset the future?

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When it comes to new products, Apple prefers to wait and see rather than enter the market first, but the wait will soon be over. Apple’s headset is anticipated to be unveiled during WWDC 2023, the company’s developer conference, in 2023.

Apart from a few statements made by a few of Apple’s senior executives and a consistent stream of rumours, there is not much concrete proof that the headset actually exists despite years of rumours.

Apple
Image Source: tomsguide.com

Apple has most certainly not confirmed the headset’s existence. Analysts and enthusiasts, on the other hand, have been closely monitoring Apple’s operations and have been able to unearth hints regarding the headset’s specifications.

Also Read: Will startups have a shot in the enterprise AI race?

The AR/VR gear, which is rumoured to cost around $3,000, will reportedly function with current iPadOS apps like the Camera, FaceTime, Books, Home, Messages, Photos, Safari, and more, according to a recent Bloomberg article.

It is anticipated that the Apple AR/VR headset will prominently emphasise gaming, maybe as a new way to access Apple Arcade, and will include a new Fitness+ experience, similar to the Meta Quest Pro, HTC Vive Cosmos, and Sony Playstation VR.

According to reports, Apple is preparing to introduce fresh collaboration tools via the Apple Freeform app, which will enable users to talk about and collaborate on material together, as well as the ability to utilise the AR/VR headset as a separate display for a connected Mac in the workplace. Users will be able to have lifelike avatars in virtual meeting rooms with immersive videoconferencing in mixed reality.

The article also states that the headgear should be able to operate a wide range of games, reading apps, and health services, as well as hundreds of thousands of other third-party iPad apps, with little modification.

As the possibility of a metaverse is discussed, more businesses are creating AR/VR headsets, and interest in the field is rising. As is customary for Apple, the tech behemoth waited for other businesses to test the waters and for public interest to grow before entering the fray.

Also Read: Is Diablo 4 on Xbox Game Pass?

The Oculus Rift, the first contemporary AR/VR headset, went on sale in March 2016. Since then, Meta—which purchased Oculus in 2014—has continued to create and release VR/AR headsets, culminating in its most recent model, the Meta Quest Pro, which will be available in 2022.

When Apple ultimately made the decision to enter a market in the past, it revolutionised and dominated it, igniting interest and building expectations for the product. When the headset launches, it is reasonable to believe that Apple will have the same impact on the AR/VR space.