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☆ The Apple exec that Microsoft hired to fulfill its hardware dreams has quietly left
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Rubén Caballero, the ex-Apple executive Microsoft hired in 2020 to run device engineering in mixed reality and AI, appears to have quietly left the company. Microsoft also recently published a post stating its commitment to the HoloLens 2 device and mixed reality. Caballero worked for Apple from 2005 to 2014, including a stint as president of engineering. Microsoft hired Caballero in 2020 to work on devices such as HoloLens in the company's mixed reality and AI organization. Caballero joined Panay's Windows and Devices organization in 2022, and Microsoft has whittled down some hardware teams since then.

Persons: Rubén Caballero, Caballero, Microsoft's, Frank Shaw, Panos Panay, Ashley Stewart Organizations: Apple, Microsoft, Business, Amazon, Insiders, BI, Windows, Panay's Windows Locations: Panay

☆ Satya Nadella's first decade as Microsoft CEO was defined by cloud. What's next?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Jason Redmond | AFP | Getty ImagesWhen Satya Nadella replaced Steve Ballmer as Microsoft CEO in February 2014, the software company was mired in mediocrity. Many tech industry analysts and investors would say that, thanks largely to Nadella, Microsoft is now set up to be a powerhouse for the foreseeable future. In a 2020 interview, Pat Gelsinger, then CEO of VMware, said offering his company's software on Microsoft's Azure cloud was akin to a "Middle East peace treaty." Nadella is perhaps best known in the tech industry for pushing Microsoft deeper into cloud computing. While some in the younger generations have Microsoft software at work, it's not necessarily what they grew up using and may not be what they prefer.

Persons: Satya Nadella, Bing, Jason Redmond, Steve Ballmer, Aravind Srinivas, Jeff Bezos, Nadella, Aaron Levie, Levie, Larry Ellison, David Paul Morris, Pat Gelsinger, Michael Nathan, Nathan, he'd, He's, Nat Friedman, Friedman, Kevork Djansezian, Ballmer, Kevin Dallas, I've, Dallas, it's, Gen Z, OpenAI's, Commission's Lina Khan, Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI isn't, hasn't, Jefferies Organizations: Microsoft, AFP, Getty, Apple, Google, Amazon, Oracle Corp, Oracle, Bloomberg, VMware, Intel, Linux, Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers, Microsoft Corp, Nokia, Activision Blizzard, Adobe, Activision, Federal, U.S . Justice Department, CNBC Locations: Redmond , Washington, San Francisco, Microsoft's, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Europe

☆ Microsoft Windows boss Panos Panay left for Amazon after cuts and canceled products in his unit, insiders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay is leaving for Amazon after the company made budget and staff cuts, canceled products in his division, and amid discussions about a reorganization in his unit, insiders say. Microsoft, Panay, and Amazon did not comment. During nearly 20 years at Microsoft, Panay was notably in charge of the team that developed the Surface hardware business. Windows licensing and the unit's hardware underperformed relative to the company's financial projections, insiders say, and Microsoft responded by dramatically scaling back Panay's division. At Microsoft, insiders say Panay was known as a demanding leader and expected "white glove service" on everything, meaning a premium experience with extra care and attention to detail.

Persons: Panos Panay, Dave Limp, Alexa, Kristy Schmidt, Charlie Bell, Rajesh Jha, Satya Nadella, Microsoft's Organizations: Microsoft, Amazon, Bloomberg, Reuters Locations: Panay, New York

☆ Microsoft product chief Panos Panay is leaving the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Panos Panay, Microsoft's chief product officer, talks about Windows 11 at the Windows 11 launch event that was streamed live on June 24, 2021. Microsoft's product chief, Panos Panay, will leave the software and hardware maker, executive vice president Rajesh Jha told employees on Monday. The shakeup represents a changing of the guard after more than a decade of sales of Microsoft's Surface PCs, which Panay has presented to consumers at company events. Team,After nearly 20 years at the company, Panos Panay has decided to leave Microsoft. Best,RajeshWATCH: The Microsoft Surface Go is a good computer, but a very bad tablet

Persons: Panos Panay, Panos, Rajesh Jha, Yusuf Mehdi, Satya Nadella, Mehdi, Charles Simonyi, Jha, I've, I'm, Pavan Davuluri, Brett Ostrum, Nino Storniolo, Linda Averett, Ken Pan, Ralf Groene, Aidan Marcuss, Carlos Picoto, Stevie Bathiche, Robin Seiler, Ruben Caballero, Anuj, Shilpa Ranganathan, Jeff Johnson, Ali Akgun, Mikhail Parakhin, Terri Chudzik, Erin Kolb, Mike Davidson, Let's, Rajesh Organizations: Windows, Microsoft Locations: Panos Panay, Panay, New York

☆ Apple Vision Pro: Impressive specs, new way of interacting could help it break the VR curse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The Apple Vision Pro is significantly more powerful than nearly all competing products on the market. Huge specsThe new Apple Vision Pro headset is displayed during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 05, 2023 in Cupertino, California. A new interfaceApple Vision Pro Source: AppleJust as the iPhone did, the Apple Vision Pro introduces a new kind of user interface. Apple Vision Pro Source: AppleEye tracking often uses small sensors to see where the user's gaze is resting. The Apple ecosystemApple CEO Tim Cook stands next to the new Apple Vision Pro headset.

Persons: what's, Inbar, Tipatat Chennavasin, Apple, Justin Sullivan, Avi Greengart, Chennavasin, Jamin Hu, Steve Kovach, Hu, Mac, Tim Cook, Sean Mann, Greengart, Mann Organizations: Apple, Engineers, University of Utah, Nintendo, Microsoft, Meta, Google, Sony, Nvidia, Fund, Superventures, Venture, Apple Vision, Apple Worldwide, Apple Vision Pro, Vision, Getty Locations: Cupertino , California, Apple's, iPhones

☆ Opinion: Apple Vision Pro augmented reality could change the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Opinion Rizwan Virk | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —It’s not surprising that Apple’s debut Monday of its $3,499 Vision Pro headset integrating virtual and augmented reality was greeted with mixed reactions, including skepticism, criticism and even lampooning. Each previous incarnation of a headset that immerses the wearer in a virtual world (called virtual reality, or VR) or lets wearers see their surroundings with virtual objects overlaid on them (augmented reality, or AR) started with overhyped expectations only to flame out. I am also doing my doctoral research on the history of virtual and augmented reality (known together as “extended reality”). These apps will be available to Vision Pro users as well. It’ll do anything your Mac or iPhone can do — and more.”And that’s why I believe that over time Apple’s Vision Pro will actually make science fiction scenarios of ubiquitous computing a reality.

Persons: Rizwan Virk, CNN — It’s, Rizwan, Tom Cruise’s, ’, Mark Zuckerberg’s, Tiago Amorim, Adrees Latif, I’m, Cathy Hackl, Samantha Kelly, I’d, Bob Iger, Tim Cook, CNN’s Kelly, Ivan Sutherland, Apple, ”, Cook, “, you’ll, Tom Cruise Organizations: Labs, MIT, Physics, Eastern, Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures, Twitter, CNN, Meta, Google, Microsoft, HTC, Samsung, Sony, Reuters, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Apple, VR, Vision, Disney, Facebook Locations: Brazil, Manhattan , New York

☆ Apple didn't mention the metaverse once
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple's mixed-reality headset is finally here, but it isn't talking about the metaverse. Apple may see the term metaverse, pushed by Mark Zuckerberg, as confusing and alienating. Apple mixed-reality headset, called Vision Pro, is finally here but for anyone watching the grand unveiling in Cupertino something was conspicuously missing: The metaverse didn't get a single mention. At no point did the Apple CEO use the term metaverse. "In the same way Mac introduced us to personal computing, and iPhone introduced us to mobile computing, Apple Vision Pro will introduce us to spatial computing," he said.

Persons: Apple's, Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg, Mac, Zuckerberg's, Neal Stephenson, Satya Nadella, Gene Munster, That's chunky — Organizations: Morning, Vision, Apple Vision, Apple, Facebook, Meta, Labs, Zuckerberg, Microsoft, Google, Apple Watch, Deepwater Asset Management Locations: Cupertino

☆ Here's what analysts are saying about Apple's new Vision Pro headset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The tech giant on Monday unveiled its Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which will retail for $3,499. Davidson downgraded Apple stock to neutral , insisting that any positive bump from the Vision Pro announcement was already priced into the stock's current trading levels. that if Apple's Vision Pro could achieve a ~25% ship share this would leave us to est. He raised his price target to $210 from $185, implying upside of about 17% from Monday's close. To be sure, he maintained Apple as a top pick and with a price target of $190.

Persons: Apple's, D.A, Davidson, Wells, Aaron Rakers, Rakers, Goldman Sachs, restating, Michael Ng, Samik Chatterjee, Chatterjee, Bernstein's Toni Sacconaghi, Sacconaghi, Morgan Stanley's Erik Woodring, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Apple, Apple's, JPMorgan Locations: Wall, Monday's

☆ 3 reasons why Tim Cook could create a multibillion-dollar entertainment industry with Apple's new headset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Julie Bort | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

My daughter uses her VR headset to smash boxes with a saber, weave around obstacle courses, dance, and kill zombies. Even so, I can't wait to try Apple's Vision Pro headset and I'm hoping, despite the $3,500 price, that it will be the headset for me. Apple CEO Tim Cook has a chance to bring me and millions of other people who aren't gamers, into an exciting new world. It has already released 100 of its own arcade games for the Vision Pro headset and announced a partnership with Disney. Apple's partnership with Disney for the Vision Pro is a good example.

Persons: I'm, hasn't, it's, Tim Cook, Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Cook Organizations: Apple, PlayStation, Meta, Microsoft, Vision, Disney, Hololens Locations: Africa, India, Paris

☆ Apple Debuts Its Next Big Product, a Virtual Reality Headset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Kellen Browning | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Apple lived up to months of expectations on Monday when it introduced new high-tech goggles that blend the real world with virtual reality. The $3,500 device, called the Vision Pro, will offer “augmented reality” and introduce “spatial computing,” Apple said. But conspicuously absent from its carefully choreographed announcement were the actual words “virtual reality,” underscoring the challenges the tech giant will likely face in marketing the device to a mass consumer audience. Past virtual reality offerings, including Google Glass, Magic Leap, Microsoft’s HoloLens and Meta’s Quest Pro, have been either commercial failures or only modest successes. And companies have so far failed to demonstrate what is indispensable about virtual reality.

Persons: Apple, ”, —, Microsoft’s Organizations: Google, Meta’s

☆ Today's the day: Apple is expected to reveal a 'jaw dropping' new product that faces an uphill battle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Michael Liedtke | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It'll be the company's first major new product since the first Apple Watch in 2014. Apple's goggles are expected be sleekly designed and capable of toggling between totally virtual or augmented options, a blend sometimes known as "mixed reality." Magic LeapDaniel Diez, Magic Leap's chief transformation officer, said there are four major questions Apple's goggles will have to answer: "What can people do with it? The anticipation that Apple's goggles are going to sell for several thousand dollars already has dampened expectations for the product. But those forecasts were obviously made before it's known whether Apple might be releasing a product that alters the landscape.

Persons: It'll, Apple, Steve Jobs, hasn't, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cook, Cook, it's, Sergey Brin, Daniel Diez, Magic, Dan Ives, Zuckerberg, Leap's Diez Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Meta, Google, Microsoft, Wedbush Securities, CCS Insight Locations: Cupertino , California, Italy, San Francisco

☆ Apple is ready to enter its metaverse era with a mixed reality headset. The rest of the world might not be.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Apple is on the cusp of revealing its future post-iPhone with a big bet on the metaverse. Tim Cook is expected to unveil a new mixed reality headset at WWDC in his riskiest move yet. Apple has the tough task of convincing the world the metaverse is still the future as interest dips. But emerging signs suggest Apple would have a seriously tough time shipping units for its metaverse bet. "If you believe there's something beyond a smartphone then it's probably the metaverse," Munster said.

Persons: Tim Cook, that's, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, it's, Zuckerberg, Palmer Luckey, —, ChatGPT, Gene Munster, he's, Siri, That's, Apple, Munster, Bill Gates, Apple's Cook Organizations: Apple, Developers, Bloomberg, Meta, Deepwater Asset Management, Microsoft Locations: Cupertino

☆ Why Apple's VR headset could succeed where every similar product has failed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

On Monday, Apple is expected to announce its first new major product line since the Apple Watch in 2014. During Apple's software-focused developer conference, WWDC, it could release its first mixed-reality headset, according to analyst research, media reports and increasingly, vague references from Apple itself. The headset, according to reports, will feature high-definition screens in front of the user's eyes. But since then, sales for existing VR headsets haven't been great, usage has been worse and the anticipated explosion in successful VR software companies hasn't happened. Apple's headset is expected to be more powerful than what's out there — even current $6,500 VR headsets.

Persons: what's, Apple, Wamsi Mohan, Microsoft's Hololens, Ming, Chi Kuo, Cowen, Krish Sankar, Peggy Johnson, it's Organizations: Apple, Apple Watch, Bank of America, Facebook, Meta, VR, U.S . Army, TFI Securities, CNBC

☆ 4K screens are typically the size of TVs. Apple may have squeezed two of them into its upcoming headset.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A supply-chain analyst said Apple's anticipated mixed-reality headset has 4K displays for each eye. The latest rumbling about Apple's mixed-reality headset is that there will be two 4K resolution displays, one for each eye, according to a tweet from Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants. Apple is expected to debut its first mixed-reality headset at the Worldwide Developers Conference on June 5. The company has been working on a mixed-reality headset for seven years, Bloomberg previously reported. If Young's prediction on the displays within Apple's headset prove correct, Apple could be gearing up to wow people with a headset unlike any other currently on the market.

Persons: Apple's, Ross Young, Young, it's, Michael Gartenberg Organizations: Apple, Consultants, Worldwide, Apple Watch, Bloomberg, New York Times, Microsoft, Glass Locations: WWDC

☆ China's Oppo debuts 'mixed reality' headset as Apple, Microsoft explore similar devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Chinese electronics giant Oppo debuted a mixed reality headset on Wednesday, pushing into an area in which U.S. technology companies Microsoft and Apple have taking a keen interest. The Oppo MR Glass Developer Edition is designed for developers to create apps and figure out the best uses for mixed reality technology. Mixed reality refers to technologies that encompass both virtual reality and augmented reality (AR). Oppo is bullish on the future of mixed reality and sees it as the next computing platform after the smartphone. In an interview with GQ this year, company CEO Tim Cook explained why people might want a mixed reality headset in the future.

Persons: Xu Yi, Oppo, Xu, Xiaomi, Tim Cook, Cook Organizations: Microsoft, Apple, Oppo, CNBC, Samsung, GQ Locations: China

☆ Even Apple will have a hard time making the metaverse cool
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Apple must do what no other tech company has done: make the metaverse cool. The iPhone maker is widely expected to debut its mixed-reality headset next month. The company's making a risky move as the tech world retreats from the metaverse and fixates on AI. In other words, Apple has more to lose by not making a wager on a mixed-reality headset than if it did. "If you believe there's something beyond a smartphone then it's probably the metaverse," Munster said.

☆ Ex-Apple marketing executive says the company's upcoming 'Reality' headset risks being 'one of the great tech flops of all time'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Michael Gartenberg told Insider if rumors and leaks are correct, it "would be a very un-Apple product." Michael Gartenberg, a former marketing exec at Apple, told Bloomberg the headset may be "one of the great tech flops of all time." "I suspect there's a lot of internal pressure for the next big thing," Gartenberg told the news publication. Gartenberg told Insider that if the rumors and leaks around the headset "are correct," it "would be a very un-Apple product." Gartenberg previously wrote about his thoughts on Apple's new headset, saying he doesn't believe it's Apple's "next big thing."

☆ The Metaverse, Zuckerber's Tech Obession, Is Officially Dead. ChatGPT Killed It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ed Zitron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The Metaverse, the once-buzzy technology that promised to allow users to hang out awkwardly in a disorientating video-game-like world, has died after being abandoned by the business world. After a much-heralded debut, the Metaverse became the obsession of the tech world and a quick hack to win over Wall Street investors. Once the tech industry turned to a new, more promising trend — generative AI — the fate of the Metaverse was sealed. But the short life and ignominious death of the Metaverse offers a glaring indictment of the tech industry that birthed it. Roblox, an online game platform that has existed since 2004, rode the Metaverse hype wave to an initial public offering and a $41 billion valuation.

☆ Apple's smart goggles could be the shot in the arm the whole industry needs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Apple is reportedly launching its Reality Pro smart goggles in June, combining VR and AR. Smart goggles are a tough market, with Google and Microsoft hitting major roadblocks in their efforts. Apple Watch paved the wayFor example, smart watches were out for years before the Apple Watch turned up. It took the Apple Watch to bring the concept into the mainstream. The market for headsets is arguably in a similar situation as the pre-Apple smart watch industry.

☆ Google Glass was just discontinued — again — raising questions about whether anyone still cares about AR devices
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The original Google Glass was axed in 2015, and reintroduced as a business-focused product in 2017. Sign up for our newsletter for the latest tech news and scoops — delivered daily to your inbox. An older version of Google Glass, the latest business-focused version of which was discontinued Wednesday. Ultimately, the lofty price point of Google Glass, as well as privacy concerns tied to the camera, led to its lack in mainstream acceptance and subsequent discontinuation in 2015. The latest version is "built for creators looking to push the limits of immersive AR experiences," according to the product's website.

☆ Google ends enterprise sales of Google Glass, its augmented reality smartglasses
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Google has stopped selling its Glass Enterprise smart glasses, the company announced on Wednesday on its website. Glass Enterprise was the successor to Google Glass, a lightweight glasses product that displayed tiny bits of information on a transparent screen in the user's field of view. Google's retreat comes as rivals, including Meta and Apple , are investing in augmented reality and virtual reality technology which could end up in devices that are much more sophisticated Google Glass. The discontinuation of Glass does not mean that Google has given up on augmented reality or smartglasses, though. Last summer, Google previewed a different pair of smartglasses that could translate and transcribe speech in real-time, and said it would continue to test augmented reality glasses prototypes in public.

☆ Prototypes for Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset feature in-air typing tech that uses hand and eye movements, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's mixed-reality headset is expected to start shipping late 2023 priced around $3,000, per Bloomberg. Prototypes of the Reality Pro feature "in-air" typing based on hand and eye movements, Bloomberg said. The launch of the Reality Pro would mark Apple's first big step into metaverse technology. Both The Information and Bloomberg have reported that Apple's Reality Pro will retail at around $3,000 upon launch, which is expected later in 2023. In August 2022, companies tied to Apple filed trademarks for devices named "Reality One," "Reality Pro," and "Reality Processor."

☆ Chinese tech giant Xiaomi debuts prototype augmented reality glasses joining Microsoft and Google
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Xiaomi took the wraps off its Xiaomi AR Glass Discovery Edition at Mobile World Congress 2023. The concept glasses work on augmented reality technology. BARCELONA, Spain — Xiaomi on Monday took the wraps off a pair of prototype augmented reality glasses as the Chinese technology giant looks to sell more products beyond smartphones. Augmented reality refers to digital media that can be superimposed over the real world that a person sees in front of them. Apple hasn't officially acknowledged or launched any kind of virtual or augmented reality headset.

☆ Microsoft is even cutting cloud and AI workers in its plan to lay off 10,000 employees, internal email shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft just did another wave of layoffs this week in its plan to cut 10,000 people from its workforce, and affected units include the company's cloud and artificial intelligence organization, an internal email viewed by Insider shows. In Janauary, Microsoft publicly announced a plan to lay off 10,000 employees through March. An email that was not shared with the public, but viewed by Insider, confirms cuts came to Executive Vice President Scott Guthrie's Cloud+AI organization. The company this week recirculated a guide directing managers on how to communicate with employees, according to an internal email viewed by Insider. In the guide, Microsoft calls for managers to "show empathy and compassion" and to "keep a pulse on team morale."

Microsoft is hosting a major event on Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET where it's expected to talk about OpenAI's ChatGPT and how Microsoft will use it in its products. The event will not stream live for the public, but CNBC and other media outlets will be there to cover the news live. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, on Monday tweeted a photo of himself alongside Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Follow along for live updates from Microsoft's Tuesday event below.

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