6 signs Apple is working on a new computing platform



    Today Apple may be the “company that invented the iPhone,” but it’s obvious that it will have to get rid of this restrictive definition - and develop a completely new computing platform.

    Everyone already knows that Apple is working hard on its own electric car - Elon Musk called this project “a secret” , which is known to all "in the automotive industry. But if we talk about a new type of personal digital gadgets, then taking into account several recent acquisitions and hiring new employees, we can conclude that Apple, at least, has taken seriously augmented reality.

    Augmented reality (augmented reality, AR) - a concept that involves the "imposition" of digital images on top of real objects. The Google Glass project was one of the first (and unsuccessful) examples of this technology. But this did not stop other companies. For example, it is believed that Magic Leap, a classified startup that Google has invested in, is preparing something breakthrough in the AR field.

    This year, virtual reality (VR), a close relative of augmented reality, began to develop even more intensively, thanks to the advent of VR helmets from Sony, Oculus (Facebook) and HTC.

    Some experts believe that AR and VR are an extreme form of development of personal digital technologies, since they can almost completely replace screens for displaying information in our daily lives. A wearable computer will be the only gadget "to rule everyone."

    Apple, as usual, carefully keeps its secrets. But a number of recent events allow us to conclude that companies are experimenting with augmented reality in research laboratories.

    Let's take another look at these events:

    In May 2015, Apple acquired the German AR company Metaio


    Before Apple bought and then closed Metaio, the company specialized in augmented reality mobile apps. For example, she developed a program for IKEA, with which users could “arrange” new, virtual furniture in the room.



    Metaio also had apps for tourists interested in the history of the Berlin Wall:



    There is definitely potential here. Especially for industrial and commercial use. But the same concept applies to many other areas, such as the gaming industry, video conferencing, and entertainment. This concept is similar to the one Microsoft used to create HoloLens glasses. Speaking of HoloLens ...

    Apple recently got engineer Nick Thompson


    Who is this Nick Thompson? He served as lead audio engineer for the Microsoft HoloLens project. According to Thompson’s page on LInkedIn. Apple lured him in 2015 - this change last August was first noticed by Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray. Nick Thompson has been working on HoloLens for over two years, so he can perfectly help Apple with its AR project.



    Apple acquired FaceShift, a company that digitizes the human face


    FaceShift has developed a technology that uses cameras to analyze human face changes in real time. The same technology can also be used to create animated virtual avatars. The team working on special effects for the new Star Wars used FaceShift to make aliens' faces more realistic.



    Apple acquired a company that helped develop a camera for Kinect


    Israeli PrimeSense was "sold" by Apple more than two years ago - the company developed a camera that records movement. This technology was then used to create Kinect. The gesture recognition proposed by PrimeSense can be very important for devices working with augmented reality, since the latter are unlikely to work with traditional controllers. For example, the same HoloLens can recognize gestures for navigating the interface.



    Apple already has an idea of ​​what VR helmets and AR glasses should be like.


    Submission of patent applications is not always associated with the release of new products. But such documents can help you understand exactly what Apple is experimenting with. For example, in February last year, the company received a patent for augmented / virtual reality glasses that connect to an iPhone. The description is very similar to the gadgets that Google, Microsoft, Samsung and Facebook have already shown us.



    And one more testimony ...


    Last week, The Financial Times reported that Apple hired Doug Bauman, a professor at Virginia Polytechnic who specializes in virtual reality research. No one can say for sure what Bauman will do at Apple, but hardly anything beyond his interests.

    By the way, judging by the resume of the professor, he is considered not only an expert in the VR field, but also a specialist in three-dimensional user interfaces.

    However, according to The Financial Times, there is a possibility that Bauman will still not be engaged in virtual reality within the walls of Apple - perhaps he will take part in the company's auto project. Judging by what we see at car shows, Apple engineers will need an understanding of how the driver will interact with infotainment systems and interfaces.



    Don't be too happy


    If Apple nevertheless takes augmented and virtual reality seriously, then the result should be expected only in a few years. This area is still young and Apple's competitors have not yet presented something that could truly replace a smartphone or laptop. And today, the company's interest in this platform can be called, rather, research.

    Sources: These are the signs Apple is working on the next major computing platform , In case there was any doubt Apple is working on the next major computing platform ...

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