Hands-on the Microsoft HoloLens
Published on Apr 1, 2016
Microsoft's holographic headset adds to reality without disconnecting you from it.
Microsoft's holographic headset adds to reality without disconnecting you from it.
Microsoft doesn't usually let journalists play with the HoloLens unsupervised. For us, they made an exception.
We've got the brand-new Microsoft HoleLens Development Edition! Let's check it out!
"Unboxing the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition: this thing is so cool!"
by Daniel Rubino
April 7, 2016
Exclusive: The Verge's Tom Warren shows us what powers Microsoft's new augmented reality headset, the HoloLens.
Quick demo of the Holograms app on HoloLens. Note: We smoothed out the video to make it easier to watch, but that also reduces the quality a bit
Alex Kipman wants to create a new reality — one that puts people, not devices, at the center of everything. With HoloLens, the first fully untethered holographic computer, Kipman brings 3D holograms into the real world, enhancing our perceptions so that we can touch and feel digital content. In this magical demo, explore a future without screens, where technology has the power to transport us to worlds beyond our own. (Featuring Q&A with TED's Helen Walters)
Microsoft began shipping the HoloLens Dev Edition to select developers on March 30th and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on a unit. As you can see in the video embedded above, the HoloLens device is a thing of beauty. The package comes with a charger, carrying case, the clicker, and of course the HoloLens device itself.
In the video, you will see our friend Sean Ong exploring holograms and the field of view with the HoloLens. The initial setup of the HoloLens is quite simple, as our own Kip has explained it before: "The process of configuring the HoloLens to fit your eyes has been revamped [compared to earlier test models], although the earlier use of an external eye-measuring machine was never meant for public use. Now, you go through a config process to fit the HoloLens view to your eyes, comparable maybe to the way you set up your Xbox for Kinect. In just a few minutes you’re off and running."
"Overall fantastic experience, very well done from the HoloLens team... I don't know how they pulled this off, but this is truly remarkable," Sean emphasizes after using the device for the first time.
Stay tuned for more content regarding the HoloLens as we explore this device and you can keep an eye on this page for all your HoloLens news. Microsoft is currently shipping out Dev Edition units in waves every two to three months to select developers. It won’t be too long before the device is in the hands of a wider set of developers who will start experimenting with the holographic side of the Windows 10 ecosystem.
Brent Rose tries out a new “Mixed Reality” software developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. The software allows virtual elements to be merged with the user’s actual environment, creating a world in which real and virtual objects can interact. Brent stress tests the HoloLens and shows us how much the new tech can really do.
The era of mixed reality will serve as a catalyst for additional innovations in the workplace, helping businesses and their workers complete crucial tasks faster, safer, and more efficiently.
How might a smart factory look like? At ZF location in Gray Court, SC Microsoft HoloLens is being tested to improve shopfloor collaboration.
HoloLens 2 offers the most comfortable and immersive mixed reality experience available, with industry-leading solutions that deliver value in minutes—all enhanced by the reliability, security, and scalability of cloud and AI services from Microsoft.
We head to Seattle to see what this $3,500 AR headset is all about.
Microsoft says the new and improved HoloLens 2 makes manipulating holograms feel like interacting with objects in the real world.
Microsoft has made mixed reality less awkward. That was the major takeaway from my time with HoloLens 2, its new $3,500 headset aimed not at you (or me), but at businesses. It's not only because the headset is so much more comfortable, (though that can take a lot of the credit). Microsoft has also doubled the mixed reality field of view, making the holographic overlay less like a floating reticle and more like a (virtual) display that's useful.
HoloLens 2 is coming later this year and in our first hands-on we learn about the doubled field-of-view (FOV), increased clarity, and how the OS is built around the idea of instinctual interaction. Plus, we'll talk about why HoloLens 2 is not only a big deal, but a real business now.
We go hands-on with Microsoft's new HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset at MWC Barcelona.
Microsoft's Alex Kipman talks with CNET about mixed reality's challenges and possibilities.