Is the Apple Vision Pro Going to Catch On?

It’s been just over a month since Apple’s Vision Pro went on sale, and the market wants to know:

Is this the future? Or is it a repeat of Google Glass’ disastrous performance ten years ago?

The tech world is moving at lightning speed, and in the midst of generative AI and an onshore semiconductor boom, Apple tossed in its own name as a major player in the revolution with its launch of an immersive augmented reality (AR) headset – the company’s first truly new product line since Airpods, nearly ten years ago. 

AR, as opposed to VR (virtual reality), is a technology that allows people to interact with the real world, albeit in an enhanced way. The idea is to see the temperature when you look outside, to see a little “connect” button hovering over Bluetooth-enabled devices in your home, or to play games like Pokémon Go, where characters are tied to real-world locations. Apple’s newest product allows the user to wear a two-pound set of goggles with an external battery pack, featuring state-of-the-art hand and eye-sensing technology that uses “pass-through screens” to show the user video what is right in front of them while allowing them to pull up windows, apps, and documents as well. “I think it’s something that doesn’t isolate people,” Tim Cook, CEO of Apple says. “We can use it to enhance our discussion, not substitute it for human connection, which I’ve always deeply worried about in some other technologies.”

To some, it seems as though he “doth protest too much,” as many reviewers report that the awe-inspiring technology is, in fact, deeply isolating.

“Using the Vision Pro is such a lonely experience,” Nilay Patel, editor and chief of The Verge, reports in an in-depth review of the device. “You’re in there, having experiences all by yourself that no one else can take part in.”

It’s an odd situation, for a CEO deeply worried about the isolating effects of technology, to release an immersive headset that crowds out the real world, giving you an inner solipsist reality instead. But this is just the beginning of seeming contradictions brought about by the Apple Vision Pro…

Boeing is still under scrutiny and now facing a criminal inquiry after an Alaska Airlines flight experienced a door blowing off, terrifying passengers in January of this year. As more eyes settle on the aerospace giant, their manufacturing has been ruled as unsafe in many ways by the Federal Aviation Administration. One practice in particular has received criticism, called “traveled work,” where manufacturing is done out of order, often leading to opportunities for failure and overlooking known flaws…

The Dow Jones Industrial Average has been trending downward this week, though the gains in the S&P 500 and Nasdaq seem somewhat more durable. Some experts warn of the possibility of a market top after Nvidia’s incredible gains fell into a sharp slide this past week, losing 10% of its value in just a single day. 5-year T-Bills are still giving yields above 4%. However, yields have been slipping since the last week of February…

Top intelligence senators push a bill that would force ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, to either divest its ownership or be banned in the U.S. The social media app, which has been labeled a “powerful propaganda tool” and a “national security issue” because it gives the Chinese Communist Party tremendous cultural influence in America, is facing a strongly bipartisan effort to eliminate it. The bill is set to be voted on this week, and President Biden says he will sign the bill if it passes. For his part, Donald Trump is against a TikTok ban, saying that losing TikTok will only increase the power of Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram), which he calls the “enemy of the people…

Your weekly chance to test your Bible knowledge! The answer to today’s question may surprise you:

Q: What are the seven churches in Asia that receive a short letter in the Book of Revelation? Can you name them all?

Answer at the bottom

TIPS & TRICKS

The Science of Prayer and Meditation

“Mindfulness” has been a big buzzword in the business world over the last few years, a catchall term that includes things like reading for pleasure, attentive interpersonal behaviors, mental health, and, notably, meditation. It’s not just a fad, however; research suggests that investing in mindfulness can quickly improve performance across an organization, and some of the world’s most recognizable high performers practice some form of mindfulness. As a Christian leader, you ought to do so as well – especially prayer and meditation.

“Meditation” is a word that some Christians are uncomfortable with, but it shouldn’t be. The Lord tells Joshua to meditate on the Book of the Law. We see Isaac heading out to the field to meditate in Genesis 24. Psalms tells us that the man who meditates on God’s law is blessed.

Actually, Psalms talks about meditation quite a bit.

The point is, though we often think about meditation as solely in the purview of Buddhist monks on top of a mountain somewhere in Nepal, meditation comes in many forms and is, in fact, a deeply Christian practice, whether it be the more formalized monastic practice of Lectio Divina or simply quieting one’s heart, focusing on scripture, or listening for God in prayer. Meditation is about cutting out the distractions and busyness of life, slowing down, and being fully present in the moment, usually in silence or at least in quiet.

What is interesting is that this practice, though primarily a spiritual activity, also has measurable, real-world effects. And if you want to be healthy, productive, and creative, you shouldn’t skip out on your morning prayers and meditation. You just don’t perform well in your business when you’re stressed out, scattered, or unsettled. Thankfully, there are tried and true ways to regulate yourself so you can consistently walk into the office ready to do your best…

• Americans are increasingly using their 401(k)s as emergency cash.

• Elon Musk set to release a SmartTV app to rival YouTube TV.

• National Review’s Andrew T. Walker describes the media’s “religion problem.”

• The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that it was fining evangelical college Liberty University $14 million for failure to report campus crime and for its treatment of sexual assault victims.

• CNN reports that more Americans than ever do not believe in God or a higher power, but many are still reluctant to call themselves atheists.