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Comment by HarHarVeryFunny | Hacker News Reader

The technology they've packed into these things is amazing - it's an incredible achievement.

But, that said, there's also plenty of room for negativity around the actual product conception. It may have niche applications, but it just doesn't seem that most people need or want AR for everyday use - it's a solution looking for a problem. For gaming VR seems a better fit than AR, and same for Metaverse in general.

AR seems a bit like Segway two-wheelers - cool and fun, but with limited actual use. I could see AR glasses being used in the same way as Segway's end of life use for tourist city tours, or for other similar rent-to-use entertainment experiences.

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The sad thing is that there are a lot of things AR glasses could be useful for in my everyday life, but it all assumes that those glasses are working for me and me alone. I'd never use a product that was going to spy on everything I see and do. I'd never use a product that would fill my vision with ads either.

> The sad thing is that there are a lot of things AR glasses could be useful for in my everyday life

Can you give some examples, because I honestly can't think of any. I certainly can imagine these in specific, mostly niche professional contexts, but as "the next computing computing platform", no thanks.

To be clear, I'm fine if this is "just me", but take this quote from the article:

> You can take a hands-free video call to catch up with friends and family in real time, and you can stay connected on WhatsApp and Messenger to view and send messages. No need to pull out your phone, unlock it, find the right app and let your friend know you’re running late for dinner – you can do it all through your glasses.

Even under their own description, the phone experience is better for me in every way. I don't want something strapped to my face - I want to perform a task and then put my device away.

I think it's telling that any movie or game with cool AR visuals includes access to huge(!) amounts of data, like face recognition + criminal history.

So you're imagining a future where the police are wearing these, strolling the streets and scanning for undesirables?

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