Wesley's Tool-Box

You may need to type in words or sentences in the Apple Vision Pro from time to time, be it for searching something in the Internet or writing up a memo. If you need to write something long, the best way to do this would be to connect a Bluetooth keyboard like you see here. Tactile feedback and touch typing makes things comfortable and quick.

For short inputs, the integrated virtual keyboard that you control with the hand gestures is the way to go. The problem is, the visionOS only supports English as of version 1.1. The only other alternative is emojis, and you can't yet add another language or a 3rd party keyboard.

This is probably an artificial limitation set by Apple since the product was initially launched in the U.S. only. Still, it means that there's no native way of entering Korean text. Bluetooth keyboard follows the layout setting on the virtual keyboard, and there's no Korean language layout to switch to. In other words, it's stuck in English unless some workarounds are applied. So what are they?

One of the main reasons I developed a wearable computer two decades ago was to have a computer available for use while on the move. Since Vision Pro is also a computer you wear on your body, I wanted to see if it was just as versatile. So I brought it to a local park in the Travel Case and wore it at a bench as you can see above. The wearing process itself took about 90 seconds to complete, which isn't that different from my old creation.

Once the system is booted and ready for use, I can load up the Home View and launch apps, all of which are floating but "anchored" to the surrounding space. Although the default way of interacting with the elements in a window is via hand gestures, I can just walk up to the window and "touch" it to use it like a huge touchscreen. There's no haptic or tactile feedback, so it's a bit awkward. However, the audible cue does make you feel that there's a slight feedback and it helps.

Apple launched its first so-called spatial computing device called Vision Pro on February 2, 2024, only in the United States. As someone who had keen interest in wearable computers for quite some time, and is big fan of all things Apple, I had to get my hands on a set. So I was able to make it to Apple The Grove in Los Angeles on the launch day and do just that.

The trip wasn't easy, as the plane I took had one of the passengers falling ill mid-flight, causing an emergency landing in Tokyo Narita Int'l Airport and making the trip 6 hours longer than originally planned. Thankfully, I was able to arrive at the store before closing.