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Apple's Next Big Thing: Augmented Reality (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the shape-of-things-to-come dept.

Apple is beefing up its staff with acquisitions and some big hires to help design augmented reality glasses and iPhone features, according to Bloomberg. From a report: Apple is working on "digital spectacles" that could connect to an iPhone and beam content like movies and maps, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on Monday. The Cupertino, Calif.- based company is also working on augmented reality features for the iPhone that are similar to Snapchat, Bloomberg said. To make its augmented reality push, Apple has acquired augmented reality start-ups FlyBy Media and Metaio, and hired major players from Amazon, Facebook's Oculus, Microsoft's HoloLens, and Dolby.

11 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Meh by scunc · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't care what their plans are for augmented reality when their actual reality doesn't even support using a headphone jack.

  2. I knew it by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

    I knew the industry would abandon VR and focus on AR. VR will never work due to how it creates motion sickness in most people. Please note: I didn't say it creates motion sickness in the special snowflakes here on Slashdot, or any of the tons of people they know. I mean most people. So put down that pen and stop writing that angry letter to me.

    1. Re:I knew it by killfixx · · Score: 4, Insightful

      AR was always going to be the "Next Big Thing". VR is a fun, limited-use-case solution looking for a problem. AR keeps the user productive. AR keeps the user engaged in the world around him/her.

      --
      "Helping to keep you two steps ahead of the Thought Police!"
    2. Re:I knew it by mean+pun · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is Apple investing in Google Glass. Remember that thing that Google did that failed miserably and that they gave up on years ago?

      Apple is going to do that now, with the exact same result.

      I've heard that one before about MP3 players, mobile phones, and tablets. All great examples of products where Apple was predicted to fail miserably, and failed miserably to fail miserably.

      Don't bet against Apple in cases like this. On technical grounds I am not convinced AR can be done well, but if someone can do it, it is Apple.

    3. Re:I knew it by Dracolytch · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As a VR/AR researcher, I have to disagree. The two are similar technologies, but they have fundamentally different use cases. VR isn't "looking for a problem", the problems are all around. Any area where you want to do fully-immersive experiential training, for example (shock/trauma training on board a Navy vessel / Basic firearms training with any weapon and no risk of injury / cyber visualizations where traditional rules of distance don't always apply). In those cases, VR can often make more sense than AR (where sunlight, clutter, or room geometry may degrade the experience).

      Is AR a superset of VR? From a technical standpoint, you could make that claim, but from a design standpoint, that's like saying a heads-up display is a superset of a television. Maybe true, but they're not really used for the same things.

      The fact that AR is less likely to make someone motion sick is a great benefit to AR, but it also belies one of the underlying shortcomings as well: AR is not as fully as immersive as VR is right now (The degree of immersion in commodity hardware with a good room configuration is startling). It's unclear if AR ever will be, and if it is, will it just be because it blocks out the real-world?

      Consider this:
      If you're locally piloting a robot, AR is often more convenient because you can be aware of the robot in the context of your current surroundings. However, when remotely piloting a robot, it's often preferable to get the increased situational awareness from the robot's perspective.

      Humans can only pay attention to so many things. Ultimately, it comes down to the design and purpose of communication.

      --
      This sig has been enciphered with a one-time pad. It could say almost anything.
    4. Re:I knew it by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      VR is troublesome in terms of head motions and screen motions but of course if you take the motion out and just go with a fixed view, is becomes the cheapest way to provide a massive screen in terms of viewer viewpoint. So glasses done properly at an optometrist to minimise size, no adjustable lenses, just user specific fit, it hugely expands the use of smart phones. Augmented reality is a part of that, low process, see through the glasses, high process, cameras mounted on the glasses that present an external view.

      Could you not imagine lying back in bed, glasses on watching what appears to be a 150" screen, with either really pleasant video https://www.youtube.com/watch?... (just the thing for you next augmented reality business meeting) or even fixed field of view gaming.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  3. Let me get this right... by mindwhip · · Score: 2

    Apple's next big thing is basically a white walled garden rehash of Google's old things? (Google Glass/Phone VR)

    --
    [The Universe] has gone offline.
    1. Re:Let me get this right... by fluffernutter · · Score: 2

      Just wait until Apple heralds in the return of the headphone port. On that day the citizens will rejoice.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  4. Re:Comey to Congress: TRUMP DID IT! by jfdavis668 · · Score: 3, Funny

    We should never have let the Cubs win the World Series. The world has gone downhill ever since.

  5. Re:Actual Actual Reality by fabriciom · · Score: 2

    Apple has transformed from a market leader to a follower or as Steve just to say toner heads. I think this is why so many people are disappointed.

  6. Re:Success is not a flop... by Dunbal · · Score: 2

    You can't argue with fanbois any more than you can with religious fanatics.

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.