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Who’s using the Apple Vision Pro? Some Boston companies. – The Boston Globe

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Who’s using the Apple Vision Pro? Some Boston companies. – The Boston Globe


Still, tech industry analysts predict that wider corporate adoption of the Vision Pro will be a long time coming.

“I’m going to say 1 percent of enterprise users anywhere in the next five years,” said Tuong Nguyen, an augmented reality analyst at research firm Gartner. “It’s a very specific group of users who absolutely need 3D visualization to do their jobs,” Nguyen said.

Virtual reality (or VR) systems like the Meta Quest 2 surround the user with computer-generated simulation. But augmented reality (or AR) headsets like the Vision Pro blend video of the real world with digital images. With AR, workers can interact with humans and real objects, and operate advanced software at the same time.

The latest Meta headset, the Quest 3, is also an AR system. Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg last week said (not surprisingly) that the Quest 3 is superior overall to the Vision Pro and much less expensive at just $500. But Zuckerberg conceded that the Vision Pro offers sharper video resolution and better hand and eye tracking, making it easier for users to control the device with glances and hand gestures.

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Ghee’s firm, PTC, has created a Vision Pro app that lets workers design 3D models of all sorts of machinery, from wristwatches to robots. Meanwhile, Boston Children’s Hospital has developed an app to help teach vital medical skills to nursing students. And Boston-based home furnishings company Wayfair has launched an app that will let Vision Pro users redecorate their houses with 3D images of new chairs, sofas, and tables.

It’s all part of the plan for Apple, which sees corporate adoption of the Vision Pro as a vital part of its strategy to make augmented reality a mainstream technology. During a recent earnings call, Apple executives described upcoming enterprise apps developed for the device by Walmart, Bloomberg, medical device maker Stryker, and corporate management software firm SAP.

“I think there will be a great opportunity for us in enterprise,” said chief executive Tim Cook on the call, “and we couldn’t be more excited about where things are right now.”

With PTC’s app, engineering teams scattered around the world could use Vision Pro headsets to visualize and modify each other’s work. Using hand gestures, workers can reach inside a 3D model of an object — a pump, for instance. They can pull it apart piece by piece, upgrade a single component, and put it back together. When everyone agrees that it’s just right, the pump specifications can be sent directly to the factory for production.

Boston Children’s Hospital worked with Apple software engineers to create CyranoHealth, a Vision Pro tool for training medical personnel. Before using an unfamiliar piece of equipment, such as an intravenous medication pump, a nurse can review the procedure at the patient’s bedside by using Vision Pro to display a simulated pump alongside the real one. Once the nurse has practiced on the simulation, they can immediately follow the same procedure for real.

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Boston Children’s has experimented with virtual reality headsets for years, but most of those devices didn’t let users interact with patients in the real world. Kate Donovan, the hospital’s clinical director of innovation for inpatient medical programs, said the Vision Pro’s blend of real and virtual images makes it a more powerful tool.

“To have this on someone and allow them to actually continue working, it’s going to be a game changer,” she said.

While other companies are using Vision Pro for internal activities, Wayfair is reaching out to consumers with Decorify, an app for consumers looking to spruce up their homes. The app leverages a web-based service launched last year that lets consumers upload photos of a room to see how the space would look if decorated in different styles, such as traditional, rustic, or industrial. Decorify uses artificial intelligence to recreate the room but with different furniture, carpets, and accessories.

The Vision Pro app lets users do the same inside the AR headset. But instead of seeing the results on a flat screen, the app displays 3D images of the redesigned room. The software makes it easy to generate multiple room makeovers in just a few minutes. “It’s a what-if app,” said Wayfair creative technologist Abhijit Gurjal.

But the Decorify app’s success depends on whether enough consumers purchase a Vision Pro. And Nguyen said that even big companies won’t be too quick to invest in the technology until it’s supported by a broad ecosystem of worthwhile apps.

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The same thing happened with smartphones, Nguyen said. “There’s no killer app. It’s the suite of applications and services that made it practical and beneficial and useful,” he said. “That’s the same with this device.”


Hiawatha Bray can be reached at hiawatha.bray@globe.com. Follow him @GlobeTechLab.





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Boston, MA

Woman dies after medical episode at Boston nightclub, family says – The Boston Globe

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Woman dies after medical episode at Boston nightclub, family says – The Boston Globe


The club, in a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday, said it was “deeply saddened” by Colon’s death and that employees at the nightclub rushed to her aid.

“Our staff responded immediately and called emergency services while an off-duty EMT rendered first aid,” it said. “We are cooperating fully with all inquiries from law enforcement and city officials who are reviewing this medical episode.”

When police arrived at the Warrenton Street venue, they found a person lying on the dance floor, unresponsive and without a pulse, according to an incident report. They began performing chest compressions with the help of a cashier at the club who said she worked as an EMT.

Police said in the report that the large crowd inside the club did not comply with orders to give space to emergency medical personnel. Eventually, officers ordered the club to shut down and told patrons to leave immediately.

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The woman, whose age was not disclosed, was then taken to Tufts Medical Center, police said.

Colon’s sister, Angelica Colon, wrote on social media Sunday that the club failed to immediately call 911 after being told about the medical emergency. She said only a few people at the club showed any “real concern,” while other patrons and staff “acted like nothing was happening.”

“My sister collapsed in the middle of the club,“ she wrote. ”I tried to lift her myself and couldn’t. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and was ignored. The music was only stopped for two minutes, then turned right back on — as if her life didn’t matter.”

Angelica Colon also couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Anastaiya Colon, who was at the club to celebrate her sister Angelica’s birthday, had smoked before arriving and had “a few drinks” at the bar, according to the police report. Drug use was not suspected as a factor in the medical episode, according to the report.

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Angelica Colon said that, while her sister had a medical condition, “that does not excuse what happened.” She said in the post that she was considering legal action against the club’s owners.

“A business that refuses to act during a medical emergency does not deserve to operate,” she wrote. “If this could happen to my sister, it could happen to anyone.”

“She was the greatest mother to our son and her daughter,” Stackhouse wrote. “Wherever I fell, she compensated and gave me so much more grace than I deserve.”

Icon is operated by Pasha Entertainment, which also runs the nightclubs Venu and Hava, as well as prominent restaurants such as Ghost Light Tavern and Kava Neo-Taverna, according to the company’s website.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” the club wrote.

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Last year, the city’ licensing board reviewed a 2023 incident at the club in which a woman was punched and thrown to the ground by another patron. Icon staff did not call police during the altercation, which the club’s director of security admitted was a “lapse in judgment.”

The woman who was punched later sued the club for overserving her attacker; Icon was ordered to pay $30,000 in damages, according to court records.


Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.





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Boston, MA

Green Line back open after closure to replace 1800s beams – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Green Line back open after closure to replace 1800s beams – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


BOSTON (WHDH) – Getting around the city was made easier Tuesday after the Green Line reopened after a two-week shutdown affecting all branches.

The MBTA needed the closure to replace underground beams dating back to the 19th century.

Service returned Tuesday on the B branch between North Station and Babcock, on the C and D lines from North Station to Kenmore, and North Station to Heath Street on the E branch.

(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Boston, MA

Red Sox outfielder, veteran leader signs with Seattle after four-season run in Boston

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Red Sox outfielder, veteran leader signs with Seattle after four-season run in Boston


After four seasons in which he emerged as a veteran leader and key bench player for the Red Sox, Rob Refsnyder’s time in Boston is over.

Refsnyder has signed a one-year contract with the Mariners, the club announced. According to a major league source, the deal will pay Refsnyder a base salary of $6.25 million in 2026. It also includes $250,000 in incentives.

Refsnyder, who turns 35 in May, was a journeyman utility player when he signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in December 2021. Over the last four seasons, he found a home in Boston, where he mashed left-handed pitching and became an important clubhouse voice. Along with Trevor Story and Alex Bregman, Refsnyder helped form a core of older position players who helped the Sox navigate treacherous waters in the fallout of the Rafael Devers drama (and subsequent trade) over the summer. On the field, he was plenty productive, too, as he hit .269 with nine homers, 12 doubles and an .838 OPS in 70 games in his limited role in 2025.

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In 309 games over the past four seasons, Refsnyder hit .276 with 27 homers, 119 RBIs, 48 doubles and an .804 OPS while serving as one of the best hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching. In 2025, he posted a .302 average, .560 slugging percentage and .959 OPS against southpaws, pairing with Romy Gonzalez to form a potent pair of right-handed platoon options for Alex Cora. Refsnyder’s .596 slugging percentage against left-handed starters was the fourth-best mark in baseball. Since the start of 2021, Refsnyder ranks third in the majors in on-base percentage against lefties (.405) among players with 300 plate appearances.

Refsnyder expressed strong interest in returning to the Red Sox in 2026 but in recent weeks, the writing has been on the wall for his departure. There aren’t many at-bats to go around in Boston’s crowded outfield/designated hitter picture and recent comments from manager Alex Cora made it harder to see Refsnyder returning in his role. Specifically, the club wants Wilyer Abreu — a platoon player to this point in his career — to get regular starts against lefties in right field, a position where Refsnyder logged 21 starts in 2025. Cora also praised the athleticism of Nate Eaton, who may take over Refsnyder’s role as a versatile, younger and cheaper version in 2026. Eaton had a .673 OPS against lefties in 49 big league plate appearances last year but the Red Sox think there’s more in his right-handed bat. Kristian Campbell is expected to focus on outfield work in spring training, too, further crowding a group that includes Abreu, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran and potentially Eaton and others.

The Mariners will be Refsnyder’s seventh major league team, joining the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and Twins. He had previously signed two deals to remain in Boston, agreeing to avoid arbitration at $1.2 million for 2023, then signing a $1.85 million extension for the 2024 season that included a $2 million option for 2025.



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