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Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

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Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#121

Post by SoftTalker »

skohan wrote: post #118
jwsteigerwalt wrote: post #107

The reality is that it was always unlikely that Microsoft (or Meta, or Google, or Apple…) would be able to create disruption in AR, VR, etc. on the magnitude of the initial iPhone release. Better to keep their powder dry to acquire the startups that potentially can.

It seems obvious to me AI will be the next major disruption. Radically decreasing the need for human labor has an obvious productive advantage while there is no evidence people would prefer to leave reality.

> Radically decreasing the need for human labor has an obvious productive advantage while there is no evidence people would prefer to leave reality.

When people have nothing to do they might prefer to leave reality....

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#122

Post by l33t233372 »

generalizations wrote: post #104
pronlover723 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No one can touch you but they can hurt you in the same way people hurt others online all the time. Verbal abuse, name calling, derogatory remarks, unwanted solicitation, etc...

> and you can leave at any time

You can do that online as well, no?

I suppose if you elect to not remain anonymous there could be an issue, but generally speaking I don’t know that this is a problem.

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#123

Post by xwdv »

andirk wrote: post #80
h0l0cube wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's more that the industry is bearish on long bets in a tight financial climate. The tech for VR/AR is too clunky to seamlessly integrate into peoples' daily lives like mobile phones and smart phones did. There will need to be an iPhone-like leap in affordable and portable vision tech before VR/AR becomes a feasible marketplace.

There was Google Glass but it got laughed out of town for being made for dorks. Seemed like perfectly good tech.

Ray Ban Stories are basically the acceptable version of 80% of the purpose behind Google Glass: taking photos and videos.

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#124

Post by Kukumber »

Mountain_Skies wrote: post #38

Wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft is readying itself to sell/splitoff its consumer products and focus on Enterprise and Cloud. That could also be part of the reason why they're trying to make the consumer version of Windows generate revenue streams. The only thing that might point the other direction is the acquisition of Activision. Why buy it if you're going to spinoff that division?

Buying Activision is only to counter Tencent (or Netease, i forgot wich one), wich was interested in acquiring them

Microsoft and the US military are very close

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#125

Post by porknubbins »

mbfg wrote: post #106
boppo1 wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Iirc there was some face-punching resistance to people recording discreetly. I suspect that may have subsided some in many areas due to the longer them of high-res-video-recorder ubiquity.

don't disagree, i find it interesting that people get unbelievably angered when individuals record them in public, but could care less when business do. I could understand some difference in reaction between the two, but the actual gulf displayed is astounding.

I’m not familiar with the google glass incidents but surely people have good reason to feel differently about being singled out and clandestinely recorded by an individual compared to a business that automatically records everyone who enters. I don’t think carrying a camera down the street would get you punched.

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#126

Post by rchaud »

javajosh wrote: post #81
p1mrx wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, it seems most of the low-hanging fruit has been picked over the last couple decades. What is left for a random small business with software talent to do?

One example. It is my personal belief is that social media is ripe for disruption in ways we have not imagined yet. Clearly centralized, ad-revenue driven psuedo-monopolies are a big problem. I actually believe there is a parallel problem with software engineering that has focused on larger piles of cloud-hosted complexity that has far outstripped the ability of anyone to hold it in their head. These two things are,…

> Clearly centralized, ad-revenue driven psuedo-monopolies are a big problem.

Financially, it's the exact opposite of a problem; it's too profitable. There will always be big market for companies that manage to lock up an audience within its walls.

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#127

Post by [deleted] »

dougmwne wrote: post #28

Shutting down AltSpace should be a loud warning bell for Meta’s Horizon Worlds. Horizon is basically a badly executed AltSpace. AltSpace was super niche, but some artists and marginalized people seemed to find a home there. It was like an odd cross between a digital Burning Man and a BIPOC LGTBQ+ neurodivergent support group. I had a memorable conversation during the height of the pandemic with an older gay man whose…

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#129

Post by majormajor »

koof wrote: post #111
vkou wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Your downside is never capped, of course. What? Unless your work literally drives you to suicide, the cap on the downside is 'You go out and interview until you find another job.' You aren't risking your own money - you're an employee. You get paid for your work.

Isn’t it the same for the people “risking” their money? The only “risk” is that they lose their bet, meaning they have to go find a job like the rest of us.

Let's say you have $50k in savings and an offer in hand for Microsoft or a startup idea of your own.

If want to work on your idea, but you don't already have connections to tap for immediate VC funding, any work you do on it is earning $0 income while you're still having to pay the bills. Your downside risk is that after X number of months or years, you've lost $Y dollars of your starting savings.

If you take the Microsoft offer, your downside risk is that after X number of months or years, you get laid off, and have to look for a new job, but your $50k is still there, and quite possibly a bunch of new savings as well.

Re: Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens

#130

Post by polio »

h0l0cube wrote: post #71
pharke wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah, Microsoft and Meta are obviously partnering up. This is likely just a symptom of that with Meta getting buy in from Microsoft to use Meta's VR platform. I agree that Horizon is the worse of the two but that doesn't mean they'll fail. Worse is better sometimes. The lynchpin will be if Meta is really married to Unity, Unreal Engine is eating Unity's lunch with adoption and features. If Meta makes the jump to UE th…

It's more that the industry is bearish on long bets in a tight financial climate. The tech for VR/AR is too clunky to seamlessly integrate into peoples' daily lives like mobile phones and smart phones did. There will need to be an iPhone-like leap in affordable and portable vision tech before VR/AR becomes a feasible marketplace.

VR will always be more of a destination, whereas the vision for AR is that it'll integrate with your daily life via a wearable.
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