Submitted 1 month ago by andrew@andrew.masto.host to technology@lemmy.world
Meta: “Introducing Orion, Our First True Augmented Reality Glasses”
https://about.fb.com/news/2024/09/introducing-orion-our-first-true-augmented-reality-glasses/amp/
Didn’t Google try this a decade ago with Google Glass, but recieved such a negative response over privacy concerns that it abandoned the project.
Am I remembering this wrong? Have people’s views on privacy changed to the point where this is acceptable? Does Meta not have the features that Google did which prompted to backlash?
Google Glass was not AR. They were “smart glasses” with severely limited functionality for an extremely high price. That’s mainly why they failed, not the privacy backlash. The majority of people don’t care about privacy, just look at what information people put on the Internet.
I remember that, for a while, you’d see “No Google Glass” at some clubs and bars. People really hated it.
Google glass failed for many reasons, but I don’t think privacy was one of them. Price and usefulness were the two big reasons. Tech has advanced a lot in 10 years, so the usefulness and video quality has definitely advanced; but the ratio of price to usefulness is probably not right yet.
I think we’re almost there. Probably slightly bulkier fashion needs to be normalised to make this acceptable, but the potential applications of AR are actually cool. Meta is a privacy nightmare, but they are pushing R&D in the VR space and I think its at least notable. I don’t like trusting any megacorp with my data but its going to be a big company that makes commercial AR a reality.
Unless this solves the main problems of headaches, batter life, and looking like a fucking idiot it’ll fail just like Google did.
That said Google glass (2014)and this are about 10y apart in technology advances.
Orion combines the look and feel of a regular pair of glasses
Ah yes, “the look and feel of a regular pair of glasses”:
Maybe they will have an upgraded version with a large rubber nose and a moustache.
🥸
They could have gone with a “visor” frame design that would have been more fashionable, but I think this is pretty impressive for demonstrating the bare minimum amount of plastic needed to house holographic transparent displays, internal/external tracking sensors, and a sound system.
What they claim these glasses can do is absolutely incredible (we won’t really know because they are only being used internally for further development).
*for values of Dan Levy
Let me be the first to say “meh”.
Lol
billwashere@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I wish some company that wasn’t a giant asshole was working on these type devices. I really think AR is a neat idea especially for someone like me. I have a terrible time remembering people’s names likely related to my ADHD. I mean people that I have worked with for years. It’s just like my brain freezes up. And forgetting words. And a hodgepodge of other little mental quirks.
Having a little bubble appear over their head with name and maybe other customizable info would be greatly useful. Of course an always on display that pops up random notifications directly in my field of view would not have any deleterious side effects… no none whatsoever. 😋
woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 month ago
The research behind such tech will proliferate no matter ho invented it first. People will be hired by other companies, they’ll apply whatever they learned, using different techniques. Specific techniques can be patented, the experience people gained cannot.
billwashere@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I believe you’re definitely right about that. The whole AR thing has so many potential uses.
Deceptichum@quokk.au 1 month ago
Lots of companies have AR glasses already on the market. Rokid, xreal, virtue, etc
nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 1 month ago
Viture is currently recommended as they’re the most FOSS-friendly.
mPony@lemmy.world 1 month ago
I would love to have notable information pop up but we both know it would devolve into something between Ow My Balls and the RESUME VIEWING episode of Black Mirror.
billwashere@lemmy.world 1 month ago
Or pop-up video…