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☆ I tried Snap's AR glasses, Spectacles. They're a good start to get Gen Z users interested in smart eyewear.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementSnap's new Spectacles offer AR features like piano lessons and video calls. While the Vision Pro is a heavier corded headset, Meta's smart glasses are more like sunglasses with a camera and an AI assistant. AdvertisementSome features were clunky but impressiveOne of the Spectacles Lenses offered virtual piano lessons. AdvertisementGoogle tried and failed to break open the smart glasses market in the past, but that hasn't stopped CEO Mark Zuckerberg from showing off another pair of smart specs, Orion, at Meta Connect in September. AdvertisementI was impressed by the Spectacles demo, but I'm still waiting for a feature that makes them feel like a must-have.

Persons: Meta's Ray, Jordan Hart, They're, Evan Spiegel, I've, It's, hasn't, Mark Zuckerberg, haven't, Peter Kafka, Orion, they're, I'm Organizations: Apple's Vision, Apple Vision, Google, Meta Connect

☆ Disney and Apple are breaking up over App Store fees
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Disney is no longer letting new customers sign up for Hulu or Disney+ via Apple's App Store. Disney is now telling would-be customers to pay for subscriptions on Disney's own site, instead of on Apple's App Store — though people who've already started paying for either service via Apple can keep doing that. But the App Store split does represent a rift between two longtime partners, so it's definitely worth noting. Disney's rationale is clear here: When customers sign up for Disney subscription services via Apple, Apple takes up to 15% of the monthly fees those services generate. Just like Netflix in 2018, Disney has decided that the services Apple offers through its App Store — the ability to market to and bill a giant installed base — aren't worth giving up a meaningful chunk of revenue.

Persons: Bob Iger, —, who've, Iger, Steve Jobs, Jobs Organizations: Disney, Apple, Hulu, Service, Netflix, iTunes, Jobs, Pixar, Apple's, Reps

☆ Apple's chief people officer, who reports directly to Tim Cook, is leaving the company after less than 2 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-16 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple Chief People Officer Carol Surface is leaving after less than two years, Bloomberg reports. AdvertisementApple's chief people officer is leaving the company after less than two years, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. Dan Rosckes, Apple's global supply chain procurement chief, is also retiring after a 24-year stint, Bloomberg reported. Surface joined the company in 2023 from Medtronic, a medical hardware company, to oversee Apple's more than 160,000 employees. O'Brien will also continue to manage Apple's retail stores.

Persons: Carol Surface, Tim Cook, —, Matt Fischer, Luca Maestri, Cook, Kevan Parekh, Maestri, Dan Riccio, Dan Rosckes, Deirdre O'Brien, O'Brien Organizations: Apple, Bloomberg, Service, LinkedIn, Surface Locations: Medtronic

☆ Google backs a startup that aims to bring mixed reality to any car windshield or plane cockpit
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Distance TechnologiesDistance Technologies, a Finnish startup that aims to bring mixed-reality technology to any car windshield or plane cockpit, has raised 10 million euros ($11.1 million) of funding from GV, the venture capital arm of Alphabet and other investors. Distance raised the cash injection in a seed round led by GV, with existing investors FOV Ventures and Maki.vc also stumping up more cash for the startup, the company told CNBC on Thursday. Konttori was formerly chief technology officer of Varjo, another Helsinki-based mixed-reality firm. "The main difference here is that we are driven by the software," Mäkinen told CNBC. For now, Distance has had to use simple optics and normal LCD displays to demonstrate its technology to prospective partners and investors.

Persons: Maki.vc, Konttori, Roni Hiranand, Meta, Jussi Mäkinen, Mäkinen, he's Organizations: Technologies, GV, FOV Ventures, CNBC, Helsinki, Google Ventures, Companies, Huawei, Bosch, Continental, Panasonic, Distance Technologies Locations: Finnish, Helsinki, China

In addition to the Quest 3S, Meta on Wednesday also showcased its latest prototype of augmented-reality smart glasses and announced a flurry of new features for its Meta AI chatbot. What it doesMetaA Meta representative said the "S" in Quest 3S stands for "start" — as in getting started with VR. Orion is Meta's first "fully-functioning" prototype AR glasses, Zuckerberg said, and the device is tethered wirelessly to a small "puck." The Orion glasses are an improvement on Project Nazare, prototype smart glasses that Zuckerberg announced in 2021, when the company changed its name from Facebook. As part of Wednesday's event, Meta announced new Meta AI features for its Ray-Ban smart glasses.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, David Paul Morris, Meta, Apple hasn't, Zuckerberg, Meta's, Cristiano Amon, Nurphoto, EssilorLuxottica, Ban, Ray, Chen Miller, Judi Dench, John Cena, Keegan, Michael Key, Kristen Bell, Siri, OpenAI, ChatGPT Organizations: Meta, Inc, Chase Center, Bloomberg, Getty, Labs, Apple, VR, Amazon Music, Amazon, Quest Pro, Orion, Facebook, Qualcomm, Samsung, Google, Nurphoto, CNBC, IDC, Wednesday Locations: San Francisco , California, Menlo Park , California, Oculus, New Zealand

☆ I tried out Meta's Orion computer glasses. I'd buy them in a heartbeat — if they were actually for sale.
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-25 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. More important: Unlike other face-computing tech I've tried over the years — Google's Glass, Apple's Vision Pro, Meta's own line of Quest goggles — this is one I can actually imagine buying, and using, in real life. Meta's Orion glasses can serve many of the same purposes as a smartphone. Meta's Orion glasses are connected to a wristband that reads muscle movements. If Orion, or any other device Meta makes, becomes the future of computing, then Zuckerberg can operate his business on his devices.

Persons: —, Mark Zuckerberg, Alex Heath, I've, Orion, who's, Meta Orion, It's, Zuckerberg, Meta, he's Organizations: Service, Orion, Business, Meta, Apple, Google

☆ Snap threw shade at Apple and Meta's bulky headsets, but its new Spectacles are cartoonish
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

At the end of Tuesday's Snap Partner Summit keynote, CEO Evan Spiegel introduced a major upgrade to the company's augmented reality glasses. AdvertisementHe added, "AR glasses have see-through lenses. SnapAlthough Spiegel threw shade at headset rivals, Snap will have a lot to prove in the smart glasses space. The glasses Snap unveiled are cordless, unlike the Vision Pro headset. The Quest 3 completely covers the eyes, but Spiegel said Spectacles have see-through lenses that become tinted in sunlight.

Persons: —, Evan Spiegel, you've, Spiegel, Snap, Leo Gebbie Organizations: Service, Business, Meta, Reality Labs, CCS Insight, CNBC, Vision, VR

☆ Why Apple's Vision Pro is stuck in neutral
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Apple Vision Pro has been out for six months. We're still waiting for a killer app for the $3,500 headset. Go to newsletter preferences Thanks for signing up! download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementDid you know that Apple Vision Pro has been on sale for more than six months?

Persons: We're, — Organizations: Apple, Service, Apple Vision, Business

☆ Neuralink rival Synchron lets patients control Apple Vision Pro with their thoughts
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Neurotech startup Synchron on Tuesday announced it has connected its brain implant to Apple 's Vision Pro headset. Apple released the Vision Pro earlier this year, and users typically control it with eye movements, voice commands and hand gestures. He said Synchron will likely work to connect its BCI to other headsets, but it's starting with the Vision Pro. Apple has been "very supportive" of the Vision Pro integration, he added. Synchron is a part of an increasingly competitive BCI industry, and the company said Tuesday that it is the first to connect its system to Apple's Vision Pro.

Persons: Synchron, Thomas Oxley, Oxley, Elon Musk's, It's Organizations: BCI, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Apple, Vision, CNBC, Neuroscience, Blackrock Neurotech Locations: U.S, Australia

☆ How Mark Zuckerberg's old teaching assistant at Harvard rose to become Meta's CTO and a key lieutenant
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-23 | by ( Isobel Asher Hamilton | Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

As Meta continues pursuing AR and VR, Boz has also been vocal on one of its biggest rivals in the space: Apple. Boz and Zuck have both been critical of the Apple Vision Pro headset. Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesBoz said Apple's mixed-reality headset, a rival to Meta's Quest VR headsets, was "very uncomfortable to use." And it's distributed poorly," he said shortly after the Vision Pro launched in the US in February. He's also shot down speculation that Meta rushed to announce its Quest 3 headset ahead of Apple's Vision Pro debut.

Persons: Meta, Boz, Zuck, Justin Sullivan, Apple's, He's Organizations: Apple, Meta's, Vision Pro, Apple's, Meta Locations: WWDC

☆ Google revamps its ambitions for AR glasses to make up lost ground and stem defectors to Meta
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Hugo Swart, formerly Qualcomm's head of XR, joined Google's AR group in April to lead ecosystem strategy and partner relationships. Related storiesMark Lucovsky, a senior director on Google's AR software, left last July, citing "changes in AR leadership and Google's unstable commitment and vision" to the product. "Doing anything first-party is a challenge relationship-wise," said a former Google AR team member. There is internal speculation that Samsung will be the first to also build glasses with Google's AR software, according to two employees familiar with the matter. Without a device of its own and with its AR software still in development, Google now finds itself on the back foot.

Persons: —, Google, it's, Sergey Brin, Rick Osterloh, Ramin Talaie, Shahram Izadi, HoloLens, Hugo Swart, Swart, reshuffles, Jeffrey Margolis, Mark Lucovsky, Paul Greco, Barry, Betty, Harriet Google, Harriet, Said Bakadir, Iris, Apple, Kim Kulish, Meta, Anshel Sag Organizations: Service, Astra, Business, Google, Samsung, Tech, Getty, Android, Google's, Microsoft, Meta, XR, Qualcomm, Samsung Unpacked, Samsung Google, Vision, Lenovo, Moor Locations: hughlangley

☆ Apple's Vision Pro sales are way lower than expected. That might not turn around until it lowers the $3,500 price.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Don't look, Apple: There's more bad news for the Vision Pro. The headset is expected to sell fewer than a half million units this year. Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementIt's been a few months since the Apple Vision Pro launched in the US, but sales are still looking pretty lackluster.

Persons: —, It's Organizations: Vision, Service, Apple Vision Pro, Bloomberg, IDC, Business

HANGZHOU, China — Apple 's mixed-reality headset began deliveries in China on Friday with a retail price roughly 18% higher than in the U.S. The device starts at 29,999 yuan ($4,128) in China, compared with a $3,500 retail price in the U.S. When asked by CNBC, a customer surnamed Chen in Beijing said his suggestion to Apple CEO Tim Cook was to make Vision Pro cheaper by about 10,000 yuan ($1,376). Greater China accounted for about 18% of Apple's revenue in the three months ended March 30, according to an Apple filing. Chen pre-ordered his Vision Pro and was at a major store in Beijing to pick it up and receive some training on how to use it.

Persons: Chen, Tim Cook, salespeople Organizations: U.S, CNBC, Vision, Apple, Huawei, Beijing — Locations: HANGZHOU, China, U.S, Beijing, Weibo, Greater China

☆ Google's Android apps are coming in 3D via Xreal as competition with Apple's Vision Pro heats up
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Xreal, an augmented reality glasses maker, has launched a connected Beam Pro mobile device that allows users to capture spatial video and 3D images. Xreal said the Beam Pro uses Nvidia CloudXR technology for image rendering and Qualcomm 's Snapdragon spatial computing platform. A pair of Xreal AR glasses costs around $200 to $400, depending on the model and sales promotion. That means a set of Xreal AR glasses and Beam Pro costs significantly less than $1,000. The Beam Pro launched in China in late May.

Persons: Apple, Chi Xu, Xu, Xreal, Rokid, Ramon, Xreal Xu Organizations: BEIJING — Games, Google, Apple, CNBC, Apple Vision, Beam, Nvidia, Qualcomm, Amazon Web Services, IDC Research, Vision, The Locations: BEIJING, U.S, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore

☆ Lowe's CEO explains why the company is partnering with Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In a Tuesday interview with CNBC's Jim Cramer, Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison described the home improvement retailer's partnerships with Big Tech companies like Apple and Nvidia . Ellison said Lowe's offers a Chat GPT plug in that aims to better assist customers, adding that the company also has a program designed for Apple's Vision Pro. Lowe's peer Home Depot has also delved into the AI space by partnering with Alphabet . And like Home Depot, Lowe's is feeling the burden of high interest rates. "We're preparing to be at our best when the cycle turns up, and we know that's going to happen," he said.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, Marvin Ellison, We've, Ellison, Lowe's Organizations: Big Tech, Apple, Nvidia, Apple's Vision, Home Depot, Google

☆ How Google CEO Sundar Pichai shook up his leadership team for the AI era
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

It came almost 12 months after Google combined two key AI groups, DeepMind and Google Brain. Google's AI MVPGoogle DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis GoogleDemis Hassabis might be the most important person at Google right now. Then, in April last year, Pichai announced he would merge DeepMind with Google's in-house AI unit, known as Brain, into a supergroup named Google DeepMind. Reid reports directly to Raghavan, the ads and search senior vice president, and is shepherding a dramatic transition of Google Search. Fears of chatbots eating into Google's search dominance have yet to be realized, giving Google time to reinvent its most hallowed product.

Persons: —, Sundar Pichai, Pichai, Susan Wojcicki, Demis, Hassabis, Larry Page, DeepMind, OpenAI, it's, accrues, ED JONES, Rick Osterloh, Sameer Samat, he'll, Hiroshi Lockheimer, Osterloh, Prabhakar Raghavan, Siri, Tim Cook, Hiroshi, SAJJAD HUSSAIN, Liz Reid, Reid, Raghavan, Pandu Nayak, Venkatachary, It's, chatbots, Bernstein, Mark Shmulik Organizations: Service, Google, Business, Google's, BI, Research, Hassabis, Android, Apple, Apple's Vision, CNBC, Google Local Locations: Raxium

☆ Are you still using your Apple Vision Pro? Tell me what you do with it — I genuinely want to know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Katie Notopoulos | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple's Vision Pro headset was the buzziest gadget when it was released, but the excitement has fizzled. The hype and anticipation surrounding the Vision Pro were off the charts. Related storiesI got to try it out a little when my colleague Jordan Hart was testing the Vision Pro for her review. (I do have a friend who bought a Vision Pro and returned it). I genuinely am curious about what Vision Pro lovers are doing with theirs.

Persons: I'm, —, Jordan Hart, Jordan, didn't, That's, it's Organizations: Apple, Service, Apple Vision, Vision, Pro, eBay

☆ Cramer: Why Apple's Vision Pro could contribute to earnings sooner than expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Apple did not disclose revenue for the Vision Pro, the company's first new major device since the Apple Watch debuted in 2015. The Vision Pro is generally considered a higher-quality product than rival devices, with its sharper resolution as one key advantage. Jim, however, said the Vision Pro could be a positive contributor to Apple's earnings much sooner than others expect, as enterprise adoption drives more sales. Lowe's is using Vision Pro for immersive kitchen design, while Porsche is using it for "real-time team collaboration for racing," Cook said. He said Friday that Apple's developer conference in June — where more details on its AI strategy are widely expected — will also highlight new software programs written for the Vision Pro.

Persons: Tim Cook, Cook, Jim Cramer, Jim, Nvidia's, Jensen Huang, Jim Cramer's, Angela Weiss Organizations: Vision, Apple, Club, Nvidia, Apple Watch, Wall, Meta, CNBC, Dutch, KLM, Porsche, AFP, Getty Locations: Nvidia's, —, New York City

☆ Mark Zuckerberg appeared to take a shot at Apple's Vision Pro
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mark Zuckerberg appeared to take a jab at Apple's Vision Pro during Meta's Q1 earnings call. AdvertisementMeta CEO Mark Zuckerberg seemed to take a hit at Apple's Vision Pro in Meta's first-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. The comment appears to show his skepticism of the potential success of a product like Apple's Vision Pro. While Meta's Quest virtual reality headset competes with Apple's Vision Pro, Zuckerberg has said before that he doesn't imagine a future of people walking around with virtual reality headsets. Zuckerberg isn't the one executive at the tech giant to drag the Apple Vision Pro.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, —, Zuckerberg, Andrew Huberman, It's, Andrew Bosworth Organizations: Apple's, Ray, Service, Meta, Apple Vision, Vision Locations: Meta's

☆ Cramer's bullish on Apple's Vision Pro, pointing to its potential use in enterprise
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CNBC's Jim Cramer on Wednesday told investors he's confident in the success of Apple 's Vision Pro and sees uses for the product outside the consumer space. But Cramer argued that recent reported weakness about the prosperity of the Vision Pro does not hold weight. Cramer also suggested that Apple could pivot and market the Vision Pro as an enterprise product. At Nvidia 's conference last month, he was impressed by how the company's technology worked with the Vision Pro. And with digital twin technology, he suggested the Vision Pro could be a boon for the industrial sector.

Persons: CNBC's Jim Cramer, —, Cramer, that's Organizations: Wednesday, Apple, Nvidia, Vision

☆ Apple fans may already be moving on from the Vision Pro
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewSome tech devotees already seem to be losing interest in Apple's Vision Pro just months after the futuristic headset hit the market. That's bad news for Apple, which spent eight years and billions of dollars creating the Vision Pro. Apple has seemingly responded to the growing disinterest by boosting marketing around the device, evidenced by the Vision Pro's prime placement on the company's website. The Vision Pro requires its wearer to attach a battery, start the device, and move through its interface each use. BI's Jordan Hart foresaw some of those issues back in February, writing that she was running out of reasons to wear the Vision Pro after just one week.

Persons: —, Mark Gurman, Apple, Gurman, BI's Jordan Hart, he'd Organizations: Service, Apple's Vision, Apple, Business, Vision

☆ Bad news for Apple, and Meta: Kids are bored with VR goggles
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

You'd think teens would be early adopters of devices like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta's Quest. But a new Piper Sandler survey shows 56% of teen VR device owners rarely use them. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: Piper Sandler, —, Meta Organizations: Apple Vision, Service, Business

☆ Bad news for Apple and Meta: Kids are bored with VR goggles
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Persons: Piper Sandler, —, Meta Organizations: Apple Vision, Service, Business

☆ CEO explains why E.l.f Beauty launched an app for Apple's Vision Pro
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

E.l.f Beauty CEO Tarang Amin told CNBC's Jim Cramer on Tuesday why his company launched an app on Apple 's new virtual reality headset, the Vision Pro, saying it's important to try new things. "So, the Apple Vision Pro is a continuation of — we're going to constantly test and learn on new frontiers and delight our community." According to Amin, a lot of E.l.f Beauty's success is because it is not "not dependent on any one platform, or any one way of going to market." But Wall Street worried about the state of the industry last week after Ulta Beauty's CEO Dave Kimball warned that demand for beauty products was slowing at a Wednesday conference hosted by JPMorgan . "We see the same thing at Ulta as we see with other customers: E.l.f is their most productive brand."

Persons: Tarang Amin, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Amin, Piper Sandler, E.l.f, Ulta, Dave Kimball, he's Organizations: Apple, Vision, Target, Walmart, JPMorgan

☆ The portfolio’s 5 best-performing stocks since the February Annual Meeting
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ahead of Wednesday's Monthly Meeting, here's a look at the best-performing Club stocks since Feb. 23, the session before the annual gathering, through Tuesday's close. NVDA mountain 2024-02-23 Nvidia's stock performance since the close of Feb. 23, 2024. DIS mountain 2024-02-23 Disney's stock performance since the close of Feb. 23, 2024. ETN mountain 2024-02-23 Eaton Corp.'s stock performance since the close of Feb. 23, 2024. STZ mountain 2024-02-23 Constellation Brands' stock performance since the close of Feb. 23, 2024.

Persons: Bob Iger, Nelson Peltz's Trian, Peltz, Eaton, it's, didn't, Wedbush, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Jensen Huang, Lam, Fei Organizations: Nvidia, Blackwell, Apple's, Disney, Club, ESPN, Nelson Peltz's Trian Partners, Eaton Corp, Street, Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, Wall Street, Constellation Brands, Nielsen, Wedbush Securities, Wine, DuPont, Barclays, CNBC, Nvidia Corp, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: U.S, Tuesday's, STZ, Taipei, Taiwan

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