San Diego PD Issues Warning to Not Cross Streets Wearing Apple Vision Pro in Wake of Viral Video
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Apple’s new Vision Pro AR/VR headset was released recently, leading to much ado from the media, making it one of the most talked-about gadgets today. Now, following the release of a video earlier this week, the San Diego Police Department has issued a warning to Vision Pro owners to not wear the device while crossing the street.
NBC News reports:The San Diego Police Department issued the advisory Monday after footage went viral on Instagram showing a man walking across a downtown street and apparently accessing a virtual menu while a police patrol car and several officers were just yards away.
Event producer Michael Ciccone shot the original video and then posted it to his Instagram account. The video was then shared by the San Diego Humor Instagram account, where it has received thousands of likes so far. Unfortunately, the San Diego Police Department was not a fan of the video.
“A video making its rounds online shows our patrol team in Central Division ‘face-to-face’ with the future — a pedestrian donning the latest Apple Vision Pro headset while walking in the street downtown,” the department posted on its Instagram page. “It was a sight that had us pausing in bewilderment. While we’re all for exploring new dimensions and technology, let’s remember the importance of pedestrian safety.”
The statement continued: “Keep those virtual experiences on the sidewalk, folks, and let’s cross streets the old-fashioned way — with our eyes wide open to the real world, unobstructed and without distractions!”
Later in the day, San Diego Humor posted a related video, which was recorded from the point of view of San Diego resident Vlad Kislov, the man who was wearing the Vision Pro headset, showing that he was accessing a music app, changing to a different tune while walking across the street.
While Kislov’s video’s soundtrack played the 1983 synth-pop hit “Break My Stride,” by Matthew Wilder, the headset appeared to be playing a song by Russian rapper ATL.
Apple calls its $3,500 AR/VR headset “a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world while allowing users to stay present and connected to others.”
The Apple Vision Pro operating system, called “visionOS,” allows users to interact with digital content, applications, and games, making it feel as if the content is physically present in their personal space.
Vision Pro wearers use a combination of their eyes, hands, and voice to browse through apps, use gestures to select and control apps and content, or use their voice to dictate to the device.
While the headset does allow users to see the world around them, the device also allows them to view video content, such as movies and TV shows. Users can blow up the games or video to make it appear to be showing on a 100-inch screen. That means it likely won’t be long before a user walks into a light pole as they enjoy the fourth chapter of the Star Wars saga. Stay tuned. Um, but not on your Vision Pro headset as you walk down the street.
