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Ok - it seems that they 'absolutely' have something bewildering, and eye-popping. There are enough 'no information' testimonials by smart people to get that.

Ok - it seems that they 'absolutely' have something bewildering, and eye-popping. There are enough 'no information' testimonials by smart people to get that. BUT I'm still pretty weary of billions getting pumped into a business that remains unproven. + Maybe development is very expensive + Maybe the goggles cost to much + Maybe they just don't have quite enough content to justify the high costs + Maybe the experience 'isn't quite there' So many times these 'wow' toys have proven to be near-duds when they actually hit market reality. I can't wait to try it, but I'm also looking forward to seeing the reality of it.

talmand 10y ago
I remember that we were going to revamp existing cities and build new cities in accordance to this wonderful transportation device that would change everything, of which I cannot recall the name. I currently see them used as joke props in movies.
- Retric 10y ago
  If you include 'hover-boards' these battery powered, two wheeled, self balancing, things sold over 2.5 million of the things in just the USA in 2015. So, it really is becoming increasingly widespread. You can see this as and extension of the skateboards vs scooters vertical stick argument. PS: For comparson 17.5 million cars where sold in 2015 and 12.5 million bikes with 20+" wheels.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - 0xffff2 10y ago
    > So, it really is becoming increasingly widespread. I don't know if this is really true. I saw a lot of hoverboards on my university campus last year. I don't see nearly as many this year. I'd like to see sales data for at least another year before declaring that anything is becoming increasingly widespread.
    - Mtinie 10y ago
      Earlier in the year I would have attributed this to issues with the supply chain and how hard it was to get the upgraded devices. Now, however, I believe that the exploding battery issues heavily reported in the media and the subsequent Amazon refund program put a massive cool on purchasing and usage.
  - criddell 10y ago
    I haven't seen a hover board since the spring.
    - Retric 10y ago
      There where safety/manufacturing issues and now patent issues. http://mashable.com/2016/03/16/segway-hoverboard-patent/#ZFs7.uqt5kqD http://mashable.com/2016/03/16/segway-hoverboard-patent/#ZFs... Anyway, I think we are just seeing the hype / adoption cycle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle Basically, when nobody has X a lot of people get it all at once, but soon enough people have it and so they wait till the old one breaks before getting a replacement. Still if long terms sales stabilize at say 1 million units per year that's still significant.
      - criddell 10y ago
        So where does "everybody has one but nobody uses them" fit into your adoption cycle?
        Retric 10y ago
        I regularly see people using them. They seem as common as Tesla cars, but it really depends on where you are.
- cpeterso 10y ago
  Segway
  - eps 10y ago
    Sarcasm
6stringmerc 10y ago
I was struck by the careful phrasing in the article and didn't want to dog pile on it at first - I note other reasons elsewhere why I'm rather dubious - but here's the line: >The centerpiece of Magic Leap’s technology is a head-mounted display, but the final product should fit into a pair of spectacles. When you’re wearing the device, it doesn’t block your view of the world; the hardware projects an image directly onto your retina through an optics system built into a piece of semitransparent glass (the product won’t fry your eyeballs; it’s replicating the way we naturally observe the world instead of forcing you to stare at a screen). This is purely my impression, but reading the line that says "the final product should..." leads me to believe they still have significant development hurdles that have been unconquered thus far, and being coy about the release window (the journalist speculated 18 months, the CEO just went with "soon-ish") encourages me to read between the lines. Others may interpret the line differently - that's fine - but I'm simply sharing my impression. Lots of things "should" work the way their visionary has in mind...
- Neeek 10y ago
  >the hardware projects an image directly onto your retina through an optics system built into a piece of semitransparent glass Isn't this exactly how every display works? Possibly sans glass even...
  - suprfnk 10y ago
    I think what they mean by that is the difference between light going "projector -> eyes" or "projector -> glass piece in front of your eyes -> eyes".
    - Neeek 10y ago
      I'm mostly poking fun at the way it was written :) From the write up that was posted here weeks ago, it looks like the technology is really really interesting, but not for the reasons this author thinks. projection through optics isn't really anything new; projecting individual light points through a fiber cable with an oscillator at the end like one of those spinning LED clocks[1] but on your face is pretty cool though... [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md78sOI1-r8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md78sOI1-r8
bobsil1 10y ago
You need $$$ for mfg scale to get the waveguide price down and to build the light engine at all, it's not off-the-shelf.

talmand 10y ago

I remember that we were going to revamp existing cities and build new cities in accordance to this wonderful transportation device that would change everything, of which I cannot recall the name. I currently see them used as joke props in movies.

Retric 10y ago
If you include 'hover-boards' these battery powered, two wheeled, self balancing, things sold over 2.5 million of the things in just the USA in 2015. So, it really is becoming increasingly widespread. You can see this as and extension of the skateboards vs scooters vertical stick argument. PS: For comparson 17.5 million cars where sold in 2015 and 12.5 million bikes with 20+" wheels.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- 0xffff2 10y ago
  > So, it really is becoming increasingly widespread. I don't know if this is really true. I saw a lot of hoverboards on my university campus last year. I don't see nearly as many this year. I'd like to see sales data for at least another year before declaring that anything is becoming increasingly widespread.
  - Mtinie 10y ago
    Earlier in the year I would have attributed this to issues with the supply chain and how hard it was to get the upgraded devices. Now, however, I believe that the exploding battery issues heavily reported in the media and the subsequent Amazon refund program put a massive cool on purchasing and usage.
- criddell 10y ago
  I haven't seen a hover board since the spring.
  - Retric 10y ago
    There where safety/manufacturing issues and now patent issues. http://mashable.com/2016/03/16/segway-hoverboard-patent/#ZFs7.uqt5kqD http://mashable.com/2016/03/16/segway-hoverboard-patent/#ZFs... Anyway, I think we are just seeing the hype / adoption cycle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle Basically, when nobody has X a lot of people get it all at once, but soon enough people have it and so they wait till the old one breaks before getting a replacement. Still if long terms sales stabilize at say 1 million units per year that's still significant.
    - criddell 10y ago
      So where does "everybody has one but nobody uses them" fit into your adoption cycle?
      - Retric 10y ago
        I regularly see people using them. They seem as common as Tesla cars, but it really depends on where you are.
cpeterso 10y ago
Segway
- eps 10y ago
  Sarcasm

6stringmerc 10y ago

I was struck by the careful phrasing in the article and didn't want to dog pile on it at first - I note other reasons elsewhere why I'm rather dubious - but here's the line: >The centerpiece of Magic Leap’s technology is a head-mounted display, but the final product should fit into a pair of spectacles. When you’re wearing the device, it doesn’t block your view of the world; the hardware projects an image directly onto your retina through an optics system built into a piece of semitransparent glass (the product won’t fry your eyeballs; it’s replicating the way we naturally observe the world instead of forcing you to stare at a screen). This is purely my impression, but reading the line that says "the final product should..." leads me to believe they still have significant development hurdles that have been unconquered thus far, and being coy about the release window (the journalist speculated 18 months, the CEO just went with "soon-ish") encourages me to read between the lines. Others may interpret the line differently - that's fine - but I'm simply sharing my impression. Lots of things "should" work the way their visionary has in mind...

Neeek 10y ago
>the hardware projects an image directly onto your retina through an optics system built into a piece of semitransparent glass Isn't this exactly how every display works? Possibly sans glass even...
- suprfnk 10y ago
  I think what they mean by that is the difference between light going "projector -> eyes" or "projector -> glass piece in front of your eyes -> eyes".
  - Neeek 10y ago
    I'm mostly poking fun at the way it was written :) From the write up that was posted here weeks ago, it looks like the technology is really really interesting, but not for the reasons this author thinks. projection through optics isn't really anything new; projecting individual light points through a fiber cable with an oscillator at the end like one of those spinning LED clocks[1] but on your face is pretty cool though... [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md78sOI1-r8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md78sOI1-r8

bobsil1 10y ago

You need $$$ for mfg scale to get the waveguide price down and to build the light engine at all, it's not off-the-shelf.