Disney confirms 3D movies on Apple Vision Pro, Will Rabbit R1 replace the smartphone?

AI-washing has reached consumer tech. Dozens of internet-connected devices are now described as powered by artificial intelligence. But amid the AI grills and mattress toppers, the gadget attracting most attention is a smartphone replacement that looks like a Playmobil toy.  The R1 is an AI “pocket companion” that costs $199 and claims to have sold more than 40,000 units on pre-order in the past week. Creator Rabbit, which has raised $30mn from investors, describes it as a new generation of device compared with the humble phone. FT.com

Apple has once again been banned from selling two smartwatch models in the US, while a legal battle continues over a patent dispute. The tech giant was earlier allowed to sell its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches while proceedings were ongoing – but a US appeals court has since reversed that decision. Imports of watches are also affected. On Thursday, Apple said it will release watches without the disputed blood oxygen feature to keep them on shelves. It is the latest turn in a dispute between the firm and medical technology company Masimo. BBC 

Disney+ has confirmed that 3D movies will be available on the Apple Vision Pro VR headset, with some of these films in High Frame Rate as well (thanks, FlatpanelsHD). According to Disney, dozens of popular movies are reportedly making their way to the device soon, including Avatar: The Way of Water, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Avengers: Endgame, with more titles and series to be announced later. Most films are shot at 24fps, so it will interesting to see what the upper ranges of the frame rate will be for these new Vision Pro versions. There will be a dedicated area for finding 3D content on the Apple Vision Pro (and other devices, should they emerge). WhatHiFi

Big technology companies are recklessly pursuing profits from artificial intelligence and urgent action is needed to mitigate the risks from the rapidly growing sector, the head of the United Nations has warned. In a fierce attack on the technology multinationals, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, told the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos that every breakthrough in generative AI increased the threat of unintended consequences. Guterres linked the risks from AI to that posed by the climate crisis and said the international community had no strategy to deal with either. The Guardian

Households could install solar panels on a subscription model as part of a trial backed by the Government to encourage the uptake of green technology. Twelve projects intended to cut energy bills will receive a share of £16m government funding to roll out pilot schemes. Among them is Sunsave, a London-based company, that will receive £2 million funding to trial a scheme offering households solar panels for a monthly payment, similar to a mobile phone, rather than an upfront sum. Telegraph 

Sheryl Sandberg has announced she will step down as a director of Meta this year after 12 years on the board at the social media giant. One of the most powerful women in the tech industry, Ms Sandberg joined Meta – then Facebook – when it was a promising internet start-up and helped to turn it into one of the biggest companies in the world. Ms Sandberg, 54, said “this feels like the right time to step away” and will leave her role as director but continue to work in an advisory role. Telegraph