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Apple and the future of 3D

Apple and the future of 3D

New partnership paves the way for immersive Vision Pro content.

Leander Kahney
August 01, 2023

Tech industry standards are boring, but oh so essential.

Before any new tech can really succeed, there must be an agreement on standards.

Take railway gauges. As railways took off in the 19th century, different railways used different-sized tracks. So-called gauge breaks forced railways to unload cargo and passengers where incompatible rails met — an inefficient, time-consuming and expensive process.

“Standards are critical to the compatibility of hardware, software, and everything in between,” says a good definition from the analyst firm Gartner. “Industry standards enable the essential elements of a computer and related infrastructure to work together.”

So it’s a big deal when giants like Apple, Pixar, Nvidia and others join together to create a standard for the emerging 3D ecosystem. These companies hope to use a file format developed by Pixar for computer-animated movies to power AR and VR experiences.

For Apple, this could prove key to creating immersive content that will make people want to strap on a pricey Vision Pro headset.

Standards matter!

Also in today’s newsletter:

If you hate Twitter’s new “X” icon, never fear: You can easily change it back to the old Twitter bird. (Let us know if you like Elon Musk’s controversial new logo in our poll below.)
This inexpensive USB hub makes it easy to add HDMI and more to your MacBook.
Here’s why you need a silicone case for your MacBook charger — yes, you read that right: a case for your charger.
We reviewed a new external drive from Kingston that uses a password-protected touchscreen to secure your most sensitive files.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

Apple, Pixar, Nvidia and more form alliance to ‘standardize the 3D ecosystem’

Several industry heavyweights — including Apple — join together to promote Pixar’s 3D Universal Scene Description technology. Here’s why it’s an important move.

Change the X icon back to Twitter

You can change the X icon to the Twitter bird icon by replacing it with a shortcut. Here's how to get the blue bird icon back on your Home Screen.

How to get the latest iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 public betas

The second iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 public betas became available Monday. Want to try the changes out for yourself? We’ll show you how.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

Security camera, body cam, dash cam: This tiny gadget can do it all

Save on the Tokk Cam C2+, a versatile device that works as a security camera, a body cam and/or a dash cam. It even has night vision!

Anker unveils Prime lineup of 8 powerful multi-device chargers

The mix of GaN USB-C chargers and power banks includes a 240-watt USB-C charger and a 250-watt power bank for fast-charging multiple devices.

This deal on Apple’s Pro Display XDR will ease the sting

Save on Apple's best monitor. Grab the stunning Pro Display XDR with a 32-inch 6K Retina panel and get a discount of up to $300.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Store}

Make your MacBook Pro charger and cable last longer

If you're rough on your MacBook Pro charger and cable, try Elago's durable silicone case to make them last longer.

Shake it with ‘Samba de Amigo’ and other new Apple Arcade games

The revival of Sega's classic rhythm game joins three new puzzle games and a host of other updates to Apple Arcade in August.

Inexpensive 4-in-1 USB-C hub makes adding HDMI to Mac a snap

Connect the new Plugable USBC-4IN1 hub to a Mac or iPad to add an HDMI port and two USB-A ones.

Kingston’s securely encrypted SSD unlocks with built-in touchscreen [Review] ★★★★½

The Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 80 External SSD is encrypted to protect user data, and unlocks with the convenience of a touchscreen.

This curvy MacBook stand appeals to the budget conscious

The Twelve South Curve SE stand holds up a MacBook so the screen is at eye level.

Today in Apple history: Macintosh SE gets supersized storage

On August 1, 1989, Apple introduced the Mac SE FDHD, which came with a versatile new SuperDrive capable of storing a massive 1.4MB of data.

Tweetz o’ the day

Animated Art in Apple Music is stunning 🤩
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub)
12:08 AM • Jul 30, 2023

The Apple Watch Ultra is their best product. EVER.
— Sam Kohl (@iupdate)
12:38 AM • Aug 1, 2023

One more thing ...

❝

When our tools don’t work, we tend to blame ourselves, for being too stupid or not reading the manual or having too-fat fingers... When our tools are broken, we feel broken. And when somebody fixes one, we feel a tiny bit more whole.

— Steve Jobs, 2011.

Today’s poll

Do you like the new Twitter logo?

Results from yesterday’s poll: What browser do you use on your Mac?

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