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Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

shopify.github.io

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Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#221

Post by mwcampbell »

mike_hearn wrote: post #216
mwcampbell wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In light of the current top comment thread [1], I'm glad the state of browser APIs is holding back this particular "innovation". And I wonder if the friction of distributing and installing desktop apps is actually a good thing, even though it's affecting my current (non-AccessKit) project. It means you have to be really sure that what you're doing deserves to exist outside the good constraints of the browser. I'm not…

I mean, sure, I personally wouldn't care for this feature, but that's because I'm a bloke and don't derive much joy from shopping. My girlfriend though absolutely loves window shopping. I think this sort of feature would be far more appealing to her than me. For better or worse we can't know how popular this sort of thing would be, because their project failed for tech reasons before even getting to the point of doin…

To clarify, my objection isn't merely that I dislike that feature, but that I'm concerned about it becoming a fad that gets foisted on those of us who don't want it and possibly can't use it (due to accessibility issues) but still have to buy stuff, access educational/training content, etc.

It would be better, IMO, if the web could get back to having multiple browsers that are serious about acting as user agents for a variety of users. Then, freed of the expectation that the browser must render a pixel-perfect presentation of the UI as it was designed, some browsers could provide a VR interface to the lovely accessible hypertext that sites should be providing as their one and only version, while other browsers provide a TTS-optimized UI, a Braille-optimized UI, a UI optimized for large fonts, etc.

Put another way, I think the web community should redouble its efforts to achieve the things that Hixie apparently gave up on. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34622514

Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#222

Post by labcomputer »

Filligree wrote: post #219
photochemsyn wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a relatively invasive technique that requires a computer's camera to record details of a person's face, and that's marketable data that any commercial shopping site would likely collect and sell on to other parties. It'd be much simpler to implement arrow key / spacebar navigation through a 3D scene (still computationally expensive relative to rendering the standard HTML/CSS/JS page), but then that data couldn't…

"Details of a person's face is marketable data". Okay, it's not that I don't believe you, but what do they do with that data? How does it help? Unless you're marketing acne cream, I suppose.

Uniquely and reliably track a single individual’s web browsing habits.

Is that not the holy grail of adtech?

Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#223

Post by drewbeck »

yafbum wrote: post #193

Are there any phone apps that do this kind of head tracking using the front-facing camera? I imagine this would simplify the camera calibration setup since most phones have a known geometry relating the camera to the screen location, unlike most webcams

This plus tracking phone position plus ML vision to fake up 3D from the front facing camera could make for a very cool FaceTime “portal” experience

Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#224

Post by camdenreslink »

photochemsyn wrote: post #173
codeulike wrote: post #141

Imagine, for example, opening your favorite brand’s website and being presented with a miniature virtual storefront. You could look at their most popular products as if you were standing on a sidewalk peering into their shop. I imagined this as instructed as was simultaneously bored and depressed. Why does it always have to be about shopping.

It's a relatively invasive technique that requires a computer's camera to record details of a person's face, and that's marketable data that any commercial shopping site would likely collect and sell on to other parties. It'd be much simpler to implement arrow key / spacebar navigation through a 3D scene (still computationally expensive relative to rendering the standard HTML/CSS/JS page), but then that data couldn't…

Couldn’t this sort of thing be built into the browser which could then just expose an API for head orientation and eye position without any privacy invading details?

Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#226

Post by valine »

yafbum wrote: post #193

Are there any phone apps that do this kind of head tracking using the front-facing camera? I imagine this would simplify the camera calibration setup since most phones have a known geometry relating the camera to the screen location, unlike most webcams

Amazon built an entire phone around the idea back in 2014. They had cameras on each corner of the phone to improve the effect.

https://www.theverge.com/2014/6/18/5821294/amazons-fire-phon...

Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#227

Post by valine »

astrange wrote: post #45
wodenokoto wrote: post #12

The fire phone did this 7 years later with 4 front facing tracking cameras and nobody cared

The New Nintendo 3DS was based around this, and although they abandoned it I think there's still a lot of room for something like it. It's more AR than AR is.

The 3DS don’t do head tracking, it was a real 3D display that displayed a unique image to each of your eyes.

Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#228

Post by orls »

Filligree wrote: post #219
photochemsyn wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a relatively invasive technique that requires a computer's camera to record details of a person's face, and that's marketable data that any commercial shopping site would likely collect and sell on to other parties. It'd be much simpler to implement arrow key / spacebar navigation through a 3D scene (still computationally expensive relative to rendering the standard HTML/CSS/JS page), but then that data couldn't…

"Details of a person's face is marketable data". Okay, it's not that I don't believe you, but what do they do with that data? How does it help? Unless you're marketing acne cream, I suppose.

People who fit into spend more time looking at , fed to advertisers who can tie it to swathes of your other online activity

Even if it’s _theoretically_ coarse data/bucketing, that adds up to a lot of data to help deanonymization and targeting. Even if that’s done in the spirit of “just for ads”, it’s not a big leap to political targeting etc, and with the right data leaks, potentially even actual harassment.

Re: Could we make the web more immersive using a simple optical illusion?

#229

Post by seemack »

astrange wrote: post #44
ilkke wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Re UI, my theory is that this is partly because minimalism doesn't become dated as fast. Related, I remember that what blew me away upon seeing the 3DS for the first time was not the 3d playfield (which looked exactly as I expected), but the UI in 3D. It really felt like a glimpse into an exciting future.

Minimal "flat" UIs are possible for normal people to implement. In the 2000s I had no idea how I was supposed to make a button that looks like it's made of drop shadows and fine Corinthian leather for a project in my free time. (For that matter I don't know how I'd get it done for a professional project either.)

I was right there with you. I was very supportive of the improving app UI standards at the time but it started to feel like a contest of whose design has more visual complexity and nuance vs the real usability.

Windows Phone in particular was a huge breath of fresh air for me (rip) and Material Design a welcome evolution that I still feel strikes a decent balance.

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