Specs appeal: Qualcomm and Meta insist headgear to plug you into the metaverse will 'supersede mobile'
- Reference: 1638447308
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/12/02/meta_qualcomm_metaverse_hardware/
- Source link:
"Augmented reality is the thing that ultimately will supersede mobile," claimed Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth in conversation with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon.
The conversation was shown as happening between cartoon versions of the executives in a metaverse meeting room. The exchange was shown on screen during Amon's keynote at the Snapdragon Tech Summit being held in Hawaii.
[1]
Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon in the metaverse
"Metaverse" is a buzzword for a parallel digital world in which individuals, represented by avatars, can play, work, and interact. Second Life was an early version of a metaverse, but the concept recently gained traction through games like Minecraft and Fortnite , and platforms like Roblox .
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is betting its social networking future on virtual reality, where friends meet in a virtual world instead of sending text messages.
[2]
Bosworth and Amon seemed to zero in on glasses, like Google Glass, being a person's bridge into the digital universe. Bosworth struck a hopeful tone on being able to make hardware like glasses, or equipping mobile devices with technologies so one can sense the presence of the other's avatar.
[3]
[4]
"You're on the go, you take it with you, it's always contextually relevant, you don't have to take it out of your pocket," Bosworth said, adding: "Can we pull it all together? It hinges on your ability to be efficient with power and thermal space in these tiny form factors."
[5]Meta won't migrate future acquisitions out of AWS
[6]Qualcomm makes its own mobile gaming rig, hypes new Windows 11 chips
[7]Qualcomm takes a swipe at Apple's build-not-buy culture (because it wants to sell stuff to Apple)
[8]Zuck didn't invent the metaverse, but he's started a fight to control it
Meta's clunky Oculus Quest 2 headset uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips. Bosworth was recently appointed Meta's CTO and is laying the technology foundation for the company's VR future.
Bosworth also said metaverse computing models will be bigger than laptops and desktops for productivity and collaboration.
"All of this will be powered by artificial intelligence that's helping users process and understand the world around them," he said.
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While Bosworth painted a picture of the metaverse being in its early stages, Qualcomm's Amon said his company had been investing in metaverse technologies for 10 years. The company's Snapdragon chips are in 1,600 designs beyond smartphones, of which 50 are commercial headsets.
"It's easy to see a situation where the developer ecosystem becomes mature... whether it is for enterprise, for education, whether for entertainment, we could have convenient glasses to wear," he claimed.
He gave an example of AR glasses overlaid with information about a car, such as the lifespan of some of the components, to aid in a repair. ®
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[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/12/02/imgchat.jpg
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/02/meta_aws_alliance/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/01/qualcomm_mobile_gaming_windows_11_chips/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2021/12/01/qualcomm_subtly_goes_gangsta_on/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/11/the_metaverse_wars/
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[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
So soon?
Google glasses fell flat only a few years ago, Has humanity already changed enough to accept another go at this BS?
Re: So soon?
"Google glasses fell flat only a few years ago..."
... because of hatred for glasses wearers. I could see no other reason.
Maybe they've calmed down now?
Re: So soon?
They weren't called Glassholes for nothing...
"It hinges on your ability to be efficient with power and thermal space in these tiny form factors"
It hinges on a lot more than that.
Google Glass was an interesting project in itself, but much more in what it revealed about the people using it and how the rest reacted to it than it was actually of any use.
VR has been trying to break into the real world for years now, and none of the issues have really been solved. I'm talking about the weight of the headgear, its comfort and how long it can work, not to mention the sharpness of the image. That last point has a direct impact on how long the headgear can function. Want it to function longer ? Add more battery weight. It's a vicious cycle.
So, we're now pretending that we can have AR goggles that work all day long ? Most laptops can't do that, and they have bigger batteries.
Also known as
[1]Glasshole 2.0 .
[1] http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/office-space-1999-movie-review-bill-lumbergh-gary-cole-im-going-to-need-you-to-come-in.jpg
"Meta, formerly known as Facebook, is betting its social networking future on virtual reality, "
So when this fails as miserably as the Glasshole debacle, does that mean Meta and Facebook will blink out of existence? If not, it isn't much of a "bet" then, sounds more like a side-hustle.
Bosworth's quotes read like the How-To manual for writing vaporware press releases.
Have they asked anyone if they actually want this?
Or is the hubris so great that they truly believe that everything they do will be just as successful as their website?
Because the more I read about it, the more I think it's a shit idea, that will be unimpressive when actually implemented.
"I've gotta feeling somebody's watching me..."
Oh, yes, it's Facebook... Move along now...