HoloLens Development Editionby Microsoft

The pair we wore this week was undoubtedly more comfortable than earlier prototypes. It feels soft around the head, and can either rest ligh…

The pair we wore this week was undoubtedly more comfortable than earlier prototypes. It feels soft around the head, and can either rest lightly on the bridge of your nose or hover just above it. We both noted that it probably wouldn’t leave any goggle marks on our faces like our Oculus-testing colleagues,

With HoloLens criticized for its limited field of view, Microsoft told us that it has no plans to address this criticism. Instead, the compa…

With HoloLens criticized for its limited field of view, Microsoft told us that it has no plans to address this criticism. Instead, the company will see what its partners — HTC, Dell, MSI, and Lenovo (along with more than 12 others) – can achieve with its Windows Holographic platform.

The HoloLens developer kit already looks like a consumer product, sure -- a futuristic one, anyhow. The headset is composed of a pair of con…

The HoloLens developer kit already looks like a consumer product, sure -- a futuristic one, anyhow. The headset is composed of a pair of concentric circles that unfold like two rings of a 3D solar system. The inner circle goes around your head, with a bicycle-helmet-style ratcheting dial to tighten it down. The front is supposed to stick to your forehead, while the back rests underneath the back of your skull.

I’ve seen the future of architectural design. And it is HoloLens. Microsoft Corp.’s new three-dimensional (3D), virtual-reality (VR) displa…

I’ve seen the future of architectural design. And it is HoloLens. Microsoft Corp.’s new three-dimensional (3D), virtual-reality (VR) display technology also will likely change the future of education, entertainment, gaming, health care and, well, just about every other industry. It’s that impressive.

HoloLens displays the information on top of what you are looking at – this is the “Terminator vision” that can be seen in many movies. Both …

HoloLens displays the information on top of what you are looking at – this is the “Terminator vision” that can be seen in many movies. Both devices may overlap slightly when it comes to displaying information, but overall, glass remains a “side screen” that I would not consider as Augmented Reality, while HoloLens is the best implementation of Augmented Reality that I have seen.

But HoloLens certainly felt like part of the future. It excites me. I imagine a world of gaming that interacts with the environment around m…

But HoloLens certainly felt like part of the future. It excites me. I imagine a world of gaming that interacts with the environment around me. A world where designers and engineers can manipulate virtual 3D objects JARVIS-style, simply by using their hands. A world where I can sit at my desktop PC and have a monitor that's near infinitely large and totally private. I don't know exactly what people will use HoloLens for, but it feels very much like the killer app is out there, just waiting for someone to develop.

Microsoft HoloLens is an untethered transparent holographic computer that lets you view integrated holograms within a physical space. Micros…

Microsoft HoloLens is an untethered transparent holographic computer that lets you view integrated holograms within a physical space. Microsoft calls this “mixed reality” as opposed to the more familiar virtual reality or augmented reality.

To create Project HoloLens’ images, light particles bounce around millions of times in the so-called light engine of the device. Then the ph…

To create Project HoloLens’ images, light particles bounce around millions of times in the so-called light engine of the device. Then the photons enter the goggles’ two lenses, where they ricochet between layers of blue, green and red glass before they reach the back of your eye.

Under the hood, Microsoft has packed the HoloLens with a series of sensors, along with a high-end CPU and GPU, although it has yet to talk s…

Under the hood, Microsoft has packed the HoloLens with a series of sensors, along with a high-end CPU and GPU, although it has yet to talk specifics about the chipset architecture. All we know is that Microsoft has created custom-built silicon and a holographic chip to power its augmented reality headset.

By comparison, HoloLens is incredibly freeing – it's wireless, lightweight and doesn't block you off from the outside world. Quite the oppos…

By comparison, HoloLens is incredibly freeing – it's wireless, lightweight and doesn't block you off from the outside world. Quite the opposite, in fact – you can still see the outside world completely, and there are no headphones to wear as the headset pumps audio out via built-in speakers.

Its appearance is like a giant plastic hairband crossed with a pair of equally oversized sunglasses, but the sum of those two decidedly dork…

Its appearance is like a giant plastic hairband crossed with a pair of equally oversized sunglasses, but the sum of those two decidedly dorky parts is cooler than it sounds. That may be because, unlike Google Glass and other augmented reality devices seen before, HoloLens doesn’t try to pass itself off as something it’s not. Microsoft hasn’t shown a demo of it used outside a work or home environment for good reason. It isn’t meant for the street.

First, HoloLens is no full VR headset and is not designed to be, at least not at present. There’s already plenty of those hitting market wit…

First, HoloLens is no full VR headset and is not designed to be, at least not at present. There’s already plenty of those hitting market with their immersive, reality-escaping design: Microsoft is aiming for a different product category altogether, something that doesn’t really exist yet, although we saw glimmers of it in Glass. This is more of the final evolution of a touchscreen – or the key to making AR a major commercial success.

That's to say, any and all comparisons to emerging virtual reality tech and related gaming or entertainment applications should be excised f…

That's to say, any and all comparisons to emerging virtual reality tech and related gaming or entertainment applications should be excised from the conversation for now. It's not "immersive" as one Microsoft rep stressed to me, clearly keen to avoid the confused commingling of AR and VR buzzwords. It's "complementary."

The cynic in me says that HoloLens becomes the Kinect of the smartphone: an amazing technology that ends up with little real-world impact. I…

The cynic in me says that HoloLens becomes the Kinect of the smartphone: an amazing technology that ends up with little real-world impact. I just slapped that cynic. Let's see what you have in store for us, Microsoft.

I used the real-looking globe to travel to Peru. First a Peruvian artifact appeared at my feet. A moment later, my entire surroundings turne…

I used the real-looking globe to travel to Peru. First a Peruvian artifact appeared at my feet. A moment later, my entire surroundings turned into a Peruvian landscape. The ground at my feet transformed from a gray, industrial rug into beige dirt and gravel. Off to my right were tourists and above was a mountain top. I was there, and yet still firmly grounded in the hotel room.

Microsoft’s HoloLens has been available to developers for some time, but what's less well known is that its augmented reality headset also c…

Microsoft’s HoloLens has been available to developers for some time, but what's less well known is that its augmented reality headset also comes in an 'enterprise edition.' This references an ongoing program intended to make it easier for businesses to try out HoloLens for use in-house. The program allows businesses to buy more than two HoloLens headsets at a time, along with service contracts and other enterprise-focused features. The hardware is the same as that received by other developers.

HoloLens runs a version of Windows 10 designed to enable mixed-reality experiences. This edition contains perception APIs and a holographic …

HoloLens runs a version of Windows 10 designed to enable mixed-reality experiences. This edition contains perception APIs and a holographic shell and interaction model so wearers can interact with holograms using voice, gaze, and touch communication.

It really cannot be overstated how exceptional the spatial awareness of this device is. It’s quick, it remembers, and it’s so precise it sur…

It really cannot be overstated how exceptional the spatial awareness of this device is. It’s quick, it remembers, and it’s so precise it surpasses all reasonable expectations.

After being shown the basic gesture controls including pitch, rotate and bloom, I was surprised how naturally I slipped into using it and qu…

After being shown the basic gesture controls including pitch, rotate and bloom, I was surprised how naturally I slipped into using it and quickly forgot I was wearing the device.

What’s new in the HoloLens? There’s one major improvement that many may never notice: Previous versions required you to dial in your inter-p…

What’s new in the HoloLens? There’s one major improvement that many may never notice: Previous versions required you to dial in your inter-pupillary distance to ensure that the HoloLens doesn't make you dizzy. But now that’s apparently handled automatically.