SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
posted by
martyb
on Wednesday October 18 2017, @06:12PM
from the did-you-see-what-they-did-there? dept.
from the did-you-see-what-they-did-there? dept.
You can't escape virtual reality.
VR headsets from Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung are getting ready to hit the market. Their goal: to give you an easy-to-use virtual reality experience with your PC at a lower price than competing headsets from the likes of Sony, Facebook and HTC.
That's the promise of VR powered by Microsoft Windows, the software that runs hundreds of millions of PCs and tablets around the world. When Microsoft begins sending out a free update to Windows 10 on Tuesday, it'll power VR headsets as well. It's called "Windows Mixed Reality."
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Microsoft Wants to Reimagine Virtual Reality
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 41 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
When in panic, fear and doubt,
Drink in barrels, eat, and shout.
(Score: 2) by DECbot on Wednesday October 18 2017, @07:28PM (8 children)
Here is another "Me too!" product. Other than Xbox, it makes no sense for Microsoft to be here. They have the desktop market and a fair chunk of the console market. Outside of AAA title and console gaming, what lasting input can they provide to VR?
So you can NOW read your eMAIL IN THREE-D!!!!
People won't want to be tied to their desktop or console for VR to work. It makes sense for your VR to be tied to a product you have on you at all times, like a smartphone. Google Glass was an interesting, not ready for market concept that likely went nowhere because customers (individuals & companies) didn't really get to control the platform (you want me to wear an always-on, cloud connected camcorder that sends the data where?). CastAR [archive.org] looked like the best option, but that seems to have gone defunk before bringing their product to market. I wish I backed their kickstarter so I could have a pair of glasses to play with. Specifically, so I could project the linux console on any retro-reflective surface. Sure, people will want to game and watch movies in VR, but that technology is what is in the market now and it works on more than just the desktop. "Mixed Reality" sounds like AR, but shittly done like Skype for Business, that I can't use to video call anyone using Skype for Business because it doesn't work over WiFi when placing a call to a colleague on the wrong side of the Atlantic, or when my company's server is a different version than my customer's server, or when it doesn't work because of indeterminable reasons. Skype worked just fine 10 years, how did MS manage to fuck this up? How is this different than desktop touchscreens, the ribbon, or Metro interface? Will this work on market dominated, non-Microsoft platforms that I wish to have in my pocket? My bet, no. Microsoft is bundling this with new PCs to unlock people's "creativity and productivity" by giving them an immersive screen to accomplish what exactly? Consuming more content perhaps? Oh, I remember, to read and write emails in 3D. Hope your touch typing skills are up to par and good luck using a Wacom tablet in Photoshop with your damn immersive email goggles on.
cats~$ sudo chown -R us /home/base
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday October 18 2017, @07:51PM
HoloLens is a better idea than Google Glass since it was aimed at professionals from the beginning and is not an eye-strain causing device with a tiny display that you were encouraged to wear in public.
At the workplace (hospital, engineering, etc.), you can use and store the HoloLens to assist with actual work. Samsung Gear VR and Google Daydream are good for combining the smartphone with a headset for tether-free VR. It is feasible to carry both a smartphone and light headset (or Cardboard). Stay-at-home or tethered VR headsets are at least justifiable by the fact that gamers will sit in front of a TV+console or computer desktop for hours on end without moving too much. Some gamers will shell out the cash for high-end VR even if it is tethered. Google Glass was a mistake that involved forcing small numbers of an inferior AR product onto the streets.
I assume that no headsets in this initial generation of mixed reality (VR+AR) headsets are using crazy transparent display technology. They will use cameras to capture imagery in place of your eyes. So even if the mixed reality implementation is shitty as you say, you could just turn off the AR features and use it as a cheaper VR headset. The AR functionality may prove useful, even if it is limited to reaching for the mini-fridge to get a cold and refreshing Mountain Dew®... without taking off the headset.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by edIII on Wednesday October 18 2017, @07:58PM (6 children)
Speak for yourself. I now want one, and will develop a new kind of office area to work in to do it. A circle with a chair in the middle, while in VR, it will be screens of various sizes with floating terminals. Reference materials will float around me, while I code on a big screen.
Yes, it will be much better when they are wireless, but that does not stop me from taking the cabling and putting it in a swing arm. Similar to the way you have water hoses hanging from the ceilings in some greenhouses. Certainly not as mobile as the eyeglasses, but the Vive can be made portable. The setup I played with was off a high powered laptop and everything was stored in a large custom Pelican case. Not saying that is adequate, but it's not as if it can't be taken with you.
No, your're writing an email in 2D. What's virtual is the monitor screen that is displaying it in 2D, in your virtual 3D office. It can be just like a computer at a desk, or you standing in front of a huge screen on a wall. Or floating in space. Or on a boat in the Caribbean.
Since the Vive has an aftermarket addon to put sensors on each fingertip, you are typing on a virtual keyboard hanging in space. With haptic feedback in the fingertips, you can feel the keypresses. I think I could type pretty fast on that once I got used to it. Although, since I'm not a hunt and peck guy, I can actually use a keyboard without being able to see it. I could put it on a stand and overlay the virtual keyboard on top of it, allowing me to still see it :)
Once I played with one, I saw the writing on the wall. I think you would be pleasantly surprised about the endless possibilities of a virtual work environment. From here on out, it will just more miniaturization and wireless capabilities. At some point you will get the wearable version you want, but that doesn't mean what we have now is useless.
This is not a repeat of the Nintendo Power Glove ;)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by bob_super on Wednesday October 18 2017, @09:20PM (5 children)
> Reference materials will float around me, while I code on a big screen.
I do that today with a 4K 40" screen.
As someone who wears a helmet on the way to the office, I can tell you I don't want to wear stuff on my head all day long, unless there's a clear benefit. Is there a temp and humidity control on the VR headset, to keep my eyes and face comfortable?
Keyboard and mouse stand the test of time and the competition from many clever ideas, because lifting your arms for hours to interface with a machine ain't fun. Ergonomics are critical to productivity.
(Score: 2) by arslan on Wednesday October 18 2017, @09:44PM
Its not exactly a helmet, but yea it does mess up the Pom... hopefully they'll miniaturize over time and have a swim google size form factor, but it is the ripe time to be first mover in terms developing apps for it.
(Score: 2) by edIII on Wednesday October 18 2017, @11:29PM (3 children)
I didn't have a problem wearing it for an extended period of time, but you have a point. They have replaceable foam inserts, and that is a good thing. I did one game and worked up quite a sweat, so cleaning these things will be important. Most likely I would have one for work that gets less active usage.
I do think there is a clear benefit health wise. We could do with more activity and less sitting. Finally got a standing desk and it makes a difference. You can have both though. Lifting your arms for hours already happens when you type. I can be sitting at a virtual desk, with real world counterparts. Having the freedom to get up and interact with that virtual environment I think may obviate some of your concerns. Also consider that in this virtual office, every surface is a touch surface. Every surface can be modified for display purposes.
Perhaps it's the ergonomic considerations of the virtual environment that are the true concern? In this case, they are heavily modifiable. More so than real life. A super nice standing desk combo can set me back $3500. A ridiculous, custom, huge desk with multi-monitors on steroids (the window manager controls your reality), that every surface is touch, costs me $0. Excluding the setup fee of course. Again, heavily modifiable after the fact.
With the VR I can crudely shape the environment to support the ergonomics I need, and the ability to support the objects that are overlayed inside VR (a virtual coffee cup I can drink real coffee from).
It may just come down to how comfortable it is to wear for extended periods more than physical exertion.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday October 19 2017, @12:25AM (1 child)
Oh fuck what if the render was offset somewhat and you spilled hot coffee all over yourself? #BadVRTrip
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by edIII on Thursday October 19 2017, @01:41AM
I've done worse in real life, I can't imagine it being any worse in VR :)
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday October 19 2017, @02:30AM
Hold a meeting in a virtual room around a virtual table from different locations: pick a suit to wear and have known graphics for representing you: you shrug your shoulders or point to something and your 'rep' does the same in the meeting.
Graphs are easily shared on a virtual white board or whatever.
There's @Snow, 'watching' his new baby girl, while hooking up with his girlfriend over the internet at a nice virtual stay in Paris.
Learn to steal from the NSA while virtually rooming with Edward Snowden.
Who wants to punch Trump and Hillary: only 2 payments of $19.99 and they will throw in Carrot-top. But wait! Buy within the next 10 minutes and you'll also get Harvey Weinstein!! So act now!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---