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Viral Vision. ICYMI, this year’s WWDC kicked off yesterday in San Francisco, leaving fanboys and the internet melting. While Apple’s annual developers conference is nothing new for this time of year, some of the tech it shared is causing quite a stir. Most notably? The company’s brand new (and pricey) Vision Pro headset. More news will likely drop around this mixed reality device throughout the week, but check out our coverage below to learn what we know so far. |
In other news… Apple introduces its first spatial computer, CALA’s AI helps independent designers launch a fashion label, and Spotify revamps its podcast business. |
Top Trends |
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AR/VR |
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Apple enters the Vision Pro era |
The Future. At its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple finally unveiled its long-awaited Vision Pro mixed reality headset — its first major new product in a decade (and Tim Cook’s hopeful magnum opus). Available early next year with a lofty price of $3,499, the Vision Pro may be the best chance to mainstream AR/VR adoption. |
Ready Player Apple
With the Vision Pro, Apple is trying to mainstream the metaverse. |
The AR/VR headset uses hands, eyes, and voice to control digital content in physical spaces — no controllers necessary. It can project a large 4K movie and gaming screen, record or play 3D video, and act as a desktop screen (with a keyboard and mouse connectable via Bluetooth). To try to keep users not-so isolated when using the Vision Pro in AR mode, the headset displays users’ eyes on the outside of the screen — a feature called “Eye Sight.” It will also show people who come near them while wearing the headset.
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While the device will support basically all of Apple’s suite of apps and hundreds of thousands of apps currently available on the App Store, the company has signaled that it hopes 3rd party developers will pick up the baton and make new apps that truly unlock the potential of the Vision Pro… and boost the soft first-year sales projection of only 900,000 units. |
We’ll see if that dream becomes reality. |
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FASHION |
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CALA fits AI to turn everyone into a fashion label |
The Future. Using AI and machine learning, software company CALA has put the entire fashion supply chain on one platform, giving anyone the infrastructure to become a one-person fashion house. While the new AI-generated design tools could incentivize some brands to jettison junior designers, it could also allow those junior designers to finally launch their own lines (similar to Angelina Jolie’s Atelier). Either way, prepare for some disruption in fashion. |
Garment generation
If you have a clothing design idea, CALA can make it a reality from your living room. |
Using DALL-E, CALA allows users to generate clothing using uploaded images as inspiration or text prompts. Once a design has been decided, CALA connects you to one of the 20 factories (in ten different countries) with which it has a relationship. A pricing algorithm then calculates how much it would cost to manufacture a line, considering inputs like the amount of product, the material, and sustainability factors. The finished clothes are then sent to you, including photos to upload to an e-commerce site. CALA can even spin out a Shopify store and brand profiles on socials.
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According to Fast Company, over 40 brands and independent designers already use CALA, — a roster that includes several NBA teams in collaboration with the designer KidSuper. |
For the services, CALA charges $100/month and takes 15% of the manufacturing cost. Looks like fast fashion is now available to everyone with an idea. |
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PODCASTING |
 | Spotify’s snip snip // Illustration by Kate Walker |
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Spotify reboots its podcast plans |
The Future. Spotify is culling the podcaster herd, letting go of employees, slimming down deals, and merging its acquisitions. Although the company says it’s still very committed to the form, the slim-down shows that Spotify’s era of rapid podcast growth is transitioning into one all about making it a sustainable business. |
Listening for reality |
Spotify is streamlining its podcast output. |
The streamer is cutting 2% of its workforce — about 200 jobs. It’s combining two of its acquisitions, Parcast and Gimlet, into Spotify Studios. Spotify says that originals are still the company’s ultimate focus, but it wants more “always-on programming that drives strong, loyal audiences and attracts advertisers.” In other words, it wants a lot more engagement.
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The moves follow what has been a general toning down of its podcast ambitions, including letting several top creators walk away from deals (Jemele Hill, the Obamas, Brené Brown) and the sacking of Chief Content Officer Dawn Ostroff, who was behind several of those pricey, high-profile deals. |
It’s possible that the podcasting gold-rush days are finally behind us. Welcome to a maturing industry. |
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Highlights |
The best curated daily stories from around the web |
Media, Music, & Entertainment |
Amid the Writers Guild of America’s strike and the Screen Actors Guild overwhelmingly authorizing a strike if a deal can’t be reached, the Directors Guild of America cut an early, tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on a new three-year contract. Read more → deadline Studio Ghibli is so confident in Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, How Do You Live?, that it’s not releasing any promotional materials or trailer prior to its July premiere… knowing people will show up anyway. Read more → thr BuzzFeed’s stock is doing so poorly that the Nasdaq told the company it has until November 27 to get its shares up or risk being delisted. Read more → thr
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Fashion & E-Commerce |
Fashion brands are bringing back physical events like trunk shows and parties to combat the rising cost of digital advertising. Read more → businessoffashion Walmart is trying to reduce its carbon footprint by switching from plastic to paper for its deliveries, giving customers the ability to request paper bags for pick-up orders, and allowing e-commerce customers to request that their orders be consolidated into fewer boxes. Read more → techcrunch Airbnb is no fan of NYC’s new short-term rental licensing requirement and is now suing to stop its implementation next month. Read more → bloomberg
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Tech, Web3, & AI |
Ford and Uber are partnering on a new flexible EV lease program, Ford Drive, which allows rideshare drivers (in California, to start) to lease Mustang Mach-Es for one to four months at a time. Read more → theverge Twitter just can’t catch a break: its ad sales have taken a 59% haircut and are expected to keep going down. Read more → nyt The EU wants Big Tech to voluntarily agree to alert users of AI-generated content that could be classified as misinformation. Read more → bloomberg
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Creator Economy |
A new survey found that 61% of people under 30 buy a product because an influencer recommends it — a phenomenon that resulted in roughly $6 billion in sales so far this year. Read more → forbes TikTok is the best place for creators to make money, but YouTube is the best place for top creators to make a lot of money. Read more → insider 86% of professional digital creators believe AI is good for spurring creativity. Read more → tubefilter
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