I saw ‘home of the future' at Apple HQ where redecorating takes seconds and costs NOTHING – and it's just months away
Well, it's not sci-fi – it's just months away. This is the hi-tech
future
that Apple showed me at its California HQ just last month.
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Later this year, you'll be able to add virtual decorations to your real home
Credit: Apple
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You can even peer through this window into a vast digital panorama – as if you were looking out through real glass
Credit: Apple
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The Sun's tech editor Sean Keach has been using the Vision Pro headset to explore the virtual world
Credit: Sean Keach / The Sun
Back in 2024, Apple launched the
So if you want to sit back and watch Ted Lasso on a massive
The world isn't blocked out: you'll still see your kids playing with Lego on the floor, or your cat demanding its third breakfast.
Now the company is preparing to roll out a major update that not only upgrades the headset…but your home too.
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Read more on Apple
A VISION OF THE FUTURE
Right now, most of the apps that you use on a Vision Pro headset float in the air in front of you. Spooky.
It's neat if you're on an airplane, as you can block out your surroundings and find a bit of peace in economy.
But in the real world, you don't normally have important stuff just hovering mid-air. You wouldn't typically stick your telly in the middle of the room, or covering a window. It gets in the way.
In the
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You could chuck a virtual clock up on the wall (and save
money
on having a real one).
Or you could drop the
Weather
app just by the front door, so you know whether you need to grab a coat.
EXCLUSIVE Apple's Tim Cook shares exactly how he uses Vision Pro headset every day as millions finally get chance to buy
Ditch picture frames and slap the Photos app on the wall for a
nice
carousel of your favourite snaps.
Or even add Reminders right
next
to the fridge, so you've always got your shopping list in plain sight.
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There's even a very cool (and optional) effect that insets the widget into the wall. So it feels as if it's built directly into your home.
You can even add beautiful images that sit behind the wall, and then you can lean left and right, or forwards and backwards, to almost peer into a magical world that lives beyond your room.
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The Apple Vision Pro headset is a "spatial computer"
Credit: Apple
Of course there's nothing behind there. Except maybe dust and spiders.
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But it allows for something that wouldn't physically be possible with a normal wall. No amount of money can buy this in the real world. This is redecorating like never before.
'When it's inset into the wall, it has to just be perfectly aligned with the wall to have that feel satisfying,' said Jeff Norris, senior director at Apple's Vision products group, speaking to me at Apple Park.
'You have to understand the surfaces in the room.'
EYE TRY
I tried this
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It looked like these widgets were right there, as embedded in the wall as a door or window frame.
And as I moved around the room, they'd stay stuck in place. I couldn't trick it, no matter which way I turned or walked.
This isn't very easy to achieve, Apple tells me.
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You can easily customise the widgets that you're adding to your wall
Credit: Apple
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It works using the Apple Vision Pro smart goggles
Credit: Apple
'It needs to remember the room,' Jeff explained.
And it needs to do that even if the lighting conditions change significantly. Or if things get moved around in the room a little bit.
'We have to be able to do that, and do that for many different rooms.
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'Meaning that feature you saw, it'll work for your
home office
and your office at work.
'It will remember both of those rooms, and remember what you put in both of those places.
'So that moment you walk into your office at home, we have just a fraction of a second to say: 'Okay, what room are we in? Let's remember everything that was in that room, exactly where it was. And while we're at it, let's never lose track of where we are in that space'.'
They're not just stiff images either.
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You can walk right up to them and interact with them. Change a photo or tick off a reminder.
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Change the colour of a visionOS 26 widget to suit your room
Credit: Apple
And if you don't like one clock style, you can swap it out for something else.
'It's amazing that you can have a digital object like a widget that feels like it's right there in the room with you,' Steve Sinclair, who is in charge of Apple Vision Pro marketing, told me.
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'Even though your brain knows it's not, it feels like it is. And you can interact with it as if it's there.'
Right now, the only way to view these virtual redecorations is to don the Vision Pro headset.
VISIONOS 26 – WHAT ELSE IS NEW?
Here are some bonus features coming in visionOS 26:
Look to Scroll
Redesigned Control Centre
Ability to unlock iPhone while wearing Apple Vision Pro
Relaying calls from iPhone
Folders on Home View
Improved quality for Personas
Picture Credit: Apple
And that means only you're seeing them. No one else.
SHRINKING BIG
But you can imagine a future where maybe the Vision Pro has shrunk to the size of glasses, and everyone in your house has a pair.
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Apple rival Meta has shown off this kind of futuristic gadget – albeit only as a prototype – in the form of the
The Apple Vision Pro serves up immensely greater visual quality. But it's a big headset and, ultimately,
Sadly Apple hasn't confirmed any plans for smaller or cheaper 'spatial computing' headsets. And glasses-style mixed-reality specs that don't cost mega-money are years away.
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You can inset widgets into the wall for a very cool effect
Credit: Apple
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But this is a glimpse at the future of what
homes
might become.
You can imagine one day being able to change the colour of your wallpaper or sofa in an instant – and add a nice rug, if you'd like.
But for now, Apple is only adding the ability to add widgets to the walls. Still, it's a step in that direction.
It's not a huge stretch to imagine a future where we all don specs that aren't much bigger than regular glasses.
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This would give us all access to a digital world that lives all around us – rather than being squeezed into our eyes through the tiny window of a smartphone screen.
And swiping a new photo onto your wall is a lot easier than hanging a frame. I'm rubbish at DIY, so this can't come soon enough.
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Apps usually float in front of you on the Vision Pro, but widgets can be attached to your wall
Credit: Apple
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The Vision Pro headset lets you see virtual objects as if they were in your real physical space
Credit: Apple
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The Irish Sun
6 minutes ago
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The Irish Sun
36 minutes ago
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The Spanish party town with 87p shots that's ‘better than Benidorm' & BEGGING Brits to return after anti-tourist demos
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'Better than Benidorm' 18 Young tourists in I Heart Lloret de Mar shirts head for a night out in the party town Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Protesters hold up signs in Barcelona in June claiming tourism is killing the city Credit: Getty 18 British teens Lucy and Gemma, both 18, are loving the nightlife in Lloret Credit: Darren Fletcher Italian Claudio, who has lived in Lloret for 12 years, said he struggles to understand the anti- tourist protests happening in other parts of Spain. 'It has affected our numbers here, especially this year,' he said. 'But we need tourists in Lloret, we love them. Most of Spain needs tourists too, so protesting against them doesn't help anyone. "Tourists should come to Lloret for the good weather, the beautiful beaches, and amazing food options. Plus there are lots of cultural places around here to visit, such as One of the biggest draws to the town is its party district, home to one of the world's best clubs, Tropics. The main strip, Avenue Just Marles Vilarrodona, is full of venues that can hold thousands of revellers, and the winding side streets boast a seemingly unending array of cocktail bars offering outrageous drinking games. Don't Let The Duck Out sees players put on a swim cap and snorkelling goggles to try to grab a bottle of alcohol from a large water bowl. Essentially it's boozy apple bobbing. British teens Lucy and Gemma, both 18, are loving the nightlife in Lloret. Lucy said: 'My sister recommended it, and it's crazy here. We have no regrets booking it. It's fun.' Other Brits out on the lash include Dan Clark and Ollie Bott, both 20, from Stoke, who booked the resort after spotting it on the Jet2 website. For a random find, we've got no regrets. We're on night one, and it's already shaping up to be better than Zante. 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'A little rowdy' Back on the main street are Disco Londoner and Touch Down Sports bar, both owned by Marcus Faraji. He told The Sun: 'Ninety per cent of the industry here is based around tourism, even if it's not directly. 'More needs to be done to educate locals that their livelihoods and comforts come from tourists being welcome here. This is getting lost because many people are so worried about the housing issues. 'The drinking tourism we get upsets some, and they complain that people don't come here to visit cultural places, but the truth is we don't have the infrastructure for that. "Many of the tourists that come here are in groups organised by tour operators, who take up bulk bookings at hotels. English people are my favourite tourists because they spend so much. They can be a bit difficult, like fighting each other, but they come with a budget to spend and will spend it all Igor Peyman 'It means we have to keep drinks cheap, because if we raise our prices they threaten to not come. 'But some of the people they bring are as young as 16, so we won't serve them anyway, and they don't have a lot of money to spend, which harms the economy. 'English people don't travel in the same way. We would like more of them because they spend a huge amount on both restaurants and on alcohol.' Bars caught serving booze to someone under age risk a fine of £2,600 for each case — and the drinker can be handed a £850 fine. Local businessman Igor Peyman, 54, is also keen to see more British holidaymakers pitch up in Lloret. He said: 'English people are my favourite tourists because they spend so much. 'They can be a bit difficult, like fighting each other, but they come with a budget to spend and will spend it all. There is so much for people to enjoy here so we hope they aren't put off by the protests in other parts of Spain.' 'Spanish Blackpool' But not everyone is a fan of Lloret. Holidaymaker Amanda, from Stratford-upon-Avon, She added: 'You do have to look for the nicer places to go as the centre is very young and aimed at a younger crowd.' Her pal Michele agreed, but added: 'Everyone has been really friendly, and you don't get hassled to go to restaurants or shops. Parts of the town are quite dated and need investment.' We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets Tattoo shop worker Jose Tattoo shop worker Jose, 30, is keen for Lloret to only welcome tourists who will be respectful. He said: 'We want people who won't pee or poo in the street. We have plenty of public restrooms and bars where people can use the toilets. 'Tourists who want to have fun but appreciate we live here are always welcome, even if they're a little rowdy. 'Lloret is a poor town, and most of us have to earn our living for the year in the space of six weeks. "We love tourists and we always want them to come here.' 18 One less impressed visitor dubbed the town Spain's Blackpool Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Budget boozers sell cocktails and shots for 1 euro Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Josh, 30, and Saffron, 27, from Hull enjoyed the cheap drinks at the bars Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Sun reporter Thea Jacobs takes part in one of the outrageous drinking games Credit: Darren Fletcher 18 Thea samples the local cocktails Credit: Darren Fletcher What is overtourism? Overtourism is where a destination experiences a volume of tourists that exceeds its manageable capacity. The term is often used to describe the negative consequences of mass tourism, which includes overcrowding and environmental issues. As a result, popular destinations have become less enjoyable for both visitors and locals. Local communities, in particular, bear the brunt, facing rising costs and a depletion of resources. In response, national and local governments have started to implement measures to reduce overtourism. These include: Safeguarding historical and heritage sites Promoting off-peak travel Tourism caps and regulations Promoting lesser-known destinations
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Prince Harry needs people to forget he made fortune out of slamming his family… but Angola trip didn't work, expert says
AFTER a secret peace summit was held between Prince Harry and King Charles' aides, royal fans hoped their icy relationship would thaw. But it appears there will be Prince Harry in an awkward spot. 5 Prince Harry will have to do more if he wants in with the royal family again according to public votes Credit: Getty 5 Back to happier times between the family in 2014 Credit: Getty 5 Royal expert Robert Jobson says his recent Angola trip didn't help win over the public or royal family Credit: Reuters 5 He says Prince Harry has said too much to get forgiveness Credit: AP Speaking on The Sun's Royal Exclusive show, royal expert Robert Jobson said Prince Harry will have to make people forget that he sold out his family if he wants a comeback. It comes after The Sun's Royal show asked viewers if they wanted to see the two reconcile, and a staggering 73% said no. Robert said: "I think it's too late. Too much has gone under the bridge, in my opinion . Too much water." Sky News royal editor READ MORE ON PRINCE HARRY She added: "The biggest issue for Harry and Meghan, is that an awful lot has been said. "The whole family kind of went under the bus, really, in the documentaries and in Spare. And there are lots of things that they cannot erase in terms of what's been said." Robert also revealed that the Duke of Sussex 's recent trip to Angola, where Princess Diana went, also did nothing to sway the public on letting him back into the royal family. Prince Harry recently followed in his mum's footsteps Halo , who help clear them, something he also did in 2019. Most read in Royals The royal expert said: "But the reality was that was a big deal then. "It wasn't a big deal this time around. So he's not got the same draw that he had. He must know that. When you've trashed your family and monetised it." Meghan & Harry's war with the royals will NEVER end - they'll drag it on as long as they have breath in his body 5 Monetising over the family feud will be hard to come back from Credit: AP Robert went on to say that Diana's authorised biography, Her True Story, was different as she didn't monetise from it, while Harry did with his book Spare. "She didn't monetise it for herself. He made a fortune out of it," he explained. "He's asking for forgiveness. Well, you know, I think that his father probably will in the long term. I think he probably will. I just don't see William and Camilla doing it." Earlier this month, Meredith Maines, Meghan and Harry's chief of staff in California , and Liam Maguire, the head of their UK PR operation, recently met Charles's communication secretary Tobyn Andreae at the Royal Over-Seas League which sits just three minutes from Clarence House. The secret peace summit sparked rumours a reconciliation is in the works, but Prince William's team was notably absent. The Duke revealed in "life is precious" and "I would like to get my father and brother back". It comes after Harry opened up a number of wounds when he spoke to US talk show host Meghan The Prince would also publish his bombshell book Spare in 2023 after moving to California which stirred up further controversies. He reportedly hasn't seen Charles in years with his last direct communication with brother William coming in 2022. The feuding brothers reportedly didn't even speak to each other despite standing 'virtually back to back' among mourners at their uncle's memorial service last year. Inside Prince William and Prince Harry's 'feud' TENSIONS have been running high in the royal family since Prince Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California with Meghan Markle. Their last reported interaction was during the funeral of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, but conversations were said to be brief. The feuding brothers reportedly did not speak to each other despite standing 'virtually back to back' among mourners at their uncle's memorial service last year. Growing up, Wills and Harry shared many of the same friends who were part of their close, tight-knit circle. But their relationship took a sour turn after Harry lobbed In the book, he claimed William had The Sussexes had also targeted Princess Kate, when Meghan claimed the royal made her cry. The bitter feud was ignited when the Sussexes told Oprah, in their It was later claimed the royals were Princess Kate and King Charles, after Harry and Meghan's former pal During the infamous Oprah interview, the duchess also made stinging comments about the Firm and how they Prince William and Harry's bond then worsened after the Sussexes made a number of accusations against the Royal Family in their 2022 Netflix docuseries. The duke has given subsequent interviews, such as his most BBC chat in May 2025, that have only propelled bad blood.
