WSJ on Apple’s Vision Pro: “The $3,500 strap-on device has confused early reviewers about its purpose…Many early users have already concluded that it is a device in its infancy, and its true purpose won’t become apparent until it becomes cheaper, lighter and more capable. But the future of the Vision Pro is already apparent. Its target market is you, if you’re a knowledge worker. And its use case is every day, as you do your job. Since its Feb. 2 launch, many early adopters have chronicled their adventures on social media. Their experiences suggest we may already know Apple Vision Pro’s killer app: Microsoft Excel. But wait, don’t click away yet. It’s also email. And Slack. “I’ve been seeing a lot actually, in the last week, people being surprised that they can use it for work, especially as a virtual desktop,” says Ethan Kaplan, a tech adviser at a venture-capital firm and former chief digital officer at Fender Musical Instruments. “It’s really good—I’m staring at it right now, actually.”” WaPo: “After…two weeks, I’m sold on what the Vision Pro can do. I want to keep app windows around me in just the right places, shut out the world sometimes when I need some alone time, and pop back in when I’m ready. I just don’t want to wear a hefty headset on my face to be able to do these things, or shell out at least $3,499 for it.”
FT: “London Business School academic Lynda Gratton spends her time advising employers about how to better organise their workforce. But she no longer thinks much about jobs: lately, she has noticed, specific roles have been replaced with lists of desired skills and character traits. “When I work with companies now the matrix they have is not jobs, it’s skills,” she says. Employers are looking not for specific roles but people who can be creative, experiment with new ideas or manage complex stakeholders. “Don’t get hung up about job titles: ask, what are the skills that are going to give you opportunities to grow?” One in 16 workers globally may have to switch occupations by 2030 as their roles become obsolete, according to consultancy McKinsey, and nearly nine in 10 executives say they face imminent skills gaps. Faced with the need for new and developing skills, many employers are choosing to retrain their own workers rather than recruit externally.”
Andy Kessler: “Today more than ever, investing is a fashion, especially in technology and biotech. Every single cycle, technological obsolescence is unseen. The new comes along and the old—mainframes, minicomputers, dial-up internet access, flip phones, homework-helper apps—gets milked for too long. Investing fads emerge, get overblown, and go out with an intense selloff. Examples are personal computers, client-server, dot-com, cloud and now artificial intelligence. Momentum investors jump in late and often get burned when something unseen sneaks in. Often it’s supply. There is currently a shortage of chips for AI, so Nvidia (57% operating margins) has pricing power. But silicon comes from sand; only capital and time are in short supply. Same with obesity drugs. There’s a shortage now, but many new versions are awaiting approval over the next several years. When pricing power disappears, margins crater. Foresee the unforeseen.”
Peter Diamandis on the AI Assistant: “Here are a few others that may be coming soon: “JARVIS, please locate my kids, and show me a video of what they’re doing at the moment. And, do you happen to know if they’ve completed their math homework yet?” Or “JARVIS, did you happen to watch that last conversation I had with my friend Walter? It looks like something is really troubling him. Any clue or guess as to what it might be?” That last point is fascinating. As your digital assistant gains access to imagery and video, it will gain another critical skill: better understanding human emotions and subtle communications.” [via Arnold Kling]
