🍎 What buying Apple Vision Pro is like, 🎮 New PS5 games 💃 Taylor Swift silenced on TikTok
10 tech stories that matter in the quickest format possible
Hello, from an Apple Vision Pro while 35,000ft in the air,
Ok, I finally got to try the newly launched Apple Vision Pro and I’m now embarking on being the first (or one of the first) people to try the spatial computing headset on a flight while blogging about it. I haven’t seen anyone test and report on this yet, so anything can happen on its maiden voyage. The Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh… Matt Swider, right?! Just kidding!
I booked a short international trip from NYC to Montreal, something I teased on my new SiriusXM radio segment on Shade 45 this week. By the way, thank you for all of your support and call-ins during the Q&A block. “Tech Tips w/ Matt Swider from The Shortcut” will a be a regular thing on this SiriusXM channel thanks to you.
Programming Note
I’ll be a guest on Rich DeMuro’s radio show today (Saturday) at 3pm ET / 12pm PT to talk about my experience with Apple Vision Pro in-flight. I’ll have answers.
For now, I’m the one who has questions…
How does the Apple Vision Pro perform in its in-flight mode?
Is a headset with a personalized screen a game changer for airplane travel?
Am I going to feel less anxious being 35,000ft in the air watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV+? Will the hours feel like nothing?
What kind of Apple Vision Pro travel accessories are worth purchasing?
Let’s try it out together.
Launch day tech haul
🥽 Apple Vision Pro headset
🔋 mophie powerstation pro to keep it charged
🔌 mophie speedport 67 GaN wall charger for longer sessions
➰ Belt clip
1. 🍎🥽 What buying the Apple Vision Pro is like on launch day
There was an equal amount of excitement and curiosity in the air at the Apple Store 5th Ave location in NYC. “What kinds of changes will spatial computing bring?” Everyone in line had their own answers and their imaginations ran wild.
Apple CEO Tim Cook was there to meet the first buyers in the US (the first three waited in line for 13 hours starting at 7pm the night before, they told me when I stopped to interview them at 10pm) and he spent time answering their questions in person and even opened the front doors at 8am ET (a man of many hats/headsets).
“With Apple Vision Pro you can take your monitors on the go.” -Tim Cook
I got a chance to chat with Mr. Cook about the Apple Vision Pro as a productivity tool. I told him how I have six-monitor Mac Pro setup (I’m anti-tabs clutter) and how I can’t wait to test out the Vision Pro’s multi-window interface. He asked me: Do you have to be at home to use those six monitors? I said, “Yes” (I wish I could travel with them). He said, “With Apple Vision Pro you can take your monitors on the go.”
I’m testing that out right now, Tim.
Apple Vision Pro travel accessories you need
I did an accessories unboxing while wearing the Apple Vision Pro (video coming soon) and it was recorded in Spatial Video. When I was checking out at the Apple Store, I realized I would need to protect my investment and stay charged on my trip.
I bought a mophie 20,000mAh powerstation pro battery at the 5th Ave store along with a speedport GaN 67 charger (for the seatback outlet). I did run down the Apple Vision Pro battery on my flight, so having a large external battery kept me charged for the entire duration. It’s a must-have for travel. And while the Apple Vision Pro comes with a 30W charger in the box, I prefer to use a single more powerful charger for my iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad Pro 11 and MacBook Pro. It’s wise to consolidate.
The Apple Vision Pro Travel Case was also clutch with padding around key elements, like the delicate lenses. Its outer strap conveniently fits around a luggage handle. I met another Apple Vision Pro launch day buyer (hi, new The Shortcut subscriber Chris!) in the Delta lounge and he started a convo with me: “I regret not purchasing the case!” I would have regretted it too!
FaceTiming with my digital ‘Persona’
I called my parents from the airport lounge. “There’s something different about you!” they said. Indeed. They were talking to me, but looking at my Apple Vision Pro Persona. This is what I looked like to them (they sent me a screenshot). I popped in my AirPods to hear them better, as the lounge was quite noisy. My AirPods Pro USB-C paired seamlessly with the new headset, despite it being the first pairing. No fuss.
I envision this being a great in-between for life’s current meeting options: off-camera where it feels too impersonal or on-camera where you need to get properly dressed for a team-wide video conference.
While this feature is still in beta, it offers a way to see an animated profile of an Apple Vision Pro user, mimicking their facial expressions and even hand movements – without them donning the headset. Although it still needs some work, I envision this being a great in-between for life’s current meeting options: off-camera where it feels too impersonal or on-camera where you need to get properly dressed for a team-wide video conference.
How did Apple Vision Pro performed in-flight?
An international flight without a TV in the seatback?! Apparently. But while everyone else around me sat in boredom, I got to use my Apple Vision Pro headset to simulate a personalized 100ft TV screen on a pair of 4K (that’s per eye) micro-OLED displays.
There’s a special ‘Travel Mode’ in the Control Center (you still a swipe down or, rather, pinch and pull down from the top to access it). Activating this ahead of time is crucial, as the headset’s tracking capabilities can’t work the same when when in motion. I did download episodes of Ted Lasso ahead of time, as airplane WiFi is generally spotty.
Apple Vision Pro may reduce airplane anxiety
Have airplane anxiety? Apple Vision Pro helped me take my mind off of takeoff and focus on catching up on Ted Lasso season 3. When the flight attendant came to my row, I was able to turn, communicate through the pass-through video transparency and get some snacks. I did find that eating the Sun Chips confused the bottom of the headset with brief pauses of the show. Why? I didn’t know at first, but then I realized, I was making a bunch of pinch-like gesture near my mouth and the sensor was picking this up as a navigation gesture. To fix the issue, I dutifully ate all of the chips. 🫡
Apple Vision Pro doesn’t feel isolating – right from the start, you can see the world around you as you setup the headset for the first time. This is on purpose. It’s a lot more inviting than other headsets I’ve reviewed like PSVR 2. Later on, I could fully immerse myself in videos, photos and games when I chose.
My flight time felt like nothing, and I can image that the fancy lie-flat Delta One seats are going to be even more useful. Windows can float in the air, so there’s no need to crank your neck to lay down and watch some Apple TV+ or Disney+.
Opening up my MacBook Pro, I could extend the screen where a virtual display floats on top of my 14-inch physical display (and the MacBook screen turns off). I could still use trackpad and keyboard and get some real work done.
Next time, I may just bring the Mac Magic Keyboard and a trackpad. One thing to note: you can only have one giant window in the scenario with the MacBook extended display. But, when using the Apple Vision Pro without a MacBook, you can have a bunch of virtual windows floating all around. I got a lot of followers in my social media comments mixing up this limitation, but I’ve tested it out: you can use the Apple Vision Pro as a multi-window spatial computer, and it’s a delight.
My take on Apple Vision Pro
I’ve compared the Apple Vision Pro the iPhone 1. It’s debuting spatial computing to the world with a polished headset that’s unlike other VR headsets that have come before it. But it’s $3,499, and not everyone is onboard for round one. I get it. To me, this is a lot like the original iPhone when it launched at $599 (thanks subscriber Bruce for correcting me🙏), featured no App Store and no front-facing camera. I loved reviewing the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but that’s a product 16 years in the making. I’m interested in seeing how it develops from here.
More to come, as I continue to experience the headset in Montreal.
2. 🎮 New PS5 games revealed, including Death Stranding 2
Sony’s State of Play for January 2024 showed off 15 upcoming PS5 games including Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Rise of Ronin and Stellar Blade. But it was Death Stranding 2: On the Beach that stole the show. Hideo Kojima’s follow-up to Death Stranding – which is now available on iPhone 15 Pro and Mac – looks to be just as bonkers as we hoped, but we’ll have to wait until 2025 to get our hands on it.
😁 There’s plenty to play on PS5 this year
🎮 Helldivers 2, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Rise of Ronin and Stellar Blade are all out before May
🤯 Death Stranding 2 had the most impressive trailer, but it’s not out until 2025
🆕 Hideo Kojima also announced that he’s working on a new action-espionage title
3. 💃 Taylor Swift, Drake and others silenced on TikTok
Not even the Super Bowl has silenced Taylor Swift (she’s apparently making it to both her tour date in Japan and the Super Bowl to support Travis Kelce in Las Vegas). But leave it to the licensing spat between Universal Music Group and TikTok to axe music from Swift, Drake, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish and many other artists.
The crux of the issue is pay rates for artists and songwriters by the social media platform and the threat of TikTok’s AI music creation tools. Universal Music Group is the biggest music label out there, so there’s a good chance this won’t last forever. But until it’s solved, you won’t be able to add some of the most popular songs to TikTok videos. That’s a win for Instagram and YouTube Shorts.
4. 🔐 Hulu to crack down on password sharing, joining Netflix and Disney+
Hulu is the next streaming service to crack down on password sharing. The streamer, which is owned by Disney, will stop letting users share one password to access its service from mid-March. Hulu will be hoping the move will boost subscribers and revenue. Netflix saw a huge increase in subscribers after implementing the same policy, which led to Disney+ doing the same.
🤚 Hulu has informed users that password sharing will soon end
😞 It follows in the footsteps of Netflix and Disney+
🔒 Disney, which owns Hulu, announced it would stop password sharing last year
📈 48.5 million people subscribe to Hulu as of September 2023
5. 📱 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 leak could be cheaper than last year’s model
The next iteration of Samsung’s flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, could be cheaper. A recent leak from The Elec suggests the Korean electronics giant could opt for inkjet printing to make the phone’s display bezels instead of the more costly micro dry process, which should translate into a lower price point. Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 cost $1,799.99, making it one of the most expensive phones on the market. Hopefully, Samsung’s new manufacturing techniques can make the Galaxy Z Fold 6 more affordable.
🤞 Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 could be cheaper than last year’s Fold 5
🔨 A new manufacturing process could be used to create the phone’s display bezels
🆕 Samsung may switch to inkjet printing instead of the usual micro dry process
💰 Last year’s Fold 5 cost $1,799.99 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 cost $999.99
6. 🎧 Sony's PS5 Pulse Elite headset is getting a great upgrade
Sony’s upcoming PS5 Pulse Elite headset is set to receive a big upgrade ahead of launch. You’ll be able to choose between three existing EQ presets directly from your PS5, and create three custom EQ profiles of your own. You can also adjust the headset’s sidetone, which lets you hear yourself better when chatting with friends online. With sound being so subjective, it’s great to know we’ll be able to dial in our ideal settings on Sony’s $149 headset when it releases on February 28.
👀 Sony has made its PS5 Pulse Elite headset a more tempting proposition
👍 You’ll be able to adjust your EQ settings on the fly and create custom profiles
👏 The update also applies to the PlayStation Earbuds
📆 The PS5 Pulse Elite headset is out on February 28 for $149.99.
7. 📦 Shipments dates of many Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra colors slip
As noted in our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review, the new AI-powered smartphone and one of the first Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 phones, is a worthy upgrade on the inside. even if it looks like the S23 Ultra in a lot of ways. US consumers seem to agree with our assessment, as The Shortcut’s sales data shows it’s selling well – and now certain Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra colors will take longer to ship.
Specifically, all colors of the S24 Ultra have were pushed back from January 31 (the launch date) to February 6 two days ago. Now, you’ll need to wait even longer for the Titanium Yellow color. It won’t arrive until February 14 if you put your order today. It’s a good sign that this phone is selling better than expected.
Best Buy seems to have more inventory if you can’t wait, but Samsung sells three (of the seven total) exclusive colors of the S24 Ultra you can’t get anywhere else.
Titanium Black
Titanium Yellow
Titanium Gray
Titanium Violet
Titanium Green
Titanium Blue
Titanium Orange
8. 🆓 Free PS5 games this month include Foamstars, Rollerdrome and Steelrising
Sony has revealed February’s free PlayStation Plus games, and they’re available to download from February 6. Headlining this month’s offering is Foamstars, a 4v4 multiplayer arena shooter that takes more than a few design cues from Nintendo’s excellent Splatoon series. PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra and Premium subscribers can also download Rollerdrome and Steelrising, though the latter is PS5 only.
🆓 Three new games will be available to PS Plus subscribers on February 6
🫧 The lineup includes Foamstars, Rollerdrome and Steelrising
🔜 You only have until February 5 to download January’s free PS Plus games
🚨 Don’t forget to add A Plague Tale: Requiem, Evil West and Nobody Saves the World to your library
8. 🧠 Apple AI is in the works and will be out ‘later this year’
With Google, Microsoft and Samsung all embracing the power of AI, you may be wondering when Apple will delve into the world of artificial intelligence. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait too much longer. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company’s generative AI software features will arrive “later this year” during Apple’s quarterly earnings call, and that the team has continued to put a “tremendous amount of time and effort” into investing in AI.
🔜 Apple will showcase its AI features “later this year”
🗣️ Apple CEO Tim Cook made the promise during the company’s quarterly earnings call
🤔 Unlike other companies, we’re yet to see exactly how Apple will utilize the benefits of AI
🤖 AI has become a mainstay in software from Microsoft, Google and Samsung
10. 📺 Elgato debuts its 4K X HDMI 2.1 capture card for streamers
Elgato has announced a new external HDMI 2.1-compatible capture card that allows gamers and streamers to record their content without any compromises. The Elgato 4K X lets users enjoy all the features of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, like 4K resolution at 120fps, even when you’re capturing content. You can also enjoy 4K/144Hz if your PC is powerful enough to hit those frame rates. The Elgato 4K X costs $229 and is available now.
🆕 The Elgato 4K X is a new external capture card for content creators
👏 It includes a 4K/144Hz passthrough for PC and 4K/120Hz for consoles
🙏 It also supports VRR and ALLM to eliminate screen tearing and input lag
🤩 You can also capture HDR content at 1440p/60fps or 1080p/120fps