6 ms·

Reminds me of Google Glass's concept video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R1snVxGNVs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R1snVxGNVs I think Google over-promis

Reminds me of Google Glass's concept video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R1snVxGNVs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R1snVxGNVs I think Google over-promised initially which lead to many being underwhelmed with Glass. I hope Microsoft isn't making the same mistake here.

arcticfox 12y ago
As far as I can tell, a big difference is that Google's concept video looks very little like actually using it, whereas Microsoft's is clearly just a better version of their live demo. The live demo was amazing.
- rasz_pl 12y ago
  Project natal videos were also amazing.
  - fphhotchips 12y ago
    Project Natal was amazing. The Kinect dialled most of the cool stuff down for cost reasons.
fullofstack 12y ago
What it reminds me of, is Google Project Tango, which also has the NASA's JPL listed as a partner[1]. Also worth mentioning, is Johnny Lee, who worked for Microsoft Kinect, and is now working at Google for project Tango. [1]https://www.google.com/atap/projecttango/#partners https://www.google.com/atap/projecttango/#partners
- kefka 12y ago
  We have a Tango tablet. First thing, it crashes, a lot. We're talking 2-5 minutes active 3d scanning before the structure sensor driver bites the big one. Requires killing and restarting service along with all programs associated. Also had hard freezes as well. Its "google quality" in other words, crap. It might get better. It probably won't, given their track history regarding consumer devices in "google beta" (read as alpha).
yohui 12y ago
A better comparison would be Microsoft's demos for Project Natal, which eventually became Kinect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5__fZ3GsW8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5__fZ3GsW8 There was also the other Kinect demo that featured Milo, but Molyneux probably deserves the blame for that infamous piece of hype: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDvHlwNvXaM#t=10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDvHlwNvXaM#t=10 I definitely want HoloLens to be real, too, but to avoid heartbreak I'll temper my hopes until more reports come in. Or, even better, a firsthand experience.
- tgb 12y ago
  I've never used a Kinect; how does the promo video live up to reality? It's looks almost identical to what I still assume Kinect is like, minus perhaps some of the highest fidelity parts like the skateboarding and soccer which I imagine have been attempted but turn out too clunky to be worthwhile. Am I wrong?
threeseed 12y ago
No. The problem is Google kept trying to force Glass as a consumer product for use in public. And given that most normal people would know that it was socially awkward to use it in public only "glassholes" remained. This meant that buying/wearing Glass tarnished you with that label and associated you with that group.
- eli 12y ago
  It also just didn't work that well. Poor battery life, uninspiring apps.
  - azinman2 12y ago
    Ya the screen wasn't that great and was awkward to look at. Seems like the photo taking is the best part of it -- for that you don't really need all the rest of the complexity. And too bad you also look like a douchbag wearing it, especially in SF where tech is stigmatized enough. Reminds me of a joke a comic said last night at an SF standup spot: "so I was on google last night... Do you guys know Google? It's this company making people homeless in SF"
  - aetherson 12y ago
    This has become forgotten as the public perception of Glass became dominated by the whole "glassholes" phenomenon, but the Explorer Program was supposed to demonstrate that people could think up these kind of amazing life-altering apps that proved the utility of bothering to wear Glass. They didn't. Years later, the reason to wear Glass remained "take pictures/videos hands free and shave 3 seconds off the time it takes you to check your text messages." The MS product seems pretty clearly to be more broadly capable hardware, but I do still wonder if it will have actual applications.
    - wbillingsley 12y ago
      The main application that sells it is likely to be less specialised than the cool demos, which are always a bit niche (modelling industrial design for motorbikes etc). I wonder if its "killer app" might just be that now a virtually big screen takes up little physical space/weight. Clear the big monitor off your desk, now your 11" laptop (or smaller) can effectively have a 40" screen, etc. Unlike Oculus, you can still see the real world. Unlike Google Glass, it's a big display and not an awkward eye movement. There's still the barriers of - showing other people stuff - social awkwardness of sitting with a keyboard seeming (to others) to be staring into empty space while working - it might feel like wearing a hat - what's the effective pixel density like?
DonHopkins 12y ago
The biggest mistake Google made was giving Google Glass to Robert Scobel. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/google-glass-2-0-eight-things-address-if-next-generation-headset-succeed-1483755 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/google-glass-2-0-eight-things-addre... "7. On that note, don't give one to Robert Scoble" It's not that Google Glass intrinsically makes you look like a narcissistic douchebag, it's that the first people to show them off were narcissistic douchebags, posing with their smug self important "look at me I want your attention" expressions, who crystallized the image of the "glasshole" in everyone's minds. http://whitemenwearinggoogleglass.tumblr.com/ http://whitemenwearinggoogleglass.tumblr.com/
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]

arcticfox 12y ago

As far as I can tell, a big difference is that Google's concept video looks very little like actually using it, whereas Microsoft's is clearly just a better version of their live demo. The live demo was amazing.

rasz_pl 12y ago
Project natal videos were also amazing.
- fphhotchips 12y ago
  Project Natal was amazing. The Kinect dialled most of the cool stuff down for cost reasons.

fullofstack 12y ago

What it reminds me of, is Google Project Tango, which also has the NASA's JPL listed as a partner[1]. Also worth mentioning, is Johnny Lee, who worked for Microsoft Kinect, and is now working at Google for project Tango. [1]https://www.google.com/atap/projecttango/#partners https://www.google.com/atap/projecttango/#partners

kefka 12y ago
We have a Tango tablet. First thing, it crashes, a lot. We're talking 2-5 minutes active 3d scanning before the structure sensor driver bites the big one. Requires killing and restarting service along with all programs associated. Also had hard freezes as well. Its "google quality" in other words, crap. It might get better. It probably won't, given their track history regarding consumer devices in "google beta" (read as alpha).

yohui 12y ago

A better comparison would be Microsoft's demos for Project Natal, which eventually became Kinect: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5__fZ3GsW8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5__fZ3GsW8 There was also the other Kinect demo that featured Milo, but Molyneux probably deserves the blame for that infamous piece of hype: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDvHlwNvXaM#t=10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDvHlwNvXaM#t=10 I definitely want HoloLens to be real, too, but to avoid heartbreak I'll temper my hopes until more reports come in. Or, even better, a firsthand experience.

tgb 12y ago
I've never used a Kinect; how does the promo video live up to reality? It's looks almost identical to what I still assume Kinect is like, minus perhaps some of the highest fidelity parts like the skateboarding and soccer which I imagine have been attempted but turn out too clunky to be worthwhile. Am I wrong?

threeseed 12y ago

No. The problem is Google kept trying to force Glass as a consumer product for use in public. And given that most normal people would know that it was socially awkward to use it in public only "glassholes" remained. This meant that buying/wearing Glass tarnished you with that label and associated you with that group.

eli 12y ago
It also just didn't work that well. Poor battery life, uninspiring apps.
- azinman2 12y ago
  Ya the screen wasn't that great and was awkward to look at. Seems like the photo taking is the best part of it -- for that you don't really need all the rest of the complexity. And too bad you also look like a douchbag wearing it, especially in SF where tech is stigmatized enough. Reminds me of a joke a comic said last night at an SF standup spot: "so I was on google last night... Do you guys know Google? It's this company making people homeless in SF"
- aetherson 12y ago
  This has become forgotten as the public perception of Glass became dominated by the whole "glassholes" phenomenon, but the Explorer Program was supposed to demonstrate that people could think up these kind of amazing life-altering apps that proved the utility of bothering to wear Glass. They didn't. Years later, the reason to wear Glass remained "take pictures/videos hands free and shave 3 seconds off the time it takes you to check your text messages." The MS product seems pretty clearly to be more broadly capable hardware, but I do still wonder if it will have actual applications.
  - wbillingsley 12y ago
    The main application that sells it is likely to be less specialised than the cool demos, which are always a bit niche (modelling industrial design for motorbikes etc). I wonder if its "killer app" might just be that now a virtually big screen takes up little physical space/weight. Clear the big monitor off your desk, now your 11" laptop (or smaller) can effectively have a 40" screen, etc. Unlike Oculus, you can still see the real world. Unlike Google Glass, it's a big display and not an awkward eye movement. There's still the barriers of - showing other people stuff - social awkwardness of sitting with a keyboard seeming (to others) to be staring into empty space while working - it might feel like wearing a hat - what's the effective pixel density like?

DonHopkins 12y ago

The biggest mistake Google made was giving Google Glass to Robert Scobel. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/google-glass-2-0-eight-things-address-if-next-generation-headset-succeed-1483755 http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/google-glass-2-0-eight-things-addre... "7. On that note, don't give one to Robert Scoble" It's not that Google Glass intrinsically makes you look like a narcissistic douchebag, it's that the first people to show them off were narcissistic douchebags, posing with their smug self important "look at me I want your attention" expressions, who crystallized the image of the "glasshole" in everyone's minds. http://whitemenwearinggoogleglass.tumblr.com/ http://whitemenwearinggoogleglass.tumblr.com/

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]