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Microsoft's HoloLens Developer Edition Launches March 30 for $3,000
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Because everything that Apple made these last few years was such a must have.. not. The Apple you're thinking of is long gone and they are trailing with lots of things right now.
Nothing wrong with planning a trip in VR before you go or having a meeting in a virtual conference room where everyone can move around and interact with each other.
Yeah, being able to preview a hotel room in VR would be awesome.
Also, my mother would be absolutely thrilled to be in the room with my daughter, but can't travel 3000 miles every weekend to do so. I really don't think we are that far off from a cheap "go pro" like 360 camera that will make this very easy to do.
Sure it is not the same as being there, but no one is saying that VR is a complete substitute for experiencing the real world. I have some faith in humanity that the world not is awful enough that everyone wants to become wall-e....... yet.
HoloLens doesn't use holography at all. It uses stereoscopy. Holography is vastly different, far superior in realism, and nowhere near being technically achievable (let alone affordable) in this application area. Results of the two technologies don't even look similar--unless they're viewed in 2 dimensions or stereoscopically(!), where the realism of holographic imagery can't be portrayed*. (But then the media are just echo chambers for whatever corporate advertisers pay for.)
*Holography not only provides stereoscopic sensory input to our two eyes, but depth is also sensed by each eye alone due to the need to focus differently depending on how near/far objects are. Ordinary stereoscopic VR can't provide the latter sensory input.
*Holography not only provides stereoscopic sensory input to our two eyes, but depth is also sensed by each eye alone due to the need to focus differently depending on how near/far objects are. Ordinary stereoscopic VR can't provide the latter sensory input.
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not as of february 29th, 2016 it's not. but it's 100x more similar than anything else we have. room for improvement, wouldn't you say? FB bought oculus mid-2014 and there was no 3D sound, limited field of view, lots of lag, discomforting motion blur, heavy goggles, no hand representation - all of that is now fixed as well as it can be at this stage. who's to say we won't all be in the market for VR 360 degree treadmills, and smell/taste generators in the coming years?
but i think i'll get off this thread now - it is after all an article about AR. i certainly don't have the same convictions or strong feelings about that as i do about VR
I suppose that the difference between us ordinary mortals, and those excited and see possibilities is what makes the invention and enterprise so exciting.
But whichever we are, belittling an idea is, could leave the egg on our faces, instead of millions in our pocket.
Innovation is about seeing possibilities that others don't. Keeping an open mind is a skill many don't possess when it comes to change, and therefore miss the possibilities.
But whichever we are, belittling an idea is, could leave the egg on our faces, instead of millions in our pocket.
Innovation is about seeing possibilities that others don't. Keeping an open mind is a skill many don't possess when it comes to change, and therefore miss the possibilities.
I'm sorry. Which consumer product are you referencing? I mean, we're all talking about the developer product from the OP. Story even states, "Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman said broader consumer availability remains "further down the line."
OT: This is some pretty neat tech. I can envision several areas where AR/VR can provide a trans-formative experience.
VR has been the next big thing for a hell of a long time, a lot of people lost their shirt investing in that.
Eventually it will make money and not be a micro-niche, but it still needs to solve a lot of things yet.
AR has a advantage in having less to solve; so we will see it sooner.
[doublepost=1456772354][/doublepost]Nothing like beaming WIFI RF radiation straight into your dome at point blank range! This ought to end well for the mindless sheep jumping at the bit to jump ship of real reality to lose there mind in a fake one ..BZ BZ BZ....WOOOHOOO!
Microsoft has announced that developers who applied to pre-order the HoloLens Development Edition will begin to receive invitations to purchase the device for $3,000, with shipments beginning on March 30 in the U.S. and Canada.
The development kit bundles the HoloLens with a carrying case, Bluetooth 4.1 clicker, wired charger, and an extra nose piece. Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman said broader consumer availability remains "further down the line."
Microsoft HoloLens is a cordless, self-contained Windows 10 holographic headset that mixes virtual reality with augmented reality.
HoloLens has see-through holographic lenses with an advanced optical projection system to generate multi-dimensional holograms that allow you to see holographic objects in your world. The headset is also equipped with multiple sensors and a built-in camera that analyze your surrounding environment.
The mixed-reality headset is powered by 32-bit Intel architecture and 2GB of RAM. The device also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, 64GB internal storage, and up to three hours of battery life.
Microsoft will be including seven new apps, games, and tools on the HoloLens, and it encourages developers to create additional experiences for the mixed reality headset leading up to its Build developer conference on March 30.
Microsoft's augmented reality efforts precede Apple, which is rumored have a secret team of hundreds of employees working on a virtual reality headset. Our Apple VR roundup recaps the company's ambitions and competitors like Microsoft's HoloLens, Google's Cardboard, and Facebook's Oculus Rift.
Article Link: Microsoft's HoloLens Developer Edition Launches March 30 for $3,000
It most definitely is, but you need a powerful computer, wires hanging of you, and what you get is an alpha product that has very little content available, while Samsung isn't promising much, but it is delivering on what it promises. Plus, more people watch video than play games so the potential audience for plug and play gear VR is much better IMO.
Yea thats a fair point but I see it slightly different. Apple is reaping the rewards of the iPhone and the ecosystem around it. Such a shift in technology happens once a decade and lasts for a decade or two. Apple is not short on profits and don't need to jump on every new wave. Also Apple jumping on the VR bandwagon might accelerate any shift (if it may exist) towards VR and way from its ecosystem. Apple also jumped on the Watch bandwagon and though they have made a decent product and of course with their scale, its not flop but its not the next revolution.
Speaking directly about VR, I don't think the CURRENT implementation is the breakthrough revolution. Even Google Glass was not well received and that was sort of a step between smart phone technology + wearable tech and VR. So in my opinion as long as Apple is tinkering with the idea in the background it should be fine. A lot of companies rush to push out half backed products because they want market share. Apple was not the first to release an phone but it was the first to do it right. So called 'smartphones' were out 10+ years before the iPhone came out. So even if Apple is 10 years late to VR, they might come up with a contact lens type retina VR that will blow every Google Glass look-a-like out of the park and take VR to where the iPhone is today.
Microsoft lost the smartphone war not because they weren't there first, Nokia had so called smartphones long ago and the market didnt move. Microsoft didn't recognize the shift as Google did and missed out on a revolution and ultimately billions of profit. Though their PC market and other markets are still strong. Apple used its leverage around smartphones and that ecosystem to build a strong laptop and PC lineup (leveraging the profits and scale of its smartphone business) and that also hurt Microsoft. If Microsoft had a strong PC ecosystem and lineup, it would have just missed the smartphones, and could have had Windows 10 with Surface type lineup competition against the Mac lineup.
Apple can continue to enjoy the huge profits around smartphones and that ecosystem for at least the next 5 years even if the shift towards VR starts after. Apple just needs to react with what its been working on, in its secret labs.
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here we go again..... again....
star trek tech coming anyday now, just wait! exactly like the movies!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Gear VR and Hololens are completely different in function. Gear VR is a virtual reality headset (like Oculus and Vive) while Hololens is a mixed reality headset (nothing out there quite like it yet). Hololens is a self contained unit...you don't need to hook it up to anything. Hololens is not focused on gaming, gaming is a very small subset of what it can do but it's basically meant to be a holographic computer (according to Microsoft). Sure it can run games (like any other computer) but it's meant to be an entirely new platform that can do games, media, business/educational/productivity applications, etc.
It seems many people in this thread are misinformed that Hololens is another VR headset akin to Oculus and Vive when it's actually completely different. This release is definitely not meant for the average consumer but instead meant for developers. This is so that when a consumer release does happen (at a lower price) they will have hopefully already developed some sort of ecosystem for the device.
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3k, it's gonna crash and burn in the short term it's another MS write-off! I honestly don't know how MS can keep bombing with products over and over.
Sadly, VR isn't coming to the Mac.. Apple do not provide powerful enough graphic cards in their machines. Oculus requires a minimum of Nvidia 970.
How many products that Apple work on never seen the light of day? Microsoft are a lot more public about what products they are working on than Apple. I expect Apple have had a lot of products that never seen a production release.
Whats more dangerous - WIFI signals or Cellular signals against your head?
How many products that Apple work on never seen the light of day? Microsoft are a lot more public about what products they are working on than Apple. I expect Apple have had a lot of products that never seen a production release.
Whats more dangerous - WIFI signals or Cellular signals against your head?
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Not sure about WiFi RF signals. But having seen a plonker walking into a lamppost while texting. I think that reality needs to be addressed first.
And the number of fatalities and serious injuries caused texting while driving, talking on the phone while driving before getting to carried away about the dangers of what may of may not happen in the future.
It seems we need self driving cars more than we realise. Or just drive to work virtually.
Maybe we can get a self walking gizmo that helps us pace safely along the highway to pick up our meds as well. Doh!
And the number of fatalities and serious injuries caused texting while driving, talking on the phone while driving before getting to carried away about the dangers of what may of may not happen in the future.
It seems we need self driving cars more than we realise. Or just drive to work virtually.
Maybe we can get a self walking gizmo that helps us pace safely along the highway to pick up our meds as well. Doh!
Although priced out of reach, its the most exciting product I've seen since the iPhone. Dunno whats with all the hate here, especially when Apple doesn't even have a competing product. I've been to the demos and this looks much more usable and practical than the Oculus (I have the DK2)