It was a big week for Apple with its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) starting on 5 June. There’s more on that below, and a look at the other key highlights from the world of science and technology this week.
Earlier this week, Apple acquired Mira, a Los Angeles-based startup that works in AR. Mira makes headsets for other companies and the US military, a report in The Verge said. Apart from the startup’s military contracts, it also makes headsets for Nintendo World which uses its headsets for the Mario Kart ride at its theme parks in Japan and LA’s Universal Studios, The Verge report said, adding: “Mira’s headset displays virtual characters and items from the game to augment the ride as you progress through it.”
Apple launched a new 15-inch Macbook Air which is supercharged by the M2 chip and promises up to 18 hours of battery life. According to Apple, this is made with a durable 100% recycled aluminium enclosure and has a fanless design to help people focus during work. The new Macbook Air was one of the biggest announcements at the WWDC, but the biggest of them all was the unveiling of its mixed reality headset Vision Pro. Apple is calling the Vision Pro a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world, while allowing users to stay present and connected to others. According to the company, the headset introduces a fully three-dimensional user interface controlled by the most natural and intuitive inputs possible. You can read more about this much anticipated headset here.
If there’s one thing we all dread on Twitter, it’s putting out a wrong or incorrect tweet. There are no options to edit a tweet. But that’s not a problem for subscribers of Twitter Blue, Twitter’s premium service. The official Twitter Blue handle tweeted on 7 June that: “Blue subscribers now have up to 1 hour to edit their Tweets.” Twitter was the first among the many big social media platforms to start charging a monthly subscription for a verified account. The company rolled out the Twitter Blue subscription service early this year at a monthly fee of ₹650 on the web and ₹900 on mobile devices to maintain their verification status, a report in the Press Trust of India (PTI) said.
Blue subscribers now have up to 1 hour to edit their Tweets.
— Twitter Blue (@TwitterBlue) June 7, 2023
Mark Zuckerberg-led company Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has started its verified service in India at a monthly subscription price of ₹699 for mobile apps, the company said on on 7 June. According to a PTI report, Meta is planning to roll out verified service on the web in the coming months at a subscription price of ₹599 per month. "Meta Verified is available for direct purchase on Instagram or Facebook in India starting today. People can purchase a monthly subscription for ₹699 on iOS and Android. In the coming months, we'll also introduce a web purchase option for ₹599 a month," the company said in a statement.
(With inputs from wire agencies)
