SAN FRANCISCO: US Apple stores on Friday will start selling the Vision Pro, the tech giant’s $3,499 headset and its first major release since the Apple Watch nine years ago.
Vision Pro’s release by the world’s most iconic device maker is a major milestone for the lovers of virtual or augmented reality, who see the technology as the next chapter in online life after the smartphone.
But with a high sticker price, and the middling success of similar and cheaper releases from Facebook owner Meta, early reviews are unconvincing that the Vision Pro will be a game-changer, at least initially.
The Vision Pro is an “astonishing” product, wrote The Verge, but “also represents a series of really big trade-offs” that are “impossible to ignore.”
It is “an impressive product, one that has been many years and billions of dollars in the making” but “even after trying it, I still have no idea whom or what this thing is supposed to be for,” wrote The New York Times.
Critics acknowledge a definite “wow” factor, noting its state-of-the-art image and the joy of opening and closing apps floating in space with your eyes and fingers.
However, the headset is heavy, messes up the user’s hair and requires a clunky battery pack, they add.
In a big promotional push, Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing the Vision Pro.
He drew criticism at a conference in June when he revealed the device without ever trying it on.
Apple refers to the Vision Pro as its first foray into “spatial computing,” refusing the term virtual reality, which is typically associated with tech geeks and gamers.
In ads, in addition to streaming movies, users are shown wearing the Vision Pro to work or chat with friends or toggle through apps.
Apple says there are 600 specifically designed apps and games available for the Vision Pro alongside one million compatible apps.
“These incredible apps will change how we experience entertainment, music, and games,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of worldwide developer relations.
Disney has partnered with Apple and will provide 150 3D movies at launch, the companies said.
Netflix, Spotify and Google for now have declined to modify their apps specifically for the headset.
The Vision Pro can be tested out by appointment in US Apple stores. That is because the device requires finely-tuned adjustments and some training as “most consumers don’t have experience with gesture controls,” Forrester Research wrote in a note.
According to analysts from Wedbush Securities, pre-orders have been strong and Apple should expect to sell about 600,000 units this year.
“For Apple the ultimate goal in our opinion is that Vision Pro will work alongside the iPhone and other Apple devices over the coming years,” said Dan Ives of Wedbush.
US Apple fans get hands on $3,500 Vision Pro
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US Apple fans get hands on $3,500 Vision Pro
- Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair wearing the Vision Pro
World’s tallest and smallest dogs meet up for a playdate
- Reginald, a 7-year-old Great Dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records
A playdate between the world’s tallest and smallest living dogs went the way of most dog park encounters despite the 3-foot (0.91-meter) height difference — lots of tail wagging, sniffing and scampering.
Reginald, a 7-year-old Great Dane from Idaho, and Pearl, a chihuahua from Florida, are both certified winners in their respective height titles by Guinness World Records. The fact that Reginald is the size of a small horse and Pearl is as small as an apple didn’t stop them from getting along famously.
Pearl, a 4-year-old who stands at 3.59 inches (9.14 centimeters), comes from a long line of short dogs. Her aunt Millie, a previous record-holder in the same category, until she died in 2020, also was under 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) tall.
Both Millie and Pearl weighed 1 ounce (28.35 grams) at birth.
“I was not expecting to once again have the record,” said Vanesa Semler of Orlando, Florida, owner of both tiny dogs. “That would be like unbelievable.”
Guinness arranged the two-day meet up between Pearl and Reginald — who also goes by Reggie and measures in at a whopping 3-foot-3 (1 meter) — last month at his home in Idaho Falls.
Even though Pearl loves dogs, even big dogs, Semler said she was anxious because of Reginald’s size.
“For me, (it) was a huge, pleasant surprise from day one because Reggie is like Pearl, in bigger size,” she said. “He is so gentle, so friendly.”
Reggie, for his part, might have been more interested in the Guinness film crew that accompanied Pearl than the tiny dog herself.
“I would say he likes people a little bit more than he likes other dogs,” said Sam Johnson Reiss, his owner.
Pearl’s tiny size was also strange for the big boy.
“He was like very cautious, like a little anxious,” Reiss said. “He was very careful, like he didn’t step on her or anything or anything crazy. He was just very aware that she was there.”
Reggie’s super size was evident early on, especially on a dog park visit when he towered over other Great Danes despite being only 9 months old.
“They would be shorter than him, and they were like full-grown,” Reiss said.
There might have been a little jealousy shown over toys and beds, but Reggie and Pearl found common ground during their two days roaming the Idaho farm together.
“I think she found a good friend,” Semler said.
Semler said Pearl is her prima donna, with the chihuahua even picking out the clothes she wants to wear every day by placing her paw on the outfits laid out before her. That comes in handy when news crews are lining up for interviews.
“For us, she was always our diva,” Semler said. “Now she’s a diva for everyone.”
Pearl doesn’t have the top diva title quite yet, with Reiss saying Reggie — who has a new Instagram account — has his own diva moments.
“He’s pretty high maintenance,” Reiss said. “Reggie’s just cheeky, like he’s kind of mischievous and silly and definitely tells you when he wants something.”
Never argue: 115-year-old British woman, now the world’s oldest, gives her recipe to long life
- “Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like,” she said from her nursing home in Surrey
- She was born on Aug. 21, 1909, in the village of Shipton Bellinger in the south of England
LONDON: For Ethel Caterham, the trick to a long life — and in her case, it really has been — is not to argue.
Caterham, who is 115, became the world’s oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group, after Sister Inah Canabarro , a Brazilian nun and teacher, died on Wednesday at the tender age of 116.
“Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like,” she said from her nursing home in Surrey, southwest of London, on the secret to her longevity.
She was born on Aug. 21, 1909, in the village of Shipton Bellinger in the south of England, five years before the outbreak of World War I. She was the second youngest of eight siblings.
Travel has been in her blood, it’s clear. In 1927, at the age of 18, Caterham embarked on a journey to India, working as a nanny for a British family, where she stayed for three years before returning to England, according to the GRG.
She met her husband Norman, who was a major in the British army, at a dinner party in 1931, and they were stationed in Hong Kong and Gibraltar, the GRG said. They had two daughters whom they raised in the UK Norman died in 1976.
Hallmark Lakeview Luxury Care Home in Camberley, where Caterham is a resident, posted pictures of her cutting a cake and wearing a “115” tiara in a Facebook post on Thursday.
“Huge congratulations to Lakeview resident, Ethel on becoming the oldest person in the world! What an incredible milestone and a true testament to a life well-lived,” it said in an accompanying statement. “Your strength, spirit, and wisdom are an inspiration to us all. Here’s to celebrating your remarkable journey!”
The title of the oldest person ever is held by French woman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years 164 days, according to Guinness World Records.
Climate change takes spice from Indonesia clove farms
- Colonial powers once sought to wipe out cloves grown by locals on the eastern Indonesian island of Ternate to safeguard their monopoly over the prized crop
TERNATE: Colonial powers once sought to wipe out cloves grown by locals on the eastern Indonesian island of Ternate to safeguard their monopoly over the prized crop. Today farmers say the gravest threat to their plants is climate change.
“Today... rainfall is high. It’s okay for planting, but it’s uncertain for harvesting. It’s often unpredictable,” farmer Jauhar Mahmud, 61, told AFP.
Nestled on the fertile foothills of Indonesia’s Mount Gamalama volcano, Jauhar proudly shows off his favorite clove tree, which once reliably delivered profitable produce.
The fragrant flower buds that form the spice can only deliver their prized smell and taste in specific temperature and humidity ranges.
In a good season, the best of Jauhar’s 150 towering trunks can spurt 30 kilogrammes of the aromatic spice used for medicine, perfumes, cigarettes and food flavourings.
But bad weather is becoming more frequent, causing uncertainty that makes prices fluctuate from $5.30 to $7.40 per kilogramme and life increasingly tough for farmers.
Food and Agriculture Organization data from the past two decades shows Indonesia’s clove yields vary significantly, more than rival producers. The yield in 2023, the last year data is available, was almost a quarter lower than a 2010 peak.
“We’re actually losing money. Cloves do not bear fruit every year. They depend on the season,” said Jauhar, who represents 36 clove farmers on the island.
Many are taking on other jobs as yields that typically arrive in August and September dwindle.
Jauhar sells spice-infused drinks and bamboo on the side to make ends meet, and some are considering abandoning the crop altogether.
“Farmers are now reluctant to harvest because of the high cost and minimal return,” he said.
Indonesia accounts for more than two-thirds of global clove production, according to the FAO, though the majority is consumed domestically.
Since 2020, it has fallen behind Madagascar as the world’s top exporter of the spice, World Bank trade data shows.
Centuries ago, Ternate’s farmers defied colonial orders to eradicate their clove production by planting out of sight of the Dutch.
The island’s then-favorable climate kept the crop alive.
Clove trees can take more than a decade to mature, and flowers can only be harvested in a small window that depends heavily on weather conditions.
But climate change caused mainly by burning fossil fuels like coal has changed global weather patterns.
Ternate is drier overall, but when rain does come, it is often in intense, damaging bursts.
That is consistent with broader trends linked to climate change. A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, and rain can fall erratically and in large amounts when it comes.
Farmers like Lakina, who owns 10 clove trees, say the crop no longer offers the same returns.
“In the past, I could get five to six sacks in one harvest,” said the 52-year-old. Now she fills two to three sacks, she said.
The changing weather affects other aspects of the trade.
Imba, a 62-year-old clove farmer with 70 trees, says it used to take three-and-a-half days to dry the cloves, but “because of the rain” it now takes at least five days.
Scientific research bears out the farmers’ observations.
In 2023, researchers at Indonesia’s University of Pattimura found clove yields were falling on Haruku island south of Ternate.
They said rainfall increased 15 percent in recent decades, along with extreme weather events that harm crops.
It has left clove farmers struggling.
“Communities living in coastal areas and small islands are especially vulnerable,” said Arie Rompas, Greenpeace’s forest campaign team leader.
“The productivity of their precious clove and nutmeg trees is dropping, and they are facing post-harvest problems with increased heat and humidity.”
At a spice sorting shop, the pungent warm smell of clove fills the air as workers scoop a pile into bags for weighing.
The men send them off to a warehouse where a mechanical sorting tray shakes the cloves, removing dirt and unwanted foliage before export to China.
For these clove sellers, climate change means lower quality and falling prices.
“If it’s too hot, the crop is no good. Too much rain, no crop. This year there was too much rain,” said supplier Rumen The.
He says prices almost halved from the start of last year from 150,000 rupiah per kilogramme to 80,000 in the harvest season, but were back up to 115,000 today as supply dwindled.
Production “is probably 30 to 40 percent” down on recent years, he added.
Jauhur urges rich spice-importing countries “to think about global climate issues” that threaten its future.
Despite the challenges, he says there are powerful “historical and emotional reasons” to continue farming.
“Our parents maintained cloves in clove’s oldest region in the world,” he said.
“They planted... to bring pride to future generations.”
From the longest conclave to anti-popes: 10 fun facts about the secret voting to elect a pope
- The periodic voting to elect a new pope has been going on for centuries and created a whole genre of historical trivia
- The last time a pope was elected who was not a cardinal was Urban VI in 1378
VATICAN CITY: “Conclave,” the movie, may have introduced movie-goers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the periodic voting to elect a new pope has been going on for centuries and created a whole genre of historical trivia.
Here are some fun facts about conclaves past, derived from historical studies including Miles Pattenden’s “Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 1450–1700” and interviews with experts including Elena Cangiano, an archaeologist at Viterbo’s Palazzo dei Papi (Palace of the Popes).
The longest conclave in history
In the 13th century, it took almost three years – 1,006 days to be exact – to choose Pope Clement IV’s successor, making it the longest conclave in the Catholic Church’s history. It’s also where the term conclave comes from – “under lock and key,” because the cardinals who were meeting in Viterbo, north of Rome, took so long the town’s frustrated citizens locked them in the room.
The secret vote that elected Pope Gregory X lasted from November 1268 to September 1271. It was the first example of a papal election by “compromise,” after a long struggle between supporters of two main geopolitical medieval factions – those faithful to the papacy and those supporting the Holy Roman Empire.
‘One meal a day’ rule
Gregory X was elected only after Viterbo residents tore the roof off the building where the prelates were staying and restricted their meals to bread and water to pressure them to come to a conclusion. Hoping to avoid a repeat, Gregory X decreed in 1274 that cardinals would only get “one meal a day” if the conclave stretched beyond three days, and only “bread, water and wine” if it went beyond eight. That restriction has been dropped.
The shortest conclave ever
Before 1274, there were times when a pope was elected the same day as the death of his predecessor. After that, however, the church decided to wait at least 10 days before the first vote. Later that was extended to 15 days to give all cardinals time to get to Rome. The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni. In more recent times, Pope Francis was elected in 2013 on the fifth ballot, Benedict XVI won in 2005 on the fourth and Pope Pius XII won on the third in 1939.
The first conclave in the Sistine Chapel
The first conclave held under Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel was in 1492. Since 1878, the world-renowned chapel has become the venue of all conclaves. “Everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged,” St. John Paul II wrote in his 1996 document regulating the conclave, “Universi Dominici Gregis.” The cardinals sleep a short distance away in the nearby Domus Santa Marta hotel or a nearby residence.
The alternative locations
Most conclaves were held in Rome, with some taking place outside the Vatican walls. Four were held in the Pauline Chapel of the papal residence at the Quirinale Palace, while some 30 others were held in St. John Lateran Basilica, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva or other places in Rome. On 15 occasions they took place outside Rome and the Vatican altogether, including in Viterbo, Perugia, Arezzo and Venice in Italy, and Konstanz, Germany and Lyon, France.
The alternative popes, or anti-popes
Between 1378-1417, referred by historians to as the Western Schism, there were rival claimants to the title of pope. The schism produced multiple papal contenders, the so-called anti-popes, splitting the Catholic Church for nearly 40 years. The most prominent anti-popes during the Western Schism were Clement VII, Benedict XIII, Alexander V, and John XXIII. The schism was ultimately resolved by the Council of Constance in 1417, which led to the election of Martin V, a universally accepted pontiff.
A challenge to personal hygiene
The cloistered nature of the conclave posed another challenge for cardinals: staying healthy. Before the Domus Santa Marta guest-house was built in 1996, cardinal electors slept on cots in rooms connected to the Sistine Chapel. Conclaves in the 16th and 17th centuries were described as “disgusting” and “badly smelling,” with concern about disease outbreaks, particularly in summer, according to historian Miles Pattenden. “The cardinals simply had to have a more regular and comfortable way of living because they were old men, many of them with quite advanced disease,” Pattenden wrote. The enclosed space and lack of ventilation further aggravated these issues. Some of the electors left the conclave sick, often seriously.
Vow of secrecy
Initially, papal elections weren’t as secretive but concerns about political interference soared during the longest conclave in Viterbo. Gregory X decreed that cardinal electors should be locked in seclusion, “cum clave” (with a key), until a new pope was chosen. The purpose was to create a totally secluded environment where the cardinals could focus on their task, guided by God’s will, without any political interference or distractions. Over the centuries, various popes have modified and reinforced the rules surrounding the conclave, emphasizing the importance of secrecy.
Youngest pope, oldest pope
Pope John XII was just 18 when he was elected in 955. The oldest popes were Pope Celestine III (elected in 1191) and Celestine V (elected in 1294) who were both nearly 85. Benedict XVI was 78 when he was elected in 2005.
A non-cardinal pope and non-Italian pope
There is no requirement that a pope be a cardinal, but that has been the case for centuries. The last time a pope was elected who wasn’t a cardinal was Urban VI in 1378. He was a monk and archbishop of Bari. While the Italians have had a stranglehold on the papacy over centuries, there have been many exceptions aside from John Paul II (Polish in 1978) and Benedict XVI (German in 2005) and Francis (Argentine in 2013). Alexander VI, elected in 1492, was Spanish; Gregory III, elected in 731, was Syrian; Adrian VI, elected in 1522, was from the Netherlands.
Cha-ching! Millions of dimes spill onto Texas highway after truck rolls
- Tractor-trailer involved in the accident was loaded with 8 million ten-cent coins
ALVORD, Texas: Talk about some serious coin.
Millions of coins spilled onto a Texas highway this week after a tractor-trailer hauling $800,000 in dimes rolled over in an accident, authorities said.
The spillage led to the closure of a portion of the southbound lanes of US 287 in Alvord for about half a day as workers got on their hands and knees to pick up the coins in addition to using brooms and shovels and large industrial vacuums.
The tractor-trailer rolled onto its side at about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday after veering off the road and overcorrecting, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The highway reopened at about 7 p.m. that day, DPS said.
The driver and a passenger were transported to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, DPS said.
Alvord is located about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Dallas.
The tractor-trailer appears to be part of the fleet of trucks operated by Western Distributing Transportation Corporation, which has a division that moves cargo for the government in armored vehicles with armed personnel. A person answering the phone at the company Thursday said they had no comment.
The US Mint says on its website that it’s the nation’s sole manufacturer of legal tender coins. A message left with the agency on Thursday was not immediately returned.
