While Google Glass certainly had its problems as an augmented reality device – among other things not really being an augmented reality device as GA Tech professor Blair MacIntyre pointed out – it did demonstrate two remarkable things. First, that people are willing to shell out $1500 for new technology. In the debates over the next year concerning the correct price point for VR and AR head mounted displays, this number will play a large role. Second, it demonstrated the importance of a sense of style when designing technology. Google glass, for many reasons, was a brilliant fashion accessory.
If a lesson can be drawn from these two data points, it might be that new — even Project Glass-level iffy — technology can charge a lot if it manages to be fashionable as well as functional.
When you look at the actual HoloLens device, you may, like me, be thinking “I don’t know if I’d wear that out in public.” In that regard, I’d like to nudge your intuitions a bit.
Obviously there is time to do some tweaking with the HL design. I recently found some nostalgic pictures online that made me start to think that with modifications, I could rock this look.
It all revolves around one of the first animes imported to the United States in the 70s called Battle of the Planets. It sounded like this:
Battle of the Planets! G-Force! Princess! Tiny! Keyop! Mark! Jason! And watching over them from Center Neptune, their computerized coordinator, 7-Zark-7! Watching, warning against surprise attacks by alien galaxies beyond space. G-Force! Fearless young orphans, protecting Earth’s entire galaxy. Always five, acting as one. Dedicated! Inseparable! Invincible!
And it looked AMAZING. I think this look could work for HoloLens. I think I could pull it off. The capes and tights, of course, are purely optional.
.jpg)
