holographic
Latest
Looking Glass says it can turn any photo into a hologram
Looking Glass Factory has unveiled a service that promises to turn any photo into a 3D holographic image.
Facebook envisions using holographics for super-slim VR glasses
Facebook researchers are exploring holographic displays that could lead to very thin and light VR glasses.
Holographic tech could be key to future quantum computers
A breakthrough in studying light might just be the ticket to the future of quantum computing. Researchers at EPFL have found a way to determine how light behaves beyond the limitations of wavelengths, opening the door to encoding quantum data in a sci-fi style holographic light pattern. The team took advantage of the quantum nature of the interaction between electrons and light to separate beams in terms energy, not space -- that let them use light pulses to encrypt info on the electron wave and map it with a speedy electron microscope.
Mall of America debuts helpful holographic elf for the holidays
How would you keep a shopping mall lively in an era when more and more people are buying their holiday gifts online? The Mall of America has a one-word answer: holograms. It's partnering with mixed reality firm VNTANA on what's billed as the "first-ever" holographic shopping concierge. Visit the mega-mall's Holiday Cottage throughout the season and you can speak to Ellie the elf (no, really, that's her name) for help tracking down top gifts. Ask about how to find an Xbox One for the kids, for instance, and Ellie will point you to the Microsoft Store.
Vimeo launches channel just for holographic video
Vimeo has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of video technology in a bid to stand out, but it's taking things a step further. The service recently launched a channel dedicated solely to holographic video. You'll need one of Looking Glass Factory's holographic displays, but the result is what you'd hope for: it's streaming, glasses-free video with a genuine sense of depth. While the clips you'll see are currently demos, it beats having to launch apps one at a time just to see holographic clips.
RED Hydrogen One graphic outlines the holographic phone's specs
RED has been dribbling out details of its much-delayed Hydrogen One phone for a long time, but getting a proper summary of its features has been... difficult. Thankfully, director Phil Holland has stepped up to the plate. Now that the first pre-orders are shipping, Holland has published a "tech overview" infographic showing just what you'll get. Some of them you may be very familiar with, such as the 5.7-inch "holographic" LCD, dual front and back cameras and the pogo pin connector for add-ons. Others may be relatively new to you, such as the 6GB of RAM, 4,500mAh battery and the "deep cavity" stereo speakers.
Amy Winehouse's hologram will tour with a live band in 2019
Amy Winehouse will return to the stage in 2019 as the latest in a long line of deceased performers resurrected as holograms. The digital ghost of Winehouse (who died in 2011) will perform her hits such a "Rehab" and "Valerie" while backed by a live band. The tour is a product of a partnership between LA-based BASE Hologram and the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which raises money for the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse.
Nissan: Leaf EV pre-orders are over 13,000
Over the last week or so we've seen some wild concepts from Nissan at CES (IMx) and NAIAS (Xmotion), but as usual, its Leaf EV is quietly a story as well. The revamped electric vehicle is weeks away from going on sale, and the company tells Engadget that there are already 13,000 pre-orders. With a newly-extended range capable of 150 miles on a charge, its price starts at less than $30k (before any tax credit) for the base model and buyers can actually expect to receive one in 2018.
RED reveals more about its holographic smartphone display
When RED Camera first announced its crazy $1,200 Hydrogen smartphone with a "holographic display," a lot of folks wondered how that would actually work. Now, CEO Jim Jannard has revealed that RED is creating the screen in partnership with a company called Leia Inc. (yes, like that Leia). A spin-off from Hewlett-Packard labs, it calls itself "the leading provider of light field holographic display solutions for mobile," and the key words "light field" gives us a pretty good idea as to how it works
Microsoft's true holographic display fits in your glasses
A lot of the technology billed as holographic, well, isn't. Not even HoloLens. Real holography requires a laser-generated 3D image, and it's no mean feat to stuff that into something you can comfortably wear. Microsoft just made some important progress, however. Its researchers have developed a true, near-eye holographic whose optics can fit inside a regular pair of glasses. The mirrors and the liquid crystal on silicon needed to achieve the effect sit inside the frame -- it's only the electronics that have to stay outside. While this extra-compact size would normally result in an unusable picture, corrections in the holographic projector make it easy to read details down to individual pixels.
Microsoft plans to bring mixed reality to the Xbox in 2018
Last year, Microsoft revealed it would open up its Windows Holographic Platform to other hardware manufacturers, and at CES, we got a sneak peek at a few different Windows VR headsets. At GDC this week, Microsoft revealed yet more plans for its mixed-reality platform. While its headsets are strictly for the PC right now, they will soon be coming to the Xbox -- as well as Microsoft's Project Scorpio console -- in 2018.
BMW thinks holograms are the future of interfaces
You can count on BMW to introduce fascinating concepts, and many even make it into production, such as its ConnectedDrive personal assistant app. Others, like the motorcycle that balances itself so well drivers don't need a helmet, are probably a few years off; Such is the uncertainty of showing off novel automotive designs that technology doesn't quite support yet. But that isn't stopping BMW from presenting another fun, who-knows-when-we'll-get-it tech ditty at the upcoming CES 2017: The HoloActive Touch, a virtual interface for cars.
Volume is a $1,000 holographic display for your home
Just when we were running out of things to throw our money at, along comes another product nobody asked for. Startup Looking Glass made a "personal volumetric display" called Volume that it says will let you see VR (really, 3D content) without a headset, so you can share such content with people around you. The display is also interactive so you can move things around either by swiping on the touch-sensitive screen, waving your hands in front of it or pairing up a gaming controller. The company claims it's the world's first affordable personal volumetric display. What's more, such an outlandish device has an equally far-out price, should you want to buy it: Volume is now available for preorder for $999.
Windows Holographic coming to all Windows 10 PCs next year
We already knew that all Windows 10 PCs will be compatible with Windows Holographic, a "mixed reality" experience that'll let you immerse yourself in faraway lands. Now, we know when that will be. Terry Myerson, Executive VP of Microsoft's Windows and Devices group, just came on stage at the Intel Developer's Forum to announce there will be an update to Windows 10 to add the holographic shell update as soon as next year.
The HoloFlex is a flexible, glasses-free 3D display
Researchers at the Queen's University Human Media Lab in Ontario have developed what they claim is the "world's first holographic flexible smartphone" display. Dubbed the HoloFlex, the display uses an array of tiny lenses overlaid onto one flexible 1,920 x 1,080 HD OLED screen and allows multiple people to simultaneously view 3D images without the need for clunky glasses, complex projectors or individual head tracking.
HoloLens TED Talk shows what augmented reality can do
If you think you have a sense of what Microsoft's HoloLens headset can do, you're in for a pleasant surprise. The company's Alex Kipman recently presented a TED Talk on HoloLens that included multiple fresh demos illustrating Kipman's vision of an augmented reality future. He showed off virtual caves and forests, and a space where you could watch TV at one moment and talk to family in the next. The highlight, however, comes near the end: Kipman talks to an avatar of NASA's Jeffrey Norris standing on a recreation of Mars. Suddenly, Star Wars' holograms aren't so far-fetched.
Microsoft shows how you tell stories with HoloLens
When Microsoft started taking pre-orders for its HoloLens developer headset, it teased a digital storytelling app named Actiongram. But what is it, exactly, and how does it work? The folks in Redmond are finally ready to explain. In a detailed blog post, Microsoft has revealed that Actiongram is all about letting you create short, effects-laden mixed-reality videos without having to know a thing about 3D graphics. You just have to pick characters and props, place them in the world, and tell your tale. It's not particularly elaborate, but it shows how augmented reality apps can simplify this kind of creativity -- a video that would take days of compositing work could be wrapped up in an afternoon.
Astronauts are trying Microsoft HoloLens in space
Astronauts will soon have plenty of sweet tools at their disposal, but nothing quite like this -- as promised, NASA recently began testing Microsoft HoloLens aboard the International Space Station. The augmented reality headset is there as part of an experimental project, Sidekick, that gives crews a helping hand without having to flip through thick manuals or stay on the radio. Someone on the ground can use Skype to not only offer voice directions during repairs, but draw notes at the moment they're relevant. They'll also get animated visuals on top of real-world objects, showing them how to complete less-than-obvious tasks.
Microsoft HoloLens can talk to just about any device
As much as Microsoft has been willing to show of HoloLens, it has been surprisingly shy on some basic details. What devices work with the augmented reality headset? How long can you use it? How immersive will it really be? Thankfully, you just got answers to a few of those questions through a Microsoft evangelist's presentation at an Israeli event. To start, he notes that any Bluetooth- or WiFi-based device can talk to it, and it'll run any universal Windows 10 app. And yes, you can link multiple headsets for a shared experience, even over the internet.
Microsoft wants to make your dream HoloLens app
Think you have a really good idea for a HoloLens app? Microsoft might just help you build it. The tech giant has launched a Share Your Idea challenge that asks developers to submit their holographic app concepts by January 11th. It'll put the three most "viable" (that is, both good and realistic) ideas to a vote on Twitter, and will build the winner itself. You'll still have to devote some time to the app afterwards if you're successful -- you'll sit in for code reviews and Q&A sessions -- but this should be much easier than writing augmented reality software from scratch.
