SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)—Virtual reality is coming to Apple’s Mac computers.
New iMacs are getting brighter displays and graphics capabilities. Apple says that makes the Mac a great platform for developing virtual-reality experiences.
Apple is late on VR. Samsung and Google already have VR systems centered on their smartphones. Apple executives demonstrated the use of Macs to produce VR experiences, though they didn’t immediately talk about making a headset to view them.
VR has often been described as the next big thing, though so far, the interest appears more among content developers and hardware makers than with everyday users.
The new iMacs start at about $1,300. Apple also updated its MacBook laptops with faster processors. These new Macs start shipping Monday.
Apple also unveiled the high-end iMac Pro for power users at its annual conference for software programmers Monday. It will come in December starting at about $5,000.
The announcements follow complaints that Apple has let its Mac computers languish in favor of its better-selling products, namely the iPhone.
Safari guard
Apple says its Safari browser will try to guard your privacy by identifying and blocking data files that track you as you move from website to website.
It’s turning to machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to make that happen. That’s a new focus for Apple as it competes with Google and Amazon.
Later Monday, it’s expected to announce an internet-connected smart speaker to compete with Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home.
Other features coming to the Mac include the ability to stop video from automatically playing on websites when using Safari. The Mac will also get improved photo management, including new editing tools and better face recognition to help you search your photo library.
The next Mac version will be called High Sierra, suggesting that it’s a refinement of the current version, Sierra. Apple typically makes major updates to its Mac software every other year. It is coming out this fall and will be a free update.
Apple’s is unveiling new features at its annual conference for software programmers on Monday.
Smarter watch
Apple is updating its smartwatch to give it more “smarts” using the Siri digital assistant.
With a new watch face, Apple Watch promises to learn about your routines to figure out what information to display on the watch face. That could include a reminder to make a call or a flight reservation.
This comes as Google and Amazon have made headways in assisting users based on knowledge of past routines.
Another watch face will feature Woody, Jessie and Buzz from “Toy Story,” joining Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Apple is also bringing improvements to playing music and recording fitness activities.
The new features will come in a software update expected in a few months.
IDC estimates that Apple shipped about 3.6 million watches during the first three months of the year. By comparison, Apple shipped 51 million iPhones and 9 million iPads during the same stretch.
Apple and Amazon at last
Apple says Amazon will be making an app for its video service for the Apple TV device this year, filling one of the major gaps on Apple’s streaming TV device.
Amazon is already available on rival devices such as Roku and, of course, Amazon’s Fire TV.
CEO Tim Cook kicked off Apple’s annual conference for software programmers on Monday. It’s the first time in 15 years that Apple has held its conference in San Jose, the heart of Silicon Valley. The event has been in San Francisco in recent years.
The event began with an Apple video portraying what life might be like without an app store. Not surprisingly, it depicts a world of chaos.
