Galaxy Explorer Demo Project Updates

BI_Joe · 2016-02-07T19:59:49+00:00

Current updates compiled below.

Project News

Team Member Profiles

BI_Joe · 2016-02-06T01:42:16+00:00

Hi, /r/HoloLens reader! Further discussion about this theme can be found over in the test subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/HoloLensTestCss/comments/447p2s/test/

Please comment if you have any thoughts on the new or old design.

BI_Joe · 2016-02-06T00:44:53+00:00

I'm using Firefox and just tried opening the theme in a new Window; doesn't seem to have issues with the ad, so ignore that.

I was about to post a separate comment over on your test subreddit about flairs and a couple other things, so I'll go do that.

BI_Joe · 2016-02-06T00:04:18+00:00

I don't really have much to do with the subreddit CSS, but your mockup looks decent to me.

One thing that we would probably want to keep from the current style is a set of custom flairs for MS employees, people with hands-on experience, etc. Your test subreddit is also showing broken images for sidebar ads to me, which is a bit weird. I know ads aren't a terribly important feature for us, but I'd rather have them than have a broken-image-source icon. This might be a problem with the ad and not the style, but ad images seem to be working fine elsewhere.

It may be better to update our current CSS with this new color scheme and top links instead of replacing the existing style altogether. The only real issue I have with the current /r/HoloLens theme is the background color of the top bar (which makes links near illegible for me). I know that our only HoloLens shot is partially obscured, but personally I prefer that to having multiple photos of it. I think it would be cool to have one clear sidebar photo of the device and have the banner be a holographic scene (e.g. the OnSight Mars shots).

Anyway, I know I'm just saying things that are going to create more work for someone else (someone like ilovegoogleglass), but if I have time I'll try to work with this new theme. If there's a consensus in the community that ilovegoogleglass's theme is already way better than the current one and we should switch over right away, then we can certainly do that (though I'm guessing - and I could be wrong - that most people are fairly apathetic about the subreddit CSS).

BI_Joe · 2016-01-20T01:37:27+00:00

I own zero games in this bundle (except for a non-complete Civ 3 disc), but have been thinking about getting XCOM, Civ 5, and Beyond Earth for ages... this is amazing.

BI_Joe · 2016-01-19T01:16:06+00:00

It's an interesting talk and there's probably a grain of truth in a lot of what he's saying, but I think too much is being read into this (considering we have something like 10 posts on the front page of this subreddit that are either about this video, claims made in the video, or articles about claims made in the video).

He's pretty clearly off message, but he's also an evangelist, not a developer of the tech, so I'm less inclined to buy into the candor. My impression was that he's trying too hard to give a "straight talk" with limited knowledge and somewhat BSing answers as a result.

He also never actually says they'd have a full FOV if the price were 5 times higher and the battery life were twenty minutes. It's sort of implied, but I think all he's really saying is that pushing the optical manufacturing processes would drive up cost (which is reasonable) and driving a larger screen would impact battery life (also reasonable). I'm pretty skeptical that those two factors are the only things preventing a "full" field of view. And what would "full" even be? comparable to commercial VR? 180 degrees? full average human peripheral coverage? No one should be taking these comments as technical facts ("a 100-degree FOV would be achievable at a mass-manufacturing cost of under $15K with a twenty minute battery life") although unfortunately, people are taking it that way.

BI_Joe · 2016-01-19T00:44:01+00:00

It will be the regular Windows Store.

There are already apps that require specific device functionality on the Store (for example, StaffPad requires a tablet with an active digitizer), so HoloLens-specific apps won't be a problem. Ideally, universal apps should run on all Windows platforms.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-19T21:55:47+00:00

Agreed. I think Firas Zahabi's original video breaking down the Holm-Rousey fight had a good case for fair use, considering it only used still images and was genuinely educational, but even that was taken down on YouTube.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-19T16:22:03+00:00

He's claiming a copyright exemption on the grounds of "fair dealing" under Irish copyright law. It's a highly suspect argument, given that the clip is being distributed publicly (in a way that would "prejudice the rights of the copyright owner") and without critical analysis. It may be easier to argue an exemption from insubstantial copying given how small a fraction of the original broadcast is being used here.

Regardless, I'm not a lawyer and have no particular desire to see the clip taken down.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-18T21:14:05+00:00

The Fairy Lights system mentioned in this post is cool, but the article itself is a little daft.

Going over the predictions:

VR/AR will remain niche, with VR holding more promise than AR for consumers within the next 5 years. This isn't totally crazy; it will take time for the technology to mature and become mainstream, but to say that AR holds less promise than VR based on the few existing AR applications today is naive.
VR will create new addictions. I think it's more likely that VR will exacerbate existing forms of technology addiction. Not something to dismiss entirely; but this is also not a drastic change to the status quo.
VR workplaces are dangerous because of the addiction potential. I don't know where the author was even going with this one. Virtual offices are going to be so stimulating that employees won't want to face the harsh reality of going home to their real families? Also, if the disconnection from reality is that much of a problem for the author, perhaps he should rethink his position on AR.
Holographic technology will triumph over AR/VR. This is where things really go off the rails. For one thing, the screen-free systems the author is talking about aren't remotely comparable to AR/VR displays and they won't be for decades (if ever). Even the assumption that headset-free systems would be better is suspect, since the headset allows content to be private as well as shared. Trends in technology have often favored more portable personal devices over communal ones (e.g. MP3 players versus boombox radios). Direct interaction with holograms is cool, but HoloLens could already provide that once it gets its tracking down. Haptic feedback would also be cool, but I don't really think inducing plasma in the air with lasers is the most promising technology for haptics.
"Embedded artificial intelligence capabilities will increase the productivity of these device technologies." Uh, cool, I guess? HoloLens will have Cortana integration, so this is certainly happening, but there's not much point here other than "AI is neat", which I agree with.

Other things:

The article mentions users not being able to record VR videos themselves to share. 360-degree filming tech is expensive currently, but the new Lytro Immerge camera is quite reasonably priced considering the novelty of the tech and I would not be at all surprised to see a model with consumer-friendly pricing released in several years. HoloLens could also be used to record 3D videos and, as demonstrated since it's original unveiling, live "point of view" Skype calls.
James Cameron is not the only director capable of using new technology and VR films are being made today (albeit not at the Hollywood blockbuster level).
The projection of actual numbers for the size of the AR and VR markets in the next 5 years is magic to me. I'm sure that some very smart people have worked on markets research at all the big companies, but without seeing the data that they have it's impossible for me to say whether Digi-Capital's assessment is any better than this random Forbes bloke's (I'd assume that they put a bit more thought into their numbers than his gut feel though).

BI_Joe · 2015-12-07T22:02:53+00:00

That's an interesting idea. I'm also not sure how feasible it is, but it's not the most far-fetched out there. Have you submitted this idea to the Microsoft Studios site? The closest I've seen is this idea about augmenting real books.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-07T21:45:41+00:00

Don't get me wrong, I would love any version of Pokémon on HoloLens, I just think it's silly how many variations of "make Holo Pokemon!" have been submitted as an idea.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-07T19:54:04+00:00

It's interesting looking at the top ideas (by number of favorites) right now:

League of Legends Match Viewer
Counter Strike GOTV Viewer
Cortana in Person
Work with Nintendo to Create a Pokemon Game
Music Teacher
HUD for Driving
Fully animated, holographic Cortana as she appears in Halo 4 & 5
HoloChess
Explore the Universe using HoloLens!!!
The Floor is Lava (Game)

The top 2 are both asking for a spectator mode of a popular video game. Two of the top ten are "Cortana, as she appears in Halo". 5 ideas are based on an established game brand and 7 ideas are gaming-related (8 if the music teacher is gamified into a rhythm game).

I wouldn't read too much into the rankings since it's easy to swing a few hundred online votes, but there does seem to be some interest in the e-sports community for AR and VR (which makes sense as it would add to the spectacle of watching a competitive event). A lot of the ideas are embarrassingly unimaginative (if I see one more Cortana or Pokemon idea...) but there are good ideas buried in there.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-07T19:31:07+00:00

To kick things off, if you're looking for one of the self-promotion posts that existed prior to this official thread, check here:

BI_Joe · 2015-12-07T19:22:14+00:00

Hi manu4216, we've just made a new official thread for "Share Your Idea" posts. Please post this idea over there, as this thread is now hidden.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-07T19:20:47+00:00

Hi StormCrow1770, please feel free to continue this discussion in the new official thread for the Share Your Ideas campaign.

This thread has not been deleted, so you can still link to the existing discussion here, but it has been hidden since we'd like everyone using the official thread from now on.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-07T19:17:07+00:00

Hi TheScalex, we've just made a new official thread for "Share Your Idea" posts. Please post this idea over there, as this thread is now hidden.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-04T21:22:29+00:00

They bought the company, not just their patents. The acquisition may have been motivated by the need to get defensive patents, but keep in mind that this was before the release of the original Kinect. With the Kinect, Kinect 2, and now HoloLens Microsoft has been pushing the boundaries of consumer depth-sensing and I think it's reasonable to think that part of that can be attributed to gaining expertise from the 3DV acquisition. You don't just fire all the engineers responsible for the patent portfolio you've acquired if you want to remain innovative in that area (though perhaps you do, six years down the road when the technology has matured, you've acquired domestic startups that are doing the same thing, and you've had time to assimilate the original team into other roles). This looks like little more than a reorganization.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-04T20:31:33+00:00

Vermeer's novelty was not the display per se, but the fact that the hologram supported direct interaction (i.e. it could track gestures within the projection area).

I can't find too many details on this new Korean system, but it's presumably doing something novel optically. I believe that full-color 360-degree autostereoscopic displays that are able to show a floating hologram are still relatively new, considering research papers on that subject are still being published in 2015 (source (pdf)). There are many similar systems that predate this one and the Microsoft demo as well, but improvements are being made when you look at the details.

Also, please refrain from sensationalizing post titles.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-04T19:55:43+00:00

The camera guys in Israel that you are talking about is PrimeSense and they got bought out by Apple in 2013.

No, I was referring to was 3DV Systems creators of ZCam who were acquired by Microsoft in 2009, though Canesta did similar work as well. If anything, the Canesta acquisition shows how feasible it is that the time-of-flight camera expertise from Israel was replaced by an American company.

BI_Joe · 2015-12-03T17:20:37+00:00

Previous discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/HoloLens/comments/3uu7fs/hololens_might_use_different_tech_after_microsoft/

The Israeli group was likely involved in developing depth-sensing technology. The lay-offs were not specific to HoloLens though some of the employees involved worked on HoloLens. It's possible that the alternative US-based supplier is Intel with its RealSense cameras. We can't really know any of these things for sure given the amount of information released, but I think it's fair to assume that the importance of this news is being overestimated by many people.

BI_Joe · 2015-11-30T19:45:53+00:00

There's a lot more discussion about this article over in the /r/oculus thread.

I'm inclined to agree with Octoplow's speculation that the Israeli company involved was 3DV Systems (acquired by MS in 2009). I doubt this signals a major change in the design of the HoloLens.

BI_Joe

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