Technologies

Apple Reportedly Plans New Vision Pro Models, Prioritizes Meta Ray-Ban Glasses Rival

The Meta AI-style glasses would serve as a placeholder until Apple can deliver more advanced AR eyewear, a new report suggests.

Apple is reportedly developing two new models of its Vision Pro headset: one that’s expected to be lighter and more affordable than the original, and another designed to tether with Macs. Bloomberg reported on Monday that despite sluggish demand, the company remains focused on creating versions of the Vision Pro with broader mainstream appeal.

The lower-cost Vision Pro will likely have a less powerful chip and scaled-back features, bringing the price down significantly from the original $3,500. It’s also expected to include an ultralow-latency system for streaming a Mac display, according to the report. And in line with previous reports, Apple is also still working on its own smart glasses equipped with cameras and microphones, similar to Meta’s Ray-Ban line.

Citing an anonymous Apple engineer, Bloomberg said CEO Tim Cook «cares about nothing else» more than delivering a true pair of AR glasses, calling it a «top priority.» But until the technology can be perfected in a way that’s comfortable and as wearable as traditional eyewear, Apple sees camera- and mic-enabled glasses as a stepping stone into the space.

This builds on earlier reports that Apple intends to channel some of the Vision Pro’s billion-dollar R&D investment in visual intelligence into future products, including smart glasses expected to launch in 2027.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In recent years, Apple has often focused on refining buzzy, existing technologies, from mixed-reality headsets to AI features. As it stands, Meta is better positioned to dominate the smart glasses category, particularly as it continues to enhance its hardware, software and growing ecosystem of services. But Cook, according to Bloomberg, is «hell-bent on creating an industry-leading product before Meta can.»

The report said the glasses would utilize Siri and Visual Intelligence as part of Apple’s broader Apple Intelligence AI platform. In keeping with Apple’s overall product strategy, privacy would remain a central focus.

Still, the company may face challenges in making the device as indispensable as its other products, particularly the iPhone – and at a price point that’s accessible enough to drive mass adoption.

Technologies

Apple Will Reportedly Give You a Discount on Accessories if You Recycle Your Old Electronics

The Earth Day promotion could net shoppers 10% off a suite of accessories for one month.

Apple is starting an in-store electronics recycling promotion for one month that can net consumers 10% off of Apple accessories, according to a post Tuesday by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. The maximum discount offered will be $20, and it will be applicable to AirPods, AirTags, Apple Pencils, Apple Watch bands, and MacBook cases and peripherals.

While Apple customers generally benefit from trading in used electronics for store credit, many items are ineligible for this program. Typically, a single device can be traded in for credit toward a new one, and additional iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches and other Apple devices can be exchanged for an Apple gift card. Non-Apple electronics cannot be exchanged for store credit.

The new Earth Day promotion reportedly makes all used electronics — even the otherwise uncompensated non-Apple electronics — viable to trade-in for the $20 Apple accessory discount, which would make this a great time to bring in recyclable electronics you wouldn’t otherwise be rewarded for.

Apple’s trade-in program is offered in-store and online as a clean and easy way to recycle old electronics. While Apple doesn’t give store credit for every item, the company recycles them free of charge. If Apple is offering a discount on its peripherals for trading in non-Apple electronics, it could be using this promotion to bring new customers into its product ecosystem.

Apple rarely discounts its accessories outside of Black Friday events, making this a rare opportunity to score a peripheral for less cash. It is unclear whether this is a US-based promotion or if it will run in Apple Stores internationally. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

EV Sales Increased by More Than 10% in the US Despite Tesla Sales Dropping

The surge in electric-vehicle sales comes at the start of what experts predict will be a volatile year for the market.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 15, #408

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 408 for April 15.

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

Todays NYT Strands puzzle might be tricky, but it has a fun topic. Get yourself a frosty beverage and solve away. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Draft picks

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Cheers!

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

MICE, POTS, STOP, TOTS, PORE, PORES, TORE, TOTE, TOUT, REGAL, RICE, SORE, RICES.

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

BOCK, SOUR, LAGER, NITRO, STOUT, PILSNER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is MICROBREWERY. To find it, start with the M that’s three letters up from the bottom on the far left row, and wind over and up.