Technology — Apple jumps into VR

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View Online Technology Technology The Big Story  Apple unveils VR headset in first major product launch in years Apple unveiled its virtual reality headset, Vision Pro, during its Worldwide Developers Conference in California, representing a long-expected foray into VR. © AP Photo/Jeff Chiu Apple CEO Tim Cook called the headset a "new kind of computer" that augments reality by "seamlessly blending" the real world and the digital.    "It's the first Apple product you look through and not at. Vision Pro feels familiar, yet it's entirely new," he said.    The product is controlled by the user's eyes, hands and voice, Cook said.    Vision Pro comes at a hefty price tag: The headset will start at $3,499 and be available for purchase in early 2024.   Apple's most direct competitor for Vision Pro appears to be Facebook parent Meta and its Quest headsets.   Meta has put a greater focus on VR and the so-called metaverse since October 2021, though has encountered a number of hurdles.   Last week, Meta announced its latest headset model, Quest 3, will be released later this year.   Read the full report at TheHill.com.  Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Rebecca Klar and Ines Kagubare — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Spotify lays off 200 people from podcasting team The music and podcast-streaming service Spotify announced Monday it is laying off 200 people as it makes changes to its podcasting division. “We are expanding our partnership efforts with leading podcasters from across the globe with a tailored approach optimized for each show and creator. This fundamental pivot from a more uniform proposition will allow us to support the creator community better. However, doing so requires …  Full Story Torres to introduce bill requiring disclosure of AI content Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) is planning to introduce a bill this coming week that would require any content produced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) to include a disclaimer noting the content's source.  The bill, entitled the "AI Disclosure Act of 2023," would require any output from AI to include the sentence "Disclaimer: this output has been generated by artificial intelligence." The legislation would task …  Full Story Military, tech experts raise concerns about AI weaponization: 'We have to be very concerned' (NewsNation) – The speed at which artificial intelligence (AI) is developing and its vast array of capabilities have legislators wondering how much the advanced tech is capable of doing. "It really takes me back to the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and nuclear physics. We knew right away nuclear physics could build energy,” said Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who serves on the Homeland Security Committee. "But we also knew it could …  Full Story Instagram reinstates Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s account  Instagram reinstated the personal account of anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who declared his bid to run in the 2024 Democratic primary earlier this year. Kennedy’s personal account was permanently removed from Instagram in 2021 after he repeatedly posted misinformation about COVID-19 on the social media platform. The company said in a statement at the time that it removed the account for sharing “debunked …  Full Story The Refresh  News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Outlook outage impacts thousands  Thousands of users of Microsoft Outlook reported issues with the email platform on Monday, Nexstar's KOIN reported. Twitter's ad sales down  Twitter's U.S. advertising revenue is down as the company continues to face struggles under owner Elon Musk, The New York Times reported.  On Our Radar  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property will hold a hearing about artificial intelligence and intellectual property on Wednesday at 3 p.m.  In Other News  Branch out with other reads on The Hill: OpenAI boss 'heartened' by talks with world leaders over will to contain AI risks TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Monday he was encouraged by a desire shown by world leaders to contain any risks posed by the artificial intelligence technology his company and others are developing. Altman visited Tel Aviv, a tech powerhouse, as part of a world tour that has so … Full Story Twitter executive responsible for content safety resigns after Elon Musk criticism SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A top Twitter executive responsible for safety and content moderation has left the company, her departure coming soon after owner Elon Musk publicly complained about the platform's handling of posts about transgender topics. The departure pointed to a fresh wave of turmoil among … Full Story What Others are Reading  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Milley says canceling drag show on military base was 'absolute right thing to do' Gen. Mark Milley, the nation’s highest ranking military officer, defended the Pentagon’s decision to cancel a drag show on a U.S. Air Force … Read more DeSantis hits Trump for not firing Fauci Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) presidential campaign is criticizing former President Trump for not firing Anthony Fauci during the coronavirus … Read more What Others are Reading  Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: AI regulation is not a silver bullet   You're all caught up. See you tomorrow!  Check out The Hill's Technology page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

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