BALTIMORE—NewsON, Sinclair’s news app that provides local news streamed live and on-demand from more than 280 local TV stations nationwide, has teamed up with Mindgrub to launch an Apple Vision Pro app for the service, marking Sinclair’s first foray into spatial computing specifically for local news delivery, “blending digital content with physical surroundings,” the companies said.
As Sinclair’s first spatial computing app built natively for Vision Pro devices, the NewsON app for Vision Pro introduces a unique “Newsroom immersion” feature, leveraging spatial aspects of the Vision Pro for displaying interactive news maps and a complete immersive environment.
NewsON’s Vision Pro app features partnerships with over 280 local TV stations in TV markets covering more than 90% of U.S. households and provides access to on-demand newscasts and short form story clips from local TV stations nationwide.Powered by RealityKit and SwiftUI, NewsON’s Vision Pro app also offers photorealistic 3D renderings and intuitive user experiences, Sinclair said.
“We’re always looking to embrace new outlets and ways of presenting local TV news and we’re excited to work with the team at Mindgrub to explore the possibilities of augmented reality in our new Vision Pro app. This is much more than just a repurposed mobile app. We’ve developed a native visionOS user experience and are excited to see how news audiences engage with this new form factor,” said Ron Stitt, VP and General Manager, NewsON.
“The possibilities with Apple Vision Pro are limitless, and we are thrilled to be at the forefront of exploring its potential. This collaboration with NewsON really highlights our commitment to innovation and pushing the boundaries of digital media,” said Mindgrub Founder & CEO Todd Marks.
Lauren Herda, Interactive Art Director at Mindgrub, highlights the app’s geospatial features, noting: “One of the major benefits of this app is that if something big is happening, you can find the station on our interactive map, and easily go directly to where news is happening,” said Lauren Herda, Interactive Art Director at Mindgrub, highlighting the app’s geospatial features.
Since its retail launch at the beginning of February 2024, Apple has reportedly sold less than 400,000 of the Apple Vision Pros, which retail for $3,500.
