QPORIT

 

The new Samsung Galaxy XR headset with Android XR operating system (SGAXR) looks terrific from the demo presentation. It is at least $1,000 cheaper than the AVP. It comes with 256 GB, considerable software, and a a free year of Google AI Pro and YouTube Premium; plus a few other introductory free or inexpensive content packages. 

I have not had a chance to test it. It is available for order today in the US & South Korea. Delivery should be about a week. Demos are available at Samsung stores.

https://www.samsung.com/us/

SPECS

Labels: 3D camera, eXtended Reality, Galaxy XR, HMD, immersion, SAMSUNG, XR

 

The Montclair Film Festival is getting more interesting every year!

The 2025 Montclair Film Festival runs from Oct 17  to Oct 26.

 

Opening night, tonight! will include an Opening Night Party after the Opening Night Feature, Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly and a Q&A with composer Nicholas Britell.

Additional centerpiece films include

• Ryan White’s intimate documentary, Come See Me in the Good Light; and
• HIKARI’s Tokyo-set Rental Family with Brendan Fraser, who will participate in a Q & A moderated by Stephen Colbert.

 

Additional highlights of the ten day event include:

• Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, 
• Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet ,
• Rebecca Miller’s two-part portrait Mr. Scorsese and
• Closing night’s Christy with Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster.

In addition to many genres of full-length films and short films, the festival features conversations with Pamela Abdy; and another with Spike Lee moderated by Stephen Colbert.  AND…

Montclair Film’s signature onstage series returns on December 7 with Stephen Colbert in conversation with Conan O’Brien  at NJPAC.

 

The Film Festival is the annual highlight event of Montclair Film, an organization that provides multiple, excellent film opportunities for high school students (and others). I've been following them ever since I posted in QPORIT about the 2019 event with Stephen Colbert interviewing Julia-Louis Dreyfus.

 

SOME LINKS

 

OPENING NIGHT EVENT

https://montclairfilm.org/events/jay-kelly/

 

MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE - BY DATE

https://montclairfilm.org/

 

MONTCLAIR FILM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE GUIDE - BY GENRE, VENUE, DATE

https://montclairfilm.org/ (SELECT “BROWSE AND BUY TICKETS”)

 

TICKET INFO

https://montclairfilm.org/festival-information/tickets/

 

MONTCLAIR FILM

https://montclairfilm.org/about/mission/

 

MONTCLAIR FILM + EDUCATION

https://montclairfilm.org/education/

 

STEPHEN COLBERT & CONAN O’BRIEN

https://www.njpac.org/event/stephen-colbert/

 

SPIKE LEE

https://montclairfilm.org/events/in-conversation-spike-lee/

 

BRENDAN FRASER

https://montclairfilm.org/events/rental-famly/

 

PAMELA ABDY

https://montclairfilm.org/events/in-conversation-pamela-abdy/

 

NICHOLAS BRITELL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Britell

 

STEPHEN COLBERT & JULIA-LOUIS DREYFUS (2019)

Labels: Brendan Fraser, Conan O'Brien, Montclair, Montclair Film, Montclair Film Festival, Scorcese, Spike Lee, Stephen Colbert

 

Apple just announced an upgrade to the Apple Vision Pro (AVP) with no special fanfare. Fair enough: there is little new in the AVP to hype. The primary change is that the M2 chip has been replaced with an M5 chip, making everything more powerful, but not different.  It also has a new headband.

On the negative side, the weight is slightly increased, and there is no trade-in or allowance to buy the new AVP. The base price with 256 GB storage is about $3,500, not counting extras like a service contract. With 512 GB add $200. And 1 TB begins at about $3,900. A free demo is available at Apple Stores: Click on the button on the AVP page below, or call for an appointment.

The AVP (as before) includes a Spatial Video camera. “Spatial Video” is Apple’s term for 3D 180 video in its proprietary format .  A Spatial Video uses approximately 300 MB per minute or 2 GB per hour at 2200x2200 pxls / 30 fps (and records Spatial Audio well as Video). Meta Quest 3 now does support the Apple format. For other 3D players, there is a MAC program that can assist in converting the Apple format to a standard side-by-side (SBS) 3D ready format.  The AVP also includes software that displays 2D photos and videos in 3D as they play.

 

LINKS

HOME PAGE:

https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

ANNOUNCEMENT

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/10/apple-vision-pro-upgraded-with-the-m5-chip-and-dual-knit-band/

 

APPLE STORE

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-vision/apple-vision-pro

 

SPECS:

https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/specs/

 

DEVELOPER’S SITE FOR APPLE VISION OS

https://developer.apple.com/visionos/

 

THE M5 CHIP

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/10/apple-unleashes-m5-the-next-big-leap-in-ai-performance-for-apple-silicon/

 

 

Labels: Apple Vision Pro, AVP, spatial audio, Spatial Video, VisionOS