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Microsoft Announces Windows Holographic Platform

Posted by timothy on from the so-it's-an-illusion dept.

An anonymous reader writes: At its Build 2015 developer conference [Wednesday], Microsoft announced the Windows Holographic Platform. In short, the company will let developers turn Windows 10 apps into holograms for HoloLens. On stage, Microsoft showed a Windows video app that you can simply control with your voice: Just say "follow me" and the video app moves along as you walk around a room. "Every single universal Windows app has these capabilities," said Alex Kipman, technical fellow for the operating system group at Microsoft. Apps can look like little windows, or they can be more than that. The demo included a photos app, a browser, Skype, a holographic Start Menu, and even a dog on the floor.

13 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. Another day, another gimmick by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    When you're done playing, kindly place it next to the Kinect, will ya?

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:Another day, another gimmick by kernelistic · · Score: 4, Funny

      Golf! What a great idea!

  2. Not Holograms by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I wish the press and Microsoft would stop using the word "Hologram" when describing this. It's Virtual Reality. There are no holograms involved whatsoever.

    1. Re:Not Holograms by RevWaldo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Indeed:
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H...

      Wake me when they make real advances in holography, like holographic video.

      .

      --
      Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
    2. Re:Not Holograms by Arkh89 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Exactly, I am wondering if this qualifies as false advertising : using the name of an advanced technology that would be enabling primary functions of the product but is not actually present.

    3. Re:Not Holograms by trout007 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think it is technically augmented reality.

      --
      I love Jesus, except for his foreign policy.
    4. Re:Not Holograms by oodaloop · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, it's definitely a hologram. But then, so is the whole universe.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  3. Its for sharing perspective. by MitchellThompson · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wired magazine covered it a month ago. Yep, Microsoft's new CEO is trying new things and attempting to restructure the company to be more accepting to these far-out-there ideas. Kudos. The old mantra was to only focus on core enterprise software and the Windows OS. I think the holograph idea is interesting, no doubt, but media is spinning it into "Look Microsoft bought Minecraft and they are working on a holograph system. ITS FOR GAMING!!11". No, the article I read spun it into a more mundane but useful application. Remote training / services etc. Examples were a plumber who can see your pipes and can show you in 3d what goes where... Or call up your buddy and he can help you fix your engine because he can see in 3d what you are seeing, and vice versa. This isn't VR. Its not exploring mars from the rover's perspective. Its sharing a perspective. That- is interesting.

  4. Finally by ArcadeMan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Virtual anime girlfriends* are finally here!

    * Don't worry, I'll store them in separate folders so they don't know about each other.

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    Get free satoshi (Bitcoin) and Dogecoins
    1. Re:Finally by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny

      * Don't worry, I'll store them in separate folders so they don't know about each other.

      If it's OK with you, I'm going to pretend they're all in the same folder.

      --
      Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
    2. Re:Finally by TheDarkener · · Score: 4, Funny

      Don't worry, I'll store them in separate folders so they don't know about each other.

      Don't forget to remove the "Everyone" group permissions.

      --
      It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  5. Re:Doesn't replace the real thing. by pitchpipe · · Score: 4, Funny
    For some reason I read that as "Happiness is a warm pussy," and found myself nodding enthusiastically in agreement.

    Maybe the cyber ones will have heaters.

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    Look where all this talking got us, baby.
  6. Re:Capitalism is doomed by phyruxus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's the other way around.

    --
    "A witty saying proves nothing." ~Voltaire
    "d'Oh!" ~Homer