Apple’s mixed reality headset It sold well, but it became embroiled in a new mystery that was hard to crack.
As first reported by MacRumors, some customers are discovering a mysterious crack developing vertically in the center of the front screen of their Vision Pro headsets. These reports only come from a handful of users, most of whom are talking about it on Reddit, which can be an unreliable source. Nonetheless, Engadget reports that the same flaw appears in its review unit. Those affected said they had not mishandled the devices — there had been no drops or impacts that could have caused the laminated glass screens to crack. Therefore, it’s unclear exactly what causes this issue or if it actually affects Vision Pro’s performance.
Wired reached out to Apple to ask about the cracks on the front screen of the Apple Vision Pro and what caused them, but the company has yet to respond.
Apple chose to use premium materials like aluminum and glass to build its first headphones, which resulted in a device that was heavy and not durable. To see how it holds up under pressure, watch YouTuber JerryRigsEverthing’s video of a complete teardown of an Apple Vision Pro headset. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work very well if you set it on fire.)
Here’s some other consumer tech news.
Apple launches new app
This week, Apple announced an app designed specifically for sports fans. It’s called – wait for it – Apple Sports. The app is free on iOS and allows iPhone users to access live sports scores. It can be used to track scores and statistics for several professional and college leagues, such as Major League Soccer, NBA and NCAA Basketball, Premier League Soccer, and NHL Hockey. Notably, other sports giants like MLB, NFL, NCAAF, NWSL and WNBA are still omitted, although Apple says those leagues will soon be using the app for the upcoming season.
The app allows users to filter and customize the scoreboard to display their favorite teams. It also aims to push users to watch the game on Apple TV, with a “Watch on Apple TV” button included in the app. While the iPhone app is free, live streaming games usually require a subscription.
Apply computer games directly to your forehead
In other VR news, Sony said it is testing the compatibility of its latest VR headset with PC games. Sony’s PS VR2 launched a year ago, and while it was a fun and capable device, it received some criticism for requiring a wired connection to the PS5 console. Now, Sony is exploring the idea of letting gamers use headphones to play games on their computers, too.
The announcement was buried within a few paragraphs about new game updates for Sony’s console platforms. The company didn’t reveal any details about which PC games are being tested on PS VR2, or when such a feature would be available.
Still, it’s a welcome cross-platform move that could bring Sony one step closer to ending the console wars. This may not be the company’s immediate goal, but this isn’t the gaming company’s first step toward interoperability. Last week, the Xbox team announced that several of its previously exclusive console games would soon be available on other platforms such as PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
What do you want to do in Dune 2 Nights?
Swiss luxury watchmaker Hamilton launches two new timepieces inspired by director Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming film dune sequel. As you’d expect, they look like something shipped straight from Arrakis. (This is dune planet. ) exterior is a rugged matte black with bright blue numerals and hands designed to evoke the color of Fremen eyes. (they are dune people. ) The triangular shape of the case is an evolution of the Hamilton Ventura model, first launched in the 1950s.
Ventura XXL Bright is priced at $1,810 and is limited to 3,000 units. The Ventura Edge Dune watch is priced at US$2,553 and is limited to 2,000 pieces. Dune: Part 2 Open next Friday March 1st.
technical problem
These are trying times for many tech industry employees, especially those caught up in the wave of massive layoffs that have occurred so far this year. In just a few weeks, tens of thousands of tech workers lost their jobs. Companies of all sizes have made layoffs recently, including Google, Amazon, Discord and Instacart. It’s a stark shift for an industry that has grown by luring workers with lavish campuses and benevolent benefits. Now, faced with an overabundance of job applicants, companies have become very picky about who they hire. Finding a tech job is harder than ever, and interview parties are getting creative in how they approach each other. (Yes, they may all be using artificial intelligence.)
The latest episode of Wired gadget lab The podcast delves into the plight of tech workers and how getting and keeping a job has become more precarious.