I've seen the future (Apple's Vision Pro)
...plus the Zoom link for our conversation with Wini Moranville
Let’s find out together what food reviewer Wini Moranville, author of Wini’s Food Stories, is thinking about these days. Our Monday Zoom call (March 11) with Wini begins at 12:00 p.m. central time.
This illustrious member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative is covering one of the most relatable topics of interest around —food.
Join us at noon: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86325547778
Vision Pro
My name is Julie, and I am an Appleholic.
My first computer was a used Apple SE, a little box. The year was 1992. When I logged onto America Online for the first time I was full of wonder and excitement. It was magical, and I knew it was going to change the communications industry forever.
Most folks didn’t have an email address then, let alone a website, or an iPhone, which wasn’t launched until June 29, 2007. Then came the iPad, in stores on April 3, 2010.
When a new Apple product was announced, I’d mark the date in my calendar, and stand in line starting as early as 4:30 a.m. to be one of the first to have it in hand.
So, when the Vision Pro was rumored to be coming, I started to wonder how in the world I could justify the extravagance. Then when the price was announced in February, with a price tag of $3,499.00 and $4,971.00, I knew I could not.
My quest to be an early adapter ended.
But yesterday, I went through a 30-minute demonstration of a Vision Pro headset at an Apple Store, while I waited for a genius to check out why my computer screen went black.
Reading about virtual reality and experiencing it are very different.
I now see clearly, where we as a society are headed. Just like the iPod changed how we listen to music, and the iPhone and iPad changed just about everything else, when virtual reality becomes mainstream, it will be akin to looking back at when television transitioned from black and white to color.
Oh, we are a ways off, and I won’t be buying the Vision Pro. But I sure would if I was years younger embarking on a multi-media storytelling career. Or if I ran an ad agency and wanted my clients to be able to have their clients ‘visit’ places around the world. Or if I ran an educational institution where anything related to journalism, film making, publishing, engineering — hell, EVERYTHING will be impacted.
In just a few minutes of a demonstration I felt as if I was on a hot air balloon ride in a swarm of other balloons, or at a child’s birthday party as she blew out the candles, or alone at the base of a mountain where I could turn my head from side to side and feel as if I was there, or walking a tightrope stretched over a gorge, where one wrong step would plunge me to certain death.
And then I REALLY got it when I was immersed in a sports game virtually feet from where a point was being scored.
Sports. Of course. Sports.
That’s when it dawned on me why Apple is gobbling up sports content and related companies. No wonder they abandoned the idea of a self-driving car.
Thanks to Google’s Gemini assistant, here’s what I learned:
Apple isn't solely focusing on virtual reality (VR) for sports content, it's actually leveraging mixed reality (MR) through their new headset, the Apple Vision Pro. MR combines VR with augmented reality (AR), allowing for both fully immersive experiences and overlays on the real world.
Here's how Apple is getting into sports content with MR:
Dedicated Apps: Leagues like MLB, NBA, and PGA Tour already have apps for Apple Vision Pro [2]. These offer features like:
Multi-perspective viewing of games, letting you virtually switch between different camera angles.
Real-time data overlays, displaying stats and information without needing a separate screen.
Immersive experiences, like feeling like you're courtside at a basketball game.
Content Partnerships: Apple already holds exclusive streaming rights to Major League Soccer and select Major League Baseball games [3]. They might acquire rights to more leagues in the future, potentially offering VR/MR broadcasts.
Focus on Live Sports: Apple seems to be prioritizing live experiences for sports fans. Their Fitness+ service integration suggests they might explore interactive fitness activities related to watching sports in VR/MR [3].
While VR offers a fully virtual world, Apple's MR approach with the Vision Pro allows for a more blended experience that could be especially interesting for sports viewing.
What does this mean for us?
First, try it. The Vision Pro is so much better than previous iterations of VR headsets. They are cool, too, - I’ve tried them. But Apple understands that picture quality is what will capture the market.
If I owned a movie theater, I’d think about investing in a few dozen Vision Pros, charge $150-$200 a ticket for an evening of immersive theater-going, and have my investment made up quickly. Wait until musicians figure out how to create concerts to experience a better-than-live concert. And, this is how the masses will be introduced, I’ll bet.
It’ll be a few years before an Oscar in Immersive Production will be won, but something like that will happen.
I am not a tech expert, but I have been on the first wave of early adaptation in this domain.
Yesterday, I had the familiar feeling I had when I first heard music on an iPod.
I had the same feeling I had when I turned on my first iPhone.
Same with the iPad.
And each one of those devices had naysayers putting down the products as losers, you might recall. Remember how panned the iPad was when it was first introduced?
We are on the cusp of another revolution. This technology reveals a layer that taps into other senses beyond imagination. You are not processing information from the printed word or flat screen, the brain is processing what it sees in a whole new way.
How can this technology solve problems?
Entertain?
Teach?
Heal?
Feel?
Wow, is this going to be fascinating to watch evolve. Hang on.
Iowa Writers’ and Songwriters’ Collaborative
Incase you missed it, here is yesterday’s Roundup of columns by members of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Powerful, insightful, newsworthy, entertaining, and funny content, all in one place. We are connecting readers and writers who share an interest in Iowa.
Okoboji
The Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat was designed for you, as a way to help you tell your story. Stories. Please consider attending. It is a welcoming and empowering experience. Mid-September is a beautiful time of year to be on the lake, and you’ll have fun, as well as learn a bunch in small group workshops.
Learn more about the speakers who will be on hand to work with you: https://okobojiwritersretreat.com/all-speakers/
You just lit my hyper- curiosity bug. I share many of those early Apple
Thank you Julie, for this insight. Something I may or may not ever experience. Your words piqued my interest