January 23, 2024

empowering you with insights and information from the edge of today’s headlines

Technology

Empty Vision for Apple: Apple’s Vision Pro is set to launch in the US on February 2, and pre-orders have already started. Demand is still a little unclear, however: as some versions are not available for pickup until April (which could be due to a bottleneck in the customization of the headpiece). “The real test will be to see how quickly the Vision Pro reaches 1 million orders. The Apple Watch hit that number in its first day, while the iPad took 28 days. The iPhone took 74 days to reach it.” One other snag may be that many popular apps are refusing to create dedicated apps to launch with the Vision platform, including Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify. You can still watch the streamers via the web platform, but if you’ve paid $3500 for your new “ultimate entertainment device” it should include premium entertainment.

Empty photos for Apple: Apple has been posting shots of influencers and tech journalists trying out its VisionPro for the first time (all of its previous shots had been of models). Apple made some constraints for the demos however: “only Apple could take photos of the journalists wearing the headset.” One reason - no photos actually showed the bulky battery pack. As a Wired journalist pointed out, Apple must envision this device for sitting rather than for gaming or for wandering the world.

Getting closer to the Holodeck: If you do buy the Vision Pro, you might have a great spatial experience to take advantage of soon. One of Disney’s Imagineer’s has created the HoloTile, an omnidirectional tile floor that allows multiple users to experience movement in all directions while effectively standing in place. We can’t wait to try this out at EPCOT or one of DisneyWorld’s rides, although it might make for an amazing floor at the local gym as well.

Holograms taking over: Zoom school was definitely a bust, but one University has decided to take it to the next level with Hologram lectures. Loughborough University is using the technology to beam in lecturers from around the world or recreate historical guest speakers. Apparently, students prefer the idea of feeling like they are watching Netflix and learning something rather than sitting through a live lecture.

AI for Healthcare: The FDA has approved the first AI-powered medical device which provides provides quantitative, real-time evaluations skin cancer. The DermaSensor can aid primary care physicians in early identification, especially in areas with limited access to dermatology. One study showed that the device had “a 96% sensitivity in detecting skin cancers.”

Climate Change research is on thin ice: The Russian invasion of Ukraine has hampered a lot of global communication, and one vital piece that is suffering is the climate change research that had taken place in the Arctic. Russia accounts for nearly half of the total territory, and Western scientists had been using Russian field stations to study a range of topics. Unfortunately, because the Russian government funds most of the research studies, Russian scientists are unable to collaborate with their international counterparts. Most scientists are hoping to continue their research or have moved to other locations, such as Alaska or Antartica, but most studies are on hold.

Culture

The Brat Pack is Back: If you are like us and grew up on John Hughes movies, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Brat Pack (Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Jon Cryer, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez and more) are teaming up to create a documentary for Hulu called: Brat: An ‘80s Story. We are hoping that Anthony Michael Hall, Molly Ringwald and James Spader also return to recount their lives in the ‘80s. But if not, we’ll have to settle with Ducky and Blaine.

Footlong Snacks: While half of the US population is apparently on Ozempic and not eating, the other half is eating footlong sandwiches at Subway and requesting footlong snacks, called Sidekicks, as a side. Subway has added a 12-inch chocolate chip cookie, a Cinnabon churro and a soft pretzel from Auntie Anne’s. In their tests, about half the customers added a Sidekick - priced between $2 and $5. Since Subway’s bread isn’t bread due to its sugar content, maybe they should just skip the side, and put the tuna that isn’t tuna right on the cookie.

The Taste of a Snack: Feeling like a snack, but you don’t want the calories? Burt’s Bees has teamed up with Hidden Valley Ranch to make lip balm that tastes like Salad Dressing.

50-foot Shark: We hadn’t heard of the Megalodon (or the pre-historic apex predator giant shark) until Jason Statham decided to do battle with it in The Meg, but scientists have been studying creature for years. While the shark may have roamed the oceans between 2.6M and 23M years ago, paleontologists aren’t sure what the shark actually looked like, and new models suggest that the shark might actually be thinner and more elongated than previously thought. Luckily, we have no plans of encountering the Meg or its modern counterpart, the Great White Shark, as we’ll stick to dry land.

Date Night: Did Walker Hayes’s get you dreaming of going to Applebees? Now you can live out the country song IRL with the Applebees subscription pass. You can pay $200 for 52 date nights (although you are limited to $30 of food and non-alcoholic beverages at each visit). Be careful though, some city locations are exempt.

Private Collection: Next time you visit London, be sure to check out some new private art museums that are owned and operated by the artists themselves. Damien Hirst, for instance, has set up the Newport Street Gallery, where he exhibits his personal collection, including his own works and those of other artists. Similarly, Gilbert & George have their own space where they can showcase their art according to their own vision, and Glenn Brown has plans to convert a historic building in London into a venue for his art. By creating their own museums, the artists have more curatorial control and the opportunity to present their works more extensively than in traditional museums, and the public gets to see a greater range of artwork for free.

Yes, Chef more Films: Ayo Edebiri just won and Emmy and Golden Globe for playing Sydney on The Bear. But if you’d like to read her movie recommendations, check out her reviews here.

No more meetings: If you are sick of endless meetings, and you’ve found that the only way to get out of them is to sabotage them, follow the 1944 CIA Guide to Sabotaging Meetings. We don’t recommend following the guide unless you work for Congress.

Sportsball: We have no idea what was going on in the world of Football this weekend, and even with Taylor Swift on the sidelines, that couldn’t get us to watch the games. However, one of our favorite accounts did document Jason Kelce (Travis Kelce’s football playing brother) celebrating Travis’s first touchdown of the year.

A note about Substack: We are in the process of searching for an alternative host for our newsletter, as you may have heard about the issues at Substack. If not, here are some of the takes, but if you notice a break in our consistency and delivery, it may be due to our provider, and we apologize in advance.

— Lauren Eve Cantor

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