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In 2023, the flagship reveal at Apples WWDC keynote was unquestionably the debut of the Vision Pro. The headset wasnt just Apples first all-new platform since the Apple Watch. It was also the companys opportunity to define what, exactly, a computer you strap to your head should do. Being Apple, it purposefully steered clear of existing concepts such as the metaverse and virtual reality. Instead, it embraced a term it stood a shot of owning: spatial computing. Rather than aiming to nail one or two experiencesmovie-watching or gaming or even industrial-strength applications such as trainingthe Vision Pro would aspire to deliver general-purpose utility reminiscent of the Mac. Just in a radically new, immersive form. Flash-forward to this years WWDC. No longer the keynotes headliner, Vision Pro took its place among the Apple platforms getting operating system updates in the fallin its case, VisionOS 26. Thats not a sign of diminished relevance, though. Those yearly software upgrades keep Apple gear evolving and improving; over time, they contribute more to a products relevance than even the biggest-bang hardware introductions. And VisionOS 26s meatiness makes for a striking contrast with the barely evolving Apple TV box, a product that still feels like a hobby at best more than 18 years after Steve Jobs described it as one. [Image: Apple] Last week, after watching the keynote at Apple Park, I got some eyes- and hands-on experience with the Vision Pros new features and discussed them with Steve Sinclair, senior director of Apple Vision Pro product marketing, and Jeff Norris, senior director of apps and content for the Vision Products Group. The two executives emphasized the practical ways VisionOS 26 expands on the Vision Pros capabilities. The upgrade, Sinclair told me, adds new ways to connect. It adds new ways to be more immersed. It unlocks new methods to interact with the spatial digital content that we have. And it makes Vision Pro something that users can enjoy using every single day. Increasing the everyday value of an existing product is always worthwhile, particularly when the product in question costs $3,500 and is still in the process of establishing itself. But VisionOS 26 is part of a longer-term bet. In April, Bloombergs Mark Gurman reported that Apple is working on two new headsets and that CEO Tim Cook is eager to release something in a more glasses-like form factor when the technology is ready. Nobody at Apple is going to speak publicly about such unannounced products. But just the plurality of the Vision Products Group in Norriss title indicates that the company doesnt see the Vision Pro as a one-off. You can place widgets like this calendar in real space and leave them there. [Image: Apple] In terms of sheer visual and technical wonder, VisionOSs standout feature may be the updated Personas, the photorealistic avatars that can appear in FaceTime calls, other forms of videoconferencing, and SharePlay-enabled communal experiences such as movie watching. Personas already received a significant upgrade last year, shortly after the Vision Pro shipped, and even in the new version, the concept remains the same. The setup processyou take off the Vision Pro and use it like a camera to scan your headalso remains quick and easy. Whats new is that the Personas are much more detailed and natural-looking, complete with the ability to turn from side to side in a more realistic fashion as you move your head. We continue to push [Personas] forward, because we knew how important it was for you to be able to represent yourself while you’re on a call with someone, Sinclair says. And you needed to look like yourself, and feel real, and have the other people who are in the call with you feel real as well. During my demo, I created a VisionOS 26 Persona of myself and recorded a brief video of it talking in front of a virtual Apple Park backdropan Inception-like moment given that the real me was inside the real Apple Park at the time. Coming face-to-face with your own Persona might not be the most effective way to assess the feature; its other peoples Personas youll see most of the time, and staring at an uncanny digital representation of yourself can be unnerving. (The first thing I noticed was that mine could use a shave.) Judging from my own Persona and glimpses of others in the WWDC keynote, their realism seems to be in the same vicinity as the Meta research project that powered a 2023 conversation between Mark Zuckerberg and podcaster Le Fridman. (It took place in the metaverse but still hasnt resulted in a commercial product.) Apples version hardly amounts to photorealistic avatars for the rest of usjust for the privileged few who own a Vision Pro. Still, it feels like a meaningful step toward mainstreaming the technology. By tiptoeing ever closer to faithfully re-creating its customers as digital people, does Apple run the risk of creating an unsettling uncanny valley effect that cartoony avatars such as Memoji will never provoke? The last thing I would want to see is for us get so scared of that valley that we don’t make the leaps ahead that we’re making with the new version of Personas, Norris says. It’s a valley, not a cliff, you know? And there is a place beyond that. My VisionOS 26 Persona at Apple Park (only the glasses werent scanned from the real me) [Screenshot: Harry McCracken] Another VisionOS 26 update is also about upping the Vision Pros level of realism, though in ways less fraught than simulating actual human beings. You can now plunk down widgetsthe same ones available on iPhones, iPads, and Macsin a specific spot in 3D space, where theyll stay until you move them. For instance, you could put a digital clock on your real living room wall for consultation every time you don the Vision Pro. Its a convincing effect: In my demo at Apple Park, I wasnt positive that a poster of Lady Gaga wasnt really there until I learned I could gesture at it to summon her songs, courtesy of Apple Music. Now, the ability to precisely stick widgets in your real-world environment is not in itself a killer feature. Plain old wall clocks still work quite well, no $3,500 headset required. However, if you think ahead to a future in which AR is a bigger part of our lives, this sort of sophisticated melding of digital and physical reality starts to feel like table stakes. Apple has been chipping away at this challenge for years: Back in 2020, I reviewed a new iPad Pro whose AR features were intriguing, though a bit out of place in a tablet. On the Vision Pro, they make far more sense. It sounds kind of obvious that things should stay where you put them, Norris says. Things certainly seem to do that normally. But there is a lot that has to come together for that to happen. Content created with spatial computing in mind is gradually hitting the Vision Pros App Store: During our chat, Sinclair waxed enthusiastic about D-Day: The Camera Soldier, an interactive WWII documentary coproduced by Time magazine. But some of VisionOS 26s adjustments turn stuff that might currently be languishing in your iCloud storage into new experiences. For example, an improved version of Spatial Scenes applies multidimensional depth to 2D images. Reminiscent of Facebooks 3D photos or maybe even the View-Master, its a tad gimmicky. Thanks to 2025-level generative AI, however, it produces an especially convincing effect; you can even crook your neck to peek at plausibly reconstructed details that werent visible in the original shot. VisionOS 26 also adds native support for 180- and 360-degree video shot with cameras from GoPro, Insta360, and Canon. The results arent in 3D, but the samples I saw in my demo, including a skydiving shot, were pretty breathtaking. Amid all of VisionOS 26s additions, I was struck by one thing that hasnt changed: the fundamentals of using it. Even on day one, the Vision Pros combination of eye tracking and a few hand gestures was simple to master and capable of more than you might expect. Its not a given that a wildly new type of product will get that right on its first attempt: The Apple Watch has been through several sweeping makeovers, and the 15-year-old iPad received WWDC 2025s most thorough redesign. That Apple largely nailed the Vision Pro interface from the start may help explain why its been able to build out so many features in VisionOS 26. When we launched Vision Pro, we saw immediately how quickly people got up to speed in using their eyes and their hands to interact, Sinclair says. And so, we continued to encourage [third-party] developers and of course our own teams to lean into that, because it is such an easy way to interact with the content that you have. That said, he notes that some scenarios benefit from other forms of input, a fact reflected in VisionOS 26s support for Logitechs upcoming Muse 3D stylus and Sonys existing PlayStation VR2 hand controllers. Numerous technical obstacles still stand in the way of anyone releasing comfy, affordable, power-efficient glasses that rival the Vision Pros capabilities. Im still not positive that anyone in the industry will pull it off soon. Nor is it certain that the concept will ever reach smartphone-like ubiquity. Nevertheless, watching Apple use the Vision Pro as a proving ground for some of the necessary building blocks right now is funand makes me wonder what VisionOS 27, 28, or 29 might bring. Youve been reading Plugged In, Fast Companys weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to youor if you’re reading it on FastCompany.comyou can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company AI is supercharging war. Could it also help broker peace?Technologists and investors are pushing AI tools as a path to peaceand profitsas they navigate a minefield of risks. Read More Reid Hoffman on Musk vs. Trump and the real AI threat to jobsThe LinkedIn cofounder unpacks the rising global instability, the political fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and why panic over an AI-induced white-collar bloodbath misses the bigger picture. Read More Influencers are hiring private investigators to unmask anonymous online trollsAustralian TikTok star Indy Clinton reveals she spent months tracking down her internet bullies. Read More Trump Mobile is here. Experts are baffledThe Trump Organization is launching a $499 smartphone and branded wireless service. Analysts say the plan raises more questions than answersand doubt it will find a real market. Read More WhatsApps new ad feature sparks backlashand a golden opportunity for SignalAs concerns over surveillance and data harvesting mount, the secure messaging wars are heating up. Read More The new jingle for Sam Altmans human verification service will get stuck in your very human brainTools for Humanitys World launched its first-ever ad campaign for human verification in an AI world. Read More
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The elders in my family were big on safe investments. Growing up in the 1980s, I can recall receiving savings bonds as birthday gifts from far-flung aunts and grandmothers. Though these bonds were disappointing presents for any 8-year-old hoping for the latest Skeletor action figure, my parents assured me I would be grateful when I was older. My white-haired relatives had no understanding of the ongoing battle for Eternias future, but they consistently invested money for mine. In 1997, just before I left for college, I took nearly two decades’ worth of these savings bond gifts to my bank. The face values added up to no more than $1,000 total. I redeemed my savings bonds for an amount closer to $2,000. I walked out of the bank feeling like I had the Power of Grayskull. The little old ladies in my family were onto something with those second-rate birthday gifts (that came with principal protection and a decent return). I wondered if I should listen when these wise elders also advised me to put my money in other safe investments, like real estate, gold, and annuities. But as smart as my aunts and grandmothers were, the past 30 years has me wondering if there is such a thing as a safe investment. Heres what Ive come to understand about the low-risk investments that are traditionally considered safe. Real estate In the mid-2000s, the accepted wisdom about real estate was that home values could only go up and an upside-down mortgage was an economic impossibility. Which explains why banks were throwing bags of money at anyone with real estate dreams and a verifiable pulse. Back then, I was still teaching high school English and not paying close attention to financial or housing newsbut the explosion of house-flipping reality TV weirded me out. Many of these shows documented photogenic amateurs overleveraging their finances and DIY skills to remodel cheap homes for a quick profit. Considering how common these shows were, and how incompetent many of the flippers were, it struck me that the demand for housing couldnt possibly remain high enough to keep up with this kind of supply. Unfortunately, by 2008 the housing bubble had burst. Apparently, real estate values can go down and a borrower can be upside down in a mortgage. The subsequent great recession was a painful reminder that real estate isnt a straightforward path to generational wealth, no matter what the Welcome to the American Dream brochure may say. The risky fine print When your grandmother suggested that buying a house was a smart and safe investment, she wasnt thinking about you taking out an adjustable rate mortgage to purchase a foreclosed fixer-upper to renovate and sell in less than six months. For the majority of real estate investors (i.e., homeowners) buying a house is more about securing shelter than investing money for a future financial payout. Thats what Nana meant when she called buying a house a smart investment. Becoming a homeowner will not only provide you and your family with something you need, but your home will also appreciate in value over timeas measured, traditionally, in years or decades rather than months or quarters. But if youre counting on turning a quick profit, you may be in for a rude awakeningjust ask any real estate developer. The safety of such a real estate investment is the fact that you build equity and value as the years pass in your home. Gold Humans have prized gold for its beauty and malleability for millennia. We have adorned ourselves and our homes with golden decorations for at least the past 6,000 years, and we began using gold as currency about 1,500 years ago. Since gold resists corrosion and oxidation, its an ideal medium for currency, since it holds its value better than a metal that rusts, corrodes, or becomes hollowed out in a can of Coke (allegedly). But gold doesnt just hold its value over time. Between our collective fascination with its glitter and the durability of this malleable metal, the value of gold has generally risen over time. Typically, the price of gold spikes during periods of economic or political uncertainty. Investors appreciate the tangible confidence of an investment in gold, especially if they have just experienced major losses in the market. The risky fine print Its unlikely that the relationship between humanity and gold will go away anytime soon. So buying gold probably isnt a bad idea. But that doesnt mean it should be the cornerstone of anyones investment strategy. For example, in the past 30 years, the S&P 500 has averaged a 10.29% compound annual growth rate, while golds spot price has a 6.97% compound annual growth rate. Just under 7% compound annual growth is certainly not nothing, but gold experienced negative growth for 11 of the 30 years, compared to only six for the S&P 500. Ultimately, gold was more volatile. In addition, scammers often prey on investors hoping to put their money into safe investments like gold. While a legitimate investment in gold may be a prudent investing decision, treating all gold investments as safe could leave you vulnerable to fraud. It may be easier to think of gold as safe in the same way that cash can be safe. In some situations, its helpful and prudent to have, but in others, it can cost you. Annuities Before I started writing about money, I associated annuities with people who knit. Thats because the only people who ever seemed to discuss them were friends of Miss Marple in Agatha Christie mysteries and my elderly relatives. Of course, once I became a financial journalist, I learned that an annuity is an insurance contract and that knitting is rarely required. Typically, youll pay the insurance company either through a series of payments or via a lump sum, and theyll give you monthly payments for a specific period of time, death benefits, and tax-free growth on your investment. Annuities may offer fixed interest rates, variable interest rates, or rates tied to a specific stock market index. Since you purchase an annuity through an insurance company, the safety of your money is ensured by the companys financial rating. The annuity will also do the hard work of budgeting your money for you, sending you monthly payments that re-create the experience of having a salary postretirement. That makes it a safe and smart way to offload your financial chores to the insurance company. The risky fine print Of course annuities arent all yarn balls and tea cozies. To start, since annuities are an insurance product, they may be sold by high-pressure insurance agents who want a commission and dont care if the annuity fits your needs. Additionally, while some annuities are straightforward and easy-to-understand products, there are a number of much more complex annuities that may not be clear at first glance. Its important to make sure you understand exactly what product you’re getting, what it is supposed to do to help you reach your goals, why the insurer thinks it fits your needs, how it works, when it will begin to pay out, what fees it may have, etc. Finally, the biggest risk to annuities is the fact that your money is tied up in the annuity. If you want to withdraw funds early, you will have to pay a surrender charge, which can be as high as 7% of the amount you withdraw. Understanding the meaning of safe Sometimes, the wisdom of our elders gets lost in translation. When Nana sent savings bonds instead of Battle Armor He-Man, she was giving a gift for your future self to appreciate. When she told you real estate was a good investment, she was encouraging you to settle downand enjoy the side benefit of your money growing. When she shared how her own grandmother sewed family gold into her petticoat and used it to barter her way to America, she was teaching you how to protect yourself in a chaotic world. When she crowed about her annuity, she wanted you to know there are ways to relieve yourself of the work you hate doing without giving up anything you need. When you understand what someone means when they call an investment safeespecially when its someone as wise as one of your family eldersthen you can recognize how to take their advice and avoid the unnecessary risk.
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What happens when venture capital and government pull back from science entrepreneurs at the same time? Many scientists think were about to find out, and are looking at how we can preserve our countrys innovative leadership. While others are pulling back, at Activate were leaning in and asking, What should we teach the scientist founders we support so they can find the opportunity in this crisis? History lesson History has a lesson for us: the U.S. saw a boom in deep-tech between 1870 and 1920 even though neither venture capital nor government grants existed at that time. Moreover, much of that technology was commercialized by teams of fewer than 10 people. Consider, for example, a particularly famous startup founded by two brothers. In 1892, some of America’s most famous science entrepreneurs, Orville and Wilbur Wright, capitalized on a growing craze for bicycles in the U.S. by opening a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. In 1896, the U.S. Governments War Department allocated $50,000 (about $1.9M in 2025 USD) to the Smithsonian Institution, the closest thing to a national lab at that time, to develop a powered flying machine. In 1899, in response to this very public market signal and to growing competition in the bicycle industry, the Wrights began to pivot toward developing an airplane. In their historic moment, they demonstrated powered flight in November 1903 and went on to earn their first revenue (totaling about $3.8M in 2025 USD) in late 1908 and early 1909. Financing deep tech Commercializing deep tech took the same decade then that it does now. This makes sense: we can make much more complex technologies today, but the core loop of design-prototype-test-revise continues to move at the speed of human thought and observation. Without grants or venture investment, financing deep tech then was very different, but it was not impossible. The Wrights continued to own and operate their bicycle business (with substantial assistance from their sister Katherine) over their entire entrepreneurship journey, only divesting in 1908 once the airplane was sure to pay the bills. From bicycle to airplane The bicycle shop provided the funds, skills, team, and facilities needed to develop the airplane. Funds: The bicycle shop was consistently profitable, allowing the Wrights to support themselves and invest in their airplane research. Skills: The Wrights started by selling and repairing bicycles from a variety of brands, graduated to assembling bicycles from components and selling them under their own Van Cleve and St. Clair brands, and eventually invented components (such as improved wheel hubs) for their cycles. Team: Charlie Taylor, whose many contributions to the first airplane include designing and building its aluminum engine, began working with the Wright Cycle Co. as a contract machinist in 1898 before joining full-time in 1901. Facility: The workshop and tools in the bicycle shop doubled as the laboratory for testing and building prototypes for the first airplane. When the Wrights finally closed the bicycle shop, it was to fully convert it to a workshop for their airplane business. Today’s science entrepreneurs have a lot they can learn from this model. For one, even when venture capital investment is available, opening a bicycle shop before developing an airplane is often the way to go. Were advising our Activate fellows to find products and services that customers will buy today and that build the team, skills, and assets they need to bring their transformative technologies to market. The genius of the Wright brothers wasnt just in being first in flight, but also in seeing how the airplane could grow out of their bicycle business. Three questions In my job as managing director of Activates Boston community, I have long-term coaching relationships with 20 science entrepreneurs. Right now Im telling them to ask themselves three questions: How do I grow the long-term value of my airplane? How do I grow the short-term value of my bicycle shop? How do I tighten the connection between the two? In an uncertain economy, supporting science entrepreneurs is more important than ever. They have the skills needed to build bicycle shops that deliver unglamorous but critical products and services for the millions of deeply technical niche markets that underpin our modern world. They also have the creativity and tenacity to leverage their day-to-day work to invent entirely new industries that meet our countrys most pressing needs. We need to publicly recommit to these often unsung science heroes so that we can set themand our countryup for success.
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