To achieve mass-market appeal, an augmented reality headset must be compact and light enough for regular use, which limits the amount of hardware that can fit inside. It’s a restriction that often makes it difficult to perform the complex rendering involved in generating 3D content. Microsoft, however, isn’t about to let that get in the…
Tag: Microsoft

Microsoft is trying to get into 3D printing
Look no further than a company’s patent trail to understand its expansion plans. If some moonshot technology suddenly comes up in a filing and never resurfaces again, it’s likely just the legal department trying to make the most out of employees’ overflowing imagination. But if that technology starts appearing in more applications over time, then you may have just stumbled…

Microsoft has found a way to halve the size of mobile cameras
Microsoft’s mobile engineers appear to be paying close attention to the work of their peers over at its application development business. In that world, if a certain component is used multiple times throughout a project, you simply split it off into a standalone library that is shared among the other program files to avoid burdening…
Microsoft is developing 3D folders for Windows 10
A new patent sheds light on Redmond’s plans for the future of the Windows UI and possibly the HoloLens.
Here’s the rugged Surface Pro Microsoft designed for the NFL
The ultra-durable design can withstand up to 220 pounds of force thanks to a special protective layer sandwiched between the display and the backlight.
Microsoft is developing a service to automate 3D printing
Redmond wants to turn the process of fabricating CAD models into real-life objects a much smoother experience for the maker community.
Microsoft once considered putting an electric shocker in its wearables
Redmond planned to use electric shocks to let a user know they have new notifications in situations where audio and vibration alerts fall short.
Microsoft is helping developers build robot brains
Microsoft’s autonomous control division has developed a controller that will enable robots to automatically steer out of the way of any human who happens to wonder into their path.
Microsoft’s experimental projection pod can turn any surface into an interactive D&D board
Microsoft is looking to patent an augmented reality kit that could turn your desk or sofa into a full-blown interactive display for gaming. You’ll be able to hold that weekly D&D adventure with people from half way around the world.
Microsoft’s HoloLens will closely guard your privacy
A patent filling reveals how Microsoft plans to address the privacy challenges of virtual reality in the forthcoming HoloLens and simplify development for game studios with the same stroke.
Microsoft is extending the cloud to the developer’s laptop
A new patent filling reveals an upcoming upgrade to Visual Studio that will open the possibility for developers to pull service components from the cloud onto their machines for local editing and testing.