Technologies

Apple Vision Pro’s Biggest Missing Pieces

Commentary: Apple’s AR/VR «spatial computer» pushes the upper limits of immersive tech. But it has some notable omissions.

The evolution of VR and AR is in major flux, and right now Apple’s bleeding-edge, ultra-expensive Vision Pro headset is sitting at the top of the heap — and it’s not even expected to arrive until 2024.

After a demo at WWDC, I came away instantly impressed at how the Vision Pro hardware synthesized so much of what I’ve seen in VR and AR over the last five years. But this time it was all done with Retina Display-level resolution and smooth, easy hand-tracking finesse. At $3,499 (around £2,800 or AU$5,300 converted), Apple’s hardware is priced far beyond VR headsets like the Meta Quest 2, and also aims to be a full computer experience in AR (as well as VR, even though Apple doesn’t outright acknowledge it).

Even so, there are notable absences from the Vision Pro, at least based on what Apple presented at WWDC. I had expectations as to what Apple might make the killer apps and features for its spatial computer headset, and only some of them materialized. Maybe others will emerge as we get closer to Apple’s 2024 headset release, or get introduced via software updates much like Meta has done with the Quest over time.

Still, I’m surprised they’re not already part of the Vision Pro experience. To me, they’ll eventually make everything I saw work even better.

Read more: Best VR Headsets of 2023

Fitness

The Meta Quest’s best feature, other than games, is its ability to be a portable exercise machine. Beat Saber was my pandemic home workout, and Meta’s acquisition of Within (maker of Supernatural, a subscription fitness app that pairs with the Apple Watch) indicates how much fitness is already a part of the VR landscape.

Apple is a prime candidate to fuse VR, AR, fitness and health and take the experience far beyond what Meta has done. Apple already has the Apple Watch and Apple Health and Fitness Plus subscription workouts. And yet, the Vision Pro has no announced fitness or health apps yet, except for a sitting-still Meditation app that’s more of a breathing prompt.

Apple Watch Ultra — When will the Apple Watch become part of the Vision Pro experience?

James Martin/CNET

Even more puzzling: The Vision Pro seemingly doesn’t work with the Apple Watch at all. This could change. Maybe Apple is waiting to discuss this aspect next year. Or, maybe, it will arrive with a future version of the Vision hardware.

Some VR sporting game app makers are already announcing ports for the Vision Pro, including Golf Plus, an app that works in VR with controllers. The assumption, for now, is that these apps will find a way to work just using eye and hand tracking.

Apple didn’t even demonstrate that much active motion inside the Vision Pro; my demos were mostly seated, except for a final walk-around experience where I looked at a dinosaur up close.

Is the dangling battery pack part of the concern? The headset’s weight? Or is Apple starting with computing interfaces first and adding fitness later?

iPhone 14 Pro vs. iPhone 13 Pro — The iPhone in your pocket should ideally interface with Vision Pro, too.

Lexy Savvides/CNET

iPhone, iPad and Watch compatibility

Speaking of fitness and the Apple Watch, I always imagined Apple’s AR headset would emphasize seamless compatibility with all of its products. Apple didn’t exactly do that with the Vision Pro, either.

The Vision Pro will work as a monitor-extending device with Macs, providing high-res virtual displays in a similar way that headsets like the Quest 2, Quest Pro and others already do. I didn’t get to try using the Vision Pro with a Mac, and I didn’t get to use a trackpad or keyboard, either. The Vision Pro will work with Magic Trackpads and Magic Keyboards to add physical trackpad/typing input options, again, like other VR/AR headsets, in addition to onboard eye- and hand-tracking.

And yet, the Vision Pro won’t interface directly with iPhones, iPads or the Apple Watch. Not yet, at least.

The Vision Pro primarily runs iPad-type apps. This is why the iPad Pro seems to be the best computer companion to the Vision Pro: it has a keyboard, a trackpad, built-in motion tracking that’s already AR-friendly, front and rear depth-sensing cameras that could possibly help with 3D scanning environments or faces, and it has a touchscreen and Pencil stylus.

A man with AR glasses on, holding a phone, seeing a floating window with a person speaking to him — Qualcomm’s software tools for AR glasses extend phone apps to headsets. The Apple Vision Pro bypasses the phone and works on its own.

Qualcomm

Apple is emphasizing that the Vision Pro is a self-contained computer that doesn’t need other devices. That’s understandable, and most of Apple’s cloud services, like FaceTime, will work so that the Vision Pro will essentially absorb most iPhone and iPad features. Yet I don’t understand why iPhones, iPads and Watches wouldn’t be welcome input accessories. Their touchscreens and motion controls could help them act as remotes or physical-feedback devices, in a similar way to how Qualcomm is already looking at the relationship between phones and AR glasses. I hold up my iPhone all the time to enter passwords on the Apple TV. I seamlessly drop photos, links and text from my iPhone over to my Mac.

Touchscreens could act as virtual keyboards. Drawing on the iPad could mirror a 3D art interface. With Apple’s already excellent passthrough cameras, iPhone, iPad and Watch displays could become interactive second screens, tactile interfaces that sprout extra parts in AR. Also, there’s the value of haptics and physical feedback.

Sony Playstation VR 2 virtual reality headset — The PSVR 2 controller: One advantage to physical devices is physical feedback.

James Martin/CNET

No haptics

The buzzing, tapping and rumbling feelings we get on our phones, watches and game controllers, those are feedback tools I’ve really connected with when I go into VR. The PlayStation VR 2 even has rumbling feedback in its headset. The Vision Pro, with eye and hand tracking, has no controllers. And no haptic feedback. I’ve been fascinated by the future of haptics — I saw a lot of experimental solutions earlier this year. For now, Apple is sitting out on haptic solutions for Vision Pro.

When I use iPhones and the Watch, I feel those little virtual clicks as reminders of when I’ve opened something, or when information comes in. I feel them as extensions of my perceptual field. In VR, it’s the same way. Apple’s pinch-based hand tracking technically has some physical sensation when your own fingers touch each other, but nothing will buzz or tap to let you know something is happening beyond your field of view — in another open app, for instance, or behind you in an immersive 3D environment.

Microsoft made a similar decision with the HoloLens by only having in-air hand tracking, but former AR head Alex Kipman told me years ago that haptics were part of the HoloLens roadmap.

Apple already has haptic devices; the Apple Watch, for example. All those iPhones, too. I’m surprised the Vision Pro doesn’t already have a solution for haptics. But maybe it’s also on its roadmap?

logitech-vr-ink-lifestyle-final — Logitech’s VR Ink, released in 2019, is an in-air 3D stylus. How will Apple handle creative tools in 3D?

Logitech

Will there ever be other accessories like the Pencil?

One of the wildest parts about a mixed-reality future is how it can blend virtual and real tools together, or even invent tools that don’t exist. I’ve had my VR controllers act like they’re morphing into objects that feel like they’re an extension of my body. Some companies like Logitech have already developed in-air 3D styluses for creative work in VR and AR.

Apple’s Vision Pro demos didn’t show off any creative apps beyond the collaborative Freeform, and nothing that showed how 3D inputs could be improved with handheld tools.

Maybe Apple is starting off by emphasizing the power of just eyes and hands here, similar to how Steve Jobs initially refused to give the iPad a stylus. But the iPad has a Pencil now, and it’s an essential art tool for many people. Dedicated physical peripherals are helpful, and Apple has none with its Vision Pro headset (yet). I do like VR controllers, and Meta’s clever transforming Quest Pro controllers can be flipped around to become writing tools with an added stylus tip. As a flood of creative apps arrive on the Vision Pro in 2024, will Apple address possibilities for dedicated accessories? Will the Vision Pro allow for easy pairing of them? Hopefully, yes.

The Apple Vision Pro is a long way from arriving, and there’s still so much we don’t know. As Apple’s first AR/VR headset evolves, however, these key aspects should be kept in mind, because they’ll be incredibly important ways to expand how the headset feels useful and flexible for everyone.

Technologies

This Massive AT&T Data Breach Settlement Could Pay $5K to Some: Find Out if You’re Eligible

Claims will open later in the summer for the settlement AT&T is paying to resolve two major data breaches.

It’s a tough time for AT&T — especially with the recent conference call troubles for Donald Trump — but their struggles could be your gain thanks to the $177 million settlement it’s agreed to pay to customers that fell victim to data breaches in 2019 and 2024.

On Friday, June 20, US District Judge Ada Brown granted preliminary approval to the terms of a proposed settlement from AT&T that would resolve two lawsuits related to the data breaches. The current settlement would see AT&T pay $177 million to customers adversely affected by at least one of the two data breaches.

The settlement will prioritize larger payments to customers who suffered damages that are «fairly traceable» to the data leaks. It will also provide bigger payments to those affected by the larger of the two leaks, which began in 2019. While the company is working toward a settlement, it has continued to deny that it was «responsible for these criminal acts.»

For all the details we have about the settlement right now, keep reading, and for more info about other recent settlements, find out how to claim Apple’s Siri privacy settlement and see if you’re eligible for 23andMe’s privacy breach settlement.

What happened with these AT&T data breaches?

AT&T confirmed the two data breaches last year, announcing an investigation into the first in March before confirming it in May and confirming the second in July.

The first of the confirmed breaches began in 2019. The company revealed that about 7.6 million current and 65.4 million former account holders had their data exposed to hackers, including names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth. The company began investigating the situation last year after it reported that customer data had appeared on the dark web.

The second breach began in April of 2024, when a hacker broke into AT&T cloud storage provider Snowflake and accessed 2022 call and text records for almost all of the company’s US customers, about 109 million in all. The company stressed that no names were attached to the stolen data. Two individuals were arrested in connection with the breach.

Both of these incidents sparked a wave of class action lawsuits alleging corporate neglect on the part of AT&T in failing to sufficiently protect its customers.

Who is eligible to file a claim for the AT&T data breach settlement?

As of now, we know that the settlement will pay out to any current or former AT&T customer whose data was accessed in one of these data breaches, with higher payments reserved for those who can provide documented proof that they suffered damages directly resulting from their data being stolen.

If you’re eligible, you should receive a notice about it, either by email or a physical letter in the mail, sometime in the coming months. The company expects that the claims process will begin on Aug. 4, 2025.

How much will the AT&T data breach payments be?

You’ll have to «reasonably» prove damages caused by these data breaches to be eligible for the highest and most prioritized payouts. For the 2019 breach, those claimants can receive up to $5,000. For the Snowflake breach in 2024, the max payout will be $2,500. It’s not clear at this time how the company might be handling customers who’ve been affected by both breaches.

AT&T will focus on making those payments first, and whatever’s left of the $177 million settlement total will be disbursed to anyone whose data was accessed, even without proof of damages. Because these payouts depend on how many people get the higher amounts first, we can’t say definitively how much they will be.

When could I get paid from the AT&T data breach settlement?

AT&T expects that payments will start to go out sometime in early 2026. Exact dates aren’t available but the recent court order approving the settlement lists a notification schedule of Aug. 4, to Oct. 17, 2025.

The deadline for submitting a claim is currently set at Nov. 18, 2025. The final approval of the settlement needs to be given at a Dec. 3, 2025, court hearing for payments to begin.

Stay tuned to this piece in the coming months to get all the new details as they emerge.

For more money help, check out CNET’s daily tariff price impact tracker.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, July 12

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 12.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s one of those long Saturday puzzles, and a few clues are tricky. Read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Havana’s home
Answer: CUBA

5A clue: Last word in many bowling alley names
Answer: LANES

6A clue: Lots and lots
Answer: SOMUCH

7A clue: Left-leaning social media site
Answer: BLUESKY

8A clue: Hepburn of «Breakfast at Tiffany’s»
Answer: AUDREY

9A clue: Word after «break» or «banana»
Answer: BREAD

10A clue: Car loan figs.
Answer: APRS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: They always shoot their shot
Answer: CAMERAS

2D clue: Brand-new
Answer: UNUSED

3D clue: Woman with «the good hair,» in a famous Beyoncé lyric
Answer: BECKY

4D clue: In need of moisturizer
Answer: ASHY

5D clue: «We can’t hear you back here!»
Answer: LOUDER

6D clue: Drink noisily
Answer: SLURP

7D clue: ___ ghanouj
Answer: BABA

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 12, #292

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 12, No. 292

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has one of those classic purple categories, where you probably won’t figure it out before you’ve answered all the others. Need help? Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Show Me State.

Green group hint: Old Line State.

Blue group hint: Gridiron greats.

Purple group hint: Names begins with a certain creature.