Apple Shifts 'Bug Wrangler' to AR Team to 'Bring Some Order' to AR Headset Development

[macgabe]

Forget getting Google on your glasses or projecting Pokemons, #1 utility is corrective glasses and sunglasses. Crack that market with AI and you have just changed the game entirely.

I want glasses that correct shortsightedness, correct astigmatism, focus close up and far away, enlarge details when necessary, reduce glare in bright sunlight and night driving, increase clarity, protect eyes.

 

[Precursor]

This is a mockup design
Apple's design will have notches on both sides

 

[snek]

Stop post these stupid "concepts" that have nothing to do with reality or Apple. It is just some guy slapping a logo on a render.

 

[ksgant]

Prediction: No matter what these look like, everyone will hate them, and make sure EVERONE knows it.

Right now, no one knows what these will look like. Let’s call this unknown thing “x”. While we don’t know what x will be yet, the outcome will always be x = “hate it”

 

[krazzix]

GOOD! In my view AR glasses are going to be the next big thing. I think the hardest part of AR glasses are to get the input mechanism right. I believe only Apple can do this right.

Also, it would give Apple a truly new 'revolutionary' product after Steve Jobs. The Watch was nice, but not changing the world. AR glasses, if done right, could be.

 

[otternonsense]

I wouldn't hold my breath on Apple releasing anything like this in the next ~3 years. Heck, it took them 5 years to fix the butterfly keyboard, and the next scissor keyboard is still the stuff of rumours.

 

[mattspace]

GOOD! In my view AR glasses are going to be the next big thing. I think the hardest part of AR glasses are to get the input mechanism right. I believe only Apple can do this right.

The input mechanism is already a "solved" problem - it's hand tracking. It's just not solved by Apple.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Anyone who has watched the documentary 'General Magic' must come away with a feeling of disappointment in all that potential being wasted. They were 'leaderless' and militant against 'managers', and yet the whole corporation needed someone to focus the aimless onto things that would produce actual products. Instead it was like a frat party and example of how to make investor cash literally disappear. They had the best and brightest, and they flashed so bright on stuff that really didn't matter to anything or, in the end, anyone.

General Magic was a disaster, but made a lot of millionaires, but all that wasted talent. Having managers to keep people focused isn't a bad thing, and sounds like their AR/VR 'team' needs a manager, an adult. Hopefully this means Apple Glasses soon.

 

[bensisko]

The input mechanism is already a "solved" problem - it's hand tracking. It's just not solved by Apple.

The solutions using hand tracking are “okay”. Leap Motion isn’t much better than the original Hololens.

Personally, I like the eye tracking the Hololens 2 is using! FAR more accurate and responsive!

In the end, though, it will have to be a combination to get it right.

 

[Glockworkorange]

Haha true, but if you re-read my original comment I predicted that they wouldn't be available until "well into the next decade" which is obviously not limited to just next year

Yes, saw that. Was just breaking your b***s.

 

[DoctorTech]

I'm still holding out hope that one day there will be AR built into vehicle windshields. That could pave the way for true heads-up operation including GPS turn-by-turn, etc.
[doublepost=1564599797][/doublepost]
I don't know... if done correctly I could see it ramping up quickly. It seemed like one day trackers & smart watches were just being released, then BOOM everyone seemed to have one.

I think it is coming soon (and I am looking forward to it) but I don't see it taking off as quickly as smart watches. Smart watches are very "personal" for lack of a better term. Whether you wear one or not has no impact on the person sitting at the table next to you in the restaurant. One of the many problems with Google Glass was the lack of social acceptance - people concerned about whether the person at the next table, the next (or stall) was recording them. A lot of bars and restaurants and movie theaters barred people from wearing Google Glass even though I believe some pairs of Google glass contained prescription lenses. I don't know how Apple with get around the social acceptance issue but if anyone can, I think they are the ones to do it.

 

[nt5672]

I wouldn't hold my breath on Apple releasing anything like this in the next ~3 years. Heck, it took them 5 years to fix the butterfly keyboard, and the next scissor keyboard is still the stuff of rumours.

Yep, but the poor response to the keyboard was because of their supreme arrogance, not skills. It remains to be seen how arrogant they are going to be with AR/VR, although it is built into Apple's DNA since the iPhone was successful.

We can all hope that the iPhone falling off its perch a bit will bring some humility, but I think a few at the top will have to go to make that happen.

 

[cmaier]

I think it is coming soon (and I am looking forward to it) but I don't see it taking off as quickly as smart watches. Smart watches are very "personal" for lack of a better term. Whether you wear one or not has no impact on the person sitting at the table next to you in the restaurant. One of the many problems with Google Glass was the lack of social acceptance - people concerned about whether the person at the next table, the next (or stall) was recording them. A lot of bars and restaurants and movie theaters barred people from wearing Google Glass even though I believe some pairs of Google glass contained prescription lenses. I don't know how Apple with get around the social acceptance issue but if anyone can, I think they are the ones to do it.

Apple will solve that problem quite easily:

1) they will look like regular glasses, not like a Borg appliance
2) they won’t be able to take photos or record video (at least not without some very prominent indicator that lets others know it is happening)

 

[cgwright]

People get surgery on their eyes to avoid wearing glasses, and yet suddenly, everyone's going to rush to wear glasses that can ensure they never have an escape from their devices?

Your comment is similar to saying, "People fled this destitute wasteland in droves, but now that oil was discovered, they are coming back?"

Yes, some people will, given the new benefit.

But, you're not going to be able to take your glasses out onto the gold course to get weather, distance and club selection - if for no other reason than being able to determine that stuff yourself is part of the point of the game - clubs will ban it instantly

There are several apps in the app store right now that do this exact thing.

This is a perfect example of functionality that will certainly shift from phone to glasses. Not sure why you're making such a bold blanket statement. Yeah, this wouldn't be suitable for players in the Masters Tournament but there are 1000 other situations where it'd be OK. A training tool for new golfers, playing with your buddies on a Sunday afternoon, etc.

Cops using it to identify people during a traffic stop? That's a laugh

China is already doing this.

https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/12/17110636/china-police-facial-recognition-sunglasses-surveillance

The only use for glasses heads up displays will be for IR marker-based systems, that allow the glasses to know where normal displays end, so that the glasses can project additional screens *around* a standard screen...

I'm struggling to understand why you believe this. The implementation and use of AR will definitely extend way beyond what you're describing. It already has.

For people wanting a discreet Heads-up display for the real world, that's a scifi fantasy - it's not going to happen. Laws against non-obvious photography in public places will spring up instantly, and "no iCreeper" signs will become the hottest accessory for bars, cafes etc..

I think the bit about laws is a valid point. We already saw it happen with Google Glass. These issues will slow adoption, but they definitely won't stop it. Laws and society will adjust and technology will continue moving forward.

 

[citysnaps]

For people wanting a discreet Heads-up display for the real world, that's a scifi fantasy - it's not going to happen.

I hear ya bro...

What's next? A Dick Tracy-like watch on your wrist that lets you make telephone calls? Pure poppycock. A mobile telephone that fits in your jeans pocket is at least a decade away.

 

[brinary001]

Yes, saw that. Was just breaking your b***s.

Isn't the phrase "busting your balls"?

 

[mikethemartian]

Anyone who has watched the documentary 'General Magic' must come away with a feeling of disappointment in all that potential being wasted. They were 'leaderless' and militant against 'managers', and yet the whole corporation needed someone to focus the aimless onto things that would produce actual products. Instead it was like a frat party and example of how to make investor cash literally disappear. They had the best and brightest, and they flashed so bright on stuff that really didn't matter to anything or, in the end, anyone.

General Magic was a disaster, but made a lot of millionaires, but all that wasted talent. Having managers to keep people focused isn't a bad thing, and sounds like their AR/VR 'team' needs a manager, an adult. Hopefully this means Apple Glasses soon.

That looks like a very interesting documentary.

 

[Defthand]

An AR dating app might show you available singles around you who choose to broadcast themselves. You walk into a bar and you look at a cute girl with a heart over her head, read a little profile bio, slide through some photos, say you’re interested. Earlier, she has noticed you and also swipe you right. You’re a match. Oh yeah, let me go talk to her.

Sounds like a fantasy mating ritual for lazy loners. Let's consider how that will likely play out... You ping the girl and she ignores you for whatever reason. Meanwhile, a desperate unattractive girl has spotted your advertisement and takes a chance. You conveniently dismiss her desire to chat. The cycle repeats itself with others. Now you're in a bar knowing that half the women are disinterested in you, and the other half are upset that you think you're too special for their company. Pleasant experience.

This is another example of how techies pursue an idea without imagining the human element.

 

[bensisko]

Sounds like a fantasy mating ritual for lazy loners. Let's consider how that will likely play out... You ping the girl and she ignores you for whatever reason. Meanwhile, a desperate unattractive girl has spotted your advertisement and takes a chance. You conveniently dismiss her desire to chat. The cycle repeats itself with others. Now you're in a bar knowing that half the women are disinterested in you, and the other half are upset that you think you're too special for their company. Pleasant experience.

This is another example of how techies pursue an idea without imagining the human element.

And that app idea may fail if the majority of users have that kind of experience. Better to have an idea and pursue it rather than doing nothing because it might fail. There are so many ideas out there that people like and use on a daily basis that could have easily not been made because someone points out the worst case scenario: "Uber... yeah right. You get in a strangers car and they drag you out to the middle of nowhere, rob you and leave you for dead. Not going to download THAT app!"

In this case, I think there are certainly a segment of the population that would use that. It's not exactly like it's a stretch of current idea anyway. Not every idea has to apply to EVERY segment of the market.

 

[cgwright]

Sounds like a fantasy mating ritual for lazy loners. Let's consider how that will likely play out... You ping the girl and she ignores you for whatever reason. Meanwhile, a desperate unattractive girl has spotted your advertisement and takes a chance. You conveniently dismiss her desire to chat. The cycle repeats itself with others. Now you're in a bar knowing that half the women are disinterested in you, and the other half are upset that you think you're too special for their company. Pleasant experience.

This is another example of how techies pursue an idea without imagining the human element.

You're missing the author's point. Or just intentionally choosing to focus on something other than it...

You're analyzing this idea as if it were a requirements doc that got passed to a dev team. The author's quick description wasn't meant to be analyzed like this. It was meant to give an example of how AR could be applied in real world scenarios and to get people to think differently about it - to be more imaginative. All of the "issues" you pointed out could easily be addressed.

 

[ipedro]

Sounds like a fantasy mating ritual for lazy loners. Let's consider how that will likely play out... You ping the girl and she ignores you for whatever reason. Meanwhile, a desperate unattractive girl has spotted your advertisement and takes a chance. You conveniently dismiss her desire to chat. The cycle repeats itself with others. Now you're in a bar knowing that half the women are disinterested in you, and the other half are upset that you think you're too special for their company. Pleasant experience.

This is another example of how techies pursue an idea without imagining the human element.

Welcome to 2016. This scenario can already take place with existing dating apps.

I live in the entertainment district of Toronto with a dozen nightclubs, bars, and restaurants within 300ft of me. Every weekend when the neighbourhood fills up, I get pinged by the dating apps on my iPhone, one of them can tell me how far someone is by within 50ft. I could narrow it down to a bar and go in, knowing that a few girls in there are interested in me.

Dating apps like this would have sounded creepy and plain weird before the iPhone era. Now they’re mainstream. An AR dating app might even be more acceptable because it would fix the biggest problem with dating apps which is that people look different than what their profile with curated photos shows.

And no, dating apps aren’t for lazy loners. It’s a fun way to get to the point and meet a lot more people. It’s completely mainstream now.

 

[Defthand]

Better to have an idea and pursue it rather than doing nothing because it might fail. There are so many ideas out there that people like and use on a daily basis that could have easily not been made because someone points out the worst case scenario

The headlines and conversations today are about the serious side effects and exploits of tech inventions that went mainstream. Many of the issues are abuses that can't be undone. So, no. You don't pursue an idea just because it has a virtue without vetting its potential risks and including safeguards. Yet that isn't how techies operate. They light the fuse and wait to see what happens.

Welcome to 2016. This scenario can already take place with existing dating apps.

I live in the entertainment district of Toronto with a dozen nightclubs, bars, and restaurants within 300ft of me. Every weekend when the neighbourhood fills up, I get pinged by the dating apps on my iPhone, one of them can tell me how far someone is by within 50ft. I could narrow it down to a bar and go in, knowing that a few girls in there are interested in me.

Dating apps like this would have sounded creepy and plain weird before the iPhone era. Now they’re mainstream. An AR dating app might even be more acceptable because it would fix the biggest problem with dating apps which is that people look different than what their profile with curated photos shows.

And no, dating apps aren’t for lazy loners. It’s a fun way to get to the point and meet a lot more people. It’s completely mainstream now.

Ugh. I don't envy a culture that "markets" potential mates like job applicants. It's one thing to meet people socially who share similar interests. It's another to sell yourself—or interview others—like an arranged marriage. Or are these just hook up scenarios? Either way, you noted that people don't advertise themselves accurately.

I wonder which approach has produced the most legitimate relationships... serendipity? Or dating apps?

 

[bensisko]

The headlines and conversations today are about the serious side effects and exploits of tech inventions that went mainstream. Many of the issues are abuses that can't be undone. So, no. You don't pursue an idea just because it has a virtue without vetting its potential risks and including safeguards. Yet that isn't how techies operate. They light the fuse and wait to see what happens.

That’s how the market in general works. Speed to market is key and the public determines if it’s an idea that sticks. You can never fully vet the side effects and potential abuse. The longer you sit on an idea, the more likely someone else will produce it.

We can see the effects in heavily regulated industries with vetting processes they have to go through and it’s not even an guarantee that makes it a worthy idea or one the market will accept.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

That looks like a very interesting documentary.

It actually was. It was spin off from Apple. So many names are so familiar. Hertzfeld spent company time writing software that was a game. According to the documentary, many people did what they wanted. It seemed to be very disorganized. Hate Steve Jobs all you want, people, but he did help reign in the galloping egos and kept people focused.

 

[Glockworkorange]

Isn't the phrase "busting your balls"?

Last week I received a warning from the Moderator Gods about profanity, so I am treading carefully!