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Apple’s new headset meets reality

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Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#261

Post by crossroadsguy »

furyofantares wrote: post #243

I think Apple wouldn't ship this if it wasn't a very, very good AR headset. Something you can read in and work in for VR, and see the world around you in for AR. Maybe $3000 is just the minimum price to get such a thing right now. There are tremendous downsides to wearing such a thing on your head, it would take a magical feeling device with tremendous upsides to warrant it beyond the niche VR gaming population. I'm…

> I think Apple wouldn't ship this if it wasn't a very, very good AR headset

For heaven’s sake, Apple has a laundry list filled history of releasing half baked and subpar products - both hardware and software - and has been reliably consistent at doing that. I mean it’s just that its “target audience” sets their peak of standard what Apple expects them to, or to just what Apple offers.

I have been using their AirPod Pro 2 and I have also tried one by Jabra and Samsung (along with XM4 and 700 - I own(ed) these two) and my goodness the noise cancellation and call quality, in even slight noise, is atrocious. That’s just one example — don’t even get me started on their software and services suite.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#262

Post by oatmeal1 »

EnragedParrot wrote: post #50
vehemenz wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you could have UI overlayed on the world around you, it would be huge, and would change how people use computers, like the smartphone did. Is this really a game-changer? Technology adoption is all about tradeoffs. We already have location-based services and applications that are granular enough for most purposes. AR applications add sensory awareness and localized interaction at the cost of distraction and intru…

It's absolutely a game-changer. Imagine having driving or walking directions laid out on the street in front of you. Imagine using AI to help you identify things like engine parts in your car, plants, birds, other people (never forget a name again). Looking at a package and scanning the barcode to get price comparisons. Recipe directions on the counter in front of you, even labeling the next ingredient and how much o…

What you've described would be a game changer because of incredible AI, not so much because of a UI overlay. It would be just about as good to leave one of my headphones in and just ask an ultra-AI assistant my questions. Maybe have a set of glasses (not capable of UI overlay) but just having a camera so the AI assistant can see what I see.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#263

Post by smoldesu »

zmmmmm wrote: post #127
tikkun wrote: post #45

Here's one view for the device - FaceTime++ If it's a gamechanger for remote working, then I'll buy them for my company and have my remote employees use them If it's a gamechanger for communicating with family overseas, then I might see if I can convince one of my relatives to get one (though the price will be harder to justify for personal use - but not impossible if it's a gamechanger) Both of those are contingent…

The rumors that have come out say that Apple has achieved 1:1 3d video chat where there avatars are almost completely photo realistic. I'm very interested to see this especially. Apparently this is a big reason why the device has to bundle 2 X M2 processors and also limits it to one on one calls. I think it's going to be amazing and significantly shift people's perceptions here with how good it is. They should be abl…

It looks like Facebook has been playing with the idea internally for a while too: https://twitter.com/AiBreakfast/status/1652121065194409985

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#264

Post by hamandcheese »

krsdcbl wrote: post #248
bredren wrote: post #80

>underscoring the narrative that the company’s biggest victories were initiated under his predecessor, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs What does the author consider to be a victory? Tim Cook was elevated because he had the operational capability to grow Apple. Jobs did not consider Cook to be a product design person. But Jobs trusted Cook to find and keep people who could design products. By any stretch of the imaginatio…

AirPods where and are loathed by some, but ultimately they present a well designed product that made the underlying product category more seamless and consumer friendly and accessible. Their winning traits may seem banal, but in everyday carry objects small utility improvements play a huge role. Not having to deal with cables and increased range of movement are enough - what elevated AirPods though is that a visible,…

> Not having to deal with cables and increased range of movement are enough

I don't think that's enough. AirPods "just work" in a way that no prior Bluetooth headset ever did. Everything else was a kludge, particularly when it came to switching between multiple devices.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#265

Post by Gigachad »

dogsgobork wrote: post #219
asdff wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Airpods were handed to Cook on a platter, honestly. It doesn't take a market savant to realize apple can make a killing selling the ever popular and sexy earpod in bluetooth form. Once the battery technology was available to resell the same earpod but with bluetooth it would have been made no matter who was CEO.

In retrospect, every invention is obvious. I think it's fair to say that Apple went a bit beyond just slapping bluetooth onto their existing headphones. The instant pairing experience alone makes them stand out against the standard competition.

I remember the release and all of the reddit and HN comments were to the tune of “this is stupid” “you’ll lose them” “they look dumb” “now I have to buy a cable to connect the two”

The idea that you could have two, disconnected pods seems to have been quite bold.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#266

Post by trefoiled »

zmmmmm wrote: post #140
themagician wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean like the pancake lenses in the Quest Pro? Those are still what I'd consider garbage tier old tech. Probably the best we are going to get down the path of fixed focal point acrylic lenses, but definitely not what I'd call sharp edge to edge. The edges might qualify as "very soft" instead of "totally out of focus" but that's about the best you can say.

Quest Pro is probably the leading example yes. If you're calling that garbage, then I think you're (a) setting impossibly high standards and (b) out of sync with most people's perception, as most people perceive these has having "edge to edge clarity".

It’s interesting to dismiss this criticism as “impossibly high standards” when VR as a market is clearly a disaster. The person you replied to is of the same opinion as the vast majority of consumers, who have either not purchased a headset or did, but now leave it in a closet gathering dust. VR clearly will not be viable on a massive scale until it takes a major leap forward.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#267

Post by astrange »

asdff wrote: post #215
astrange wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't lose weight via exercise, you lose it via diet. Exercise is sometimes found counterproductive in empirical studies because it makes you less compliant with your diet, which is much more important.

You still need to be mostly active vs sedentary in order to be healthy. We didn't evolve to sit in front of a monitor.

This is true, which is why I didn't say that.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#268

Post by fomine3 »

asdff wrote: post #210
bredren wrote: post #80

>underscoring the narrative that the company’s biggest victories were initiated under his predecessor, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs What does the author consider to be a victory? Tim Cook was elevated because he had the operational capability to grow Apple. Jobs did not consider Cook to be a product design person. But Jobs trusted Cook to find and keep people who could design products. By any stretch of the imaginatio…

Airpods were handed to Cook on a platter, honestly. It doesn't take a market savant to realize apple can make a killing selling the ever popular and sexy earpod in bluetooth form. Once the battery technology was available to resell the same earpod but with bluetooth it would have been made no matter who was CEO.

It looks like so obvious in retrospect, but it wasn't sure. Bluetooth audio was somewhat a niche until Apple removed 3.5mm.

Maybe noise cancelling boom is another reason. NC also requires battery and amp so why don't make it wireless? IIRC until Sony MDR-1000X sold well (that's sold in 2016, same year as iPhone 7!), noise cancelling market was minor Bose's market for airplane user.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#269

Post by astrange »

mensetmanusman wrote: post #250
astrange wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't lose weight via exercise, you lose it via diet. Exercise is sometimes found counterproductive in empirical studies because it makes you less compliant with your diet, which is much more important.

No, you lose it by not being sedentary.

It's diet. Exercise only interventions are ineffective.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221226721...

Anyway, the modern answer is Ozempic.

Re: Apple’s new headset meets reality

#270

Post by htag »

drdaeman wrote: post #195
catchnear4321 wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

apple is all about ecosystem. many little niceties you hardly notice but would immediately notice the loss of. with vr and ar you are placing yourself directly within the ecosystem. (the os becomes your reality, if you will, extended… xr… wasn’t that clever of them…) the iPhone long game shows apple’s willingness to creep slowly into lower cost tiers to preserve the brand value. carmack doesn’t need to be wrong for a…

That is, if they develop and produce something nearly impossible - a wearable glasses-like (in terms of size and weight) headset that can project color images non-multiplicatively overlaying the reality in user's eyes. If they had somehow figured that out (I'm no expert, but I don't think anyone did - at least I haven't heard anything) and if there's a decent SDK then 3 grands is a discount price for such a device. B…

I forgot this, but for a period of time Siri was a serious compeitive advantage for iPhone.
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