roundaboutnow

I'm using my 1st gen iPad Air (MD786LL/A) as a second Mac display using the Yam Display app. There is a free version, but I paid $7 or $8 to get the full version. The iPad is connected to a 13" i5 MBP via USB. You need to install a free Mac version of Yam on the Mac. Unlike Sidecar, you can use finger touch on the iPad to interact with macOS (although I don't do this very often).

Speaking of Sidecar, I later got a refurb 2018 11" iPad Pro, and use Sidecar to connect it (also via USB) to the same MBP, at the same time as the Yam iPad.

So now I have a compact triple display set up on my small home office desk. The MBP and iPads are on separate stands. The iPad stands I got are a bit low, so the bottom edge of the iPads are a little lower than the bottom edge of the MBP display, but it works. The very high DPI of the iPads helps compensate for their small size.

nubus said:

VictorMortimer said:

Also, what's with everybody wanting soundbars?  I've never understood it.  I've got REAL speakers, with actual separation.  I haven't done the overhead channels, but I've got front left, right, and center, rear left and right, and a reasonably large sub.  You're never going to get that from a 3' long plastic box with tiny speakers.

Soundbars are for those happy about AirPods and Sonos. I have both and a rather large Beosound Shape setup. But going back to cables? No way!

The idea of a camera in a soundbar is stupid as the position is too low. Dell XPS had the Chin Cam for years. No way Apple will deliver that kind of experience.

A camera in a soundbar would not automatically be too low if you consider how many TVs are wall mounted with the bottom edge 36-48" off the floor. In the conference room example I mentioned above, it's done all the time. Wall mounted TVs at that height are also quite common in residential applications.

And if your TV is on a low table, it would not be too terribly difficult to figure out how to mount a camera/soundbar above the TV...

smartleydunn said:

Apple bought NextVR back in May of 2020, they were doing NBA Courtside VR experiences for a couple of years. 

https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/14/21211254/apple-confirms-nextvr-acquisition-purchase-vr-virtual-reality-company

Shortly after AVP was announced, Apple also bought Mira, an AR headset company that developed products for military and theme parks:
https://www.theverge.com/2023/6/6/23751350/apple-mira-ar-headset-startup

hmlongco said:

roundaboutnow said:

Given the volume of AVP sales so far, I get not wanting to produce a native AVP app right away, but considering Youtube (and Netflix) can be used in AVP Safari, it seemed strange to me that both those companies didn't at least allow the iPad app to run out of the gate.

Speaking of Youtube, I've looked at a few of the AVP reviews there (in particular Marques Brownlee), and I have to say I am way more impressed with AVP than I thought I'd be. (What really helps is the fact that one can screen record the AVP visuals, so you get a pretty good idea of what the wearer sees).

One thing to remember what watching those screen recordings is that AVP foveates the display, spending extra cycles to make sure the area of the screen you're looking at is razor sharp and such, not spending extra cycles on the parts of the screen you're NOT looking at.

So some screenshots and recordings can look blurry, unless you're looking at the same area where the wearer was looking.

Yes, I noticed the foveated rendering. It was actually pointed out by Brownlee too. (I had actually anticipated a few years back when rumors of Apples AR/VR interests started surfacing that foveated rendering would be helpful--if not required--to reduce demands on the processing system).

Given the volume of AVP sales so far, I get not wanting to produce a native AVP app right away, but considering Youtube (and Netflix) can be used in AVP Safari, it seemed strange to me that both those companies didn't at least allow the iPad app to run out of the gate.

Speaking of Youtube, I've looked at a few of the AVP reviews there (in particular Marques Brownlee), and I have to say I am way more impressed with AVP than I thought I'd be. (What really helps is the fact that one can screen record the AVP visuals, so you get a pretty good idea of what the wearer sees).