Apple v Meta - the VR clash and AI Perfumes 👃
Good evening!
Welcome to the 27th edition of the Quantumics Weekly Roundup. Today, we’re taking a look at rumours of Apple’s new mixed reality headset and exploring Osmo, an aroma molecule startup! We’ll also explore the latest news and information in data and AI, business and tech.
Let’s go! 👇
🍎 Reality Pro - will it take on Meta?
Apple is reportedly developing a reality headset named "Apple Reality Pro" which will feature a high-resolution 8K display, advanced haptic feedback, and eye-tracking technology. The headset will run on the company's own custom processor and have an OS similar to iOS. The device is expected to be positioned as a high-end, premium product aimed at professionals in industries such as education, healthcare, and gaming.
Unsure what MR is? Mixed Reality is a term used to describe a technology that combines the physical and digital world to create an interactive and immersive experience. It encompasses a range of experiences, from augmented reality (AR) to virtual reality (VR) and everything in between. In MR, virtual objects can coexist with and interact with the physical world, creating a new type of user experience that blurs the lines between reality and imagination.
Apple’s headset is rumoured to have several external cameras that can analyse a user’s hands, as well as sensors within the gadget’s housing to read eyes. That allows the wearer to control the device by looking at an on-screen item — whether it’s a button, app icon or list entry — to select it.
Users will then pinch their thumb and index finger together to activate the task — without the need to hold anything. The approach differs from other headsets, which typically rely on a hand controller.
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🧠 AI to Unearth New Smells?
Google Research spinout Osmo wants to find substitutes for hard-to-source aromas. It was created with the goal of creating the next generation of aroma molecules for everyday products such as perfumes, shampoos, lotions and candles.
Supplies of popular ingredients like specific flowers are beginning to dwindle due to climate change, with some species becoming endangered from overharvesting. Similarly, some synthetic alternatives, such as lilial, are facing regulatory bans for safety reasons.
Osmo aims to solve these problems by using software to predict the scent of molecules based on their structure alone. The company has raised $60 million in an initial funding round led by New York-based Lux Capital and GV (Google Ventures) to achieve this goal. In the near-term, Osmo wants to design molecules for the flavor and fragrance industry that are potent, allergen-free and biodegradable. In the long-term, the company wants to give computers a sense of smell, to “digitize” scent.
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