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Microsoft's Glasses-Free 3D Display

An anonymous reader writes "The Microsoft Applied Sciences Group has developed a new lens that lets you watch three-dimensional content without 3D glasses. The new lens is thinner at the bottom (about 6mm) than at the top (11mm) and steers light to a viewer's eyes via LEDs along its bottom edge. The 3D display uses a camera to track viewers so that it knows where to steer the light; the idea isn't new, but the required CPU power is now affordable and small enough to pull it off on a large scale."

14 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Wow by Seriousity · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Blue Screen of Death will look awesome in 3D!

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    This post was made in complete sincere seriousity; as such any attempts to derive humour are doomed to instant failure.
  2. # of viewiers? by B5_geek · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So this only works with one person?

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    "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
    1. Re:# of viewiers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

      RTFA

      Microsoft's prototype display, however, can deliver 3D video to two viewers at the same time by presenting different images to their left and right eyes (one video for each), regardless of where they are. It can also show ordinary 2D video for up to four people simultaneously (one video for each person).

    2. Re:# of viewiers? by Cytotoxic · · Score: 4, Funny

      Seconded! Sitting through crappy reality shows about fat people losing weight is neigh torture. She feels the same way about Stargate. So we compromise and watch her shows.

  3. Re:cool idea but why? by Combatso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    10% of the population can't even see in 3D to begin with.

    10% of men are homosexuals, but people still sell pictures of boobs

  4. Re:The difference between Microsoft & Apple by PerfectionLost · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Apple is a bit more like--You can get it next June in the apple store, and oh man is it going to be broken for the first couple releases but we'll take your money anyways.

  5. Re:The difference between Microsoft & Apple by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Funny, as I type this on my iPad, which has been flawless, I have to disagree with you.

    Mine hasn't. I tried the iScale App, where you step on your iPad and it tells you how much you weigh. I've been having problems with my iPad ever since.

  6. More details about the technology by baxissimo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Found this presentation about the tech behind this: http://www.sidchapters.org/pacificnorthwest/meetings/apr01_09_presentation.pdf

  7. Re:cool idea but why? by beelsebob · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, he's implying lesbians aren't men.

  8. Re:The difference between Microsoft & Apple by KnownIssues · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're missing the point here. Microsoft is not a hardware company, unlike Apple, which is both hardware and software. Microsoft is a software company that invests in hardware research to create Proofs-Of-Concept to convince other hardware companies to build the hardware that Microsoft's NextProduct will depend on for cool-whiz-bang features.

    When Microsoft sells a mouse, it's because it's a five-button mouse before five-button mice have caught on and it's not even because it's the first five-button mouse, it's because it defines the specs that Microsoft wants all the other hardware vendors to follow, not because it's innovative but because it makes the hardware work consistently on its OS. When Microsoft sells a keyboard, it's because it wants hardware makers to add that useless Windows key.

  9. Re:cool idea but why? by Man+Eating+Duck · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Way OT, but that reminds me of a quote from James Randi about coming out of the closet. From the end of this interview snippet:

    And people often will say, "But you named your car Sophia, after Sophia Loren." A little blue Miata, a beautiful little jobbie. And they said, "Well, you keep on talking about Sophia Loren." And I say, "Yes. You see, I'm gay, but I'm not blind."

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    Are you a grammar Nazi? I'm trying to improve my English; please correct my errors! :)
  10. There... Fixed that for you... by denzacar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Microsoft: Here's the tech we have bought off and patented recently.
    We have a single working prototype in the lab and in about a year(ish), you will be able to buy a version with tacked on features you will have no use for, most of which won't even work as they should.

    Apple: Here's the tech we have copied from someone else, tacked an 'i' in front of it and spit-shined it to appear cooler.
    You can PAY for it right now at the Apple Store, and we will get it to you when we damn well please.

    Oh... and one more thing - it will cost anywhere between 2 and 5 times as the competition's model, but it will come in Apple's signature iWhite and maybe some other iColors.
    And it will cost half as much a month after it comes out. If you complain nicely, you will get a iGift-certificate for the fraction of the money difference that you can use to buy socks for your iPod.

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    Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
  11. Re:cool idea but why? by AusIV · · Score: 4, Informative

    10% of men are colorblind, which boils down to about 5% of the general population. That said, the vast majority of colorblind people still see color, we just don't see it quite right. This gallery demonstrates how people with different types of colorblindness see various pictures.

  12. The question is... by zm · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... will it blend?

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    Sig ?