Apple's weird anti-nausea dots cured my car sickness (theverge.com)

Article summary

Apple's Vehicle Motion Cues feature, introduced in 2024, aims to reduce motion sickness when using an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook in a moving vehicle by displaying dots that move in harmony with the vehicle's motion. The feature can be enabled under accessibility settings and can be configured to appear automatically when vehicle motion is detected. The author of the article found the feature to be effective in reducing their car sickness. The feature uses the device's accelerometer and gyroscope to determine the vehicle's motion and adjust the dots accordingly.

Main themes

• Motion Sickness
• Apple Accessibility Features
• Vehicle Motion Cues
• Android Alternatives
• Sensor Technology

What commenters say

• The Vehicle Motion Cues feature is effective in reducing motion sickness for some users, but not all, and its effectiveness may depend on individual circumstances.
• The feature's placement under accessibility settings may make it less discoverable for some users, and it should be considered a frontline feature.
• There are Android equivalents to the Vehicle Motion Cues feature, but their effectiveness and implementation may vary.
• The feature's algorithm and sensor usage are not fully understood, and some users have reported inconsistent results or issues with the feature's behavior.
• Some users have reported success with using the feature in certain situations, such as reading or checking their phone while in a moving vehicle, but not in others.
• The feature's use of the derivative of acceleration, rather than just acceleration, may be a key factor in its effectiveness, but this is not universally accepted.
• Building the feature into the OS, rather than relying on third-party apps, may be a better approach due to security and permission concerns.
• The feature's effectiveness may also depend on the type of vehicle and the individual's sensitivity to motion sickness.