Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles • Hacker News Board

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#241

Post by walod » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 1:32 AM UTC

dedward wrote: post #224

Coincoin wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From their marketing material, they pretend they figured a way to fake depth. If true, that would be a huge step compared to classic stereoscopic technologies or other cumbersome devices. However, I doubt this is the case, else they wouldn't just slap this announcement at the end of a boring Windows 10 presentation. I mean, all I could remember about this presentation was: "Windows 10. Windows 10. Windows 10. Windows…

No need to fake it... if you can get the retinal projection accurate enough, with fast enough eye tracking, the depth is as real as anything else you'll see in real life...the goal would be to have it feel completely natural.

I really hope they get the accurate tracking and depth and getting objects to "stick" where they belong in 3d space correctly, without moving out of place or floating in a wrong way, with quick head movement. If they can do that, most of the battle is won and it will be amazing.

Edit: although, of course they'll need some intelligence on the surroundings to identify surfaces and stuff. But imagine like re-decorating your work room, adding scifi textures or something, and maybe pipes or whatever ;p

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#242

Post by psbp » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 1:35 AM UTC

cma wrote: post #104

psbp wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google's response would presumably be their partnership with Magic Leap.

Do any of the Google Ventures investments ever have partnership terms, or cross licensing?

Google's investment wasn't through Ventures.

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#243

Post by prawn » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 1:36 AM UTC

Might allow them to reinvent their "Windows" theme when people start interacting with their environment through some sort of lens. It will act as a 'window' to the world.

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#244

Post by dlp211 » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 1:38 AM UTC

I watched the live demo and was really excited about this and Mary Jo Foley and Paul Thurrot got to use it and are really excited about this. They also mentioned that it will be released this year. They talked about it on TWiT. Paul said that it looks as good as the pictures on the holo website.

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#245

Post by com2kid » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 2:00 AM UTC

jwcooper wrote: post #84

mentos wrote: post #62

What is the killer app that will get people to go out and buy these? I don't think Holo Studio is it. Where is your imagination racing to?

Depending on the resolution, it could replace your monitors at work (assuming the headset is light, comfortable, etc). Using a wireless keyboard and mouse, you'd have your computer with you anywhere in the home or office. As a developer, having a wall of holographic desktop screen space in front of me would be amazing. My home office would look much better too! I have no idea how far away this version of HoloLens is…

Many years ago (close to 20) I saw a cool demo of a palm-able chording keyboard, and looking around it seems that a few brave souls have actually attempted to bring the idea into production.

A good keyboard only UI (I don't trust small scale pointer input), and you could move the entire traditional PC interface over into a very discreet package.

The web would be the one place where changing UI paradigms would be hard, the web pretty much insists on fine motor skills clicking one of hundreds of visible links on a page.

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#246

Post by jawbone3 » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 2:07 AM UTC

sillysaurus3 wrote: post #214

mkolodny wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this type of AR / holographic technology has many, many more potential real-world applications than VR. With VR, you're shutting yourself off from the outside world. Here, you're enhancing the outside world with technology. You still get to interact with others. Using HoloLens doesn't stop you from doing almost anything. What I'm curious to find out is whether HoloLens will run into the same core problem as G…

It's hard to understand how AR / holographic technology could help people in their day-to-day life. There are a zillion potential uses, but all of them seem extremely complicated and hard to pull off. Take the example of fixing your car. For example, performing your own oil change, or replacing your alternator. That seems like a perfect use case for holo, right? The goggles would tell you what needs to be done and wh…

That adblock thing would probably be great. Also, I ofthen wish there was an easy way all those specials in the store could be compared more easily. Usually when you work out that 2 for x offer you see they gave a generous 10% discount that made you buy an entire extra thing for no real savibg.

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#247

Post by bglazer » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 2:11 AM UTC

kingmanaz wrote: post #193

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AR is traditionally a 2D projection on 3D space. This is a 3D projection that you interact with. Sure, its still AR on some level, but I think differentiating the product makes a lot of sense. My idea of AR is a boring HUD-like system that fits in with things like flying fighter jets. This holographic projection is different and notably so. MS could find the middle ground between lush 3D VR-like environments and the…

>MS could find the middle ground between lush 3D VR-like environments and the real world. Back around 2000 a Slashdot article reported an attempt to create a human-sized hamster ball constructed of a semi-opaque projection-friendly surface. The ball would sit on some sort of roller mount. Five projection screens surrounding the ball would project a virtual environment over the "port", "starboard", "fore", "aft", and…

Search around for omnidirectional treadmills. There are quite a few different models in development.

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#248

Post by foobarian » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 2:20 AM UTC

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #140

I think Microsoft re-branding Augmented reality as "holographic" is hugely impactful and, with the new wave of AR and CV products that are coming onto the market [1] might be the thing that makes people take it seriously. It's just so much easier to explain to people what it is if you say Holographic vs Augmented Reality - even though it is technically wrong. Kudos to MSFT for making that leap. [1] Shameless plug for…

All they had to say is: you can play Minecraft on this. Sold!

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#249

Post by wbillingsley » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 2:25 AM UTC

aetherson wrote: post #238

eli wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It also just didn't work that well. Poor battery life, uninspiring apps.

This has become forgotten as the public perception of Glass became dominated by the whole "glassholes" phenomenon, but the Explorer Program was supposed to demonstrate that people could think up these kind of amazing life-altering apps that proved the utility of bothering to wear Glass. They didn't. Years later, the reason to wear Glass remained "take pictures/videos hands free and shave 3 seconds off the time it tak…

The main application that sells it is likely to be less specialised than the cool demos, which are always a bit niche (modelling industrial design for motorbikes etc).

I wonder if its "killer app" might just be that now a virtually big screen takes up little physical space/weight.

Clear the big monitor off your desk, now your 11" laptop (or smaller) can effectively have a 40" screen, etc.

Unlike Oculus, you can still see the real world. Unlike Google Glass, it's a big display and not an awkward eye movement.

There's still the barriers of - showing other people stuff - social awkwardness of sitting with a keyboard seeming (to others) to be staring into empty space while working - it might feel like wearing a hat - what's the effective pixel density like?

Re: Hands-On with Microsoft's New Holographic Goggles

#250

Post by lukeholder » Thu, Jan 22, 2015, 2:26 AM UTC

20kleagues wrote: post #240

I think Microsoft just gained back its cool factor. Now lets hope .Net also becomes 'cool' to use among developers. The current perception is pretty bleak.

They should have gone all in on ironruby and it would have been a huge competitor to jruby to hip coders for the enterprise.