Tag: ar glasses

Wearable technology is gaining a lot of momentum, but does it have any real value? There are a wide range of wearable devices that are set to be released in the coming years, some more innovative than others. Some of these devices promise to change the way people see the world, while others are designed simply to make it easier for people to keep track of their personal information. Some believe wearable devices are nothing more than novelty entertainment tools and others argue that these devices are likely to have a major impact on society, quite literally affecting the way people interact with one another in the future. The real question, however, is this: What do wearable devices do that smartphones can’t?

The question is somewhat complicated. Conventional mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are loaded with a wide range of features that are interactive in nature and designed to make people’s life somewhat more simplistic or enjoyable. The majority of these devices can be customized to suit a person’s particular needs through the use of mobile applications. Augmented reality apps can change the way people see the world, and fitness applications can help people keep track of their physical activity. Other apps can be used to manage finances or find deals at local stores or they can be used for navigational purposes. The problem with smartphones and tablets, however, is that they can only be held and not worn.

Wearable devices can do everything that conventional devices can do, but they do so in a different way. Augmented reality glasses, for example, allow AR applications to be somewhat more intuitive. The benefit of these devices, however, if that they can be operated hands-free, in most cases. Many wearable devices that are being released in the coming months feature voice recognition controls, but the responsiveness of these controls is dubious, especially in crowded areas where many people are talking at once.

Currently, wearable devices exist as a sort of novelty. These devices do not yet do anything more than what can be accomplished with conventional devices. In the future, wearable devices may be more robust, but whether or not they will be able to compete with smartphones and tablets is difficult to say for sure.

It has been reported from a number of technology news sources that Project Fortaleza is on hold.

Although the rumors have been flying about a pair of augmented reality glasses that were expected to be released at some point in the not-too-distant future, by Microsoft, reports are suddenly being released that suggest that the wait is going to be considerably longer than expected because the project, as a whole, has been put on hold.

Expectations for AR wearable technology have been high since a Microsoft patent was leaked last year.

The augmented reality device had been in the works as a peripheral for Xbox One. The codename for this product was called “Project Fortaleza”. That said, since that first leak, there hasn’t been a great deal of information that has come available from the company. Moreover, Microsoft, itself, has never confirmed or denied that the wearable technology exists, at all. Now, it looks as though the Project Fortaleza work has been “temporarily cancelled”. The original report was made on WPDang, a Chinese website.

This suggests that the augmented reality project is simply on hold and not actually stopped altogether.

According to the source, the reason that the AR glasses are being placed on the back burner has nothing to do with the actually implementing the technology. The development of the device didn’t seem to be coming with any hitches, at all. However, a considerable number of the tech patents that are involved in the process of making this device do not actually belong to Microsoft. Therefore, the company would be required to license those patents – an action that is now keeping Fortaleza from becoming available to Xbox One owners.

Some of the patents have already been licensed for the Kinect sensor’s second generation, but those licenses are specifically meant for that one device and cannot be carried over to be used for anything else.

Until those issues are sorted out, it is clear that the primary push being made by Microsoft will not be in augmented reality. This could end up presenting the company with some challenges as it looks as though Sony and its Oculus are hoping to be the next breakthrough in VR gaming.