Step Into Newsletter – September 29, 2024

The release of visionOS 2.0, the first global Vision Hack, a survey of Apple Vision Pro users, and more.

It’s been a very busy few weeks! visionOS 2 was finally released to the public on September 15. I had been using visionOS 2 all summer for development. However, I never really internalized all the new features for end-users. Now that it’s out, I have jumped off the beta train. I need to spend some time learning all the new features. Like everyone, I’m still waiting for the flashiest feature: the ultra-wide virtual display.

In the lead up to the launch of visionOS 2 I was kept busy with Project Graveyard 2.0 and Vision Hack.

Project Graveyard is my first app for Apple Vision Pro. I released version on launch day in February and I’ve released a couple of small updates along the way. When visionOS 2 was unveiled at WWDC, I knew I had a lot of work to do. Many of the hacks I used in visionOS 1 were no longer needed. Some of them even caused issues in the new version. You can read more about the development of Project Graveyard on my personal blog and get it for free on the App Store.

Vision Hack was the first global hackathon for Apple Vision Pro. It was a ton of fun and a very busy weekend that transitioned right into visionOS 2 launch day. I wrote about my experience building A Bright Idea. Many of the projects were published along with the source code. I plan to give those projects special attention to see what we can learn from them.

From the Apple Vision Pro Community

Devon Dundee of MacStories wrote an epic review of the operating system. It’s a long read, but it’s worth every word. visionOS 2: The MacStories Review

Tom Krikorian surveyed the Apple Vision Pro community and posted the results on his website. Vision Pro Online Usage Survey Results

BlockStack by Donovan Hutchinson is just a ton of fun. Check out the TestFlight and make sure to leave him some feedback. I was surprised by how much this app made me calm down. At first it was a little nerve-racking, but after slowing down a bit I found this really relaxing. Update: BlockStack now has a nifty landing page and is live on the App Store.

Now that Beta Season is over and the Vision Hack is done, I’m starting to get back into my routine. I’m going to jump back to making example code for Step Into Vision, starting with some details around Volumes.

Joseph
September 29, 2024