The Apple Vision Pro is already incredibly easy to use, largely thanks to its lack of controllers. You just look at a control and tap your index finger to your thumb to select.
But hand gestures aren’t always easy or possible for the millions of people worldwide who have paralysis of the upper limbs. Synchron recently announced a spatial computing breakthrough that lets users of the Stentrode BCI (brain computer interface) implant control an Apple Vision Pro.
A demo of the technology was posted in a YouTube video, using the example of a person named Mark with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which prevents movement of his hands. But thanks to the BCI, he can now use a mixed-reality headset. Since the Vision Pro uses eye-tracking to move the cursor, Synchron’s BCI only needs to detect the intention to make small hand gestures.
Mark played Solitaire, browsed and watched videos on Apple TV, and sent text messages, selecting words with Synchron’s BCI and Vision Pro software.
This advancement follows an equally impressive demonstration of Mark using a text chat interface that speeds up interaction with the help of ChatGPT. Synchron posted a YouTube video that shows how it works.
Sychron was pioneering BCI work long before Neuralink. The Stentrode was the first BCI implanted in humans, and clinical trials began in 2022. Synchron uses well-established techniques like stents and endovascular surgery. While Neuralink is impressive, allowing the equivalent of mouse control via its BCI, it requires opening the skull.
BCI hardware tends to get the most attention, but software and integration with external devices is essential to creating a more comfortable and functional experience, as proven by this new example.
Availability of this technology is quite limited with clinical trials still in progress for both. That means it could be several years before thought control of computers becomes widespread. While the news of breakthroughs like this are exciting, more time and thorough testing over years is needed to ensure safety.
Google just dropped its latest AI model, Gemini 4 Carbon, designed to tackle complex coding jobs and cybersecurity threats. The company claims it can work through difficult engineering problems for days, finding hidden bugs and developing fixes across large codebases.
Gemini 4 Carbon also takes the top spot on Artificial Analysis' updated Intelligence Index, scoring 59 points, pushing out Claude Opus 5.5, OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, and even its own predecessor Gemini 4 Argon.
Apple has just introduced a redesigned MacBook Pro with a few bells and whistles. The focus this time around is on a thinner and lighter build, and an upgrade to a touch-sensitive OLED screen without any ugly notch. And, in case you were wondering, there is definitely a price premium to pay for these niceties, which also include a glowing Apple logo at the back. What if you wanted to get the best that Apple has to offer? Well, the numbers are finally here.
For a mere $14,549, you can get yourself the fully kitted 16-inch MacBook Pro PROLED XDR with the beefiest laptop chip that Apple has to offer, and the best memory configuration in tow. For nearly $15,000, you treat yourself to the 16-inch version of the laptop with a nano-texture glass layer on the screen to reduce reflections and glare.
Apple has unveiled its first-ever touchscreen MacBook Pro. The company seems a bit confused about the naming, calling it the "MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display," which is tough to remember. If you look past that and review the full spec sheets, you might ask a genuine question: what are the differences between the touchscreen and non-touchscreen versions?
Given that Apple continues to sell both variants together, that's a genuine question. Luckily, you don't have to spend more time lining up the spec sheets side by side and hunting for differences hidden in the fine print. I took that bullet for you. Here's everything that's different between the PROLED XDR Display and the regular MacBook Pro.