Enlarge/ The Downtown Manhattan skyline stands shrouded in a reddish haze as a result of Canadian wildfires on June 6, 2023. (credit: Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
2:45 pm ET Update: Air quality along the Atlantic Coast of the United States, and particularly in New York City, worsened substantially on Wednesday due to smoke from Canadian wildfires being transported south by atmospheric currents.
Webcams and images of the New York region showed the city essentially disappearing behind a wall of smoke and haze, with orange skies. The air was so choked with wildfire particulates on Wednesday afternoon that the city turned on its streetlights at 2 pm ET, at a time when the Sun is almost directly overhead.
As of 2:44 pm ET, the IQ Air website measured New York’s Air Quality Index at 342, far above the threshold of 301 denoting “hazardous” air quality. The large city with the next-worst air in the world, Delhi, India, had a rating of 168 at the time. Flights were delayed into, and out of, La Guardia and Newark airports on Wednesday afternoon due to the prevalence of smoke and haze reducing visibilities.
One of Alphabet’s Waymo autonomous cars has killed a pet dog. TechCrunch spotted the public report of the incident, which says one of the Waymo Jaguar I-Pace cars ran over a dog in San Francisco while in autonomous mode with a safety driver behind the wheel. Waymo’s collision report says:
On May 21, 2023 at 10:56 AM PT a Waymo Autonomous Vehicle (“Waymo AV”) operating in San Francisco, California was in a collision involving a small dog on Toland Street at Toland Place. The Waymo AV was traveling southwest on Toland Street when a small dog ran into the street in front of the Waymo AV. The Waymo AV then made contact with the dog, which did not survive. At the time of the impact, the Waymo AV’s Level 4 ADS was engaged in autonomous mode, and a test driver was present (in the driver’s seating position). The Waymo AV sustained damage.
The collision was a block from Waymo’s Toland Depot, a 120,000-square-foot warehouse that houses at least 50 autonomous cars. The speed limit on Toland Street is 25 mph, according to posted signs viewable on Google Maps. From that Street View link, the road looks like a busy industrial area with many warehouses, truck delivery areas, and barbed-wire fences.
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Disney looks to create real-life magic through its partnership with Apple.
During Apple’s recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company unveiled the highly anticipated Apple Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset that will be available for purchase early next year. And while most of the attention at the event was focused on productivity, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that the company’s streaming service, Disney+, will be available on the headset at launch.
Throughout its history, The Walt Disney Company has been at the forefront of developing new storytelling technologies, and through a new partnership with Apple, Disney+ will be a big part of Apple’s Vision Pro experience.
Instead of watching a traditional TV in your living room, you’ll be able to watch your favorite Disney+ shows from the dusty planet of Tatooine. Don’t worry, Vader won’t show up to spoil the ending of shows. He HATES sand!
Of course, Tatooine is just one environment that will be available to you. It looks as though we’ll be able to access a number of cool companion experiences, including Marvel and Disney World-themed experiences.
Credit: Apple
In addition, the company showed a video indicating that users of Disney+ will be able to watch sports games using Vision Pro. One example shown was a regular 2D football game with a widget-like interface that displayed various information such as the score and win probability. Another experience featured a 3D view of a basketball game on a coffee table.
“We’re constantly in search of new ways to entertain, inform and inspire our fans by combining extraordinary creativity with groundbreaking technology to create truly remarkable experiences,” said Bob Iger, Disney CEO, during Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote on Monday. “And we believe Apple Vision Pro is a revolutionary platform that can make our vision a reality.”
Disney also showed a teaser suggesting that Disney+ may also feature interactive experiences. For instance, the device could allow users to immerse themselves in various National Geographic content.
Credit: Apple
Iger excitedly stood on the Apple stage and talked about Vision Pro, saying that it “allows us to bring Disney to our fans in ways that were previously impossible.” Fans can place themselves into an episode of Marvel’s What If …? or immerse themselves right in the middle of Disney World from their home.
“It will allow us to create deeply personal experiences that bring our fans closer to the characters they love,” Iger said. “This platform will allow us to bring Disney to our fans in ways that were previously impossible.”
Credit: Apple
The partnership with Disney is a huge boost for the development of XR headsets. Iger noted that Disney and Apple are working together to bring “real-life magic” to consumers through the use of technology. You will be able to experience Disney+ on the first day of the Apple Vision Pro release, which will be early next year.
For more information on Apple Vision Pro check out our full coverage of yesterday’s announcement here.
