Why the Apple Vision Pro matters

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Welcome back, Superhuman

It’s finally here. After months of teasers and previews, Apple’s Vision Pro headset is hitting the streets. And they’re not cheap. We evaluate the good, the bad, and why it’s going to shape the future of tech.

TODAY’S MENU

• Apple’s Vision Pro: pros, cons, and why it’s a big deal

• How to convert text to voice with AI (and change your voice)

• Leak claims Google is releasing Gemini Ultra this week

• Chart: ChatGPT adoption vs other major technologies

• 5 new AI tools to boost your productivity

• AI Generated Images: Modern cities painted by classic painters

NEWS

Today in AI & Tech

• Coming Soon: Apple CEO Tim Cook tells analysts on earnings calls that the company is working on AI initiatives that the company is “incredibly excited about” and expects announcements later this year.

• Sensitive Matters: Scale AI - the multi-billion dollar AI startup - scrapped a deal with Chinese-owned TikTok over security concerns, according to a Forbes report.

• Returning Home: Russian tech company Yandex has agreed to a $5B+ sale that will see the company come under full Russian ownership.

• Competition: Open-source AI platform Hugging Face announces customizable Hugging Chat Assistants, an open-source alternative to ChatGPT’s custom GPTS.

• Yikes: Hong Kong police say worker at a company was tricked into paying $25 million to fraudsters who posed as the company’s chief financial officer using deepfake technology.

APPLE

The Vision Pro: The good, the bad, and why it’s going to shape the future of computing

Apple wants you to think outside the box by strapping a box onto your face. The Vision Pro is Apple’s new “spatial computing“ headset that blends AI, augmented reality, and a number of other technologies to create a device that represents Apple’s boldest new product since the iPhone.

The Good: Early reviews are gushing with praise. Social media platforms are full of users raving about how realistic the visuals look, how intuitive the hand gestures feel, and how immersive and novel the entire experience feels. “I think it’s not evolutionary; it’s revolutionary,” said Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron. “And I’m speaking as someone who has worked in VR for 18 years.”

Interesting early use cases include:

• Replacing monitors with multiple screens to create a virtual working space

• Watching multiple sports games simultaneously

• Attending team calls virtually

• Watching movies and playing games on large screens

The Bad: Well, it’s kinda expensive. Really expensive. The headset comes at an eye-watering $3,499 sticker price. That’s a lot of cash for a device that hasn’t proven itself yet. When you consider the limited app selection, heavy weight, occasional glitches, and limited battery capacity, buying a Vision Pro isn’t a straightforward decision.

Why It’s a Big Deal: Spatial computing (or augmented reality, or whatever you want to call it) could be the next big general computing platform since the smartphone. The iPhone was precisely a huge deal because it was the first big general computing platform since the desktop and the laptop. While smartwatches and tablets were useful in particular use cases, they were mostly a refined version of smartphones targeted to a specific niche. The Vision Pro isn’t just a cool VR headset, it could be the device that replaces smartphones and laptops.

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AI AT WORK

How to convert text to voice with AI

You can use ElevenLabs to create voice audio for gaming, video content, audiobooks, ads, chatbots and more. Here’s how to use it:

• Go to EvelenLabs AI and sign up.

• Choose a language (from the list of 29 languages) for your audio.

• Write a prompt in the language of your choice.

• Now choose the voice that best suits the type of audio and tone you want to generate.

• Click on the play button and you’ll get the audio clip for the text you inserted.

• Download the voice by clicking on the button in the bottom right corner.

Bonus Tip: With ElevenLab’s new voice-changer feature, you can use speech-to-speech and edit and fine-tune your own voiceovers as well.

To use speech-to-speech, record an audio clip in your voice (allows 18 sec audio for now), select a voice for your voiceover, and press the play button.

NEXT IN AI

Leak claims Google is releasing Gemini Ultra this week

According to a document leaked on social media platform X, Google is planning on releasing its high-end Gemini Ultra model this week, which the company has previously claimed beats OpenAI’s GPT-4 across several major performance benchmarks.

The leak also claims that Bard will be renamed to Gemini, and that the Gemini Ultra model will be available to use with a paid subscription. A Gemini Android app will also be reportedly released for select Pixel and Galaxy devices.

The latest Gemini Ultra model is expected to launch this Wednesday, alongside the rebranded chatbot, the poster claims.

CHART

ChatGPT adoption vs other major technologies

According to data from consulting firm Oliver Wyman, ChatGPT has reached mass adoption faster than other mainstream technologies in the past. Mass adoption is defined as 50% adoption in the US, according to the report.

PRODUCTIVITY

5 AI Tools to Supercharge Your Productivity

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Course Box: Design course structure and create a course in under one hour with AI.

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AI GENERATED IMAGES

Modern cities painted by classic painters

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Thanks for reading.

Until next time!

Zain

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