Google Is Building a New AR Device and OS (arstechnica.com) 20
According to job listings on LinkedIn, Google appears to be working on an augmented reality device and operating system to pair with it. Ars Technica reports: On LinkedIn, operating system engineering director Mark Lucovsky announced that he has joined Google. He previously headed up mixed reality operating system work for Meta, and before that he was one of the key architects of Windows NT at Microsoft. "My role is to lead the Operating System team for Augmented Reality at Google," he wrote. He also posted a link to some job listings at Google that give the impression Google is getting just as serious about AR as Apple or Meta.
As 9to5Google discovered, one of the listings ("Senior Software Developer, Embedded, Augmented Reality OS") described Google's objective in clear terms: "Our team is building the software components that control and manage the hardware on our Augmented Reality (AR) products. These are the software components that run on the AR devices and are the closest to the hardware. As Google adds products to the AR portfolio, the OS Foundations team is the very first software team to work with new hardware." Other job listings say new hires will be working on an "innovative AR device." And one specifies that Google is "focused on making immersive computing accessible to billions of people through mobile devices." The roles are largely in the United States, but some are located in Waterloo, Ontario -- the HQ of Canadian smart glasses maker North, which Google acquired in 2020.
As 9to5Google discovered, one of the listings ("Senior Software Developer, Embedded, Augmented Reality OS") described Google's objective in clear terms: "Our team is building the software components that control and manage the hardware on our Augmented Reality (AR) products. These are the software components that run on the AR devices and are the closest to the hardware. As Google adds products to the AR portfolio, the OS Foundations team is the very first software team to work with new hardware." Other job listings say new hires will be working on an "innovative AR device." And one specifies that Google is "focused on making immersive computing accessible to billions of people through mobile devices." The roles are largely in the United States, but some are located in Waterloo, Ontario -- the HQ of Canadian smart glasses maker North, which Google acquired in 2020.
So... (Score:5, Insightful)
A new ad delivery vehicle. This is all that google cares about anymore.
Re: So... (Score:3, Funny)
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"We estimate we can sell up to 80% of a user's visual field before inducing seizures" - Nolan Sorrento, IOI Industries.
Ready Player One as a movie may have been terrible compared to the book, but there are some truths contained within still.
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Before or after release? (Score:2, Informative)
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Before. To build an entire OS with an ill-understood environment is sure to bring up lots of roadblocks and questionable design choices, especially when the actual interfacing itself is going to be enough of a struggle to perfect. This is a five year project that will be cancelled after three.
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I wonder why it needs a "new OS". This seems overkill. Why not simply concentrate on the software to drive such a thing in the first place and pick the most suitable OS to drive it? Or even better, have it run on multiple OS.
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I'm pretty sure that by "OS" they don't actually mean the kernel but rather the interface. There have to work out hand tracking but even when they do, an imaginary keyboard and screen isn't going to cut it for google (though maybe it should be included). They are going to experiment with various kinds of displays that require various levels of precision. The only thing they have to go on right now is what science-fiction and video games have come up with and frankly, those are not realistic interfaces.
Android vs Cyborg (Score:4, Funny)
And thus, 'Cyborg OS' was born!
"one of the key architects of Windows NT" (Score:2, Interesting)
Well that bodes well for its efficiency and reliability. Not.
Anyone who had the misfortune to have to use the original NT 3.1 after being used to using a proper OS such as one of the *nix's will shudder. Even 3.5 was lousy as MS seemingly couldn't sort out basic OS requirements or stability. Only 4.0 had any semblence of being a serious server OS but even then it was a cpu hogging feature poor joke compared to other server OS's of the time.
I'm looking forward to AR (Score:1)
AR can actually be quite useful. Once it gets good enough, I hope to see within my lifetime high resolution, lightweight, comfortable, no-sickness/no eye strain, wireless, low response time, glasses type of device. Sure there will be a few generations until it gets to that point of course, but I'm looking forward to it. Imagine for example no need for monitors or screens, no need for any kind of futuristic holo display, just wear these glasses and they could insert literally anything visual/audio into the r
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AR is amazing. I just can never figure out if I like the 5.56, the .308, the 7.62x39, or the .300 AAC better. I like them all, as long as they have a decent trigger (Geissele SSA-E is my go-to). Heck, even my .50 BMG is loosely based on an AR platform, just scaled up a bit (Bushmaster BA-50). And I can't wait to try the new Tristar KRX (AR12-style shotgun) waiting in the garage for me to have some free time...
Yup. I love me some AR. Useful in so many contexts.
Ok (Score:2)
Google is doing it so we can look forward to it being cancelled within a year of release, if it makes it to release.
Let's hope Apple and/or Valve gets it right (Score:2)
No way in hell should our future be in the hands of Facebook or Google.
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wow (Score:1)