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Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

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Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#21

Post by jauntywundrkind »

bsimpson wrote: post #10
taylodl wrote: post #2

The Vision Pro is a solution looking for a problem. This is the same problem plaguing Apple Home. It just feels very - so what? Tech nerds like it because it's "cool", but everybody else is wondering why would I ever need this thing? Personally, I think they need to be thinking of a more Apple Watch type device wearable in normal glasses frames. Something more akin to Google Glass, and yes, I'm familiar with the term…

Google Home was kind of magical when it launched, but as its reliability has degraded over time, its appeal has worn off. It is still nice to be able to ask it to play music or set an alarm or whatever without engaging with a screen. I haven't used a HomePod, but I suspect it's Apple's version of that experience.

The Sonos patent wars sucked. Things are somewhat back to ok, but man, it's just absurd & sad seeing basic networked av get ravaged by lawyers like so.

I'm super glum about audio casting at the moment. It feels like less and less speakers have audio casting builtin. For a while there was a spare of speakers, some even battery powered, but it's turned into a trickle. There's also incredibly few options for amplifiers with builtin audio casting; what the NexusQ originally did! So frustrating.

This is an ecosystem I am super bought into, and it feels like it's fading and there's not a replacement (especially with Sonos's recent enshittification seppuku).

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#22

Post by FL33TW00D »

cut3 wrote: post #13
zooq_ai wrote: post #4

Before the bandwagon jumps on "Metaverse is dead", Meta is pursuing multiple headsets, devices strategy and trying to find the right Features / Price mix. Quest 2 is the most successful headset and it seem to have the perfect balance. Quest 3 although great, probably is slightly expensive for the mass market. But there will be a chatGPT moment for Metaverse in the next 5 years and Meta's strategy will pay dividends.…

> It's Ray-ban smart glasses is already a huge hit. Sure, "huge hit". Anecdote but the only time Ive ever seen anyone wear one was when I interviewed at meta and one of the folks interviewing me was wearing them.

Here's Nat Friedman saying he's a DAU of them: https://x.com/natfriedman/status/1796986709751759304

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#23

Post by FL33TW00D »

pocketarc wrote: post #8
taylodl wrote: post #2

The Vision Pro is a solution looking for a problem. This is the same problem plaguing Apple Home. It just feels very - so what? Tech nerds like it because it's "cool", but everybody else is wondering why would I ever need this thing? Personally, I think they need to be thinking of a more Apple Watch type device wearable in normal glasses frames. Something more akin to Google Glass, and yes, I'm familiar with the term…

> Or maybe these are just products we don't need? That's exactly it, they're products we don't -need-. If you already have a smartphone, that's good enough. This is the same problem that plagues the AI assistant devices - it doesn't matter what they can do, they won't replace your smartphone. Which means you're asking someone to carry (and pay for) a smartphone + an extra device. That's a big ask. It's also the reaso…

But there are so many things that can't be done without visual & audio context. I can't hold my smartphone camera up all day to capture and serialize useful data.

AI just made the value proposition for smartglasses 10x.

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#24

Post by _uhtu »

FL33TW00D wrote: post #23
pocketarc wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Or maybe these are just products we don't need? That's exactly it, they're products we don't -need-. If you already have a smartphone, that's good enough. This is the same problem that plagues the AI assistant devices - it doesn't matter what they can do, they won't replace your smartphone. Which means you're asking someone to carry (and pay for) a smartphone + an extra device. That's a big ask. It's also the reaso…

But there are so many things that can't be done without visual & audio context. I can't hold my smartphone camera up all day to capture and serialize useful data. AI just made the value proposition for smartglasses 10x.

The Humane AI pin says hello and that the almonds in your hand have 16000 calories.

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#25

Post by OsrsNeedsf2P »

pie420 wrote: post #3

aww man i was looking forward to consuming even more content and seeing even more relevant ads in virtual reality!

This is another big problem for VR: The headsets are very locked down. Getting something like an Ad Blocker, sideloading apps, or general functionality hacking is too cumbersome. You burn out and go back to your laptop before long.

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#26

Post by jordanb »

taylodl wrote: post #2

The Vision Pro is a solution looking for a problem. This is the same problem plaguing Apple Home. It just feels very - so what? Tech nerds like it because it's "cool", but everybody else is wondering why would I ever need this thing? Personally, I think they need to be thinking of a more Apple Watch type device wearable in normal glasses frames. Something more akin to Google Glass, and yes, I'm familiar with the term…

> Or maybe these are just products we don't need?

Silicon valley needs a product that will make us spend even more time online than our phones, in order to sell more ad inventory and make the line go up.

This is pretty much what's driving all of this, especially the AR stuff. It's not a solution in search of a problem. The problem is they need to sell more ads. The only issue is that it's a solution to their problem, not ours.

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#27

Post by TaylorAlexander »

FL33TW00D wrote: post #22
cut3 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's Ray-ban smart glasses is already a huge hit. Sure, "huge hit". Anecdote but the only time Ive ever seen anyone wear one was when I interviewed at meta and one of the folks interviewing me was wearing them.

Here's Nat Friedman saying he's a DAU of them: https://x.com/natfriedman/status/1796986709751759304

Well now we know at least one person uses them.

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#28

Post by makestuff »

NameError wrote: post #7
taylodl wrote: post #2

The Vision Pro is a solution looking for a problem. This is the same problem plaguing Apple Home. It just feels very - so what? Tech nerds like it because it's "cool", but everybody else is wondering why would I ever need this thing? Personally, I think they need to be thinking of a more Apple Watch type device wearable in normal glasses frames. Something more akin to Google Glass, and yes, I'm familiar with the term…

I think something with the "wow" factor of the Vision Pro but the form factor of a pair of glasses would be the holy grail of AR/VR. I wonder if there are fundamental tradeoffs which would make that impossible in the near term? I think it would remain very niche indefinitely in that case.

I wonder if in the next 5 years there could be a device where the compute is your smartphone but it streams to a display on your AR/VR glasses. I guess the main issue would be where do you put the battery.

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#29

Post by SoftTalker »

taylodl wrote: post #2

The Vision Pro is a solution looking for a problem. This is the same problem plaguing Apple Home. It just feels very - so what? Tech nerds like it because it's "cool", but everybody else is wondering why would I ever need this thing? Personally, I think they need to be thinking of a more Apple Watch type device wearable in normal glasses frames. Something more akin to Google Glass, and yes, I'm familiar with the term…

There are very few situations where I'd want to wear a bulky headset for any length of time. Although I don't play video games, I could see that people who are into it might find them pretty cool.

The TV ads showing people at business meetings all wearing headsets and manipulating a shoe protoype in mid-air are just ridiculous. Or the one where a guy is trying to assemble a furniture kit and wearing a headset. Come on, you'll do better with a YouTube video and unobstructed eyes.

Re: Meta cancels high-end mixed reality headset after Apple Vision Pro struggles

#30

Post by throwway120385 »

FL33TW00D wrote: post #23
pocketarc wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Or maybe these are just products we don't need? That's exactly it, they're products we don't -need-. If you already have a smartphone, that's good enough. This is the same problem that plagues the AI assistant devices - it doesn't matter what they can do, they won't replace your smartphone. Which means you're asking someone to carry (and pay for) a smartphone + an extra device. That's a big ask. It's also the reaso…

But there are so many things that can't be done without visual & audio context. I can't hold my smartphone camera up all day to capture and serialize useful data. AI just made the value proposition for smartglasses 10x.

Why do you need to "capture and serialize useful data?" Wouldn't it be more fun to just be present where you're at?
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