I ditched my laptop for a pocketable mini PC and a pair of AR glasses
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There are a couple of projects that are trying to get better open source support of the Airs on linux; I've not kept up with their progress.
The problem is that you can see the foreground and depth ok as the monocular screen on my left eye 'merged' semi-transparently due to brain processing. I assume this is a bit worse on the XReal. The main issue was that when walking you make a slight sinus wave up and down compared to the foreground. You don't notice this usually, but with a paragraph of text or code positioned in front of your eyes it becomes very distracting.
One solution, using a mode of transport that doesn't involve moving up and down slightly, for example using a bicycle or car for transportation. In both circumstances, the latter being the most problematic, it's not advisable safety wise (or even illegal) and a screenreader solution is better. I had the idea of using Emacsspeak for this, or do a smart speakup echo from the commandline.
Another solution is using RSVP, or using both RSVP and text to speech. Samsung DeX is great though, Motorola, Huawai and recent Android have support for desktop mode too (if the phone supports video-out).
I still don't recommend walking around with them on while reading.
I will also plus one Samsung Dex. It really is amazing to have a desktop like experience with just glasses on, and feels properly cyberpunk.
Was really interesting then when desktops were as big as large pizzas.
https://alum.mit.edu/slice/hdr-pioneer-looks-future-wearable...
I wanted to reply to your previous posting but ycombinator does not allow for comments on older posts.
To put it simply, we spend almost 3 weeks trying out YB for your own usage and ran into massive performance issues.
The main issue seem to be that anything sharded (what it is by default), will perform sort/filter/and other operations only after retrieving sufficient data from those shards.
The results is that this massive impacts data. The YB teams somewhat hides this by spending mass amounts of resources on Seq Scans, or require you to explicite design Index's pre-sorted.
In our experience, a basic 3 node YB cluster barely does 7000 inserts/s, where as Pg instance does easily 100.000+ insert/second (with replication). Of course there is the cheating. Like "look how we insert 1 million / second" (3x), with 100 heavy AWS nodes. Ignoring that they are just inserting rows with no generated IDs ;) If you put that in front of pq, your easily hitting 150.000 insert / second on a single node.
There are issue like trigrams taking up 8x the space compared to pg trigrams (no row level packing). Materialized joins that are pre-sorted, are not respected as inserts are done by hash distribution. So item 1 can be on node 3, item 2 on node 1, ... what needs to be fetched and resorted, killing the performance benefits.
A optimized materialized join pulls out data between 0.2ms to 10ms, where we have seen YB doing between 6ms to minutes. On the exact same dataset, inserted the same way, ... on only 100 million rows of data. What you expect to be those databases their playgrounds.
Plugs that are broken in the new 2.25 version.
We lost multiple times t-master and t-server nodes. Ironically, the loss of the t-master was not even reported in the main UI. What can only be described as amateuristisch.
CockroachDB is another series of similar issue with latency, insert speed, and more ... combined with the new horrible "we spy on you free license, that we may or may not extend every year." We found CRDB more mature in a sense and less a Frankenstein's monster of parts, but lacking in postgres features (or working differently).
In essence, as long as you use them as mongoDB like denormalized databases that can run SQL, great. The issues really start when your combining normalization and expecting performance.
And the resources that both use means you need to scale to a 20x cluster, just to reach the equivalent of a single pq node. And each of those YB/CRDB nodes, need to have twice the resources then the pq node.
In general, my advice is to just run pq, replicate/patroni, maybe scale to more pq clusters where you separate tables to different clusters. Use the build in postgres_fdw to create materialized read nodes to offload pressure and load balance. Unless you are running reddit at scale, the benefits of YB/CRDB totally outway the tons of disadvantages.
The uptime, easy of upgrading, and geo-distribution is handy, not going to lie. But its software that really only gets benefits for companies that reach a special demand or high scale and even then. I remember that reddit ran (still runs?) on barely a few DB servers.
What is even worse, is that as you stated, you need to design your database so much around YB/CRDB. that you can use the above mentioned pq solutions to get way more gains.
I hope this responds is of use.
The only time they were really helpful for me was one flight when I had to work on some sensitive content and the person next to me was obviously trying to shoulder surf me.
Maybe it would be more productive if I had a newer iPhone with USB -C or the XReal One glasses. But having to use all the dongles to get to go from iPhone to lightning/HDMI adapter to HDMI to USB-C cable to original XReal Beam (which is way underpowered), to USB-C to glasses, that’s a ton of cables. And some forget, you’ve now got to pair your AirPods with the Beam! Ughh. It’s a little better with the Beam Pro. It’s faster and generally a good experience, but it’s still another device and still doesn’t have a good way to stream 3D content from Plex/NAS. Ugh.
That being said, when I put in the effort, the picture is very nice.
Let’s not pretend that Nebula on Android is good. I’ve got a Beam Pro. It also is not great.
SteamDeck is really the best experience I’ve found.
[1] I know we're taking forever D: But we intend for this to be a way to release an intermediate product (which we've been making anyway for our full headsets).
[2] Our next blog update will be about this. Here's a video video preview: https://youtube.com/shorts/Y67D8DkqScU?si=LpdSpjmfGn2k2rxP
There are two modes. One is fixed so that the virtual monitor stays in one spot on the lenses. The single virtual monitor stays directly in front of you. The other is floating, which basically keeps the virtual monitor in one spot and you can turn your head to look away. This mode also lets you set up 3 virtual monitors side by side so you can turn to look at them. It uses head tracking to basically shift the image in the opposite direction you turn your head.
In both cases, the screen does move, and this is super relevant when looking at text and down at status bars. The fixed one is better because it moves relative to your head, but both cases have some amount of jitter. I found the best case coding scenario is the fixed monitor (no head tracking), and being in a seat wth head rest and you can press your head back into it. This minimizes your head movement, which minimizes how much the text moves about. The downside is that we're used to looking up and down at the screen, so you want to set the monitor at a proper distance so you can look up and down with just your eyes. You really want to shrink the monitor to a size close to that of a laptop.
I ultimately ended up not liking the experience very much. No matter what, you're gonna end up with some amount of text movement. There is also a bit of light saturation bleed through (old CRT style). Putting the blackout blinders on helps a lot, but the projected nature remains an issue. Essentially only usable long term in a recliner or a car seat with headrest. Unlike the author, I am using a work provided laptop and I have that with me anyways. There was coolness to leaving the laptop in my backpack and just bringing the glasses up via wire - but to actually do anything, I need a keyboard. Which means taking along a Lenovo's thinkpoint trackpad keyboard (really great backpack keyboard); or pulling out the laptop.
The newer ones, like Xreal One from the article might be a better experience. A coworker had the air 2 pros and used them for travel. He said he didn't really notice the things I did, so maybe it was a improved experience even with that version. But he mostly worked in office documents and only occasional terminal work. When traveling and using the glasses, it was almost all "office docs", and only for short periods of time. For me - I am going to wait and be a slow adopter to move to a new version.
[1] https://github.com/wheaney/XRLinuxDriver/blob/main/src/plugi...
The choice of a trusted HMD is a little more complex, but very solvable ;)
Same ability to power via usb-C and have other ports available.
It's worked very well, the 1920x1080 resoultion of the glasses is pretty clear but I find "anchoring" the screen to be most usable because the edges do get a little blurry, but with the screen anchored you can just "look around" a little to bring them into focus.
The biggest drawback is the resolution. While still very sharp and clear, it's tough going from a framework laptop 2256x1504 to 1920x1080.
I'm just used to everything being a little smaller and being able to fit more info into my FoV vs having to look around a "larger" screen for it.
Xreal One however has rock-solid head tracking. It does drift occasionally but it's very tolerable. I returned the Viture Pro and ketp the Xreal one.
[1] https://needgap.com/problems/16-wearable-low-latency-display...
The question was about a laptop as contrast to AR glasses. AR glasses are worse here.
Here's the pack of three I purchased on Amazon.
Woieyeks 3 Pack HDMI Dummy Plug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKKLTWMN
The idea started from recovering macs with a broken display and using them like a mac mini. It's possible to find "broken macs" for cheap in second hand market and if the problem is only the display you can go for the headless approach and have macOS with Apple Silicon for very cheap.
Apple Silicon has outstanding battery life, without a screen I would think even more.
Also, great pun with being blind and "excited looking at this".
I'm also blind and this is not a pun. No one blind I know would change their usage of language to avoid using vision verbs for the sake of underlining how blind they are.
If I could get a remote keyboard/trackpad with a better range then I wouldn't need a laptop at all but currently I also use a laptop and Chrome Remote Desktop when I need text entry or a regular mouse.
Though it comes with its own set of discomfort issues: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vergence-accommodation_confl...
As far as eye strain goes, I think there's room for argument: having virtual screens cinema-screen-distance away from you is less straining than something under a meter away, but only if the text rendering is up to the job.
I wonder specifically if their high-end devices (Xreal One Pro?) would be OK for some amount of coding work, or is it just a movie-watching screen. Even if it is only for watching movies, it might still be interesting for flights, though.
It's a single virtual display by default unless you run a fairly unstable piece of software. I use it mostly on plane flights.
It feels like the tech is almost close enough to really be useful but it's just not quite there yet. It's useful but not pleasant.
I found the Epson Moverio very crisp.
...Of course, though, I used at around 12..14 lines per screen. You have virtual relatively small screens in front of your eyes...
> Seamlessly blend digital content into the outside world with the Moverio BT-35E smart glasses, featuring an interface unit with HDMI and USB Type-C ports to connect to popular output devices. It’s like having a wearable second screen, while still seeing the surrounding environment via the transparent HD display. Offering an easy out-of-box experience, the BT-35E connects to virtually any device - no need for special software. And, its interface does not require an external power source when used with a compatible USB Type-C output device
I guess you should realistic about configuring your workspace for optimality around this type of screen - it does not replace a big desk monitor... It is sort of a lower-resolution experience.
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Edit: now are there people who drunkenly act over posts, besides the always pestiferous indecent habit of not justifying your actions, and hit posts that simply replied to poster's requests? "Can it do X", "Well, this model can". Where would be the problem?!
If you keep that expectation and use it like an external dumb monitor, it is great.
With that, though, it's fine. The main reason I don't spend as much time in them these days is that I'm spending a lot more of my time in video calls than coding and we've not socially normalised big black sunglasses on video calls yet.
Not only because of the resolution, but also it’s tiring to have something strapped to your face, and it makes it hard to have a cup of coffee or a snack.
You seem to have a setup that works for you for productivity tasks, so please share!
It was best curved and large (and angled down a bit) so that I use it like it is 4 1080p screens. And move head to see each (and a bit more) sharp.
The newer version (tested briefly) lets you arrange several virtual monitors wherever. Not as convenient/sharp as a large 4k tv/monitor on my desk, but for a backup monitor and mobile it was great. I’ll give it a shot again.
(I can even work remotely if both sides have very fast broadband)
One caveat - this is an alternative to using a laptop and my eyesight is somewhat flawed due to middle age. If you're a 20-something with perfect vision and an addiction to 4k screens then this is probably a step down. For me it's on par with my non-VR experience.
I actually enjoyed it, because having nothing other than a black void or space or whatever in my vision was surprisingly zen and nice. It wasn’t quite like my 1080p monitors, a bit closer to what felt like 720p, though the absolute biggest issue was the pressure on my head which meant that it became uncomfortable after a few hours, even with a custom strap - something that had gotten better in the more recent hardware.
Aside from that, I’d say that Virtual Desktop is pretty nice but also has artificial limitations on how many screens it can display: https://www.uploadvr.com/virtual-desktop-multiple-monitors-u...
I’ve never really found that sweet spot that I had between discovering Immersed and them ruining the app for me again.
I have the xreal air 1, and have the xreal one's on order, they seem to be the leader in this space with their on-glasses processing for "anchor" mode.
I got these primarily to start gaming, but really, I just use the one hour of downtime before bed to do side projects (usually coding) while laying down, and it's been great. And the spouse does not complain about the bright screen.
Another advantage is that the muscles around my elbows are a lot less sore, as a laptop really isn't ergonomic to stare down into, unless you build one with a much taller screen [1].
How long this setup lasts on a single charge? For half the price, one can get a macbook air with fantastic battery life and a good keyboard.
I honesty can't see the benefit over a small laptop.
With the glasses, you're carrying more things, it's an expensive setup, you look like a gargoyle, you're partially blinded.
I'm not sold at all.
I'm glad to see that at least someone, here, reads classic literature.
More seriously, there is something truly disturbing about someone's eyes not being visible. This definitely crosses a social boundary or two.
The only setup like this that works is the Apple, but it's due-wateringly expensive and heavy.
If I was going to expand my mobile setup I'd just get a portable rechargeable monitor to stick beside my laptop.
The glasses… I mean, it’s a totally different type of device, right? If nothing else, I’d love to never hunch over a laptop again. I dunno, haven’t tried them, but they seem quite interesting.
Spine replacements are pricey I think.
If you break out laughing while reading this, you are not alone.
1) In my campervan with Starlink internet so I don't need to set up additional screens
2) Cafes and co-working spaces when I don't mind looking like a huge dork
3) Out at trailheads/crags when I don't mind looking like an even huger dork
Some notes:
- Pocketable PC or laptop works, but Samsung phone with DEX is really the move since you don't need to tether or anything, just plug in, use Termux to SSH to your dev box (my beefy home rig over Tailscale usually) and go.
- Power demands aren't insane, phone battery is good for a few hours. Wireless charger or power splitter necessary for more.
- One-handed chording keyboard (I'm up to about 50wpm on a Twiddler) makes working in a terminal pretty straightforward. You can use the phone's screen as a mouse with this setup.
- The new XReal glasses with built-in chip are great. Pros drop soon, should be better. With Vitures or other glasses where the display is fixed, terminal work is still do-able if you're proficient with tmux or similar.
- Downside of the new integrated chip glasses is outdoor usability. They got hot in direct sun, and leak more light.
- You do look really weird using these in public since you're wearing dark glasses indoors looking around. I don't let it deter me from getting my work done but yeah, just be warned.
I've done week-long bikepacking trips taking only my phone, twiddler, XReals, and small solar panel. As long as I can hit cell for a couple hours a day I can still keep things moving with my consulting clients. I usually do this just sitting up against a tree wherever I got good signal.
Starlink mini seems like it would add more freedom to this (I like remote singletrack) but it's too heavy and power-hungry for leg or bike based trips still. We're about to try a rafting trip with a couple other outdoor-oriented digital nomads and a Starlink this season though!
Hasn't been my cup of tea but seems tempting if one has specific ergonomic needs like supine computing. There was one post of someone using them to juggle getting computer work done while handling childcare (endorsing such a thing likely depends a lot on context).
- half a kilo hanging in front of your face
- working in the summer w/o air conditioning is a nightmare
As for the summer thing - I live in the UK so it's less of an issue...
a) awfully reads like an ad and
b) manages not to mention the screen resolution of AR glasses used as a desktop replacement!
Being an early adopter will always have downsides, but give it a few more years and the glasses will get better.
But, like all tools, they are optimal for some tasks and inefficient for others. I never had the time to try and implement text-to speech, to overcome the absence of a practical keyboard (the on-screen one can only be an emergency tool) - with that, the system would have been much more flexible.
Just remember that only a couple of years ago that Apple introduced the wireless earbuds and people also thought they looked ridiculous, now they're everywhere and nobody even notices anymore.
I feel like I'm defending this article a lot here in this topic, but for one, I am genuinely excited about this concept. Tech is not really there yet, but I can totally see me ditching my laptop for such a setup.
I would love it for the ergonomics. If it's not too hard on the eyes I would consider it at home.
Looked seriously at framework but too slow and expensive here in Oz.
Nobody else seems to have decent ARM mini PC hardware. Therefore despite a strong distate for Apple I'm looking at Mac Mini + glasses (for flights) + bluetooth input + portable screen / 27K mAh 140W USB powerbank (for occasional mobile use). Hidden in a backpack I think it'll be a better roaming experience than a laptop (more keyboard choice, larger screen, screen position flexible, improved ergonomics) for a fraction of the Macbook (much less Apple vision!) price. Also, unlike a modern Macbook the IO devices and power bank can be upgraded and Asahi Linux will eventually run well on the things, which lends an air of potential longevity.
Final cost: Mini (24GB) @ USD$940 + 24k mAh USB powerbank @ USD$69 + 18" 2.5K screen @ USD$239 + VITURE Pro XR/AR @ USD$470 = $1718. Ordered some different input options, basically will be under $150 depending what I don't send back. So definitely under $1850. Entry level Macbook Pro with non-square screen, no glasses, lower specs, smaller fixed screen, annoying keyboard, zero repairability is $2500. I'll put the extra $650 toward upgrades later.
https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/bc70020e90a74... https://us.shop.xreal.com/cdn/shop/videos/c/vp/a2b82ae2ea714...
I appreciate its a marketing video, but this is just a lie, no?
What is the actual supported input resolution of the display? How do virtual monitors work - are they just a composite screen that needs to fit in that max input resolution, or is there some virtual viewport that is being managed by the connected device?
There is so little information about these on the website, and the few reviews I can find are basically people who got them for free (youtube is seemingly full of these right now) and clearly don't use multi-monitor setups to any great extent.
The screen gets anchored to a direction and distance from you, so yes, leaning in would push the screen back (which feels natural, especially when you walk around).
I used a NUC with some battery pack for ages, accidentally unplugging wasn’t a big problem really. (Sadly smart glasses weren’t where they are now at the time, so I had to lug around some kind of display sometimes).
I see the appeal of the XR glasses for immersion and monitor real state, but if you wanted to be outside and went to a coffee shop... I woudldn't cover my eyes and immerse myself totally on the computer; for starters, I wouldn't feel safe. Also, I don't think anyone would also wear headphones with that in a public place, so I hope you don't get a particularly chatty group on the next table over...
There's many situations where I want to look at a display but I don't want to cover my eyes.
On the other hand, this kind of on-the-go-but-with-a-desktop-pc only works with glasses. Some have tried it with a portable display and it seems like way too much fussiness to set up and carry.
I doubt this guy actually ditched his laptop. He did an experiment for content (nothing wrong with that) and I reckon he'll be back on a laptop sooner rather than later.
1. The FoV is limited, it's cool on the go but won't replace my Odyssey Ark 55 2. The CPU/GPU is limited, so why not simply using your Phone + XReal ? 3. All your meeting with Team/Zoom/Meet won't works
So yes if your task are surfing the web, using office app it should works until an AI do your job ;-) But if you are working ... Photoshop, Davinci Resolve, Advanced Coding, 3D Building, ...
The new "One" unit referenced in this review is the same but does have some smarts to do on-glasses processing of the virtual displays itself instead, if I understand it.
Xreal also sells you some companion devices that are just little Android bricks to cast media to and from and play things from as well.
Instead, you need resolution in terms of Pixels Per Degree (PPD). And, to have any hope of viewing legible text on a virtual monitor projected via an AR HUD, like you can on a physical laptop monitor, you need at least 35PPD.
I realize there’s been a decade of progress. However, seeing random no-name AR glasses and being encouraged to buy them “sight-unseen” by a native content article seems like a recipe for being bamboozled.
I tried with my Xreal Air on Windows and macOS, and yes, it's quite legible.
Do bear in mind that although the screen is quite close to your eyes, the optics makes the apparent distance quite far. So if you're short-sighted, you will need prescription inserts. I also have some issues with some corners of the screen being slightly cut off, probably a combination of the inserts which I ordered locally as well as the fixed IPD of the older Xreal glasses (the newer Xreal One should be better here with its software IPD adjustment, the Xreal One Pro also comes in two different sizes for different IPD ranges). I also noticed some of the text on the right side of the Word ribbon was a bit blurry, which might be due to the inserts. But in general, I find the display quality great for video, and perfectly good for web browsing (not as good as a Hi-DPI display, but perfectly usable).
For better or for worse - and I personally think it's very much for the better - many AR glasses are a DisplayPort monitor that you wear on your face. They have inertial sensors and speakers, but the interface to the PC is Displayport-over-USBC for video to the glasses, USB Audio Class for the speakers, and usually a proprietary USB peripheral for the inertial measurements.
Some AR glasses attempt to require being paired with a dedicated video phone-like device, largely to attempt to extract subscription revenue. Most do not.
It's perfectly possible to drive a pair of AR glasses from an Android smartphone, a video-game-focused SBC, or a miniPC. Anything with DisplayPort video out at 1080p or better (3840x1080 if you want 3D videos).
I got my first set done at a high street optician - Specsavers in the UK - and they were able to do it based on some lens blanks they already had that were close enough in size to what XReal sent. Took less than a week to let me know they were done.
But also there's a partner that XReal advertise on their site to do the job. When I got a new prescription recently I gave them a try, and they results are just as good. A little better, actually, but I can't tell what's them and what's having a newer prescription.
I should point out that my lenses mainly correct astigmatism, so any models which only have myopia correction wouldn't be any good to me at all. It's got to be custom lenses for me, and it's fine.
From the article it sounds like less than a macbook: "Surprisingly, the Ugreen Nexode Power Bank is the heaviest item in this setup at just over 500 grams while the Khadas Mind 2S weighs 435 grams and the Xreal One glasses weigh 84 grams."
Be sure to fill out the customer information/registration and download the latest firmware :/
The 'problem' you describe is not much different from forgetting to bring the charger for your laptop. USB-C being ubiquitous made this so much less of a problem.
https://www.ugreen.com/products/ugreen-nexode-power-bank-250...
https://gpdstore.net/product-category/gpd-mini-laptop/
But no, he carries around a little Nuc style machine and a full, separate keyboard and charger. It's cool and all, but there's no way this whole jumble would fit in a pocket or be convenient to use on the go.
I own a previous gen Xreal set and it just wasn't there for me resolution wise. I may have to try this newer gen and see.
It is in Chinese however!
But I think what really sells this concept to me - unless I'm on a MacBook, I'll have to carry my keyboard, mouse and maybe powerbank or charger anyway. It's definitely more compact than that!
But then, there are degrees of portability. This sort of thing is fine for a coffee shop. Better, in some ways, than a laptop because it's usable in full sunlight.
It's only the fact that everything's wireless that makes it practical, really. I'd be tempted to print up a chassis for the NUC and the power bank so that they become a single unit, then the only setup is the glasses cable.
The fly in the ointment is battery life. Given only a single USB-C port on the phone and wanting to avoid having to find a hub with Display Port going one way and power the other, the glasses have to get powered from the phone itself.
Also worth pointing out that XReal themselves make a phonelike device for exactly this use case. No idea how good it is though.
Pancake lens devices like quest pro is fine though. I tend to favour one large virtual screen in vr though, whereas in real life, I prefer one large and one portrait second monitor. Being able to touchtype is useful.
Haven't tried virtual desktop recently, but immersedvr has always been the best work vr app, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because the company is a bit of a joke. They are a case study in everything wrong with silicon valley tech over the past decade. Name a shitty money making buzzword, and they've pivoted towards it and failed at it.