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Apple: We're concerned about myopia from holding screens too close to your face. Also Apple: Strap a pair of 4K displays an inch from your eyeballs!!!

by mikece 3y ago

gbear605 3y ago
Theoretically the lenses could make this not a problem. We’ll have to see how it works in practice though.
- nomel 3y ago
  It’s not theory. Every VR headset produced, since the 90’s, and every microscope, shortly after their invention, has had optics that make viewing comfortable, by having a distant focal distance, for the eyes to settle on. This is, quite literally, Physics 101 material!
doctoboggan 3y ago
It's the focusing close that is bad, and with the lenses you are focusing further in the distance
- fauigerzigerk 3y ago
  As a glasses wearer I was wondering how this works. They mentioned extra lenses that I would have to install into the device. But why isn't it possible to do this all in software?
  - seba_dos1 3y ago
    Because making the lenses movable and adjustable by software is significantly more complex than making them replaceable?
  - numpad0 3y ago
    It takes optical phased array(we’re not there yet at all)) or light-field display(not there in computational power yet) to do this in software. Some googles has diopter correction/focus adjustment dials, but it’s not common for some reason, which I can only make assumptions, perhaps to do with motion sickness.
  - vagab0nd 3y ago
    It's not possible because software cannot change the direction of light.
EscapeFromNY 3y ago
The focal distance won't be an inch away of course. Every headset I've seen specs for puts the focal distance at 20ft. For normal human eyes, 20ft is optical infinity, so there's no difference optically between looking into a headset and looking at the horizon.
- wlesieutre 3y ago
  From my understanding, the Quest's focal distance is at 1.3m https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1371485209603022853 https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1371485209603022853 Valve Index reportedly around 6 feet https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/by1j2z/focal_distance_for_dedicated_vr_perscription/eqt1o8z/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/by1j2z/focal_di...
  - MichaelZuo 3y ago
    Yeah 'EscapefromNY' is just making untrue claims.
  - ollien 3y ago
    Can confirm - as a nearsighted person, everything is blurry in my Index without glasses :)
542458 3y ago
Most VR headsets have your eyes focused at infinity, so that’s usually not a problem.
quasarj 3y ago
Did they say anything about myopia from holding screens close? I thought they specifically said the feature was encouraging spending more time outside. I believe the current theory for increased myopia is from not getting enough sunlight into your eyes as a child. Nothing to do with focusing close.
- gorbypark 3y ago
  Directly after mentioning the sunlight monitoring/monitoring outside time feature they announced a feature that utilizes the Face ID cameras to warn you if you are holding a screen too close to your face.
- function_seven 3y ago
  Yeah, they also covered a new use of the lidar/camera on iPhones, to notify users that they're too close to the display. Called "Screen Distance" https://www.apple.com/ios/health/ https://www.apple.com/ios/health/
- andelink 3y ago
  From the iOS 17 press release: > Additionally, increasing the distance the device is viewed from can help children lower their risk of myopia and gives adult users the opportunity to reduce digital eyestrain. Screen Distance in Screen Time uses the TrueDepth camera to encourage users to move their device farther away after holding it closer than 12 inches from their face for an extended period of time. Link: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/ios-17-makes-iphone-more-personal-and-intuitive/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/ios-17-makes-iphone-m...
planb 3y ago
Funny, the moment they showed the vision health feature, I immediately thought they'd come back to that later to tell us that computing using a headset is in fact better for the eyes (because of the lenses that shift the focal distance).
4rt 3y ago
They also went from parents can "track your kids by buying them an iwatch" to "our fundamentals are privacy".
- lotsofpulp 3y ago
  In many cultures, children are viewed as not being owed the same privacy that adults or even older children may be.
asdff 3y ago
Gesticulating with a hand all day like that probably can't be great either
bufo 3y ago
This is completely wrong. Learn about lenses.

Apple: We're concerned about myopia from holding screens too close to your face. Also Apple: Strap a pair of 4K displays an inch from your eyeballs!!!

by mikece 3y ago

Apple: We're concerned about myopia from holding screens too close to your face. Also Apple: Strap a pair of 4K displays an inch from your eyeballs!!!

gbear605 3y ago

Theoretically the lenses could make this not a problem. We’ll have to see how it works in practice though.

nomel 3y ago
It’s not theory. Every VR headset produced, since the 90’s, and every microscope, shortly after their invention, has had optics that make viewing comfortable, by having a distant focal distance, for the eyes to settle on. This is, quite literally, Physics 101 material!

doctoboggan 3y ago

It's the focusing close that is bad, and with the lenses you are focusing further in the distance

fauigerzigerk 3y ago
As a glasses wearer I was wondering how this works. They mentioned extra lenses that I would have to install into the device. But why isn't it possible to do this all in software?
- seba_dos1 3y ago
  Because making the lenses movable and adjustable by software is significantly more complex than making them replaceable?
- numpad0 3y ago
  It takes optical phased array(we’re not there yet at all)) or light-field display(not there in computational power yet) to do this in software. Some googles has diopter correction/focus adjustment dials, but it’s not common for some reason, which I can only make assumptions, perhaps to do with motion sickness.
- vagab0nd 3y ago
  It's not possible because software cannot change the direction of light.

EscapeFromNY 3y ago

The focal distance won't be an inch away of course. Every headset I've seen specs for puts the focal distance at 20ft. For normal human eyes, 20ft is optical infinity, so there's no difference optically between looking into a headset and looking at the horizon.

wlesieutre 3y ago
From my understanding, the Quest's focal distance is at 1.3m https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1371485209603022853 https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack/status/1371485209603022853 Valve Index reportedly around 6 feet https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/by1j2z/focal_distance_for_dedicated_vr_perscription/eqt1o8z/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ValveIndex/comments/by1j2z/focal_di...
- MichaelZuo 3y ago
  Yeah 'EscapefromNY' is just making untrue claims.
- ollien 3y ago
  Can confirm - as a nearsighted person, everything is blurry in my Index without glasses :)

542458 3y ago

Most VR headsets have your eyes focused at infinity, so that’s usually not a problem.

quasarj 3y ago

Did they say anything about myopia from holding screens close? I thought they specifically said the feature was encouraging spending more time outside. I believe the current theory for increased myopia is from not getting enough sunlight into your eyes as a child. Nothing to do with focusing close.

gorbypark 3y ago
Directly after mentioning the sunlight monitoring/monitoring outside time feature they announced a feature that utilizes the Face ID cameras to warn you if you are holding a screen too close to your face.
function_seven 3y ago
Yeah, they also covered a new use of the lidar/camera on iPhones, to notify users that they're too close to the display. Called "Screen Distance" https://www.apple.com/ios/health/ https://www.apple.com/ios/health/
andelink 3y ago
From the iOS 17 press release: > Additionally, increasing the distance the device is viewed from can help children lower their risk of myopia and gives adult users the opportunity to reduce digital eyestrain. Screen Distance in Screen Time uses the TrueDepth camera to encourage users to move their device farther away after holding it closer than 12 inches from their face for an extended period of time. Link: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/ios-17-makes-iphone-more-personal-and-intuitive/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/06/ios-17-makes-iphone-m...

planb 3y ago

Funny, the moment they showed the vision health feature, I immediately thought they'd come back to that later to tell us that computing using a headset is in fact better for the eyes (because of the lenses that shift the focal distance).

4rt 3y ago

They also went from parents can "track your kids by buying them an iwatch" to "our fundamentals are privacy".

lotsofpulp 3y ago
In many cultures, children are viewed as not being owed the same privacy that adults or even older children may be.

asdff 3y ago

Gesticulating with a hand all day like that probably can't be great either

bufo 3y ago

This is completely wrong. Learn about lenses.