Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

reuters.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

61–70 of 310 posts

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#61

Post by luckylion »

blunte wrote: post #18

I don't look like a hippie, but I totally subscribe to the idea of "make love, not war". I imagine what the possibilities would be if we funded general non-military projects with the kind of money that goes into the military. Trillions have been spent on wars or war preparation, and of course the net result is worsening for humanity. What if instead that money were spend on helping humanity? Do we really need a confl…

> What if instead that money were spend on helping humanity?

There's a German saying that captures the consequence of that thought very well, I think: Soldaten hat man immer im Land, entweder eigene oder fremde (You'll always have soldiers in your country, either your own or foreign ones).

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#62

Post by octopoc »

darepublic wrote: post #45
high_priest wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Life is one big war. Just because you live in a pleasant neighbourhood, doesn't mean there are no malevolent people in the world...

You can't handle the truth!!!

To be clear this is a reference to this scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FnO3igOkOk

edit: it's a scene where this exact conversation is playing out.

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#63

Post by thesuperbigfrog »

remarkEon wrote: post #3

Anyone work this technology and can talk about it (without breaking whatever NDA of course)? I'm a former infantryman and ... let's just say I'm _extremely_ skeptical of this kind of technology for all but the most niche use-cases (think, AR for the driver in the hole of the truck). Obviously for pilots stuff similar to this has been around for a while, but the article is not really clear about how exactly this would…

Imagine a rugged version of Google Glass that can act as a HUD with maps and current location and enhanced situational awareness.

I think the long term goal is to have something like the XCOM 2 Specialist class.

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#64

Post by [deleted] »

blunte wrote: post #18

I don't look like a hippie, but I totally subscribe to the idea of "make love, not war". I imagine what the possibilities would be if we funded general non-military projects with the kind of money that goes into the military. Trillions have been spent on wars or war preparation, and of course the net result is worsening for humanity. What if instead that money were spend on helping humanity? Do we really need a confl…

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#65

Post by mnd999 »

Enginerrrd wrote: post #37
remarkEon wrote: post #3

Anyone work this technology and can talk about it (without breaking whatever NDA of course)? I'm a former infantryman and ... let's just say I'm _extremely_ skeptical of this kind of technology for all but the most niche use-cases (think, AR for the driver in the hole of the truck). Obviously for pilots stuff similar to this has been around for a while, but the article is not really clear about how exactly this would…

I'm inclined to agree. While it might be nice in theory to have your battlefield painted with where the friendlies are or something, there are so many issues with that in practice I can't imagine it actually getting used by infantry. Just off the top: All the electronics shit is gonna add weight, bulk, and power requirements. It's gonna get dirty, fogs up, w/e. It's gonna not work for one reason or another b/c it can…

I honestly don’t see this being used by infantry for all the reasons you list foremost being that by the time the MIL STD folks are done with it, it’ll be way too heavy.

Most likely HQ so the brass can play command and conquer with the infantry and at a push on vehicles similar to the Helmets on the F-32.

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#66

Post by moolcool »

high_priest wrote: post #31
blunte wrote: post #18

I don't look like a hippie, but I totally subscribe to the idea of "make love, not war". I imagine what the possibilities would be if we funded general non-military projects with the kind of money that goes into the military. Trillions have been spent on wars or war preparation, and of course the net result is worsening for humanity. What if instead that money were spend on helping humanity? Do we really need a confl…

Life is one big war. Just because you live in a pleasant neighbourhood, doesn't mean there are no malevolent people in the world...

The last time the US went into a war because there were malevolent people in the world who posed a direct threat to the nation was in the 1940s

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#67

Post by tartoran »

glitchc wrote: post #58
high_priest wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Life is one big war. Just because you live in a pleasant neighbourhood, doesn't mean there are no malevolent people in the world...

Give people something to lose and they'll stop fighting.

Or give people something to do and they will stop fighting. (something that brings some meaning to their lives).

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#68

Post by king_magic »

... but why?

I'm not military, so maybe I'm just not seeing it... but what use cases does the Army really care enough about to spend $22B on AR headsets for? I could maybe see a billion here, a billion there... but $22B... on AR headsets seems batshit insane.

Certainly can't imagine soldiers in a firefight keeping them on. Maybe logistics use cases? It was hard enough to find commercial use cases for HoloLens, so I can't even begin to imagine what is important enough to source this kind of hardware.

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#69

Post by jimbob45 »

blunte wrote: post #18

I don't look like a hippie, but I totally subscribe to the idea of "make love, not war". I imagine what the possibilities would be if we funded general non-military projects with the kind of money that goes into the military. Trillions have been spent on wars or war preparation, and of course the net result is worsening for humanity. What if instead that money were spend on helping humanity? Do we really need a confl…

“To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.”

George Washington

Re: Microsoft wins $21.9B contract with U.S. Army to supply AR headsets

#70

Post by golemiprague »

mrkstu wrote: post #5

And here, ladies and gents, is why companies like Microsoft, will eternally resist getting aligned with internal employee groups Resisting selling to government entities, whether ICE or the Army. There is way too much money to be lost.

There is also a matter of principle, selling to the government is not something bad in itself. You are also benefiting from the protection that the soldiers give you, why do you thing you or some corporate should have an access to this technology but they shouldn't? If you think their job is unnecessary then just vote for someone who wills to abolish the army and live with the consquences but I don't think there is one person who thinks that's a good idea.
Post reply on HN