[imagesource:apple]

Apple unveiled the Vision Pro, a new VR/AR headset at a developer event on Monday and it’s everything you can expect from one of the world’s most forward-thinking tech companies. Online life is about to change in a big way.

It’s one of the most significant hardware releases the company has made in recent years, and almost has a Steve Jobs  ‘breakthrough’ feeling to it. Apple is swinging for the fences on this one and from initial reviews, it seems to be a home run.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said the device, which blends virtual reality and augmented reality, is “the first product you look through, not at.”

Augmented reality is a technology that allows users to overlay virtual images on live video of the real world.

Instead of ‘immersing’ yourself entirely into a ‘Meta-like’ world such as Facebook has been toying with, the Vision Pro allows users to bring their online experience into the ‘real world’ and the “eyesight” feature makes the headset look see-through, allowing the wearer’s eyes to be seen from the outside when someone else walks into the room.

VR could have gone anyway, but Apple seems to have avoided the temptation to put users’ heads into a bubble. Good on them.

“You’re never isolated from the people around you, you can see them and they can see you.”

According to Apple, once a user puts on the device, ‘they’re able to see apps directly projected in front of them. The interface is designed to look “truly present” in your room, responding to light and casting shadows to help users understand scale and distance.’

Apple released versions of the new headset to developers who wasted no time in creating experiences ranging from virtually seeing how the human heart works to support for Microsoft Office. Considering it will now be open to many tech-savvy developers out there, the possibilities are endless.

In order to get this to market, Apple filed 5 000 patents during development, which is an astonishing leap forward in VR technology.

The Vision Pro is still a bit pricey for the ordinary user, coming in at $3 499 (R67 000), but here’s hoping the prices will decrease with demand, as they usually do.

Behold, the ultimate nerd porn:

 

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Keep an eye on Digicape, South Africa’s largest independent Apple retailer, for local pricing and release dates. If anyone is going to have the top tips of Apple tech, it’s them.

This technology is still new, but it’s exciting to think of all the apps that will be coming onto the market in the near future as developers all over the world push the limits of our new ‘integrated world’.

Stay tuned for some crazy developments.

[source:cnn]