Thursday, June 8. Happy World Ocean’s Day.🐳
If you’ve been wondering how ‘cancelling’ things on the internet actually goes, just hours after the Chinese Government tried to outlaw the unofficial Honk Kong Anthem (Glory To Hong Kong), the song raced to #1 on iTunes.
In today’s email:
Alpha Bet: Apple enters the VR age
GC Developed: Too much versus not enough
Trending: AI’s hard life
Around the Web (Snippets): Robot Jellyfish That Clean Oceans, Reddit’s Subreddits Go Dark, Cooly Rocks On 2023 Kicks Off and more
Gold Coast Housing Movements
Weekend weather and surf:
1. One Big Thing: Alpha Bet 🥽
Reality, Meet Apple Vision Pro
At the Worldwide Developers Conference in the last 48 hours (WWDC), Apple unveiled its big bet into AR with its much-anticipated Apple Vision Pro.
This isn't just another gadget; it's a full-blown reality twister that will completely intertwine spatial computing with your everyday life.
Trippy.
From your favourite film to intense gaming sessions or even seeing and snagging a spare seat at a restaurant for a reservation - it's all stepping into the future and fast.
Ready Player One
While there have been a few others around for a while, every online and real-world experience just leapt into the future with the introduction of the Apple Vision Pro.
From its core, it will shake the boundaries of VR and AR.
After a few operating system upgrades, of course…
Information overload
The Apple Vision Pro will blend spatial computing with the real world for users, providing new ways for accessing apps and integrating them with the real-world environment.
Of course, rolling out first in the U.S. market, we’ll likely see them drop here in early to mid-2024.
And, at about AUD 5200 a piece, it’s a heavy-duty that you might want to start saving for now..
Zoom out
Apple's expensive VR spectacle has stirred up quite a social media storm.
Despite a few laughs over the price and raised eyebrows over the trailing battery pack wire, the Vision Pro is undoubtedly making waves and is the biggest story in tech this week.
The GC Impact
The Apple Vision Pro won’t just be a shot in the arm for VR/AR startups; it will open new doors in medical research, space, military, and high-tech industries, not to mention a whole new field of applications and development agencies.
Here at home, Gold Coast franchises like Zero Latency and Gold Coast Studios would be buzzing from the hype.
With pre-orders here very soon, sign up here to find out first.
The World is getting braver, weirder and more tech-heavy.
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2. GC Skyline Over/development?
Happening Now
The Kirra Beach Hotel's Landmark $380M tower marks battle lines between planning and environment, community, sustainable, productive growth, and overbuilding, which the Gold Coast has seen in spades.
Now standing as a symbol of the classic duel between urban expansion and preservation, it has drawn heavy community focus.
Walking the Tightrope
The Council is walking a very fine line between representing the voter and community and appeasing the developer.
The $380M redevelopment of the Kirra Beach Hotel means 200 new residential units, retail spaces and a 530-car park.
In year three of planning, new and unforeseen modifications and pending Council approvals, the Kirra Beach Complex is rattling the surrounding communities.
The Problem
A bit of development is good for many reasons, and the south end needed a little bit.
Plan 1 was accepted by the community years ago, even at the expense of a 64-year-old pub (the only one in Kirra).
The problems began when the Council started to relax rules after the approval of Plan 1.
What the people say
The Community Alliance Association Inc., built on the foundation of Acting for Community and Environment (ACE), has been actively trying to balance the Council.
“Communities don’t say no to development; they say no to another Surfers Paradise.” In other words, no reckless building.”
In short, they wanted a Kirra Beach built up in the right way and a major economic drawcard, but in a way that is a lot more chilled-out than a bustling and ruined Surfers Paradise skyline.
What to look for next
While the community championed hard for a southern Gold Coast end that retained at least a bit of its charm and the skyline that everyone grew to love - it appears that only a few hours ago, the Gold Coast City Council Planning Committee gave the green light to the next stage in a vote of 4-2.
Despite admitting to being divided and confused by the extensions, the committee’s decision now needs to be considered by the whole of Council next week.
3. Trending
The largest sand island in the World, Fraser Island, now has another name, K’gari.
Life for tech and tourists alike looks like it just got trickier.
4. Around The Web (Snippets)
Jellyfish Robots: On track to clean up the World's oceans
An Epic GC Startup Ecosystem Event: In July, get tix here
Subreddits Go Dark: To combat new API charges, r/videos, r/reactiongifs, r/earthporn, and r/lifeprotips are planning to set themselves to private
Cooly Rocks On 2023: Kicks off today for the first time in full swing in years
Accountants Still Rule: ChatGPT is still no match for humans when it comes to counting beans