Apple Abandons Augmented Reality Glasses

Apple seems to be on a run of unrealized ideas, with its augmented reality (AR) glasses rumored to be the company’s latest dead-end project.

Since the tragic passing of Steve Jobs, as well as the departure of Sir Jony Ive, Apple has been looking for its “next big thing.” Known for its innovation, the company revolutionized the computer, smartphone, tablet, and music industries. While that track record is a hard act to follow, the company seems to be struggling more than one would expect to deliver the next game-changing product.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has pulled the plug on its AR glasses, which were designed to pair with its Mac computers. Unlike competing products, Apple’s glass would have required a Mac connection. The glasses were seen as a way to apply the knowledge gained from the Vision Pro toward a more affordable, more approachable device.

As Gurman points out, the Vision Pro is an incredible device, but its high price tag and unclear role has led to slower adoption than Apple hoped. The company has reportedly been working on a cheaper version, one executives hope will address the device’s failings.

The AR glasses join Project Titan, Apple’s much-hyped attempt to build autonomous vehicles. As multiple starts and direction changes, Apple finally killed the project in Febuary 2024.

Tim Cook’s Legacy and the Shadow of Jobs

By all measurable metrics, Tim Cook has been an outstanding CEO. A logistical genius, Apple has reached previously unimaginable heights under his stewardship.

Despite his successes, it can’t be easy following Jobs. Known for his creative genius and design spirit, Jobs had an uncanny knack for understanding what customers wanted and recognizing a game-changing idea before anyone else. Once he saw it, he was able to market it like no other.

No matter how much Cook drives Apple toward financial success, it’s not hard to imagine the pressure he must feel to deliver at least one major, category-defining product during his tenure.

Only time will tell if the Vision Pro will be that product, or if Apple will pivot to something else in its quest for “the next big thing.”

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Nearly One-Third of Dutch Tesla Owners May Sell Over Elon Musk

Data out of the Netherlands is bad news for Elon Musk and Tesla, with nearly one-third of Dutch customers considering selling their vehicles because of Musk.

Musk has been mired in controversy, in no small part because of his support of the far-right German Alternative for Germany (AfD), a party with ties to neo-Nazism. Musk conducted a lengthy interview with party leader Alice Weidel, even seemingly agreeing with her false statement that Adolf Hitler was a communist.

Unfortunately for Tesla, it seems some Dutch customers have had enough. According to Fortune, a survey by EenVandaag found that 31% of Dutch customers have either sold their vehicle or are considering it.

“There’s been a debate in the Netherlands around Tesla shame,” pollster Joyce Boverhuis told Fortune. “But it’s one thing just to be embarrassed by Musk. It’s another thing entirely when you take the next step and think about actually selling it.”

As Fortune points out, the survey was conducted before Musk’s salute at Donald Trump’s inauguration, an incident that will likely push even more Tesla owners to consider selling. During the inauguration, Musk twice made a gesture that looked nearly identical to a Nazi salute. Some have tried to explain it as Musk using the gesture to say “my heart goes out” to the audience, but the tech exec has used a far more benign gesture when making such a statement to past audiences.

Interestingly, as the outlet notes, EVs enjoy far wider adoption in the Netherlands than in the US. A significant percentage of Dutch support President Trump.

“We’re following the U.S. in terms of politics and cultural behavior,” Boverhuis added. “To give you an idea of how the Dutch feel about Trump, 23% of 26,000 people we surveyed last week replied by saying they would like to live in a country where he is president.”

As a result, Musk supporters cannot claim that the Dutch are reacting they way they are because of a dislike of Trump, his politics, or Musk’s support of the administration. Instead, it would appear to be a dislike for Musk alone that is causing the issue.

Musk Is a Growing Problem for Tesla

This is not the first time Musk has been accused of dragging Tesla down. Market intelligence firm Caliber found that Tesla’s brand consideration score dropped dramatically over the last few years—from 70% in 2021 to 31% in 2024—likely because of Musk.

“It’s very likely that Musk himself is contributing to the reputational downfall,” said Caliber CEO Shahar Silbershatz.

Ultimately, no one knows whether Musk meant his salute as a Nazi salute, a Roman salute (which the Nazi salute drew inspiration from), or if he meant it as “my heart goes” to the audience gesture. Given that he has used a much different gesture for the latter scenario, it seems unlikely that was his intention.

Ultimately, however, it may be a distinction without a difference. Either Musk willfully made a Nazi salute, or he made a gesture that was so similar that he still should have known better. It’s also not outside the realm of possibility that he made the gesture purely to rile critics, counting on his wealth and position within the administration to shield him from any real consequences.

In the aftermath of the incident, Musk has not denied that it was a Nazi salute, instead mocking critics who took offense at it.

Whatever Musk’s intentions, Tesla owners may finally be growing tired of his child-like antics.

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