At Build 2024, Microsoft announced it partnered with Meta to extend Windows apps into 3D space with the help of a Quest VR headset. When working on physical objects, it’s important to have spatial awareness of components.
Microsoft and Meta have been working together on VR solutions for quite some time, and Microsoft Office apps are now available in the Quest Store. You can open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to get work done in a Meta Quest 3 on virtual screens. However, these flat panels don’t really take advantage of what’s possible in virtual reality.
Microsoft’s latest plans sound much more interesting. The Windows Developer Blog promises to “make Windows a first-class experience on Quest devices.” Windows Volumetric apps can extend into 3D space, allowing users to manipulate virtual objects with their hands.
Microsoft will provide a volumetric API to use for this interaction. That means developers will need to create new apps or add these features to existing apps before you’ll be able to make use of this new concept. In the meantime, you can still connect your Quest 3 to a Windows PC to view multiple virtual windows with apps like Immersed and Virtual Desktop.
The mention of Meta Quest was brief as Microsoft had dozens of exciting AI and Windows topics to cover, including several big Copilot AI enhancements, real-time video translation for Edge, and the awesome new Copilot+ PCs.
Microsoft and Meta have worked together before and have been planning on deeper integration since Meta Connect 2022 when Meta announced its Quest Pro, a work-centric VR headset. Some of the plans mentioned in 2022 arrived late in 2023, so it could take months to see any progress on Microsoft Volumetric apps.
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.