VentureBeat reports on one of the user suggestions that have been made for HoloLens (an augmented reality headset) app development:
One of the more interesting parts of the Microsoft's HoloLens augmented reality initiative is the way Microsoft is listening to the public to direct some of its early-stage app development for the platform, through the Share Your Idea website launched earlier this month.
One of the top three ideas on the site, based on votes, is called Cortana in Person. Cortana, of course, is Microsoft's personal digital assistant that plays a starring role in Windows 10. She's a Siri competitor that, as gamers will know, was derived from the Cortana artificial intelligence character in the Halo series of games.
"Hologram of Cortana from Halo who you can talk to and interact with," forum user LookItsKris wrote in his description of the idea for Cortana in Person. "Works in the same way as Cortana on desktop/phone. Get answers to questions etc. Maybe ask a question on HoloLens and answers come through on phone? Possibilities are endless."
"Dude, that would be so awesome. A real-life Cortana," commenter H4rmonicAn4rchy wrote. "Who wouldn't want that?!"
Because Microsoft will actually build the top three ideas from the site, there is a chance that Microsoft will bring the idea to life for HoloLens, whose $3,000 development kits will be shipping in the first quarter of 2016.
The Cortana digital assisstant has been launched for iOS and Android devices, although some features will be limited compared to the Windows versions.
Previously: Microsoft Giving $500,000 to Academia to Develop HoloLens Apps
Microsoft Announces Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, and HoloLens Dev Edition
Related Stories
TheLink writes:
A story from CNet has previews of Microsoft's Hololens - an augmented reality product::
REDMOND, Wash. -- In the bowels of Building 92, hidden underneath the company's public visitor center in a secret series of labs, Microsoft let a few people try out what may be the most ambitious Windows device ever made: a holographic headset that aims to rival the most advanced virtual reality devices out there.
Microsoft's HoloLens is expected to run Windows 10 and apps -- holographic ones that will float in front of your line of vision and apps that can be run on phones, tablets, PCs and the Xbox One game console. With the holographic programs, Microsoft is trying to transform how we think about computing, productivity and communication. Just as VR rivals Oculus (owned by Facebook) and Google are trying to reimagine virtual experiences with their head-worn devices, Microsoft wants us to imagine a world without screens, where information merely floats in front of you.
"We're not talking about putting you into virtual worlds," HoloLens leader Alex Kipman said Wednesday during an event at Microsoft's headquarters here. "We're dreaming beyond virtual worlds, beyond screens, beyond pixels."
http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/21/7868251/microsoft-hololens-hologram-hands-on-experience
http://www.wired.com/2015/01/microsoft-hands-on/
Microsoft is giving HoloLens prototypes and funding to academic institutions in order to create applications for the augmented reality device:
The so-called Academic Research Request for Proposals will award five universities or institutions with $100,000 each, as well as two HoloLens kits. Although the goal is to see how the device will help research of all types, the company is looking at how it will impact studies in a few specific areas.
In order to be considered for one of the five prizes, applicants (restricted to U.S. residents only) must submit a one- to three-page proposal paper by 11:30pm PDT on September 5, 2015. Information includes an abstract of the proposal as well as a detailed description, the approach to research, use of funds and an overall schedule of the entire project. After submission, the application will be considered using a few criteria such as its overall impact in terms of scholarly papers and presentations, how feasible is the project for completion, and the overall qualifications of the main investigator. Microsoft noted that the $100,000 funding will end after one year, as it is only meant to kickstart projects. Researchers should also look into finding multiple avenues of funding during and after Microsoft's investment.
The academic research is but one of the many paths that Microsoft will pursue to test the use of HoloLens. Last month, it collaborated with NASA for Project Sidekick, which would use two HoloLens devices in the International Space Station to enhance Skype communication with a NASA operator on Earth, as well as a standalone procedure that involves using its augmented reality software on top of real-world items in order to train astronauts while in the station. However, the devices never made it to the International Space Station, as the SpaceX shuttle carrying them exploded early in the flight.
This terrestrial HoloLens giveaway seems a lot safer. Microsoft is looking for industrial/medical/research/educational motivations for using augmented reality, just as Google was with Glass. A recent FCC filing suggests that Google Glass may be quietly resurrected.
Original Submission
Reported at Anandtech, Microsoft Announces the Surface Pro 4, from $900:
The display retails the 3:2 aspect ratio of the SP3 but boasts a '5 million pixel display', or 2736x1824 in numbers, with PixelSense. Each display is 100% sRGB with individual calibration, but also features 10-point multitouch. [...] Prices will start from $900 and go up to [$2700], with pre-orders starting on October 7th. Devices will be available from October 26th, but Microsoft failed to mention which regions they would be available, so given the price information we could assume it might be a US/NA initial launch at this point with other regions to follow.
Prices may start at $900, but escalate to $2700 for a tablet with an Intel Core i7, extra SSD storage, and 16 GB of RAM. Going from $900 to $1000 swaps the Intel Core m3 for an i5 chip with around triple the TDP.
Alongside Surface Pro 4, Microsoft is launching a Surface Book 2-in-1 laptop. The 13.5" display is detachable, and the keyboard/base houses an NVIDIA GPU (in most configurations) as well as batteries and ports. Surface Book shares the same 3:2 aspect ratio with Surface tablets. Prices range from $1499 to $2699.
Microsoft has announced a HoloLens Developer Edition augmented reality device, which is set to be released in Q1 2016 for $3000:
If developers are still interested in grabbing a HoloLens kit, they can start applying today. Applicants can only request a maximum of two devices, must reside in the United States or Canada, and participate in the Windows Insider program. Even after the applications, you won't find out until you're approved to pre-order HoloLens until January 2016. After that, HoloLens will ship sometime in the first quarter of 2016.
From The Register:
"HoloLens is packed with space age technology," enthused Terry Myerson, Microsoft's windows and devices group veep. "We've got see-through high definition lenses, spatially-aware sound, movement sensors and custom built silicon. And it's fully untethered."
The HoloLens team demoed a new game Microsoft has been working on, dubbed Project X-Ray. The headset maps out a living room and then superimposes robots breaking through walls while the player shoots them with a hologramatic gun wrapped around their hand. As gameplay goes, it was a pretty basic demo, featuring lots of funky graphics but nothing earth-shattering. Yet, with the right developers, Microsoft might well have a winner on its hands.
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Monday December 14 2015, @01:55AM
Has anyone here had a chance to try one of these new vr headsets? Was it cool? Anything not cool? I hope I get an opportunity to try it.
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Monday December 14 2015, @02:02AM
I tried one in a store. Vertigo. Then later headache. Still it was fairly immersive, and you could get involved in it really easy.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by jasassin on Monday December 14 2015, @09:14AM
I love quake3. I was wondering, do you think FPS shooters could be practical. Im imagining what VR might look like, but I can't imagine looking around and shooting at something. I mean when I play quake3 I have a mouse cursor to shoot at things and my view moves with the pointer. I dont want to be limited to aiming with my headset that makes no sense, so how would looking around work with shooting? Can anyone explain this to me? Im very confused.
jasassin@gmail.com GPG Key ID: 0xE6462C68A9A3DB5A
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Monday December 14 2015, @11:57PM
One of the early versions of the Quake engine, or was it the Doom engine, I forget the details could handle up to three monitors, which you could array left, right and center. In those days it was tricky enough to get three monitors to work at all. We had some high end computers with lots of slots and after much hair tearing eventually got it to work, and fired up the game. (I can't recall if there was more than one computer involved here).
We had the option called "free look" (IIRC) which allowed us to look/shoot somewhere other than we were running, but when those BOSS demons came at you from the side you would fall off your chair. You would also get vertigo after about 3 hours playing.
Of course all of this is commonplace these days in high end gaming machines with modern games but goddamn it was novel at the time.
Eventually, the customer wanted to actually take deliver of the machines he paid for (demanding sob), and we had to tear it all down and give him the gear. Fun while it lasted.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 14 2015, @01:57AM
It has a total of 392 votes? Why is this a fucking story?
https://microsoftstudios.com/hololens/shareyouridea/idea/cortana-in-person/ [microsoftstudios.com]
Fuck I have seen polls on the other site that have more votes then this.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @02:50AM
Bush v. Gore was decided by one vote, and there have been other times when just a few votes made all the difference. =)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_close_election_results [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @01:18PM
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 14 2015, @01:58AM
I want to see Siri and Cortana mix it up, oiled up and wrestling.
Seriously, when I'm searching for some information with my phone or computer, I don't desire to look at an NPC or be titillated* while I search. But, sadly, I'm not a teenage boy.
* unless it's that sort of a search
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Monday December 14 2015, @05:05AM
But, sadly, I'm not a teenage boy.
Obviously not MicroSoft (hmm, teenage boys, micro, and soft. . . Bill!! Not in Public!) target demographic, then, are you? But I wonder, is it the teenage part, with the lack of discernment of social prestige and "coolness", or the "boy" part, with even more lack of discernment exacerbated by hormones? Immersion. "OH, Yes! IMMERSe me Baby! What? You are a guy on your planet?" Now you see where your teenage boy lack of discernment will lead: to the crying game.
(Score: 4, Informative) by frojack on Monday December 14 2015, @01:58AM
Personally I find just about everything about Cortana Digital Assistant irritating on my Surface tablet, and have pretty much shut it all down except the search bar. (The type-it-in kind). I detest asking questions verbally, there is just about no use case other than living alone where this seems appropriate.
Of course on a Surface, the often needed settings and controls are so effectively hidden, requiring such frequent deep digs through the system, that a search bar is welcome, nay, essential.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 14 2015, @02:43AM
I think you are onto something: Windows is evolving in a crappy command-line interface.
Often the ONLY way to talk people through computer problems is to have them use the search bar.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 14 2015, @06:21AM
Lovin it!
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday December 14 2015, @08:46AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 14 2015, @04:17PM
http://andromeda.wikia.com/wiki/Rommie [wikia.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 14 2015, @05:07PM
So. In today's "progressive", PC, SJW environment, what ethnicity will Cortana be and how much armchair activist outrage will we have to wade through?
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Monday December 14 2015, @08:10PM
The video game industry solved that problem by letting choose your character's sex and body type.
Microsoft will sell you custom skins and clothing.
If you thought IRL lingerie was expensive...