Microsoft to retire Windows Mixed Reality platform

Image: Microsoft

Microsoft has announced that it will shut down its Windows Mixed Reality platform, which was launched in 2017 as a competitor in the virtual reality market. The platform, which includes the Windows Mixed Reality software, the Mixed Reality Portal app, and the Steam VR app, will be removed from Windows in a future update.

Windows Mixed Reality was compatible with several VR headsets from different manufacturers, such as HP, Acer, Asus, and Samsung. The platform enabled users to access various games, experiences, and productivity apps in VR. However, the platform failed to gain enough popularity and support, as evidenced by the recent news.

The closure of Windows Mixed Reality does not affect Microsoft’s other mixed-reality product, the HoloLens 2. The HoloLens 2 is a business-oriented headset that runs on Windows 11. (Recently, Microsoft started shipping them out to the Army for combat training.) Microsoft has also confirmed its commitment to HoloLens and its future development, despite rumours of a halt in the HoloLens 3 project and a potential collaboration with Samsung on a new mixed-reality device.

Microsoft has also restructured its VR division, resulting in layoffs and the discontinuation of the AltspaceVR app. The company is still working on its own Mesh app, which allows users to interact in a virtual space without a headset.

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Apple loses appeal to delay US ban on its newest smartwatches

Image: Apple

Apple faces import and sales ban on its latest smartwatches in the US. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) rejected Apple’s request to postpone the ban while it appeals an earlier ruling. The ITC found that Apple’s Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 violated Masimo’s patents on SpO2 sensors, which measure blood oxygen levels.

Apple will stop selling the affected watches in its stores by December 24, before the ban takes effect on December 26. The company is looking for ways to bypass the ban, such as making software updates. The ban only applies to the US market. Other retailers can still sell the watches until they run out of stock. Apple could still reverse the ban if President Joe Biden intervenes. But as The Verge noted, it is very unlikely to happen.

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What you need to know about the turquoise light on Mercedes-Benz’s autonomous cars

Photo: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz has invented a new way to signal when its cars use its Drive Pilot autonomous system: a turquoise light. This light—which is added to the existing red, white, and orange lights—is meant to inform other drivers and pedestrians that the car is driving itself.

Drive Pilot is the first software in a production car to be granted a level 3 classification. This means that under certain conditions the driver can take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel. 

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Apple’s next-gen CarPlay takes over Porsche and Aston Martin dashboards first

Next-gen Apple CarPlay on Aston Martin (left) and Porsche (right)

Apple unveiled its next-generation wireless CarPlay that will transform the entire dashboard of Porsche and Aston Martin vehicles. The new feature, announced at WWDC 2022, will customize the display according to the automaker’s theme and allow CarPlay to control the vehicle’s functions, such as radio and temperature.

The Porsche version will have a three-dial layout with a houndstooth wallpaper, while the Aston Martin version will have a media display in the center with a green outline. The driving data will come from the car’s sensors, not the iPhone, which will only run the apps. Apple assured that the phone will not store or track the car’s information.

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