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  • Apple Vision Pro: 5 Cringey Things to Not Do in a $3,500 VR/AR Headset

    Apple Vision Pro: 5 Cringey Things to Not Do in a $3,500 VR/AR Headset

    I was watching with interest on Monday when Apple introduced the Vision Pro mixed reality headset at WWDC. It’s not really in the same ballpark as the simple Meta Quest 2 that I use to go bowling in my living room. Maybe not on the same planet. When it comes out in 2024, it will cost $3,499 — 10 times the cost of the Meta Quest 2.

    Let us pause briefly to read that again: $3,499. Almost four thousand dollars. I don’t know about you, but I will not be picking up one of these on an idle Saturday trip to Best Buy.

    CNET’s Scott Stein is one of the few people who actually got to try out the headset. He says the Apple Vision Pro is amazing, with a fluid interface and stunning cinematic fidelity when you’re watching a movie. Our WWDC recap unrolls the complex elements that make the headset so pricey.

    “Technically speaking, the Vision Pro is a computer, with an M2 chip found on Apple’s highest-end computers,” CNET’s recap notes.

    I’m old enough to remember when the thought of personally owning a computer was as laughable as paying this price for a headset seems to me today. So eventually, I’m sure, the production will be refined, and prices will come down. The immersive entertainment looks unreal, and some of the other Minority Report/Star Trek-style uses for the device are truly impressive.

    But in the meantime, I’ve watched Apple’s 9-minute video on the headset (I feel like I should say “the $3,500 headset” every time). And there are definitely some uses for the Vision Pro that I will not be attempting, even if the day comes when I can afford it.

    apple-reveals-vision-pro-mixed-reality-headset-mp4-00-00-12-10-still001.pngapple-reveals-vision-pro-mixed-reality-headset-mp4-00-00-12-10-still001.png
    Watch this: First Impressions of Apple’s Vision Pro Mixed Reality Headset

    04:21

    Working in Excel

    The most-memed element of the Vision Pro promotion was the fact that Apple demonstrated how Microsoft Excel, Word and Teams can run inside the headset, with your eyes controlling the user interface. Look, there are some really cool things a headset can do, but thrusting you face-first into pivot tables is not one of them.

    “I want Excel pumped directly to my retinas” is not something I’ve personally ever thought, cracked one Twitter user.

    Talking to real people without taking off the headset

    In the promo video, a woman wearing the headset is joined by (presumably) her teenage daughter, who sits down on the couch and chats with her as if it’s perfectly normal that mom’s eyes are behind tinted ski goggles. They barely say more than one word to each other (of course, it’s “sushi”), but I keep wanting to scream through the screen and tell the mom to take one second, push up the headset and just talk to her kid, face to face.

    Thanks to Apple’s EyeSight feature, you can at least see the mom’s eyes through the headset, which you can’t do with the Meta Quest 2. But even that is one super-duper creepy feature, as CNET’s Corinne Reichert points out.

    Looking at home photos – alone

    There’s a scene in the Apple video where someone sits on the couch and starts virtually flicking through their family photos. Admittedly, it’s pretty cool when a panorama of what looks like an iceberg wraps around them, especially if you’ve always wondered what the Titanic saw on April 15, 1912.

    But the guy seems kind of lonely, looking at photos alone. If he could share what he’s seeing with his family, it might be a neat reminiscing experience. For now, I’m OK looking at digital photos on my phone or laptop, where I can share them with others.

    Taking photos

    There’s another scene in the Apple video where a headset wearer moves over to where two little girls are blowing soap bubbles (inside the house, but that’s a whole other issue). Instead of sitting down beside them to play and interact, he kneels in front of them, headset on, to take 3D photos of the fun. Why use your own eyes to look at your kids when you can stay one level removed?

    Airplane mode

    The promo video showed a woman on an airplane watching a movie in luxurious 3D, as if she’s living in the scenes of the film. I couldn’t get past the impracticality of it all. There are a million little distractions on the plane – flight attendants offering drinks, pilots announcing turbulence, people in my row asking me to get up so they can slip past.

    I can immerse myself in a 3D movie at home, but it just seems rude to plunge yourself into your own private cinema at 33,000 feet and expect not to be disturbed. But then, I fly coach, and the folks with $3,500 to drop on a headset might be flying private.

    But if the Vision Pro is your dream device, start saving. There’s no exact release date yet, but 2024 is just half a year away.

  • Score a Lifetime CleanMyMac X License for Just $57 With This Coupon Deal (Save 37%)

    Score a Lifetime CleanMyMac X License for Just $57 With This Coupon Deal (Save 37%)

    Though on the surface the Mac user interface is sleek and smooth, underneath the glossy user-facing elements lies a complicated file system like any other PC. And, over time, that can get bogged down with large files, logs, cached data and various other bits of digital clutter. If your Mac is running a little slow or you just want to free up some space, CleanMyMac X is one of the best ways to do it, and right now, you can nab a lifetime license for just $57 at StackSocial. That’s around 37% off its regular price and all you have to do to score the full savings is use code SAVINGS10 during checkout.

    Made by reputable Mac developer MacPaw, CleanMyMac X is widely recognized as one of the best all-in-one tools for optimizing your Mac. With just one click, it can analyze the contents of your Mac to find unneeded and large files that you wouldn’t be able to easily scout out for yourself in Finder, potentially freeing up gigabytes of space and improving boot and app launch times. CleanMyMac X can also free up RAM, help you manage the apps that start when you log into your Mac and run various maintenance scripts to ensure top performance.

    And, though malware is generally rarer on Macs than on PCs, CleanMyMac X protects against known malware and adware while also clearing out cookies and other trackers to help protect your privacy.

    If you’re not sure if CleanMyMac X is for you, you can try it out for free for seven days with a trial option direct at MacPaw’s site. Once you’re ready to buy, though, the best price is found at the above link where you can save on lifetime licenses for one, two or five Macs with that coupon code. (And remember that “lifetime” means the life of that particular computer.)

  • Samsung Will Show Off Next-Gen Foldables in First-Ever Seoul Unpacked

    Samsung Will Show Off Next-Gen Foldables in First-Ever Seoul Unpacked

    Samsung plans to hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event in its home country for the first time next month, the Korean electronics giant announced late Tuesday.

    Samsung’s 27th Unpacked launch event will take place in Seoul in late July, the company said in a statement that indicated it would unveil its next generation of foldable devices. In the past, Samsung has usually chosen to unveil its new lineup of devices in cities such as New York and Barcelona.

    Foldable phones have garnered a lot of attention in recent years, though they’ve yet to hit the breakout moment when they graduate from being a novelty device. But they do appear to be picking up steam: In just the last few weeks, Google announced its first foldable phone, called the Pixel Fold, and Motorola unveiled the new Razr Plus and Razr.

    “The foldable category embodies Samsung’s philosophy of delivering breakthrough innovation that pushes boundaries to reshape the future of mobile experiences,” TM Roh, the head of the mobile experience business at Samsung, said in a statement.

    With the release last year of the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung’s current flagship foldable, the company took a step in the right direction in its quest to win over consumers’ interest and wallets, CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco wrote earlier this month.

    She praised the device’s fine-tuned design, improved nighttime photography and longer battery life. But she still has a wishlist of improvement suggestions she thinks will make Samsung’s foldable more attractive.

    Eadicicco suggests the Galaxy Z Flip 5 needs a bigger cover screen and could add more functionality to Flex Mode, which taps into the phone’s ability to bend and fold in different ways.

    Samsung didn’t announce a specific date for the event or tease specific products expected to be announced, but perhaps a new Galaxy Z Flip will be unveiled that taps these suggestions. You can expect CNET to be on hand for the event with all the details, commentary and expert insight.

  • This Unlocked Pixel 6A Is Back Down to $299, Matching Its Lowest Price Ever

    This Unlocked Pixel 6A Is Back Down to $299, Matching Its Lowest Price Ever

    Google’s flagship Pixel 7 series brings the latest and greatest models in the company’s Android phone lineup. But if you’re looking to get a great deal, you should consider springing for the Pixel 6A. It’s still a solid phone that sports a ton of features. And now that the Pixel 7A has hit shelves, Google has lowered the starting price on its Pixel 6A by $100 to $349. However, you can snag even bigger savings. Right now Amazon has the unlocked model of this budget-friendly Pixel phone available for just $299, which saves you $50.

    This deal matches the all-time best discount we’ve seen on this model that doesn’t require a trade-in or lock you into an installment plan. There’s no set expiration, but chances are a deal this good won’t last for long.

    Advertiser Disclosure
    Advertiser Disclosure
    This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

    Sporting a 6.1-inch OLED display, Google’s innovative Tensor processor, the Android operating system, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, this budget phone certainly delivers cracking value for money. That’s why it remains one of our picks for the best Android phones under $500.

    Read more: Google Pixel 7A vs. Pixel 7 vs. Pixel 6A: See How They Compare

    The 12.2-megapixel camera may be a step down from the camera on the Pixel 6. But it’s still a great camera for the price, and it comes equipped with tools including the Magic Eraser, Motion Mode and Portrait Mode.

    The Pixel 6A can last over 24 hours on a single charge, depending on how you use it. (In her testing, CNET’s Lisa Eadicicco had 47% battery left after a day that included nearly four hours of screen time.) The battery is adaptive and learns which apps you use the most, which can save you power by not wasting your battery life on the ones you rarely use. This phone is IP67-rated water- and dust-resistant, too, so it should be safe in most environments and conditions.

    Another great feature the Pixel 6A offers is Live Translate, which will help you translate signs, live video captions and private chats and messages in up to 55 languages. At $299, this is a solid phone worth checking out.

  • Amazon’s OnePlus Sale Knocks Up to $220 Off New and Previous-Gen Phones

    Amazon’s OnePlus Sale Knocks Up to $220 Off New and Previous-Gen Phones

    If you’re shopping for a new phone, Apple, Google and Samsung aren’t the only brands worth taking a look at anymore. OnePlus is a smaller brand that’s caught our attention, and even earned a spot on our list of the best phones overall for 2023. And right now, you’ve got a chance to snag one of these sleek and powerful phones at a discount. Amazon is currently offering $100 off its latest flagship model — the OnePlus 11 — as well as deals on more affordable previous-gen models and select accessories. There’s no set expiration for these deals, so get your order in sooner rather than later if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

    The OnePlus 11 made its way onto our list of the best phones for 2023 thanks to its powerful performance and reasonable starting price. There’s no discount on the base 128GB model, but you can save $100 on the 256GB model, which drops the price down to $700. It comes equipped with a second-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 processor, as well as 16GB of RAM for lightning-fast performance. It also features a stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED display, plus support for HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

    Advertiser Disclosure
    Advertiser Disclosure
    This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

    Or, if you’re looking for a more affordable model, you can snag the previous-gen OnePlus 10T for just $430, which saves you $220 compared to the original price. The base model comes equipped with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, as well as a first-gen Snapdragon 8 processor and a 6.7-inch full HD display. You can also upgrade to the 256GB model with 16GB of RAM for $550, $200 off the list price.

    There’s also the ultra-affordable OnePlus Nord N200, which is currently available for just $170, $30 off the usual price. It only has 64GB of storage and 4GB of RAM, but still offers 5G support and is a solid value if you’re only after the basics. There are also a few accessories on sale, including this 50-watt wireless charger, OnePlus 11 aramid fiber case and 100-watt dual wall charger. And you can check out our full roundup of all the best phone deals for even more bargains.

  • Satechi Coupon Codes Save You Up to 30% on Top-Rated Tech Accessories Sitewide

    Satechi Coupon Codes Save You Up to 30% on Top-Rated Tech Accessories Sitewide

    Satechi’s sleek and stylish phone and computer accessories are some of our favorites on the market right now. And while they typically come with a pretty high price tag, right now you’ve got a chance to snag some at a discount. Now through June 14, Satechi is offering 20% off any order of two items with the coupon code DG20, or 30% off any order of three or more items with the coupon code DG30. These codes can be used on nearly all items sitewide, with the exception of Thunderbolt products. You’ll also get free shipping on any order over $40.

    There are tons of top-rated charging stations, USB hubs, stands, adapters and peripherals that you can pick up for less right now. If you’re tired of getting caught with a dead phone battery while you’re out and about, you can pick up this Quatro wireless power bank, which has a 10,000-mAh capacity and can charge up to three devices at a time. It lists for $100, but you can snag it for as low as $70 with these coupon code offers.

    Advertiser Disclosure
    Advertiser Disclosure
    This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

    Or, if you hate charging cables cluttering your nightstand, you can grab this sleek two-in one magnetic charging stand, which is designed for MagSafe iPhones and the AirPods Pro. It’s originally $60, but you can save up to $18 when you order it with two or more other items. And if you want a slim wireless mouse that’s easy to take on the go, you can save up to $9 on the Satechi M1, which drops the price down to $21.

    There are tons of other accessories on sale, including charging cables, keyboards, car chargers and much more, so be sure to shop around before these deals are gone.

  • Apple Vision Pro Hands-On: Far Better Than I Was Ready For

    Apple Vision Pro Hands-On: Far Better Than I Was Ready For

    I was in a movie theater last December watching Avatar: The Way of Water in 3D, and I said to myself: “Wow, this is an immersive film I’d love to watch in next-gen VR.” That’s exactly what I experienced in Apple’s Vision Pro headset, and yeah, it’s amazing.

    On Monday, I tried out the Vision Pro in a series of carefully picked demos during WWDC at Apple’s Cupertino, California, headquarters. I’ve been using cutting-edge VR devices for years, and I found all sorts of augmented reality memories bubbling up in my brain. Apple’s compact — but still not small —headset reminds me of an Apple-designed Meta Quest Pro. The fit of the back strap was comfy yet stretchy, with a dial to adjust the rear fit and a top strap for stability. The headset’s sleek design, and even its glowing front faceplate, also gave me an instant Ready Player One vibe.

    vision-pro-apple-walks-through-mixed-reality-headset-design-mp4-00-00-37-04-still001.pngvision-pro-apple-walks-through-mixed-reality-headset-design-mp4-00-00-37-04-still001.png
    Watch this: Apple Vision Pro: I Tried Apple’s AR/VR Headset

    05:35

    I couldn’t wear my glasses during the demo, though, and neither will you. Apple’s headset does not support glasses, instead relying on Zeiss custom inserts to correct wearers’ vision. Apple did manage, through a setup process, to easily find lenses that fit my vision well enough so that everything seemed crystal clear, which is not an easy task. Also, we adjusted the fit and tuned spatial audio for my head using an iPhone, a system that will be finessed when the headset is released in 2024.

    From there, I did my demos seated, mostly, and found myself surprised from the start. The passthrough video camera quality of this headset is good —really, really good. Not as good as my own vision, but good enough that I could see the room well, see people in it with me, see my watch notifications easily on my wrist. The only headset that’s done this previously was the extremely impressive but PC-connected Varjo XR-3, and Apple’s display and cameras feel even better.

    Apple’s floating grid of apps appears when I press the top digital crown, which autocenters the home screen to wherever I’m looking. I set up eye tracking, which worked like on many other VR headsets I’ve used: I looked at glowing dots as musical notes played, and got a chime when it all worked.

    An app menu in Apple's VisionOS.An app menu in Apple's VisionOS.

    A list of apps as they would appear inside of the Apple Vision Pro headset.

    Apple/Screenshot by CNET

    From there, the interface was surprisingly fluid. Looking at icons or interface options slightly enlarges them, or changes how bold they appear. Tapping with my fingers while looking at something opens an app.

    I’ve used tons of hand-tracking technology on headsets like the HoloLens 2 and the Meta Quest 2 and Pro, and usually there’s a lot of hand motion required. Here, I could be really lazy. I pinched to open icons even while my hand was resting in my lap, and it worked.

    Scrolling involves pinching and pulling with my fingers; again, pretty easy to do. I resized windows by moving my hand to throw a window across the room or pin it closer to me. I opened multiple apps at once, including Safari, Messages and Photos. It was easy enough to scroll around, although sometimes my eye tracking needed a bit of extra concentration to pull off.

    Apple’s headset uses eye tracking constantly in its interface, something Meta’s Quest Pro and even the PlayStation VR 2 don’t do. That might be part of the reason for the external battery pack. The emphasis on eye tracking as a major part of the interface felt transformative, in a way I expected might be the case for VR and AR years ago. What I don’t know is how it will feel in longer sessions.

    I don’t know how the Vision Pro will work with keyboards and trackpads, since I didn’t get to demo the headset that way. It works with Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad, and Macs, but not with iPhone and iPad or Watch touchscreens —not now, at least.

    Dialing in reality

    I scrolled through some photos in Apple’s preset photo album, plus a few 3D photos and video clips shot with the Vision Pro’s 3D camera. All the images looked really crisp, and a panoramic photo that spread around me looked almost like it was a window on a landscape that extended just beyond the room I was in.

    Apple has volumetric 3D landscapes on the Vision Pro that are immersive backgrounds like 3D wallpaper, but looking at one really shows off how nice that Micro OLED display looks. A lake looked like it was rolling up to a rocky shore that ended right where the real coffee table was in front of me.

    man using keyboard to work using apple vision pro headsetman using keyboard to work using apple vision pro headset

    Raising my hands to my face, I saw how the headset separates my hands from VR, a trick that’s already in Apple’s ARKit. It’s a little rough around the edges but good enough. Similarly, there’s a wild new trick where anyone else in the room can ghost into view if you look at them, a fuzzy halo with their real passthrough video image slowly materializing. It’s meant to help create meaningful contact with people while wearing the headset. I wondered how you could turn that off or tune it to be less present, but it’s a very new idea in mixed reality.

    Apple’s digital crown, a small dial borrowed from the Apple Watch, handles reality blend. I could turn the dial to slowly extend the 3D panorama until it surrounded me everywhere, or dial it back so it just emerged a little bit like a 3D window.

    Mixed reality in Apple’s headset looks so casually impressive that I almost didn’t appreciate how great it was. Again, I’ve seen mixed reality in VR headsets before (Varjo XR-3, Quest Pro), and I’ve understood its capabilities. Apple’s execution of mixed reality felt much more immersive, rich and effortless on most fronts, with a field of view that felt expansive and rich. I can’t to see more experiences in it.

    Cinematic fidelity that wowed me

    The cinema demo was what really shocked me, though. I played a 3D clip of Avatar: The Way of Water in-headset, on a screen in various viewing modes including a cinema. Apple’s mixed-reality passthrough can also dim the rest of the world down a bit, in a way similar to how the Magic Leap 2 does with its AR. But the scenes of Way of Water sent little chills through me. It was vivid. This felt like a movie experience. I don’t feel that way in other VR headsets.

    Jake Sully flies over Pandora's waters on a winged creature's back in Avatar: The Way of WaterJake Sully flies over Pandora's waters on a winged creature's back in Avatar: The Way of Water

    Avatar: The Way of Water looked great in the Vision Pro.

    20th Century Studios

    Apple also demonstrated its Immersive Video format that’s coming as an extension to Apple TV Plus. It’s a 180-degree video format, similar to what I’ve seen before in concept, but with really strong resolution and video quality. A splash demo reel of Alicia Keys singing, Apple Sports events, documentary footage and more reeled off in front of me, a teaser of what’s to come. One-eighty-degree video never appears quite as crisp to me as big-screen film content, but the sports clips I saw made me wonder how good virtual Jets games could be in the future. Things have come a long way.

    Would I pay $3,499 for a head-worn cinema? No, but it’s clearly one of this device’s greatest unique strengths. The resolution and brightness of the display were surprising.

    appledisneypicappledisneypic
    Watch this: Apple, Disney Partner on Vision Pro Entertainment

    03:59

    Convincing avatars (I mean, Personas)

    Apple’s Personas are 3D-scanned avatars generated by using the Vision Pro to scan your face, making a version of yourself that shows up in FaceTime chats if you want, or also on the outside of the Vision Pro’s curved OLED display to show whether you’re “present” or in an app. I didn’t see how that outer display worked, but I had a FaceTime with someone in their Persona form, and it was good. Again, it looked surprisingly good.

    I’ve chatted with Meta’s ultra-realistic Codec Avatars, which aim for realistic representations of people in VR. Those are stunning, and I’ve also seen Meta’s phone-scanned step-down version in an early form last year, where a talking head spoke to me in VR. Apple’s Persona looked better than Meta’s phone-scanned avatar, although a bit fuzzy around the edges, like a dream. The woman whose Persona was scanned appeared in her own window, not in a full-screen form.

    And I wondered how expressive the emotions are with the Vision Pro’s scanning cameras. The Pro has an ability to scan jaw movement similar to the Quest Pro, and the Persona I chatted with was friendly and smiling. How would it look for someone I know, like my mom? Here, it was good enough that I forgot it was a scan.

    We demoed a bit of Apple’s Freeform app, where a collaboration window opened up while my Persona friend chatted in another window. 3D objects popped up in the Freeform app, a full home scan. It looked realistic enough.

    Dinosaurs in my world

    The final demo was an app experience called Encounter Dinosaurs, which reminded me of early VR app demos I had years ago: An experience emphasizing just the immersive “wow” factor of dinosaurs appearing in a 3D window that seemed to open up in the back wall of my demo room. Creatures that looked like carnotauruses slowly walked through the window and into my space.

    All my demos were seated except for this one, where I stood up and walked around a bit. This sounds like it wouldn’t be an impressive demo, but again, the quality of the visuals and how they looked in relation to the room’s passthrough video capture was what made it feel so great. As the dinosaur snapped at my hand, it felt pretty real. And so did a butterfly that danced through the room and tried to land on my extended finger.

    I smiled. But even more so, I was impressed when I took off the headset. My own everyday vision wasn’t that much sharper than what Apple’s passthrough cameras provided. The gap between the two was closer than I would have expected, and it’s what makes Apple’s take on mixed reality in VR work so well.

    Then there’s the battery pack. There’s a corded battery that’s needed to power the headset, instead of a built-in battery like most others have. That meant I had to make sure to grab the battery pack as I started to move around, which is probably a reason why so many of Apple’s demos were seated.

    230605-clean-apple-wwdc-supercut-thumbnail-1230605-clean-apple-wwdc-supercut-thumbnail-1
    Watch this: Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2023

    11:44

    What about fitness and everything else?

    Apple didn’t emphasize fitness much at all, a surprise to me. VR is already a great platform for fitness, although no one’s finessed headset design for fitness comfort. Maybe having that battery pack right now will limit movement in active games and experiences. Maybe Apple will announce more plans here later. The only taste I got of health and wellness was a one-minute micro meditation, which was similar to the one on the Apple Watch. It was pretty, and again a great showcase of the display quality, but I want more.

    2024 is still a while away, and Apple’s headset is priced way out of range for most people. And I have no idea how functional this current headset would feel if I were doing everyday work. But Apple did show off a display, and an interface, that are far better than I was ready for. If Apple can build on that, and the Vision Pro finds ways of expanding its mixed-reality capabilities, then who knows what else is possible?

    This was just my fast-take reaction to a quick set of demos on one day in Cupertino. There are a lot more questions to come, but this first set of demos resonated with me. Apple showed what it can do, and we’re not even at the headset’s launch yet.

  • Apple’s Back to School Sale Offers 15-Inch MacBook Air Discount and Up to $150 Gift Cards

    Apple’s Back to School Sale Offers 15-Inch MacBook Air Discount and Up to $150 Gift Cards

    It’s hard to beat Apple in terms of reliability and performance, which is why many of the brand’s products consistently end up on our roundups of the best in tech. If you’re currently enrolled in school or are headed off to college in the fall, you may want to snag an Apple iPad or Mac to help get you through your studies during the company’s annual Back to School sale.

    Apple rarely offers discounts on its own products, but right now students can score an Apple gift card worth up to $150 with an iPad or Mac purchase as well as 20% off AppleCare Plus on top of the company’s usual education pricing discounts, helping make it a little more affordable for grads moving to the next stage. The promotion even includes the newly-announced 15-inch MacBook Air. It comes equipped with Apple’s M2 chip and starts at $1,199. It’s available for preorder now.

    For the budget-conscious, the 13-inch MacBook Air is a solid option as well. It has an M1 chip and starts at $899. You can also opt for the MacBook Pro M2, which starts at $1,199. According to Apple, education pricing is only available for current and newly accepted university students and their parents or teachers and staff.

    However, there are other options if you don’t qualify for something from Apple’s Back to School sale. In fact, you can often find even better direct discounts at other retailers. For instance, that M1 MacBook Air deal at Apple for $899 may come with a $150 gift card to spend on future Apple purchases, but you can nab that same laptop for $800 at Best Buy right now. It’s usually worth shopping around and only going for the Apple gift card promo if other retailers don’t have steep dollar discounts available or if you’re eyeing up another Apple purchase in the near future. You can check out our roundup of the best deals on MacBooks and iPads currently available for more options.

  • Here Are All the Major Updates Coming to Apple’s Messages in iOS 17

    Here Are All the Major Updates Coming to Apple’s Messages in iOS 17

    Apple’s iOS 17 software update, announced Monday, will add some handy features to Messages that you didn’t know you needed. With iOS 17, you’ll be able to turn pictures into stickers, transcribe voice memos, keep your friends and family notified on your way home, and more.

    News about the iOS 17 Messages update came during the keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Apple traditionally uses the annual event to give developers a preview of updates to its desktop and mobile software, and sometimes it introduces new hardware too. On Monday, the company unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro.

    Live Stickers coming to iOS 17

    The update to Messages will be part of iOS 17, which will arrive this fall. With the new features, people will be able to take their photos and turn them into stickers they use in text conversations, alongside standard emoji, which can also be used as stickers. People can customize their stickers with effects — like shiny, puffy, comic and outline — and keep them in a new drawer in the keyboard for streamlined access, Apple said in a press release. Stickers will be available systemwide, including in third-party apps.

    To make a photo into a sticker, you’ll touch and hold an object in a photo. Then you can style your object with various effects, outline it or create animated Live Stickers with Live Photos. To use the sticker in Messages, you’ll add them in the bubble from the Tapback menu.

    wwdc-new-seq-00-00-01-13-still001.pngwwdc-new-seq-00-00-01-13-still001.png
    Watch this: Apple Reveals iOS 17

    16:43

    Search in Messages, Check In and more

    Also coming is a refined search feature. People will be able to apply additional filters to their Messages search to more quickly find the exact conversation they’re looking for. Plus, when you’ve received lots of texts in a group chat, you’ll be able to use the catch-up arrow to locate where the conversation left off last.

    iOS 17 Messages will also transcribe voice memos you receive, if you don’t have the time to listen to them. Apple also announced a new feature that will let you keep track of your friends by viewing their location in your text conversation.

    Apple's Check In feature on three iPhones.Apple's Check In feature on three iPhones.

    Apple’s Check In feature through iOS 17.

    Screenshot by CNET

    Another new location sharing feature is Check In. If you want to keep a friend or family member updated on your journey home, for example, you’ll be able to use Check In, which notifies the person of your whereabouts and lets them know if you’re having trouble getting home. “If they are not making progress toward their destination, useful information will be temporarily shared with the selected contact, such as the device’s location, battery level, and cell service status,” Apple said in the press release. Check In will be end-to-end encrypted, so only you and the person you’re sharing this information with is privy to your location.

    Developers can try out iOS 17 today, and everyone can try out the public beta in a month. These iPhones will be able to run the update.

    Other iOS 17 updates

    The iOS 17 updates don’t stop at Messages. Apple also introduced Live Voicemail, which will give people the ability to see the message a person is leaving you as it is being recorded. This could help with deciphering between important calls that unknown numbers leave and spam.

    The iOS 17 update for FaceTime includes audio and video messages, so people can leave their friends and families a FaceTime voicemail of sorts.

    Also, if people want to share a contact with one another, they can use the new feature NameDrop. By bringing two iPhones or one iPhone and one Apple Watch close together, contact information can be transferred from one device to the next.

    Apple kicked off WWDC by unveiling a 15-inch MacBook Air and offering details on its latest desktop software, MacOS 14 Sonoma. Also at WWDC, Apple revealed its brainiest Mac chip yet and upgraded its Mac Pro to M2 Ultra Silicon. There are new features coming in Watch OS 10 too.

  • How to Add Premium Streaming Services to Your Sling Freestream Account

    How to Add Premium Streaming Services to Your Sling Freestream Account

    With Sling Freestream, you can watch hundreds of live channels for free or dip into its vast library of thousands of on-demand titles whenever you please and at no cost. But, if you want to watch the latest and greatest shows as they air, you’re probably going to have to pay for a premium streaming service.

    Since juggling multiple subscriptions and apps can be tricky and can often lead to overpaying for multiple services you may no longer be using, Sling makes it really easy to add or remove additional paid streaming services within your Sling Freestream account.

    Sling Freestream offers almost 50 optional premium streaming services including popular choices like Showtime, AMC Plus, Discovery Plus, Starz and more, so there’s something for everyone.

    How to subscribe to a premium service within Sling Freestream

    First, you’ll have to make sure you’re signed up for a Sling Freestream account. Though you don’t need an account to use the free streaming service, you won’t be able to add premium services without doing so. Our linked guide will show you how. Once you’ve done that, follow the below steps.

    1. Navigate to Sling Freestream’s premium services page.

    2. Click Subscribe or Try Us Today on the service you wish to use.

    Sling Freestream Showtime sign-upSling Freestream Showtime sign-up

    3. Sign in with your Sling Freestream account details if you aren’t already signed in, or register for a new account.

    4. You’ll then be presented with all of the available premium services and their prices (including any current promotions). Click Add under whichever you wish to subscribe to and then continue to checkout.

    Sling Freestream premium servicesSling Freestream premium services

    5. Add your payment details, check your order summary and confirm your subscriptions.

    You should gain access to added premium channels or services almost instantly, though you may need to restart the Sling app or refresh your browser window to see them.

    Sling makes it just as easy to unsubscribe from premium services, making it an attractive prospect for those that want a way to consolidate their viewing and payments in one place. Simply navigate to the My Account page and edit your subscriptions there.

    With hundreds of live channels and a library of TV shows and movies to watch on-demand for free, and no credit card required, you can check out what Sling Freestream has to offer without spending a dime.