Does Apple need to join the VR arms race? The answer is ‘not yet’

Speculators and tech geeks have been swooning in recent months over virtual and augmented reality becoming the next big thing. From the impending release of the Oculus Rift, to Google giving its Google Cardboard away for free, virtual reality has a bigger presence in the tech world than it did in the past.

Microsoft is working on its Hololens augmented reality kit. Google announced that they’re working on a virtual reality kit that won’t rely on a smartphone or desktop. Google also had its fling with its augmented reality enabled Google Glass. Facebook owned Oculus and companies like HTC are planning on releasing their virtual reality kits within the year.

But there is one company that has yet to announce its plans on virtual reality. Apple has yet to embrace the technology, which has some tech pundits wondering if they’ll have an impact on it soon.

But Apple doesn’t need to support virtual reality or create a virtual reality kit to stay relevant.

On the mobile side, Apple’s dominance with iOS means that developers created virtual and augmented reality solutions for them. In a twist of fate, the biggest pusher of virtual reality on iOS is Google.

Google Cardboard kits are iOS compatible. And some of them come with adaptors to fit the smaller iPhone 4 and 5 series. Developers are coding virtual reality mobile experiences with iOS as well as Android in mind.

And Apple doesn’t need to invest in its own kit on the desktop side just yet. Gaming dominates virtual reality for desktops. Although games exist for OS X, Windows is by far the most supported platform for desktop game developers. Oculus made this apparent when they announced that they would focus on Windows development first, returning to OS X and Linux development when they felt it was right.

But this doesn’t mean that Apple never will craft a virtual reality device of their own. Apple is notorious for trying to get the details right on their devices for their market. And their market is dominated by users that want a simpler experience, and for Apple devices to carry a bit of prestige to it.

Look at the Apple Watch. Apple wasn’t the first by a long shot to invent the smart watch. And critics said their smart watch implementation was mediocre at best.

But when Apple partners with luxury brands like French leather manufacturer Hermes, it sends a signal to their current customer base that this is a piece of technology that they’ll want. It’ll exist as an extension of their users’ aesthetic choices, rather than as a device first.

Although Apple Watch sales haven’t gone gangbusters compared to their iPhones, they outperformed equivalent devices from other manufacturers. Despite the lukewarm reception, Apple did something right.

And Apple already has sent out feelers suggesting that they’re getting ready to enter the virtual reality market at their own pace. They’ve hired key personnel that have worked on virtual reality in the past, and have submitted patent schemes for a potential kit.

But virtual reality is not part of Apple’s long term survival. For a company like Microsoft, they need to work on it because enterprise users and hardcore gamers make up a significant part of their base. They tend to be the type of people attracted to virtual reality, whether it is for creative and collaborative tools, or for a more immersive experience.

And it makes sense for Google to get involved in virtual reality, since their revenue is reliant on advertising. If virtual reality were to become popular, that could be an additional way for Google to collect money. Plus Google likes to experiment with niche technologies.

But there is not a lot of incentive for Apple to just make a virtual reality kit. It’s not like their technology outright stops the use of virtual and augmented reality from third parties. And iOS and OS X users are not a huge target market for virtual reality.

Until something revolutionary comes along, virtual reality in the short run will be a curiosity best left for the niche markets, and a gimmick on the mobile side. And those are perfect reasons why Apple won’t dive into a potential tech trend head first.

 

 

Microsoft’s Hololens contest lets users submit an app idea

Microsoft is looking to hype their upcoming Hololens with a new contest where they will feature a developer’s idea as a new Hololens app.

Microsoft launched the Share Your Idea campaign on December 1 to engage its developer community. Users can submit any interesting Hololens app concepts to the official Share Your Ideas website.

The campaign will last until January 11, 2016. Microsoft’s Hololens team will pick the top three most popular ideas and let the community vote on the best one. The Hololens team will then develop the most popular idea and open-source the code so other developers can improve or contribute to it.

According to officials at Microsoft, development areas they’re focusing on include if the holographic apps can incorporate world coordinates, can scale in size, are interactive, and can incorporate spatial sound and mapping.

Of course with this being a contest, there’s a long text of legalese to protect Microsoft’s butt from a potential lawsuit.

Under the terms, the contest is only available for ages 13 and up. Those between the ages of 13 to 18 need the supervision of a parent or guardian.

And it should be obvious, but your submissions will belong to Microsoft in perpetuity. Also stated in the terms are clauses saying that you can’t use the Hololens app for malicious reasons, like hacking, disabling networks or systems, or to harm others.

Although the contest is focusing on Hololens developers, there isn’t anything to stop regular folks from submitting ideas on the Share Your Idea website or via Twitter. The contest also isn’t limited to Americans for now.

Considering a Hololens SDK costs $3,000 USD, opening up the contest to others will net a larger pool of talent. But the question remains whether anyone would want to give away a good Hololens idea to Microsoft for free.

 

Microsoft event: New Surface Book, refreshed Surface Pro and Microsoft Band, Hololens and more

Microsoft featured several new devices and initiatives at its Oct. 6 event in New York City.

Microsoft announced some major news at its event in New York City on Oct. 6. Here is a brief rundown.

Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 4 at the Oct. 6 event in New York City. The tablet comes with WIndows 10 and refines features from the Surface Pro 3.

Surface Pro 4

Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 4, which looks to be a refinement of the Surface Pro 3. The 12.3 inch tablet now comes with up to 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage, and features a magnetic dock for the Surface Pen. The screen has a 267 DPI and displays 5 million pixels.  Microsoft boasts that the new Surface Pro 4 is 30-percent faster than a Surface Pro 3 and 50-percent faster than a Macbook Air. It supports a new Surface Pen with 1024 pressure levels that will come with not only five colors, but interchangeable pen tips, and a new Surface keyboard that is backwards compatible with the Surface Pro 3 and features a larger touchpad. It also supports the new Windows Hello features, which lets users sign into their devices with either their face or fingerprints. The Surface Pro 4 will be available on Oct. 26 and starts at $899 USD.

Microsoft officially makes a true laptop with the Surface Book. The device features an articulate hinge and can detach from its base. It’s claimed to be more powerful than a Macbook Pro.

Surface Book

Microsoft announced their own laptop, laying to rest rumors that the Remond-based company would get involved with that aspect of the business. The new Surface Book features a watchband-esque hinge dubbed the dynamic fulcrum, allowing the laptop to swing various degrees, as well as detach from the base. Its 13.5 inch display has the same 267 DPI as its Surface Pro cousin, but with 6 million pixels. Setting the Surface Book apart from the Surface Pro aside from its dedicated keyboard is more powerful specs. Included is an Nvidia GeForce GPU chip and GDDR5 memory, which allow the Surface Book to do light gaming, according to Microsoft. The Surface Book’s battery life should last up to 12 hours in optimal settings, and is twice as fast as a Macbook Pro, according to Microsoft officials. The Surface Book also will be available on Oct. 26 and starts at $1499 USD.

Microsoft demonstrated using Continuum on a Lumia 950. The Windows 10 feature recognizes when devices should be used as a desktop and when they should be used as a mobile device, adapting as needed.

Lumia 950/XL

Microsoft demonstrated its new flagship Lumia phones. The 950 and phablet sized 950 XL feature a 5.2 inch and 5.7 inch display, dual antennas, a hexacore and octacore processors, and screen DPI of 518 and 568 for each model. Following the trend of previous devices, the new Lumia phones come with USB-C ports and support 4K video recording. The 20 megapixel Carl Zeiss camera features optical image stabilization and a dedicated camera hardware button. But the real differentiation is the new Continuum feature for Windows 10. Upon connecting the Lumia 950 to the new Microsoft Display Dock, any user can turn their Lumia phone into a desktop computer. The Display Dock features up to 3 USB ports and an HDMI and Display port, and will support traditional mice and keyboards. The new Lumia phones come with 32 GB of onboard storage and support SD cards for memory expansion. The phones will start at $549 USD.

Microsoft showed off what the Hololens could do at the Oct. 6 event in New York City. With Project X-Ray, players can battle robots in their living room.

Hololens and Xbox announcements

Microsoft announced that it will be selling SDKs for the Hololens starting at $3000 USD. The development kits will be available in the first quarter of 2016. The augmented reality device is making development strides, as Microsoft demonstrated an in-house title called Project X-Ray that uses a living room as the game arena to battle robots.  Microsoft also announced that Xbox One will receive Windows 10 by the end of the holiday season, and also will be compatible with previous Xbox 360 games.

Microsoft showed off its refreshed Band at the Oct. 6 event in new York City. The band will cost $249 USD.

Microsoft Band 2

Microsoft announced the refreshed Microsoft Band. Featuring a curved design, the new wearable includes a barometer for fitness buffs to measure elevation changes. It also can track users volume of oxygen usage and golf statistics on the fly. Microsoft announced that it is partnering with companies like Uber to bring more smartwatch-esque features to the Microsoft Band. The new Microsoft Band starts at $249 USD, and will be available on Oct. 30.