Apple Vision Pro: Second Day

During the previous evening, I drifted into slumber beneath the celestial bodies, while the melodic sounds of crickets harmonized with the distant hum of the antiquated radiator. I recently watched an episode of Justified: City Primeval on the big screen. Despite the consistent temperature of 68 degrees, I still chose to wrap myself in the duvet. For tonight, I am considering the surface of the moon or the edge of a Hawaiian volcano.

Based on extensive analysis, it has been found that the typical American dedicates approximately seven hours per day to screen time. The Center for Disease Control suggests a duration of approximately two hours. Despite the growing emphasis on proper sleep habits and the negative consequences of excessive screen time, it appears that society is rapidly heading in the opposite direction.

When discussing “screen time,” we are primarily referring to devices such as phones, computers, and televisions. For quite some time now, a different paradigm has been on the horizon. The Vision Pro features two screens, one for each eye, boasting a total of 23 million pixels.

These screens are smaller than the other examples, but they are easily visible, much like a high-priced pair of glasses. I have been contemplating this matter extensively during my initial 48 hours with the Vision Pro.

Apple introduced Screen Time as a feature of iOS 12 in 2018. The feature is specifically designed to notify users about their device usage, as well as their children’s usage. It is believed that when confronted with such clear statistics on a weekly basis, individuals will start to reconsider their interactions with the world. Tomorrow marks the highly anticipated release of the Vision Pro by Apple. The device represents a new approach to encourage individuals to reconsider their interactions with the world, albeit in a completely different direction.

Over the past two years, I have made considerable efforts to overcome some of my less desirable habits that developed during the pandemic. Among my most memorable experiences are the occasions when I dozed off while viewing subpar horror films on my iPad. I have made improvements in this area. I am dedicating more time to reading and appreciating moments of silence. However, that changed this week. Upon the arrival of the Vision Pro, everything changed.

There is a certain degree to which a significant portion of this can be attributed to my testing process. In order to properly evaluate a product, it is essential to spend a significant amount of time using it in your everyday life. For the Vision Pro, this entails fully immersing myself in the product and incorporating it into my daily life. I utilize it for work calls, as well as for sending emails and Slack messages. I am currently enjoying music through the audio pods and, as previously stated, using them to watch my favorite shows.

My morning meditation practice now involves using a headset. It is ironic how technology is being utilized to address the issues it initially caused in our lives.

Although I am obligated to extensively utilize the Vision Pro in my job, I anticipate that my experience will likely align with that of other users. To fully maximize the value of the $3,500 device, it is advisable to utilize it to its fullest extent.

In the previous entry of this journal, I advised users to approach the realm of Vision Pro with caution. I deeply regret not following my own guidance. After the initial 24 hours, I began to experience intense nausea. It is important to note that individual outcomes may differ. I often experience motion sickness when traveling by car or boat. The patch visible behind my right ear in certain Vision Pro photos is intended for the former purpose. (It may be a placebo effect, but sometimes self-deception can be beneficial.)

VR sickness and car sickness share similar mechanisms. These symptoms arise due to a discrepancy in the perception of your eyes and inner ear. Your brain is receiving conflicting signals that it struggles to reconcile.

This phenomenon touches upon a fundamental aspect of mixed reality. There exists a disparity between the visual perception and physical sensations in the realm of passthrough augmented reality. The passthrough feature of the Vision Pro is exceptional and surpasses any other consumer device I have encountered. The cameras efficiently capture your surroundings and transmit the visual information to your eyes with minimal delay. The technology enables the headset to superimpose computer graphics onto the real world, which Apple refers to as “spatial computing.”

This touches upon a significant aspect of this courageous new era. Extended reality is not equivalent to actual reality. This is a representation of the world as seen through a computer screen. Now, we delve into an existential argument quite swiftly.

I recently remembered a statement a Samsung executive made in response to claims that the company was altering moon images on its high-end smartphones. The executive claimed that there is no such thing as an authentic photograph. Once sensors are able to capture visual data, it is merely reproduced without any inherent meaning. There is no tangible representation. Is a photograph truly authentic if it has been enhanced using AI to improve the zoom, autofocus, and overall scene? Merely claiming ownership of a picture may not suffice to define its authenticity. Or is it solely filters? There is no concrete representation, period.

Apologies, but I would require a higher level of mental clarity to engage in that particular discussion. Currently, the Vision Pro is causing me to contemplate my level of comfort with a future where most of our “screen time” is spent wearing them on our faces. The impact of this phenomenon is undoubtedly fascinating, suggesting numerous innovative possibilities in the coming years (it is highly likely that we will observe several of these in the initial 600 applications).

Perhaps preparing for the future involves embracing cutting-edge technologies while also recognizing the importance of staying grounded. The battery pack with a duration of 2.5 hours may have some advantages.