Monday, July 1, 2024

Trying out the Apple Vision Pro; Thoughts about the future of tech

Today, I had an exciting experience at the Apple Store in Orchard, where I got to try out the newly released Apple Vision Pro headset. Upon arrival, I had to make a booking and return after about three hours. When my turn finally came, an attendant assisted me with wearing the Vision Pro.

After the initial setup, the first thing I did was open the photo album which appeared before me on a window floating in my environment. The headset allowed me to scroll through photos by simply touching my thumb and index finger together and sliding my wrist and then releasing my fingers. To expand a photo, I looked at a particular area and performed the same finger gesture. Closing the app was just as easy with a look and touch of my fingers.

Next, I experienced a cinema-like setting. The periphery of my view darkened, simulating a real cinema environment while I watched a short clip from a Mario movie. It felt immersive, but I suggested adding virtual cinema chairs and possibly other interior decor. Having real humans, whether strangers or friends will enhance the experience further.

Following this, I explored a 360-degree environment featuring various global locations. One impressive app showcased a mixed reality dinosaur that seemed to emerge from the screen. Another section offered 180-degree movies set in diverse environments.

Overall, the headset was quite immersive, despite feeling a bit heavy. For improvement, I suggested adding more social interactive features, such as the ability to watch movies or play games with friends or strangers. The Vision Pro could also be used for virtual conferencing, allowing for mixed reality interactions with digital avatars or real people.

In terms of gestures, I recommended making them more intuitive. For example, expanding windows could be done with two hands moving apart with outstretched palms.

The virtual keyboard proved challenging to type on accurately, so integrating it with a physical keyboard might help. As technology advances, I expect improvements in battery life, processing power, and visual quality.

Overall, the Vision Pro is an impressive start with limitless potential for future enhancements.

My fascination with virtual reality began with discovering VRChat on Steam. Before VRChat, I came across IMVU, a virtual world platform that piqued my interest in digital social interactions. Initially, I saw IMVU as a way to make new friends and connect with people globally, which sparked my curiosity about the broader concept of the Metaverse.

The idea of the Metaverse captivated me because it offers a unique opportunity to interact with real people in a virtual setting. In these environments, users can communicate and interact with real humans in a virtual social world, such as playing chess or golf, and exchange contacts and social media handles after that, potentially forming real-life friendships. I have made some online friends from other countries whom I otherwise would not have gotten to know. 

Although I haven't used a VR headset to play VRChat, I did get a taste of virtual reality at a VR gaming shop previously. There, I played simple games with some friends, and while the VR visuals weren't exceptional, the experience was still enjoyable. 

My journey into virtual reality has been driven by a desire to connect with others in innovative ways. The Metaverse's potential for social interaction and immersive experiences continues to interest me, and I look forward to seeing how this technology evolves.

I foresee a world where virtual reality headsets become a common tool for people to meet and interact with others globally. As this technology becomes more widespread and advanced, the necessity for physical meetups will diminish.

However, this shift brings potential risks, such as increased surveillance by those in power. The ability to spy on individuals within virtual spaces could become a significant concern.

Despite these risks, the Metaverse will likely thrive alongside our real world. People will use it for various purposes, including social interaction, work, gaming, and shopping. This virtual realm will offer new and exciting ways to connect, collaborate, and experience life, transforming how we engage with each other and the world around us.

I'm curious about how virtual reality technology will intersect with the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence. In the near future, we might see AI-controlled avatars capable of lifelike human behavior. Initially, these advancements will likely be deployed within the Metaverse, where they can interact seamlessly with users.

As robotic technology progresses, these AI-controlled avatars may eventually transition into the real world. 

The evolving technologies of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and the Metaverse raise intriguing legal questions. From data privacy to AI-controlled avatars and virtual transactions, the intersection of law with these advancements will require careful consideration to ensure ethical and effective regulation in both virtual and physical realms.

No comments:

Search This Blog