Technologies

Apple Reportedly Planning New Vision Pro Models, Prioritizing 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 developing two new models of its Vision Pro headset, according to a report: one that’s expected to be lighter and more affordable than the original, and another designed to tether with Macs. Despite sluggish demand, the company remains focused on creating versions of the AR/VR headset with broader mainstream appeal, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

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.

CEO Tim Cook «cares about nothing else» more than delivering a true pair of AR glasses, calling it a «top priority,» Bloomberg said, citing an anonymous Apple engineer. 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 use 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 that’s accessible enough to drive mass adoption.

A long-term priority

Eric Abbruzzese, research director at market research firm ABI Research, called Apple’s interest in smart glasses a long-term priority.

«AR has simply proven more difficult than VR to go to market with devices that balance cost and capability,» he said. «AR as a supplement to the smartphone, similar to an Apple Watch, is a very compelling product category that is truthfully only just starting to be served appropriately.»

Glasses like Meta’s Ray-Bans show that people are interested in smart eyewear but building ones with screens still presents a major challenge, Abbruzzese said. At the same time, AR and AI are increasingly intertwined, with companies like Apple, Meta and Google designing products that blend the two. Abbruzzese described the «holy grail» product as mass-market smart glasses — an affordable, display-enabled wearable that pairs with a smartphone and uses sensors, voice input and AI agents for natural, hands-free interaction.

«The relationship between AR and AI is a significant, mutually beneficial relationship where each technology benefits from the other,» he said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 16, #889

Here are some hints — and the answers — for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 16, #889.

Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a fun one. As a pop-culture junkie and game lover, I enjoyed the purple category. If you need help sorting the answers into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

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

Yellow group hint: Different strokes for different folks.

Green group hint: Ho-hum.

Blue group hint: Flags often qualify.

Purple group hint: Do not pass Go.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Technique.

Green group: Run-of-the-mill.

Blue group: Stripy things.

Purple group: Words on Monopoly squares.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is technique. The four answers are approach, method, philosophy and school.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is run-of-the-mill. The four answers are banal, everday, humdrum and pedestrian.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is stripy things.The four answers are barcode, IBM logo, rugby shirt and zebra.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is words on Monopoly squares. The four answers are avenue, parking, railroad and tax.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 16 #623

Here are hints — and answers — for the NYT Strands puzzle for Nov. 16, No. 623.

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.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is tough. It’s a weird theme, and some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so 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: Around it goes.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: They’re often on a roll.

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:

CARE, SCARE, CRASS, SWAT, PELL, HELL, SCAR, HALT, STENT, HALTS, TENT, POLL, LOTS

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 have 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:

FOIL, SCARF, SHAWL, STOLE, FLATBREAD, CELLOPHANE

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is THATSAWRAP. To find it, start with the T that’s three letters up from the bottom of the far-left row, and wind down, over and then up.