Live data from Hacker News

Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

blog.google

451–460 of 539 posts

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#451

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is existing Looking Glass Factory tech the same though? Not so sure about that. Those displays are typically monitor-sized at the largest and not really aimed at displaying a live feed of a person. This looks to be a more seamless experience on a larger screen.

Downvoted, with no response, for posing an open question. Shame on you, honestly.

[deleted]

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#452
post #124

Thought: This could bring back phone booths. If this tech turns out to be too expensive (for normal people) we could still use it on a pay-per-use basis, like with a "video conferencing booth". You'd schedule your call and reserve a local booth for both participants through an app. And most companies should be able to afford having one of these in the office.

I doubt that very much. Consider these scenarios:

1. Call for free from home/couch with a regular camera in the privacy of my home.

2. Go to some location and pay a third party to do a less private call, and have a better visual experience.

The most obvious choice would be number 1 in 99.9% of all cases. In theory, privacy can be increased by creating a sound-proofed environment for your call, but in practice, that would easily become very expensive.

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#453
I wonder what distance they tried this over - there's a hard limit on speed-of-light for latency between continents, plus whatever encoding/decoding has to happen, so seems like we're always going to have that slightly awkward taking-over-each-other issue?

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#454
In 2059 we probably will invent technology that allows you to talk to people without even having to see them.

Jokes aside, it is cool tech, but I fail to see applications. With my developer colleagues we mostly share a desktop instead of seeing other peoples faces.

Don't know how it is technically solved to simulate depth, but I image it being no different than conventional screens. The difficulty is probably doing a real time stereoscopy of the object displayed.

Would be cool to know if they only use AI supported imaging for that, or if they have some sensors, maybe invisible laser projections or stuff like that. There are probably restrictions how the cameras must be angled too, so a self-made home setup would be difficult to calibrate.

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#455
post #426

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would wager a guess that its due to lack of competition. Apple Maps only works on iOS. DDG is great but the search results aren’t. Does YouTube even have a competitor? I don’t think you’re a curmudgeon at all. Circa 2008, Google was innovating in a lot of different areas that were very valuable to the average user. The ROI on these services has gone way down.

NB: Apple Maps also has a dedicated Mac app.

While that's true, GP's point still stands. You can use G-Maps on all platforms that have a browser, but you can't use A-Maps that way.

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#457
post #49

My dad used to tell a story about my grandfather's first experience with television in the late forties. There was a buxom woman on the screen, and he walked up to it, trying to look down her cleavage. It didn't work. Does Starline give you a different view when you change your perspective? It looks like it does to some extent. If so, it might work before long, but grandpa died about fifty years too soon for it.

Does your dad think your grandfather's problematic behavior was funny?

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#458

In 2059 we probably will invent technology that allows you to talk to people without even having to see them. Jokes aside, it is cool tech, but I fail to see applications. With my developer colleagues we mostly share a desktop instead of seeing other peoples faces. Don't know how it is technically solved to simulate depth, but I image it being no different than conventional screens. The difficulty is probably doing a…

This is for family and friend meetings, not for work calls.

This is all made to evoke sense of closeness.

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#459
post #2

A good friend of mine at Google is the technical lead of this project (he has a Phd Princeton, and was a professor before joining Google). I've tried it in person and it was truly amazing. They used some very fancy tech when I saw the demo, so I'm thrilled it is finally being announced and possibly shared with a larger audience. Explanation of why it is amazing: It totally fools your perception. No glasses or goggles…

I want to try this just to see what happens, if I will have again the feeling something is more real than reality. Because optometrists are illegal in my country (here only medics can decide what glasses you can use), currently I don't have stereoscopic vision, although my brain CAN do it, if I had the correct images sent to my eyes somehow. (one of my eyes muscles is slightly shorter than the other side thus the ima…

Online eye exam: https://www.easee.online/en/

Re: Project Starline: Feel like you're there, together

#460
post #49

My dad used to tell a story about my grandfather's first experience with television in the late forties. There was a buxom woman on the screen, and he walked up to it, trying to look down her cleavage. It didn't work. Does Starline give you a different view when you change your perspective? It looks like it does to some extent. If so, it might work before long, but grandpa died about fifty years too soon for it.

On the topic of buxom women, my first thought about this tech was, it'll be the next frontier for OnlyFans/porn accounts on Snapchat. Before you laugh or be prude, porn content was what made VHS and BluRay succeed (or are these urban legends?) and they were pioneers in stuff like online video streaming.

Yes, like VR this will be used extensively by the porn industry.
Post reply on HN