The Vision Pro is Apple’s long-awaited reality-warping headset‚ shipping now for the nominal fee of $3‚499. Despite that eye-watering price‚ the product is a hit — Apple sold 200‚000 of these things before they even hit store shelves. Of course‚ there was never any doubt that if a company could bring the virtual reality headset to the masses‚ it would be Apple. While VR is not a new technology — clunky consumer products date back to the early 1990s — it’s seen a renaissance in the past few years‚ largely thanks to steep investment and marketing muscle from Meta (née Facebook)‚ which purchased the technology in 2014. And that’s why the Vision Pro is a looming disaster for the human race. With Vision Pro‚ ignoring reality is as simple as turning a knob. While the Oculus Quest headsets have been an enormous hit‚ they’ve never entirely made it past the nerdy novelty zone. They’re a neat toy you get your kids for Christmas. They obsess over it for a few weeks or months‚ and it promptly gets lost in a drawer‚ never to be seen again. This category of hype product Apple excels at. Personal computers‚ MP3 players‚ smartphones‚ and smartwatches were all once clunky nerd novelties until Apple scooped them up‚ applied its je ne sais quoi‚ and re-released them as mass-market sensations. Apple has a knack for making the nerdy hip. While the first iteration of the Vision Pro — which resembles a pair of ski goggles — is expensive‚ dorky‚ and not quite fully baked‚ there’s little doubt that the company will figure it out as time goes on‚ just as it did with the Apple Watch‚ which became ubiquitous after an awkward launch. The price will come down‚ Apple will convince you that wearing ski goggles in public is cool‚ and next thing you know‚ the Vision Pro 4 will be a must-have to function in polite society. And that’s why the Vision Pro is a looming disaster for the human race. With Vision Pro‚ ignoring reality is as simple as turning a knob. The term “mixed reality” should be a red flag. Our reality is already mixed enough‚ with people barely able to tell fantasy from reality‚ largely thanks to Apple’s iPhone‚ which began innocuous enough and soon became the lens by which everyone views — and shares their view of — the world. And those views often become warped‚ thanks to technologies like face filters‚ which can make you look a different age‚ gender‚ race‚ or even species. As the “Pro” title indicates‚ Apple is positioning the Vision Pro as a serious work device instead of a futuristic toy. Apple wants the Vision Pro to be taken seriously. But let’s be honest: Games and amusements will significantly influence Vision Pro’s popularity. The masses aren’t going to pick these up to work on spreadsheets. Locked in the Matrix Image courtesy of Apple Newsroom Let’s be blunt for a second. Despite all the bluster and hype around spatial computing and virtual workspaces‚ the Vision Pro is a high-tech hallucination machine. Even in its benign form‚ it closes you off from the real world to trick your brain into thinking that a spreadsheet is floating in your living room. Consider how many of us already shut out the outside world to stare into the black mirror of our phones. We often ignore our spouses‚ children‚ and friends to gaze into the distorted world of social media‚ where everyone is playing some sort of character‚ whether it’s a political extremist or a guy whose entire schtick is based around eating raw organs. The longer we remain in the social media world‚ the more outlandish and extreme everyone gets because we no longer interact with each other as people but as blank screens upon which we project warped caricatures. At least‚ for the moment‚ you can put down the phone and walk away. Soon‚ that may not be so easy. If and when technology like the Vision Pro becomes mainstream‚ we may soon find ourselves in a constant haze of digital hallucination. Apple’s marketing does nothing to dissuade this. In its latest Vision Pro ad‚ dubbed “First-Timer‚” a man watches a movie alone in total isolation. First-Timer | Apple Vision Pro www.youtube.com To be fair to Apple‚ it’s attempting to make an inherently antisocial technology less so. When people approach you in an immersive environment‚ they break through as if from a fog. The front display also shows a simulacrum of your eyes through a technology Apple calls EyeSight‚ though the effect is more creepy than welcoming. However‚ these feel like half-measures designed to help make an inherently icky technology more palatable. We’ve lived in the iPhone world long enough to observe ourselves and others often hopelessly lost in their phones. Once we remove the simple option of looking up‚ it will be game over. I reject your reality and substitute my own Apple has been working on reality-warping technology for years‚ though it’s being very cautious about rolling it out for the Vision Pro. One such technology is Animojis‚ introduced with iOS 11 in 2017‚ which lets you replace your face with a cartoon image of things like cats‚ robots‚ and unicorns. Apple followed up the next year with Memojis‚ which are customizable avatars. It’s not inconceivable that soon‚ you’ll be able to replace people’s heads and faces with the ones you choose. Think your spouse is ugly? Give him or her a new face! Would you prefer to identify as a werewolf? Entirely possible. And it’s also very possible that Vision Pro users will grow so used to such a warped world that the non-enhanced world will seem ugly‚ disorienting‚ and dysphoric. Apple Shows Off New 'Memoji' Feature www.youtube.com You can already use the Vision Pro to get lost in your memories. The iPhone 15 Pro and the Vision Pro both can take 3D “spatial” photos and videos‚ which you can then relive forever in full 3D in the Vision Pro. However‚ we have yet to discuss Vision Pro’s strangest feature. Digital doppelgängers You can make and receive FaceTime calls with the Vision Pro‚ and you may be wondering how that works when there’s no way to have a camera pointed on your face. Apple has a humdinger of a solution‚ and it may be the creepiest aspect of the Vision Pro: The Vision Pro scans your face to make a 3D re-creation of it called a Persona. Personas are used instead of your face for Vision Pro FaceTime calls. The Persona is also used to represent your eyes on the device’s EyeSight display. The Vision Pro is an inherently anti-human technology. It fundamentally closes humans off from other humans. It peppers your sense of reality with illusions and digital hallucinations. It can even replace you entirely. So a loved one could be talking to you‚ either in person or over FaceTime‚ and not actually talking to you but to a digital doppelgänger you animate. Right now‚ no one will be fooled: the Personas look (probably intentionally) blurry and weird. However responsible Apple may try to be with the technology‚ it has chilling implications. It’s already possible to “resurrect” someone with a large language model (like ChatGPT) if you can feed the model enough of the person's writing. It’s also possible to re-create someone’s voice with AI. With face-scanning technology‚ it’ll soon be entirely possible to replicate a person digitally. A nightmare for humanity Many reading this will think I’m alarmist‚ but most of us didn’t recognize the earth-shattering potential of the original iPhone. Some saw it as the future‚ others saw it as an overpriced toy‚ but almost no one envisioned how it would spark revolutions and protests or change the way we date‚ shop‚ and interact with each other. Would there be “cancel culture” without the iPhone? Would the COVID panopticon have been possible? Would OnlyFans be a thing? The iPhone has changed nearly every aspect of our lives and our culture‚ and we haven’t even had time to assess to what degree. The Vision Pro is an inherently anti-human technology. It fundamentally closes humans off from other humans. It peppers your sense of reality with illusions and digital hallucinations. It can even replace you entirely. Personally‚ I hope it’s a big‚ expensive failure for Apple. I find solace in the fact that while cell phones were already incredibly popular before the iPhone arrived‚ nerd goggles have yet to really take off over the past 30 years they’ve tried. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Actor Kumail Nanjiani‚ who starred in Marvel's "Eternals‚" revealed that following a year of transforming his physique to better suit a superhero role‚ he experienced "trauma" over his movie being poorly received by critics and audiences and needed therapy.Nanjiani spent months on end in the gym to prepare for the big studio movie and allegedly put on 25 pounds of muscle for the role. The actor was even on the cover of Men's Health magazine. "I found out a year ago I was going to be in Marvel’s Eternals and decided I wanted to transform how I looked‚” he wrote on Instagram in 2019. "I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have a full year with the best trainers and nutritionists paid for by the biggest studio in the world."Despite this‚ Nanjiani stated in 2020 that he thought "traditional masculinity" was "a disease."In a since-deleted post on X (then Twitter)‚ Nanjiani responded to a post that asked "why did so many men stick with Trump in 2020? The COVID-19 pandemic may have given him a way to reach more masculine men. Many of those men actually liked Trump's 'shrug it off' approach."Years later‚ the actor revealed to fellow star Michael Rosenbaum that he was still greatly affected by the negative reviews of his movie."Marvel thought that movie was going to be really‚ really well reviewed‚ so they lifted the embargo early and put it in some fancy movie festivals‚ and they sent us on a big global tour to promote the movie right as the embargo lifted‚" he said on "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum."He described the experience as "really‚ really hard‚" as he was "too aware" of the negative reviews and read "every" one of them. He also claimed that he began acting "unfair" to his wife."I started counseling‚" he revealed. "I still talk to my therapist about that. ... I do have trauma from it. We actually just got dinner with somebody else from that movie and we were like‚ ‘That was tough‚ wasn’t it?’ and he’s like‚ ‘Yeah‚ that was really tough.'""I realized I can't be so results-based in my in my work any more 'cause I can't really control it. I can control my experience‚ I can control how I am to the people around me‚ I can control what I learn from it‚ I can control how I work. I can't control what people are going to think of it‚" he added.Marvel's "Eternals" was a film about immortal aliens who emerged from hiding after thousands of years‚ the Guardian explained. Nanjiani played the character Kingo‚ who was described by the outlet as a fame-loving hero who can create cosmic energy projectiles. The character became a Bollywood star as a means to blend in on Earth.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Biden administration's Department of Energy announced Wednesday that Puerto Rico can transition to "100% renewable energy" by 2050‚ based on a two-year analysis‚ the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study‚ also referred to as PR100.The recently released PR100 summary report claims that Puerto Rico‚ a territory that has struggled with long-standing and persistent power outages‚ can achieve a "robust‚ affordable‚ resilient‚ and equitable energy system" powered by renewable energy by 2050. The report notes that reaching the goal "will not be fast or easy."Years after Hurricane Maria‚ a category four storm‚ wiped out power in most of Puerto Rico‚ the island continues to struggle with rolling blackouts and high electricity bills. Following the disaster‚ local officials moved to privatize the power grid's operations‚ the Wall Street Journal reported in January 2023.Luma Energy LLC‚ a Canadian-American power company‚ assumed responsibility for the aging and neglected grid in June 2021. Since the takeover‚ the company's chief executive‚ Wayne Stensby‚ has stated that Luma underestimated the extent of the grid's problems.In 2022‚ Puerto Rico was hit by a category one storm‚ Hurricane Fiona‚ which caused an islandwide blackout for 1.5 million residents‚ CNN reported. López Varona‚ with the progressive advocacy group Center for Popular Democracy‚ told the news outlet‚ "Because the whole system hasn't been properly cared for or modernized‚ we are in a position where any time a storm hits or there is some sort of natural disaster‚ the whole grid falls apart."Last month‚ the DOE stated‚ "Natural disasters in recent memory have posed significant challenges to Puerto Rico's electrical grid and the more than three million residents it serves. In September 2017‚ Hurricanes Irma and Maria caused most of the transmission and distribution system in Puerto Rico to collapse‚ leading to one of the longest blackouts in U.S. history and leaving residents in some parts of the territory without electricity for almost a year. Merely five years later‚ Hurricane Fiona again knocked out 100% of the grid for as long as four weeks in parts of Puerto Rico‚ underscoring the critical need for urgent electrical grid modernization in the region."The recent report outlines pathways for Puerto Rico to be powered only by "clean energy‚" a goal established by the island's legislature in 2019 through the Puerto Rico Energy Public Policy Act.The DOE claims the transition will stabilize Puerto Rico's grid and make it resilient to storms. Beginning later this month‚ residents can apply for the agency's Programa Acceso Solar‚ or the Solar Access Program‚ which is "designed to connect up to 30‚000 low-income households with residential rooftop solar and battery storage systems with zero upfront costs."Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro R. Pierluisi called the modernization of the island's power grid one of his highest priorities.U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said‚ "The Biden-Harris administration is committed to equity-centered climate solutions that provide a direct and immediate benefit to those grappling with the persistent and lingering effects of climate change."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

An elderly man who survived a violent mugging has warned New Yorkers that the city is not safe for seniors. The older gentleman referred to the city as a "jungle" that will soon be "non-civilized."Hyman Silverglad was walking home from the grocery store on East 86th Street‚ Manhattan‚ when he was attacked by a mugger who began grabbing at his back pocket."I get to the end of the construction site‚ and I see a shadow‚ and all of a sudden someone grabbed [both my] shoulders and starts to rip at my back-left pocket‚" Silverglad recounted. "Ripping for my money‚ and I'm aware of it‚ and I try to hit his hands off me.""I guess he must have turned me around ... slams me to the sidewalk‚ and starts to run away‚" the 91-year-old told the New York Post.The victim is in a hospital recovering from six bone fractures‚ along with another fracture at the bottom of his spine. He is reportedly unable to walk and in a lot of pain. He will also require rehab."I cannot walk‚ I'm in never-ending constant pain‚" the retired attorney told ABC 7. "I had to fight for my life. Who wouldn't put up a good fight?"What was also jarring to the man was the realization that no one stopped to help him as he was sprawled on the ground."[You'd] think I was hit by a mortar shell on a battlefield. It was so agonizing. No one stopped. No one even looked at me‚" he explained . "They just walked … because New York City is racing to a non-civilized area."Silverglad then expressed that he was thinking of moving to Texas or Israel for safety reasons."New York City has morphed into a jungle. Since my assault‚ I’m thinking of moving from New York City to a safe place."Thankfully‚ as the senior attempted to crawl back to his apartment building‚ three women — whom he referred to as "God's angels without wings" — helped him back to his residence."No person over 65 is safe in this city. Those under 65 have some safety in their health and the ability to run‚" he continued.His son James told outlets that his father had no intention of giving up his money."I'm from Coney island; he wasn't going to get my wallet‚" the son described his father as saying.Police released photos of the suspect in the case‚ in hopes of making an arrest.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Farmers around the world are rising up to protest regulations that are threatening to destroy not just their industry — but the countries they’ve learned to thrive in. France‚ Greece‚ Italy‚ the Netherlands‚ and Spain have all seen recent protests against these regulations. In France‚ entire herds of livestock have been led into the city to stop traffic‚ and manure has been sprayed on government buildings. “This is not just an American problem‚” Glenn Beck comments. “What they’re protesting is about to affect every single citizen on planet Earth.” The protests are a reaction to the actions of global elites‚ who allege that they’re trying to save the environment. One of those elites is John Kerry‚ who‚ at the recent AIM for Climate Summit‚ was adamant that agriculture is a problem for the environment. “Agriculture contributes about 33% of all emissions of the world‚” he told the audience. “Depending a little bit on how you count it‚ but it’s anywhere from 26% to 33%‚ and we can’t get to net zero‚ we don’t get this job done‚ unless agriculture is front and center as part of the solution.” “You can’t just continue to both warm the planet while also expecting to feed it. Doesn’t work. So we have to reduce emissions from the food system‚” he added. “I’m not an expert on this‚ but has anybody considered how many people will go hungry in the race to eliminate 30%?” Glenn asks. “Did they factor in how many ranchers and farmers will be forced into poverty? Have they thought about the ramifications of something that has taken us thousands of years to perfect — to change it in a four-year-period?” To learn more‚ watch the video below. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling‚ thought-provoking analysis‚ and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) stated on Wednesday that immigrants living in the United States illegally are the people Democrats "care about most."Speaking with MSNBC host Chris Hayes about the failed border bill‚ Murphy admitted that the Democratic Party's "play" — which Hayes explained is to secure a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants — has "failed.""That's been a failed play for 20 years. So you are right that that has been the Democratic strategy for 30 years‚ maybe‚ and it has failed to deliver for the people we care about most: the undocumented Americans that are in this country‚" Murphy said. — (@) For his part‚ Murphy acknowledged that "the bulk of this country" agrees the status quo — millions of migrants entering the U.S. each year under President Joe Biden — is unsustainable."So I know there’s a temptation for Democrats ... to just run the same play we always run because we know how to run it. But when it hasn't worked‚ and when the country is actually demanding that we do something to make the border more manageable‚ I think we do have a right and a responsibility to adjust to that reality‚" he admitted."Now‚ this bill still had in it some very important things for migrant rights‚ including a right to representation and earlier work permits‚ and the biggest expansion of visas in 30 years‚" Murphy celebrated. "It's not a pathway to citizenship‚ but it is something substantial for people that actually care about migrants." Meanwhile‚ the Senate Democrat revealed an interesting factoid about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R): He "was in the room" during bill negotiations.In a separate interview with NBC News‚ Murphy claimed that McConnell wrote the bill."He didn't just bless the deal. He wrote the deal‚" Murphy explained. "I have a ton of respect for his commitment to Ukraine. I genuinely enjoyed working with his team. They were in the room every single day. But it’s really worrying that a deal that was written and endorsed by the minority leader gets four votes from his caucus."That detail‚ which hasn't been widely reported‚ is likely to intensify demands for McConnell to step down as leader of Senate Republicans because‚ in the eyes of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Republicans‚ the bill was "designed to lose."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Nayib Bukele‚ El Salvador's tough-on-crime president‚ has been re-elected with 83% of the vote‚ leaving his "pulverized" opposition in the dust‚ roughly 70 points behind. The 42-year-old populist's New Ideas party also appears to have secured 58 out of the 60 seats in the National Assembly‚ which will enable Bukele to maintain the controversial state of emergency that has all but ensured the elimination of gang violence in the country. Both in the lead-up to Bukele's landslide victory and in the days since‚ foreign leftists such as Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and liberal publications such as the Economist have concern-mongered about Salvadorans threatening democracy by exercising their civic right to elect Bukele to another term. Bukele made sure to send such foreign critics a message in his victory speech Sunday night‚ stressing‚ "The Salvadoran people have spoken. And they haven't just spoken loudly and clearly; they have made the clearest statement in the history of democracies around the world." Hours after telling reporters Sunday that El Salvador had overcome the cancer "with metastases that were the gangs" and is now set to recover and "be the person we always wanted to be‚" Bukele took to the presidential balcony with his wife‚ Gabriela‚ to the sound of REM's "It's the End of the World as We Know It." After boasting about his latest accomplishment‚ Bukele gave a brief summary of the country's triumph over crime: "We have gone from being literally‚ and this is no exaggeration — it's not hyperbole — we have gone from being literally the most dangerous country in the world to being the safest country in the entire Western Hemisphere." Blaze News previously reported that there were 51 homicides per 100‚000 in 2018‚ the year before Bukele first entered office. The homicide rate dropped to 7.8 in 2022 under his leadership‚ such that El Salvador saw fewer homicides that year (495) than were reported in Chicago during the same period (695). "We lived through 50 horrible years of wars and killing‚ and everything has changed‚" Ana Rodriguez‚ a 70-year-old voter‚ told the Economist. The homicide rate in El Salvador last year was reportedly 2.4 per 100‚000. Canada's‚ by way of comparison‚ was 2.25 in 2022‚ and the U.S. is pushing 8 per 100‚000. Bukele told thousands of his supporters Sunday‚ "[El Salvador is] the safest country in the American continent. And what did they tell us? 'You're violating human rights.' Whose human rights? The rights of the honest people? No. Perhaps we have prioritized the rights of the honest people over the criminals' rights. That is all we have done." Rep. Omar and other Democratic lawmakers urged the U.S. State Department to lean on El Salvador ahead of its national election last week‚ noting in a statement‚ "President Bukele is amassing power and establishing authoritarian rule in El Salvador. The Members of Congress are urging the State Department to review its relationship with El Salvador and use America's diplomatic influence to defend democratic values." "I ask these organizations‚ I ask the governments of these foreign nations‚ I ask these journalists: 'Why do you want them to kill us? Why do you want to see Salvadoran blood spilled? Why aren't you happy to see that blood doesn't run in our country as it did before?" continued the Salvadoran. "'Why should we die? Why should our children die? So that you can be happy that we are respecting your false democracy‚ which you don't even respect in your own country?'" The president shared an anecdote about a conversation with a Spanish journalist who supposedly asked him why he wanted to "dismantle democracy." "I answered: 'What democracy are you referring to? Democracy means the power of the people. Demos and kratos. That's where the word democracy comes from‚'" said Bukele. "And if this is what the Salvadoran people want‚ then why should a Spanish journalist come and tell us what Salvadorans can and can't do? What democracy is he talking about? He's talking about the democracy that his bosses in Spain want." Bukele suggested the alternatives were imperialism‚ colonialism‚ elitism‚ or plutocracy in disguise. After telling off his foreign detractors‚ Bukele dismissed secularist anxieties‚ then praised God. "We must give all glory to God‚" said Bukele‚ eliciting applause and cheers from the crowd. "Because what are we if not His instruments? We are all the tools of God. God chose to heal our country. ... We respect all religions; we respect atheists and agnostics. We are their friends‚ but let us believe in God." Alluding to possible concerns over his religious statement‚ Bukele added‚ "Maybe the problem [of praising God] is that it sets an example. Because maybe the people in your countries who you have tried to indoctrinate into atheism will once again believe in God." Félix Ulloa‚ Bukele's vice president‚ reportedly indicated that now that the government has "cleaned the house" of crime‚ the administration will make education‚ health‚ and infrasructure top priorities. — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

How do you raise Skull and Bones morale? Skull and Bones utilizes an AI crew as you steer your ship and aim weapons on their behalf‚ but that doesn’t mean they’re going to follow you blindly. If you neglect them for too long‚ they’ll soon rebel against you‚ and you might find they’ll start a mutiny. So how do you stop a sailor rebellion and keep your crew happy and their Skull and Bones morale high? Well‚ your Skull and Bones crew’s happiness will automatically start to decline any time you’re outside of combat‚ so you can’t rest on your laurels when there’s no immediate danger around in the pirate game. Instead‚ use this time to explore Skull and Bones outposts and dens and gather resources‚ and use them to keep your crew on side. Continue reading How to raise Skull and Bones morale and galvanize your crew MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best pirate games‚ Skull and Bones release date‚ Skull and Bones system requirements

We're always on the lookout for an SSD deal that's too good to be true‚ and we might have found it on Amazon as the Samsung 990 Pro series is up to 41% off right now. We've picked out the Samsung 980 series as some of the best SSDs for gaming you can buy‚ and the 990 Pro‚ on paper‚ is a step above. With read speeds of up to 7‚450MB/s and write speeds of 6‚900MB/s‚ you'll be looking for a very long time to find an SSD to match the value on offer with this deal. Continue reading Save big with this Samsung SSD deal for PC and PS5 MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB review‚ Best SSD for gaming‚ Best gaming monitor

Skull and Bones is finally playable! After 11 years in development‚ the pirate MMO is in open beta‚ ahead of a full launch on February 16. Players have been enjoying taking to the high seas‚ however‚ we've found a troubling feature that's hamper our experience. Continue reading Eight years later‚ Skull and Bones repeats The Division’s biggest sin MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best pirate games‚ Skull and Bones release date‚ Skull and Bones system requirements