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The Star
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Apple readies feature that lets Vision Pro users scroll with their eyes
Customers try the Apple Vision Pro headset inside an Apple store in San Francisco, California, US. The eye-scrolling capability is being tested as part of visionOS 3, an upcoming version of the Vision Pro's operating system, according to sources. — Bloomberg Apple Inc is developing a feature for its Vision Pro headset that lets users scroll through software with their eyes, aiming to enhance the device with a novel interface. The eye-scrolling capability is being tested as part of visionOS 3, an upcoming version of the Vision Pro's operating system, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Already, the headset lets users navigate the software by looking at objects and then selecting them by pinching their fingers. The idea is to leverage the Vision Pro's existing eye-tracking hardware and software to take the system a step further, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the technology is still under wraps. Apple is planning to introduce the new Vision Pro operating system at its annual developer conference starting on June 9. The company also is slated to introduce major upgrades to iOS, iPadOS and macOS at that event, including changes that will make the software experience on those platforms feel more cohesive. On May 13, the iPhone maker announced a slew of upcoming accessibility upgrades for Apple devices, including support for companies working on neural-controlled interfaces. The team working on visionOS got an overhaul last month. Staff moved out of the prior Vision Products Group into a new combined Siri and visionOS software team within the company's software engineering organisation. A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment. The eye-scrolling feature will work across all of Apple's built-in apps on the Vision Pro, which starts at US$3,499 (RM15,007), and the company is preparing a way for developers to integrate the technology into their own software. Apple continues to add new features to the device – despite it not being a commercial hit – in a bid to show off the product's underlying capabilities and improve the experience for current users. At the same time, Apple is working on future hardware devices for the Vision product line. That includes a lighter version, as well as a model that tethers to a Mac for using applications that require low latency, or a minimal lag. The company is also working on smart glasses – both with and without augmented reality. The AR product is likely to someday run the same operating system as the Vision Pro. Several years ago, Samsung Electronics Co added an eye-scrolling feature to its smartphones, taking advantage of the devices' front-facing cameras. But the option never caught on with consumers. Apple added an eye-tracking feature to the iPhone and iPad last year, also using the front camera, as an option geared toward people with disabilities. It lets them control an on-screen pointer rather than scrolling through apps and content. In March, Apple rolled out visionOS 2.4, a notable update that brought a new Spatial Gallery app for viewing 3D content. It also added the Apple Intelligence platform and more deeply integrated the software with the iPhone. Apple is preparing to launch iOS 19 alongside the new visionOS and will include features like an AI-powered battery optimisation mode and a live-translate system for AirPods. – Bloomberg
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First Post
15-05-2025
- First Post
Apple's new wonder feature: Scroll with your eyes
The new feature's goal is to build on Vision Pro's existing eye-tracking hardware and software to advance the system even further. The company is planning to introduce the feature next month at its annual developer conference read more If you're an Apple Vision Pro user, you can soon scroll through the software with your eyes. The eye-scrolling feature is currently undergoing tests to be incorporated into visionOS 3, the upcoming version of Vision Pro's operating system, as per a report by The Business Times. Apple Vision Pro already lets users navigate the software by looking at objects and selecting them by simply pinching their fingers at them. The new feature's goal is to build on Vision Pro's existing eye-tracking hardware and software to advance the system even further. The company is planning to introduce the feature next month at its annual developer conference. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The company is also expected to unveil significant updates to iOS, iPadOS, and macOS at the event, featuring changes aimed at creating a more unified and seamless software experience across the platforms. Last month, the visionOS team underwent a reorganisation, with staff transitioning from the former Vision Products Group to a newly formed Siri and visionOS software team within Apple's software engineering division. A spokesperson for the Cupertino, California-based company declined to comment. Meanwhile, the ey-scrolling feature will be applicable to all of Apple's built-in apps on the Vision Pro, as the company is developing a program that will integrate the new feature in its own software. Apple is simultaneously developing next-generation hardware for its Vision lineup, including a lighter headset and a version designed to connect to a Mac for low-latency applications that demand minimal lag. In addition, the company is exploring smart glasses in two forms: standard and augmented reality (AR) versions. The AR glasses are expected to eventually run the same operating system as the Vision Pro. Last year, Apple introduced an eye-tracking feature for the iPhone and iPad, utilising the front camera. This feature, designed for people with disabilities, allows them to control an on-screen pointer instead of scrolling through apps and content. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Business Times
14-05-2025
- Business Times
Apple readies feature that lets Vision Pro users scroll with their eyes
[LOS ANGELES] Apple is developing a feature for its Vision Pro headset that lets users scroll through software with their eyes, aiming to enhance the device with a novel interface. The eye-scrolling capability is being tested as part of visionOS 3, an upcoming version of the Vision Pro's operating system, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Already, the headset lets users navigate the software by looking at objects and then selecting them by pinching their fingers. The idea is to leverage the Vision Pro's existing eye-tracking hardware and software to take the system a step further, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the technology is still under wraps. Apple is planning to introduce the new Vision Pro operating system at its annual developer conference starting on Jun 9. The company also is slated to introduce major upgrades to iOS, iPadOS and macOS at that event, including changes that will make the software experience on those platforms feel more cohesive. On Tuesday, the iPhone maker announced a slew of upcoming accessibility upgrades for Apple devices, including support for companies working on neural-controlled interfaces. The team working on visionOS got an overhaul last month. Staff moved out of the prior Vision Products Group into a new combined Siri and visionOS software team within the company's software engineering organisation. A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up The eye-scrolling feature will work across all of Apple's built-in apps on the Vision Pro, which starts at US$3,499, and the company is preparing a way for developers to integrate the technology into their own software. Apple continues to add new features to the device – despite it not being a commercial hit – in a bid to show off the product's underlying capabilities and improve the experience for current users. At the same time, Apple is working on future hardware devices for the Vision product line. That includes a lighter version, as well as a model that tethers to a Mac for using applications that require low latency, or a minimal lag. The company is also working on smart glasses – both with and without augmented reality (AR). The AR product is likely to someday run the same operating system as the Vision Pro. Several years ago, Samsung Electronics added an eye-scrolling feature to its smartphones, taking advantage of the devices' front-facing cameras. But the option never caught on with consumers. Apple added an eye-tracking feature to the iPhone and iPad last year, also using the front camera, as an option geared towards people with disabilities. It lets them control an on-screen pointer rather than scrolling through apps and content. In March, Apple rolled out visionOS 2.4, a notable update that brought a new Spatial Gallery app for viewing 3D content. It also added the Apple Intelligence platform and more deeply integrated the software with the iPhone. Apple is preparing to launch iOS 19 alongside the new visionOS and will include features such as an AI-powered battery optimisation mode and a live-translate system for AirPods. BLOOMBERG
Japan Times
21-03-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Apple shuffles AI executive ranks in bid to turn around Siri
Apple is undergoing a rare shake-up of its executive ranks, aiming to get its artificial intelligence efforts back on track after months of delays and stumbles, according to people familiar with the situation. CEO Tim Cook has lost confidence in the ability of AI head John Giannandrea to execute on product development, so he's moving over another top executive to help: Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell. In a new role, Rockwell will be in charge of the Siri virtual assistant, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the moves haven't been announced. Rockwell will report to software chief Craig Federighi, removing Siri completely from Giannandrea's command. Apple is poised to announce the changes to employees this week. The iPhone maker's senior leaders — a group known as the Top 100 — just met at a secretive, annual offsite gathering to discuss the future of the company. Its AI efforts were a key talking point at the summit, Bloomberg News has reported. The moves underscore the plight facing Apple: Its AI technology is severely lagging industry rivals, and the company has shown little sign of catching up. The Apple Intelligence platform was late to arrive and largely a flop, despite being the main selling point for the iPhone 16. Rockwell is currently the vice president in charge of the Vision Products Group, or VPG, the division that developed Apple's headset. As part of the changes, he'll be leaving that team and handing the reins to Paul Meade, an executive who has run hardware engineering for the Vision Pro under Rockwell. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the moves. The need to rescue Siri is especially urgent. The company has struggled to release new features that were announced last June, including the ability to tap into a user's data to fulfill queries. Despite the technology not being ready, Apple advertised the enhancements for months on TV in order to sell the iPhone 16. Following development snags, the company further delayed the features earlier this month. The Apple manager who has led Siri until now told his team in a recent meeting that the delays were "ugly' and that staffers may be angry and embarrassed. The executive, Robby Walker, also said he was unsure when the features would actually arrive due to competing development priorities. Apple has publicly stated that the features will be ready sometime in the "coming year.' Apple shares have declined 14% this year, part of a broader retreat for tech stocks. They fell less than 1% to $214.62 as of 12:23 p.m. Thursday in New York. Tim Cook, CEO, from left, John Giannandrea, senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy, and Craig Federighi, senior vice president of software engineering at Apple. | bloomberg By tapping Rockwell, Apple is betting on an executive with proven technical experience. He has demonstrated the ability to ship new products and run an engineering organization with thousands of people. Rockwell has a knack for solving problems and often takes the role of evangelist for futuristic technologies. Rockwell is known as the brains behind the Vision Pro, which is considered a technical marvel but not a commercial hit. Getting the headset to market required a number of technical breakthroughs, some of which leveraged forms of artificial intelligence. He is now moving away from the Vision Pro at a time when that unit is struggling to plot a future for the product. Over the last decade, Rockwell has been one of the few Apple executives to take a major hardware device from "zero to one' — industry parlance for conceiving a new product and bringing it to market. He joined Apple's hardware engineering group in 2015, and the company released the Vision Pro in February of last year. Giannandrea has a different background. A former Google star, he was hired in 2018 to run Apple's AI work. Giannandrea had been one of Alphabet Inc.'s most senior executives, overseeing the search and AI divisions. Rockwell, in contrast, doesn't have prior experience as an AI leader or clout within the burgeoning machine-learning community. Apple has set the stage for the change by increasingly referring internally to the Vision Pro and VPG initiatives as "AI products.' Rockwell's experience with hardware also could help the company more deeply embed AI into its future devices. Already, the company is exploring the idea of AirPods with outward-facing cameras that could feed data to AI. Siri — the AI division's main consumer product — has had a number of bosses over the years. When Apple first launched the voice assistant in 2011, it was overseen by software executive Scott Forstall. It was then given to services chief Eddy Cue in 2012 and transferred to the current software head, Federighi, in 2017. Giannandrea took it over a year later. Now it will be led by Rockwell, with oversight returning again to Federighi. Giannandrea will remain at the company, even with Rockwell taking over Siri. An abrupt departure would signal publicly that the AI efforts have been tumultuous — something Apple is reluctant to acknowledge. Giannandrea's other responsibilities include oversight of research, testing and technologies related to AI. The company also has a team reporting to Giannandrea investigating robotics. Federighi, Rockwell's new manager, is the company's senior vice president of software engineering. He oversees development of Apple's iOS, iPadOS and macOS operating systems, as well as development tools. Along with Giannandrea, he was a key figure in the development of Apple Intelligence. Right now, he's also orchestrating an extensive revamp of the company's core software. Siri had been plagued by engineering and quality problems long before Giannandrea arrived on the scene. Though he struggled to turn around that technology, he's made headway in other areas. That includes luring top AI researchers to Apple, which hadn't been known for such work in the past. He also unified the company's AI work under one roof, pulling in related technologies from across Apple into a single division. The AI management shift has been months in the making and predates Apple announcing the Siri delays. Last year, the company tapped Rockwell deputy Kim Vorrath to help advise the Siri team. She's known for bringing order and execution to troubled development programs. In January, she was officially moved over to the AI group as a top lieutenant to Giannandrea to oversee AI program management. In the past several days, Apple started moving over another senior manager from Rockwell's team — Aimee Nugent — to the Siri group. Like Vorrath, she has a reputation for fixing challenging projects. The changes allowed two of Rockwell's trusted executives to evaluate the organization before he became heavily involved. Inside Apple, Rockwell hasn't been shy about criticizing Siri, according to people familiar with the matter. For years, he has pitched senior vice presidents on ideas for overhauling the voice assistant to make it more personalized. He has also been advising the AI group in recent weeks. Even before the management changes, Giannandrea long considered Rockwell a potential successor. When developing the Vision Pro, Rockwell believed that Siri could be a central way to control the $3,499 device. Now, it's only a limited element, with the company primarily focusing on hand-and-eye control. Rockwell has had more experience with the AI team in recent months as the company worked to bring Apple Intelligence to the Vision Pro. The features are launching on the headset in April as part of a visionOS software upgrade.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Apple puts Vision Pro exec in charge of Siri in exec shakeup
As Apple's Siri comes under attack for failing at the most basic queries, the company is shaking up leadership in charge of Apple's AI features for Siri. According to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook is installing Mike Rockwell, the current VP of the Vision Products Group (the team behind the Vision Pro), to head up the Siri team. The report indicates Cook has "lost confidence" in the current AI head, John Giannandrea, "to execute on product development." As a result, Giannandrea will no longer be in charge of Siri. Rockwell, meanwhile, will report to software chief Craig Federighi, while the Vision Products Group team will now be headed up by Paul Meade, who previously ran hardware engineering for the Vision Pro. Siri hasn't been able to hold up against modern-day AI, leaving Apple to integrate third-party AI services, like ChatGPT, into its software just to keep up with AI's rapid developments and consumer expectations. In recent tests, Siri users pointed out that Apple Intelligence-powered Siri couldn't correctly answer simple questions like "who won the Super Bowl?" This month, Apple also announced it was delaying the rollout of the more "personalized" Siri until sometime next year. Sign in to access your portfolio
