Technologies

The Apple Vision Pro Is a Dystopian Device for a Dystopian World

Commentary: It’s not for normal people.

Today Apple finally unveiled the Vision Pro, its brand new «spatial computer.» It’s pretty! It’s cutting edge! At $3,500 it’s also… overwhelmingly expensive!

But beyond the jokes and the memes, there was a moment in Apple’s new launch trailer for the Vision Pro headset that almost made my stomach lurch. A moment that felt borderline dystopian.

Welcome to the era of spatial computing with Apple Vision Pro. You’ve never seen anything like this before! pic.twitter.com/PEIxKNpXBs

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 5, 2023

It occurred roughly halfway through the above video. A dad stands awkwardly in the kitchen. He’s using the Vision Pro headset to check his email when his daughter – dressed to play soccer complete with goalie gloves – runs out. She rolls a ball to her Dad who, still wearing the headset, sort of distractedly kicks the ball back to her.

As a dad who’s spent a depressing amount of time trying to get rid of their kids, so I could spend more time glued to an Apple device, it was relatable. It also felt icky.

I don’t recommend play soccer while wearing a $3500 computer on your face.

Apple

But it wasn’t designed to feel icky. It was supposed to be heartwarming. Designed to dispel concerns about Vision Pro and virtual reality headsets in general. Look, it says, the dream is possible! You can still live life and interact with your family whilst wearing a gigantic, expensive headset on your face! You won’t become a hollowed out shell of a human! Vision Pro won’t suck you into a virtual reality hellscape devoid of human interaction!

And maybe it won’t! But that doesn’t matter. Regardless of how it works and if it works, for the past 10 years human beings have loudly and repeatedly told the big brains of Silicon Valley they don’t want to put computers on their face.

Audience reaction when Apple announced the $3500 price for the headset 😭 pic.twitter.com/GuGUFbN08A

— TTI (@TikTokInvestors) June 5, 2023

There was Google Glass, a spectacular failure device so misguided that those involved with its creation made Twitter threads explaining why it was misguided. A piece of tech so maligned that – collectively – we decided to actively bully those who wore it. We called them «glassholes».

Then there’s VR – a technology so sci-fi its ascendancy felt inevitable, but that wasn’t the case. Tech limitations and a small install base rendered VR the domain of niche hobbyists who mostly use it to play Beat Saber two or three times a year. That’s pretty much it.

I should know. I was that guy. I am that guy. I backed the first Oculus Rift on Kickstarter. I’ll never forget the giddy joy I had unwrapping the development kit for the very first time. It felt like the future, but months later it was gathering dust. Just like every VR headset I’ve acquired in its wake, including – most recently – the PSVR2 headset that I got a few months ago. I’ve used it twice since its launch in February this year.

Again, even when people do want to put tech on their face, they inevitably get bored of putting tech on their face.

Over the last decade we’ve watched VR fail to become a thing. We’ve watched Facebook rebrand as Meta and spend billions of dollars investing in a «metaverse» no sane person wants a part of. Despite living through a pandemic that effectively locked us in our homes for years, we made it clear we don’t want to be sucked into some weird, half-baked virtual world. I’ll play Fortnite, sure, but that’s as metaverse as I wanna get. At this point I barely turn my camera on during Zoom meetings.

Apple’s marketing machine is swimming against a strong current. Bizarrely, Vision Pro’s price point could end up being its saving grace.

By charging $3,500 for a souped-up headset, Apple is telling us exactly what Vision Pro is. This isn’t a toy for normal people. It’s a dystopian device for a dystopian world. A world where poor people struggle through a recession and rich people find new and inventive ways to squander their wealth.

Hey Apple: Cool concept video, but you left out the fact that the workers who make the movies and TV you want us to watch on your $3,500 face-screen are on strike because you won’t give them a fair contract. Until you do, there won’t be much to see on Vision Pro! #BadApple pic.twitter.com/t1KkV0D9ie

— Adam Conover (@adamconover) June 6, 2023

Vision Pro isn’t an adequately priced smartphone. It isn’t an iPad Mini. In its press release Apple seemed determined to avoid the word «headset» instead referring to it constantly as a «spatial computer.» Either way, this isn’t a fun, disposable device, it’s a wildly expensive MacBook that costs 10s of thousands of dollars. Or a $17,000 gold Apple Watch like the one Kanye West used to wear.

Because of this, Vision Pro almost certainly hasn’t been designed to change the world the way the iPhone was. At this price it simply can’t. It’ll be a device for well-paid creatives at best, a status symbol for the mega-rich at worst.

Expectations – our expectations – are part of the problem. We’re on our screens, possibly ignoring our children like morons waiting for the next big thing. What piece of consumer tech will transform our lives like the smartphone did? There’s a large part of us that expects Apple to do this, since the iPhone was the catalyst that helped define how we currently interact with the world. But it’s fairly clear virtual reality or augmented reality will not be that thing. Vision Pro most certainly will not be that thing.

No, unfortunately Vision Pro is just another device that some people will buy and others won’t. And in a weird way, that’s okay. As long as you don’t linger on it for too long.

Which I won’t.

Technologies

Verum Messenger Launches an AI Mini-Series

Verum Messenger has unveiled a new project — a mini-series created using Verum AI. The story consists of 7 episodes and will be released on the messenger’s social media channels.

The plot revolves around a global corporation seeking to take control of digital communications and a group of heroes who use Verum Messenger as a tool of resistance. Beyond the story itself, the series highlights the app’s key features, technologies, and advantages.

Combining entertainment with a showcase of the Verum ecosystem, the project presents a dynamic digital series designed for the modern era.

The first episode premieres today, with the remaining episodes to be released over time.

Stay tuned for more.

Watch on YouTube
Watch on Instagram

Technologies

Verum Finance: Earn While You Communicate — The Super App That Pays You

Verum has officially launched Verum Finance, an innovative financial application that transforms a private messenger into a true financial super app. News of the launch was also featured on the respected platform Dealroom.co.

Verum Finance can now be used both within Verum Messenger and as a standalone application for iPhone and iPad. When users sign in to Verum Finance with their Verum Messenger account, all balances, settings, and account data are automatically synchronized for maximum convenience.

Users can now do more than communicate securely and protect their data — they can also generate passive income directly within the ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

• Top up your balance with a bank card, Apple Pay, or USDT
• Send money instantly anywhere in the world
• Issue and manage debit cards (virtual and physical)
• Full Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds quickly

One of the most unique features is the built-in cryptocurrency mining system inside Verum Messenger.

The application utilizes your device’s resources and allows you to earn cryptocurrency in the background — passively, while chatting, traveling, or simply using the messenger.

Maximum Privacy + Real Freedom

• Registration without a phone number, email address, or passport
• End-to-end encryption and full control over your data
• Lifetime free VPN
• eSIM connectivity in more than 150 countries
• Reliable offline communication mode
• Support for 12+ languages for users worldwide

Everything is available in one place: secure communication, financial tools, earning opportunities, and privacy protection.

Users can access the full experience directly within Verum Messenger or switch to the dedicated Verum Finance app for iOS. All data is synchronized automatically between the two applications.

Why Download Verum Today

While many messaging platforms collect user data and expose users to restrictions, Verum offers greater independence and the opportunity to earn.

With a one-time purchase of the feature package, users receive lifetime access to privacy tools, VPN, eSIM services, cryptocurrency mining, and financial features.

This is more than just a messenger.

It is your personal tool for financial and digital freedom.

Download Verum Finance and Verum Messenger today — start communicating securely and begin earning tomorrow.

Download Links:

→ App Store (iPhone / iPad): Verum Finance
→ App Store (Verum Messenger): Verum Messenger

Technologies

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.

The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:

• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications

A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.

Recognition from Forbes Türkiye

In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.

Support from the Crypto Community

Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.

A Strategic Vision

“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.

Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.

Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im

Verum Messenger: https://verum.im