Declan Dwyer’s Post

Apple is really ahead of the pack and Apple Event is always worth the wait. Today what took my breath way was the Apple Pencil Pro. The thought that went into designing to manufacturing the pen is admirable. Little wonder there is a director of input Experience, Leslie Ikemoto to deliver these experiences. This is not a conventional interface like the touch screen and side button. Its different and engineering a sensor at the barrel of the pencil for new, first of its kind interactions, for example squeeze listener that brings up a new tool palette and concurrently a haptic event is triggered as a mechanical feedback of your action. Even more crazy was the packaging of a gyro on the pencil to further unlock the other interactions like changing orientation of the brush. These features are exposed in the iPadOS SDK and developers can create there custom interactions. Of course the announcement of M4 was historic. Again Apple pushing the boundaries taking its spot on a new space in computing called Neural Processing Unit, an AI accelerator.  These events reminds me Allan Kay's maxim which Steve Jobs would quote in such an event, vis "People who are serious about software make their own hardware".

The recent Apple advertisement, which graphically smashes a piano, guitar, and countless other tools of creativity to unveil a new iPad, starkly symbolizes a critical oversight in the ethos of modern technology. This display isn't merely about showcasing new gadgets—it’s a vivid demonstration of how the tech industry, often blinded by its own ambition, can inadvertently undermine the very essence of human creativity it aims to support. In this depiction, technology arrogantly positions itself as a replacement for the tactile, messy, and profoundly human aspects of creativity. Such portrayals, while visually captivating, risk conveying a misguided message: that technological advancement is the pinnacle of creativity. Yet, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Technology should not obscure the human touch—it should amplify it, serving as a conduit that enhances our creative expressions, not a replacement that diminishes them. We must remember, especially in fields like AI and regenerative development, that technology's greatest potential lies not in supplanting human effort but in augmenting it. It should help us live better, more sustainable lives without replacing the irreplaceable—our human essence. Let’s challenge ourselves and our community to think critically about the role of technology. It’s time to advocate for a narrative where technology is recognized universally as a tool, not the answer. How can we, as a society, foster innovations that truly enhance and expand our human capabilities without losing our soul to the machine? Life AI is building a better future for humanity. #aiforgood https://lnkd.in/gSS8PQFs

Look alive, all you Technosaurs! Are you holding onto your ancient tech like a precious relic? If you're more Flintstones than Jetsons, we might not be a match made in heaven. At Express IT, we're not wizards (though we'd love a wand!), but we're damn good at improving your tech game, helping you make the most of the shiny new gadgets and increasing your team's efficiency.  If your tech game is more museum than cutting-edge, it might be time to step into the future, because your iPhone deserves better company than a clapped-out PC from 2001.  Go tell us, what's the oldest piece of tech you're still using? Go on, give us a laugh!  #ExpressITInsights #Technosaurs #TechUpgrade #FutureReady #OutWithTheOld #TechHumour #ITSupport #Quality

IMHO → Apple’s “Vision Pro” (VP) is the “IT” factor. This technology hit the shelves in Q1-24; this is the VP initial release. That means that VP1.0 will be the very worst VP. Future iterations will improve exponentially. That said, I will never travel or work from home again without owning a VP. Why is the Apple Vision Pro a big deal? It’s makes our work and reading fun and easy, like you’re stepping into the story or project itself. You can size everything as big or small as suits you. Then, you can organize and move images and screens everywhere. How does it do that? Via innumerable interactive holograms (virtual images). By letting us engage with our digital stuff in a way that feels natural, almost like it’s present in our world. Feels totally natural. This isn’t just another gadget; it’s like a sneak peek into a future where technology feels more like an invaluable partner than just another tool, making everything you do a bit more special. For Apple 🍎 users → you can book a demo right from the Apple Store app to check out this novel tech. Its like going to Disney World for parents. It’s expensive. Yet, it has already enabled me to consume information faster and comprehensively. Yep, I say this is the “IT” factor. @apple LinkedIn News

1997: Kodak, the world’s top photo company (~$31 billion peak), The king of the market. 2012: Kodak files for bankruptcy because it couldn’t keep up with digital photography. 2007: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer laughs at the iPhone: “Let’s see how the competition goes.” 2013: Nokia CEO Stephen Elop mocks the iPhone as “embarrassing,” even tossing one away on stage. BlackBerry? They called the iPhone a “toy,” convinced their physical keyboard and enterprise focus would remain unbeatable. Fast forward a few years… and we all know how that turned out. 2002: Yahoo dismisses Google’s search engine as over-engineered and algorithm-heavy. Now? Yahoo who? 2024: Ingenious software developers and computational professionals are mocking AI. .............. Grow. Change. Adapt. Before you’re too late. #grow #change #adapt #ai #future #evolution

Trundled up to Apple on my lunch break for a demo of the Vision Pro. Pros: - Visual quality (screens and video pass through) is INCREDIBLE and the best I’ve seen in any headset - Spacial photos and videos are fantastic and feel like Star Wars holograms (except not blue and glitchy) - Apple’s done what they do best and created a super intuitive interface that feels natural. Eye tracking is pin sharp. Cons: - it’s too heavy, too bulky, the battery life is shite and it’s waaaaay too expensive for consumers. i.e all short-term problems. In short - a stunning dev kit with some genuinely incredible technology. Can’t wait for all this tech to trickle down to a lighter, cheaper version in a few years.

I spent 10 days trying out the Apple Vision Pro and here are my observations from a digital/web experience standpoint: Big screens: Designing for screens larger than 30 inch is crucial given the industry’s usual focus on smaller, mobile screens due to 80% of users being mobile. Checkout process: Filling out forms and checkouts is time-consuming on the Apple Vision Pro. While not its primary function, the process should be streamlined for those who use it for this purpose. User experience: long scrolling pages are tiring... Analytics: It's unclear how many visit my site using the Apple Vision Pro as it only appears as Safari on macOS Intel in Google Analytics. Identifying it requires a better method, which I’m still exploring. 3D/AR experiences: Visualizing products in your home with AR is both fun and engaging. The high-definition environment demands equally high-quality 3D models. In conclusion, when AR devices become consumer goods it will impact how we build digital experiences: we will need to design and build for larger screens and ensure navigation is fast with low hand gesture and eyes effort.

Go with the #Flow: In which environment can something new emerge in an organisation? A walk through the maker space in our Munich office brought a variation to mind. Two colleagues were putting their heads together over the Apple #VisionPro. And just like the people trying out the Apple Vision Pro, a smile played around their colleagues' mouths as they explored the possibilities of these new virtual worlds with ease and almost playfully. It's a feeling out. A trial and error. A back and forth. A deep understanding of the mathematical laws underlying spatial computing. It has a lot to do with creativity and imagination: What has to change when I'm travelling in a car, truck or helicopter in the virtual worlds? A playful approach like this requires freedom to create and time to immerse yourself in the technology. Among software developers, flow is the measure of all things: if they are in such a phase of maximum concentration and are undisturbed by external influences, they can immerse themselves deeply in the world of algorithms and write high-quality code. Working in flow is an important prerequisite. So that #innovation can emerge. So that we can shape the new virtual worlds that Apple Vision Pro can open up for the benefit and added value of our customers. For example, when the high degree of immersion helps people to learn more easily and find their way around new working environments. Or when devices and products can be developed much more easily or quickly in virtual reality, as it is no longer necessary to produce real prototypes.   What is your experience? In which environment do you create something new in your company? We look forward to your suggestions.

The “Crush” ad wasn’t Apple‘s only recent “miss the mark” moment. The Vision Pro was delusional. No matter how impressive digital tech may be, if the physical is incompatible with human anatomy, it doesn’t matter. Like “Crush”, the Vision Pro’s “vision” gave off a sinister vibe. Even if it didn’t crush spines, smash faces and cause headaches, it inserted a pricey digital layer, a toll, for social connection, which could be downright creepy. During the demo I was shown some 3D photographs and videos of people. The resolution was astonishing. I could look around the scene. I could see and hear them. But my role in the scene was that of ghost, they couldn’t hear or see me. Looking at a conventional photograph or a video, I am a viewer. It is looking at sliver of the past, or of a fiction, from the perspective of the present. Peripheral vision, firmly grounded in the here and now, provides an anchor. Memories are selective for a reason. We are not wired to relive every moment in detail. It messes with our psychological health. The only really good use case I could imagine was for scientific field research. Mount the headset on a frame set on a table (so you put your head in it for viewing). Then you can study the images, like the demo photo for the mountain lake. The format provides the fidelity to study images at length and, via a link to a larger, conventional screen that a roomful of people could look at together, discuss details. When I was asked for feedback, I suggested they give a bunch of Vision Pros to scientists at Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole and let them have at it. ******* Apple’s failure is part of a larger Silicon Valley pattern. From the Cybertruck to the hype frenzy around AI and that godawful Humane pin, I suspect they are designing sales decks for each other. They are solving for peer pressure, not any actual real life needs, focused on the near term hit of investor dollars and stock price spikes rather than customers. Maybe it’s the circular building. Maybe it is hard to go forward when every path takes you round and round. https://lnkd.in/gSyWyzsD #branding #marketing #tech

Every Mac sold with Apple Silicon, so since 2020, is already an AI computer. Apple made the move to ARM based processors with Neural Engines in 2017 for iPhone. Apple went all in on graphical user interfaces and changed the world, and it looks like they were ahead of this new curve with their AI ready architecture too. In the latest #TechJournal, see why The Great Refresh is demanding decisive action, and how AI devices can future-proof your operations. If you are interested in empowering your team to be ready for this next wave in computing, we can help. http://ms.spr.ly/6004Ysobs #Apple4Government #AppleEDU Scott Friedlander Renard Robinson Sarah Morris