“It’s the first Apple product you look through, not at,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said while introducing the Apple Vision Pro, the company’s new virtual reality headset that will allow users to overlay an augmented experience over the real world.
Apple announced the VR headset at its annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) in Cupertino, Calif., Monday afternoon, where it also revealed developments for many of its existing products and software.
The Apple Vision Pro is a wearable headset that creates an augmented reality experience with everything from work meetings and meditation to gaming and movies. Apple says it will be available in early 2024, with prices starting at $3,499 US, equivalent to about $4,700 Cdn.
While wearing the headset, users can browse by looking or making hand gestures, which Alan Dye, vice-president of human interface design at Apple, says they designed to be “as subtle and natural as possible.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, joins Craig Federighi, senior vice-president of software engineering, for an announcement about new products on the Apple campus on Monday in Cupertino, Calif., where the company announced the Apple Vision Pro, the company’s new virtual reality headset set to launch in 2024. (Jeff Chiu/The Associated Press)
‘Apple hit a home run’
The Vision Pro marks the first major product launch for Apple since the Apple Watch in 2015. But it’s unclear how large the demand is for the headset. A Bloomberg analysis estimates that the product will generate the company $1.5 billion U.S. ($2 billion Cdn) in sales, or 0.5 per cent of the company’s revenue base.
The anticipation that Apple’s goggles are going to sell for several thousand dollars already seems to have dampened expectations for the product.
Dan Ives, managing director and analyst at the American firm Wedbush Securities, expects the company to sell just 150,000 units during the device’s first year on the market — a mere speck in the company’s portfolio.
By comparison, Apple sells more than 200 million of its marquee iPhones a year. But the iPhone wasn’t an immediate sensation, with sales of fewer than 12 million units in its first full year on the market.
Still, Ives considers the Vision Pro a “revolutionary product” that will spur developers to create new, unique applications for dedicated use with the headset. Ives anticipates that sales will increase to one million units in the product’s second year.
“I think Apple hit a home run,” he said. “I think we look out three, four years from now and [see this as] an inflection point for Apple.”
Industry experts say that while some might scoff at the initial product and price, it can take time for new devices to find their place in the market.
“The example that I would use would be the AirPods, which we made fun of for years,” said Douglas Soltys, the editor-in-chief at BetaKit, an online publication which reports on Canadian startups and tech innovation. “Now it has become commonplace.”
Soltys expects that Apple’s history of understanding of what people want out of consumer electronics will help them as the Vision Pro launches. And even though the Vision Pro will debut with a limited number of apps, he says the user experience could become more robust once developers start creating applications.
“When I saw $3,500 US, I gasped,” said Soltys, of the price. “Then I laughed, because that just speaks to how confident Apple is about where it can position this product and who’s willing to follow.”
Apple for the eyes
Apple’s announcement comes days after Meta announced its new virtual and mixed reality headset, Meta Quest 3, set to launch later this year. The Vision Pro introduces Apple as a new competitor in the virtual reality market.
“We’re just on the cusp of this technology going mainstream,” said Tom Frencel, the CEO and co-founder of Toronto indie game development studio Little Guy Games.
While he admits that past iterations of virtual reality technology haven’t lived up to the hype, Frencel says recent developments address many challenges that have been holding it back. For example, he points out that when VR headsets were first released, they were all heavy and tethered to computers — now, models like the Meta Quest are much more lightweight with more powerful hardware.
“It will inevitably happen,” he said, noting that he expects numerous technologies to “converge in VR,” including blockchain and the metaverse. “It’s just the next evolution of computing.”
People walk past an Oculus virtual reality headset on display at the Toronto office of Meta — the parent company of Facebook. Experts say Apple’s announcement about its VR headset will likely create more competition and innovation, possibly opening up the field for other major companies to enter the market. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Tech expert Ritesh Kotak says that while he expects there will be some consumers who will purchase the Vision Pro, businesses will likely be the heavy adopters of the technology early on, given its commercial applications.
He says being able to create and visualize objects in 3D has applications in design and engineering and notes that using FaceTime to integrate with videoconferencing in real time “might create an opportunity for businesses that are looking for hybrid and remote working situations to leverage this type of technology.”
2 major players competing in VR realm
“Now at least we have two major players, Apple and Meta, that are competing in the same realm,” said Paolo Granata, a professor at the University of Toronto and the director of the Media Ethics Lab.
Granata, who has experimented with VR technology in his classes, says the competition will likely create more innovation, possibly opening up the field for other major companies such as Samsung or Sony to enter the market.
At its current price, Granata says the headset is inaccessible for most consumers but will likely become more affordable as it becomes more mainstream.
“It takes time to democratize technology,” he said. “In the meantime, it’s up to us to make sure that this technology can really be built in an accessible, open way — and envision the possibilities … for a more connected society where no one is left behind.”
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Granata says it’s also important to consider unintended consequences of the technology — in this case, impacts on user privacy and on industries such as gaming, film and streaming media.
“The movie industry will start reacting — not just against this new technology, but likely responding in a creative way.”
New MacBook Air, iOS 17
Other new products introduced at the WWDC include a 15-inch MacBook Air, the latest in Apple’s popular laptop line that boasts a larger screen, a new six-speaker sound system and an advertised 18 hours of battery life while still maintaining a low weight at 1.49 kilograms. It will be available for $1,749 starting next Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
Apple also shared its new M2 Ultra processing chip, a 24-core processor which Apple says has both increased speed and memory compared to its predecessor, the M1 Ultra.
Company executives also shared key software updates. Notably, they shared key features in the upcoming iOS 17, which Apple says will improve its autocorrect, and introduce a new standby mode that can display key information while charging the iPhone.
Apple didn’t make any major announcements about generative AI products similar to ChatGPT or Google’s Bard search engine, but it quietly imbued several smaller features with AI, like live transcriptions of voice mails.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
Copenhagen, 22.10.2024 – COBOD International, the global leader in 3D construction printing technology, proudly introduces the BOD3 3D Construction Printer for 3D printing of real concrete. Equipped with an extendable ground-based track system, the BOD3 advances the construction process by eliminating printer downtime between multiple buildings on the same site, setting anew benchmark for productivity and efficiency. The BOD3 is the most advanced solution for high-volume low-rise construction and a very effective alternative to conventional construction methods.
The heart and key feature of the new BOD3 3D printer is the advanced extendable ground-based track system. This system enables limitless extension along the Y-axes (length), expanding the printable area to cover 2 or 3 buildings, and reducing setup time to a single installation for multi-building projects. It’s a game-changer, allowing continuous, uninterrupted printing across large sites, increasing efficiency for high volume and mass production at an unmatchable scale.
Render of COBOD BOD3 3D Construction Printer.
The BOD3, COBOD’s third printer model, is the outstanding achievement of years of dedicated research, development, and close collaboration with customers. It is a vital advancement in automated construction technology, directly addressing the urgent global demand for faster, smarter, more efficient and sustainable building solutions. Like every COBOD 3D printer, the BOD3’s modular design offers customization, allowing it to easily adapt to any customer’s size wishes in addition to complying with the various sizes of construction sites anywhere in the world.
The BOD3 follows COBOD’s vision to build smarter through automation. Its operational stand combines the control and monitoring of both the 3D printer and supplementary equipment in one user-friendly system. The Advanced Hose Management System (AHMS) transports 3D printable material from the materials delivery system to the printhead via hoses secured within E-chains, minimizing physical labor and optimizing material flow. With the addition of the dual dosing system for additives, operators can better control the concrete and adapt it to onsite environmental conditions. By introducing additives directly at the printhead, the system reduces drying time between layers, speeding up the overall construction process. Designed for easy operation and precision, the BOD3 can be operated by a small, trained, and certified team, reducing the costs of projects.
Incorporating the innovative Universal X-Carriage, the BOD3 is ready for future COBOD advancements and technologies, like the introduction of additional tools for the printer aimed at insulating, painting, sanding, etc. This ensures long-term versatility and performance that will keep the BOD3 at the forefront of the industry for years to come.
Universal X-Carriage with Printhead.
Already deployed to the global market, the BOD3 is currently active in Indonesia, by Modula Tiga Dimensi, Angola, by Power2Build, andBahrain, by Ab’aad 3D. The customers report faster project execution with near-zero downtime between individual buildings on the same site. The projects showcase the BOD3’s ability to speed up construction and print with real concrete, with 99% locally sourced materials and 1% of innovative D.fab, a co-developed solution by COBOD and Cemex to make concrete 3D printable.
Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder and General Manager of COBOD, commented on the BOD3: “The global housing crisis demands a more efficient construction solution that is faster, more efficient, and scalable. The BOD3 is our answer to this challenge. Drawing on years of research and expertise, we’ve designed the BOD3 with innovative features, making it our most cost-effective and efficient model yet for multiple low-rise buildings. Its design supports high-volume, linear production of houses, enabling mass production without compromising quality. The fact that six units have already been sold before its official launch speaks volumes about the BOD3’s market demand and the trust our customers place in our technology.”
Michael Holm, Chief Innovation Officer at COBOD, states, “The advanced ground-based track system was developed as a response to our customers’ needs to increase efficiency and productivity. Now the 3D construction printer can be easily extended, and multiple consecutive structures can be printed with minimal repositioning and zero downtime between projects, making 3D construction printing more efficient than ever before.”
The BOD3 is now available for purchase worldwide; for more information, please visit our website, www.cobod.com, or contact us at info@cobod.com.
COBOD stands as the global leader in supplying 3D printers for the construction sector, with over 80 printers distributed across North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Driven by a mission to revolutionize construction through multifunctional robots based on 3D printing, COBOD envisions automating half of the construction processes to achieve faster, cost-effective, sustainable results with enhanced design versatility.
From residential, commercial, and public buildings, COBOD’s 3D printers have been instrumental in erecting 1- to 3-story structures across all six inhabited continents. The innovative technology also extends to fabricate large-scale data centers, wind turbine towers, tanks, and more.
Embracing an open-source material approach, COBOD collaborates with global partners, including customers, academia, and suppliers. The company, backed by prominent shareholders such as General Electric, CEMEX, Holcim, and PERI, operates from its main office in Copenhagen, Denmark, and regional competence centers in Miami, Florida, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. COBOD’s dynamic team comprises over 100 professionals from 25 diverse nationalities.
ABOUT MODULA TIGA DIMENSI
PT Modula Tiga Dimensi is a joint venture between Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR) and COBOD. BNBR focuses on offering and providing solutions for housing backlog problems currently encountered by the country.
Teaming up with COBOD International, the company is now set to adopt the latest 3D printing construction technology and is ready to offer the Indonesian market a new and better solution to housing obstructions.
ABOUT POWER2BUILD
Reshaping the construction sector and adapting it to urgent human needs.
Power2Build is a technology company for the construction industry, prepared to establish partnerships with private, public, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) so that they can make the transition to Build 4.0 through 3DCP.
We offer our clients value-added services and high-quality projects, always with a multidisciplinary approach that brings together the necessary experience to deal with complex issues.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Artificial intelligence‘s recent rise to the forefront of business has left most office workers wondering how often they should use the technology and whether a computer will eventually replace them.
Those were among the highlights of a recent study conducted by the workplace communications platform Slack. After conducting in-depth interviews with 5,000 desktop workers, Slack concluded there are five types of AI personalities in the workplace: “The Maximalist” who regularly uses AI on their jobs; “The Underground” who covertly uses AI; “The Rebel,” who abhors AI; “The Superfan” who is excited about AI but still hasn’t used it; and “The Observer” who is taking a wait-and-see approach.
Only 50% of the respondents fell under the Maximalist or Underground categories, posing a challenge for businesses that want their workers to embrace AI technology. The Associated Press recently discussed the excitement and tension surrounding AI at work with Christina Janzer, Slack’s senior vice president of research and analytics.
Q: What do you make about the wide range of perceptions about AI at work?
A: It shows people are experiencing AI in very different ways, so they have very different emotions about it. Understanding those emotions will help understand what is going to drive usage of AI. If people are feeling guilty or nervous about it, they are not going to use it. So we have to understand where people are, then point them toward learning to value this new technology.
Q: The Maximalist and The Underground both seem to be early adopters of AI at work, but what is different about their attitudes?
A: Maximalists are all in on AI. They are getting value out of it, they are excited about it, and they are actively sharing that they are using it, which is a really big driver for usage among others.
The Underground is the one that is really interesting to me because they are using it, but they are hiding it. There are different reasons for that. They are worried they are going to be seen as incompetent. They are worried that AI is going to be seen as cheating. And so with them, we have an opportunity to provide clear guidelines to help them know that AI usage is celebrated and encouraged. But right now they don’t have guidelines from their companies and they don’t feel particularly encouraged to use it.
Overall, there is more excitement about AI than not, so I think that’s great We just need to figure out how to harness that.
Q: What about the 19% of workers who fell under the Rebel description in Slack’s study?
A: Rebels tend to be women, which is really interesting. Three out of five rebels are women, which I obviously don’t like to see. Also, rebels tend to be older. At a high level, men are adopting the technology at higher rates than women.
Q: Why do you think more women than men are resisting AI?
A: Women are more likely to see AI as a threat, more likely to worry that AI is going to take over their jobs. To me, that points to women not feeling as trusted in the workplace as men do. If you feel trusted by your manager, you are more likely to experiment with AI. Women are reluctant to adopt a technology that might be seen as a replacement for them whereas men may have more confidence that isn’t going to happen because they feel more trusted.
Q: What are some of the things employers should be doing if they want their workers to embrace AI on the job?
A: We are seeing three out of five desk workers don’t even have clear guidelines with AI, because their companies just aren’t telling them anything, so that’s a huge opportunity.
Another opportunity to encourage AI usage in the open. If we can create a culture where it’s celebrated, where people can see the way people are using it, then they can know that it’s accepted and celebrated. Then they can be inspired.
The third thing is we have to create a culture of experimentation where people feel comfortable trying it out, testing it, getting comfortable with it because a lot of people just don’t know where to start. The reality is you can start small, you don’t have to completely change your job. Having AI write an email or summarize content is a great place to start so you can start to understand what this technology can do.
Q: Do you think the fears about people losing their jobs because of AI are warranted?
A: People with AI are going to replace people without AI.
