Post by account_disabled on Sept 12, 2023 4:29:00 GMT -6
Laptops have an age-old limitation: their screens. There is only one, too small, too far away, too public. Sightful came up with Spacetop as a solution to this problem. This laptop eliminates the laptop's screen through augmented reality, which creates a 100-inch virtual display floating in front of your eyes. And surprisingly, this method works!
The moment you take off the product package, you can Phone Number List immediately tell that something is different about this laptop. Clamshell laptops are thin even when folded. The Sightful Space Top is shaped like a rectangular rubber calzone surrounded by.
A protective cover similar to the one that surrounds an Apple iPad or Amazon Kindle. Opening the cover reveals what makes the Space Top special: augmented reality glasses tied with a thin string where the laptop display should be.
Simply put, the Siteful Spacetop is a laptop with a huge, personal 'display' that no one else can see. When you wear these glasses, a giant curved virtual monitor appears that stretches up, down, and to the sides. You can pin and resize various apps, including Gmail, YouTube, Word, and Microsoft Teams. If you can ignore other people's gazes, you can use it on airplanes, airport lounges, and even conference rooms where you want a larger screen.
It is unclear how safely the soft material cover will protect the product. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
The price of the Space Top is $2,000. It consists of a dedicated ARM processor, the open source Android operating system AOSP, and a dedicated headset. If you are interested in this product, you need to move quickly. Sitefull plans to sell this product only to 1,000 early adopters. Through this, we plan to receive feedback on subsequent product development.
Incredibly Simple Hardware
It is unlikely that the Siteful Space Top will completely replace existing laptops. At one time, Facebook (now Meta) came up with a 'virtual office' concept similar to this product, and the (failed?) Meta Quest Pro actually heavily promoted this concept. I've used both products, and the differences are clear. Space Top's augmented glasses are lighter, better, and less tiring than those offered by Meta. Text is also quite clear, unlike the Quest Pro, and there is little to no lag while moving the headset back and forth.
Despite its unusual appearance, the Space Top body is not much different from existing laptops. At least the bottom part is like that. The size is 26.6cm wide and 24.9cm high, and the weight is 1.5kg including the headset, which is similar to a conventional laptop. However, it is definitely thick at 4.0cm. Sitefull commissioned Wistron, a Taiwanese ODM that specializes in laptop production, to produce the Space Top.
Looking inside the product, there are areas that need further improvement in the future. For example, Sitefull used the 2019 Snapdragon 865 instead of the more advanced Snapdragon 8 2nd generation. RAM is 8GB and storage is 256GB. It supports wireless such as 5G NR Sub-6, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1, and has a fingerprint reader. The webcam performance is 2560×1920, which is better than other laptops. It supports DisplayPort 1.4 and has two 10Gbps USB-C ports, so you can connect an external display as needed.
The headset is connected to the main body, and the corrective lenses are attached magnetically. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
The most important feature of this product is the headset connected to the front of the laptop. It provides 1080p resolution for one eye at 72Hz. When the headset is unfolded, the size is 146×175×44mm and the weight is 106g. Compared to Microsoft HoloLens, it weighs only 1/4 of the weight.
very light headset
When I think back to my experience testing HoloLens, it was like looking through a porthole . The field of view was very small, 30 degrees horizontally and 17 degrees vertically. On the other hand, the Space Top has a diagonal angle of view of 53 degrees. Additionally, most of the screen is positioned above the user's field of view, allowing them to work while still seeing everything beneath their feet. Considering that people's eye widths vary, the Space Top headset supports an inter-pupil distance between 56mm and 70mm. VR enthusiasts will find this very useful.
The resolution of the Space Top is 72 to 120 Hz, which is slightly lower than the Meta Quest, which provides 1720 × 1890 pixels per eye. However, MetaQuest is a product for virtual reality, and Spacetop is a device for augmented reality. In other words, the default view is like looking through sunglasses. It's a neat trick that darkens the background without completely obscuring it. Instead, a 'bright' desktop theme is better suited to distinguish between the computing window and the realistic background.
Siteful CEO Tamir Berliner is holding a Spacetop headset. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
People who wear glasses cannot wear the Space Top headset directly. To solve this problem, Sitefull introduced a lenient policy. In other words, if you measure your vision and send it to us, the company will create and send you a set of personalized lenses free of charge. The lens made this way is fixed to the space top frame with a magnet.
Experience Siteful Space Top
I tested Spacetop with guidance from Siteful CEO Tamir Berliner and Chief Technology Officer Tomer Kahan. For reference, their history can be used to guess their strengths in AR. Berliner is a co-founder of PrimeSense, whose technology was used to implement Face ID on Microsoft Kinect and iPhone. Kahan worked at N-Trig, which was later acquired by Microsoft to develop the Surface Pen. Both worked at Magic Leap and left when the company shifted focus to the enterprise market.
When you wear Space Top, the Space Top environment automatically appears before your eyes. A large virtual screen with windows of all sizes wraps around the user. It is similar to the huge Corsair Xeneon Flex monitor, but it is easy to think of it as being about twice the size. If you are a user who absolutely needs to use 2-3 monitors, you will really like the Space Top.
Berliner placed Gmail, calendar, YouTube, etc. within each window. The functions to navigate this are the same as in Windows. You can use the trackpad to drag the cursor, resize the window, and adjust its position on the screen. There's no need for Meta's stupid controller, and it's very similar to a traditional laptop experience.
This is a picture from the company's description, and it is very consistent with what I experienced. However, in reality, the background is darker. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
The only difference is the gesture. Swiping up or down on the touchpad with three fingers moves the curved 'screen' closer or further away. Not only does this help with usability, but you can also lean in and look at specific windows in more detail as needed. There is a small 'task bar' in the center of the screen. Here you can add windows and select apps. Since Spacetop is an open source Android OS, the apps it supports are mainly productivity apps such as Office.
I've used MetaQuest Pro's virtual workspace before, and Spacetop provided a much better experience. In addition, even though I have an unusual condition of being myopic in one eye and hyperopic in the other, the corrective lenses provided by Siteful worked well. Text was clear, and I didn't notice any lag when moving my head back and forth. The 75Hz lens is not as comfortable as a high-refresh-rate screen, but at least there was no dizziness that I experienced with the Quest Pro. This may be due to the lens arrangement that allows the keyboard to be seen from the bottom of the field of view. Meta also tried to cut out part of the VR space for the same effect, but ultimately failed.
The moment you take off the product package, you can Phone Number List immediately tell that something is different about this laptop. Clamshell laptops are thin even when folded. The Sightful Space Top is shaped like a rectangular rubber calzone surrounded by.
A protective cover similar to the one that surrounds an Apple iPad or Amazon Kindle. Opening the cover reveals what makes the Space Top special: augmented reality glasses tied with a thin string where the laptop display should be.
Simply put, the Siteful Spacetop is a laptop with a huge, personal 'display' that no one else can see. When you wear these glasses, a giant curved virtual monitor appears that stretches up, down, and to the sides. You can pin and resize various apps, including Gmail, YouTube, Word, and Microsoft Teams. If you can ignore other people's gazes, you can use it on airplanes, airport lounges, and even conference rooms where you want a larger screen.
It is unclear how safely the soft material cover will protect the product. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
The price of the Space Top is $2,000. It consists of a dedicated ARM processor, the open source Android operating system AOSP, and a dedicated headset. If you are interested in this product, you need to move quickly. Sitefull plans to sell this product only to 1,000 early adopters. Through this, we plan to receive feedback on subsequent product development.
Incredibly Simple Hardware
It is unlikely that the Siteful Space Top will completely replace existing laptops. At one time, Facebook (now Meta) came up with a 'virtual office' concept similar to this product, and the (failed?) Meta Quest Pro actually heavily promoted this concept. I've used both products, and the differences are clear. Space Top's augmented glasses are lighter, better, and less tiring than those offered by Meta. Text is also quite clear, unlike the Quest Pro, and there is little to no lag while moving the headset back and forth.
Despite its unusual appearance, the Space Top body is not much different from existing laptops. At least the bottom part is like that. The size is 26.6cm wide and 24.9cm high, and the weight is 1.5kg including the headset, which is similar to a conventional laptop. However, it is definitely thick at 4.0cm. Sitefull commissioned Wistron, a Taiwanese ODM that specializes in laptop production, to produce the Space Top.
Looking inside the product, there are areas that need further improvement in the future. For example, Sitefull used the 2019 Snapdragon 865 instead of the more advanced Snapdragon 8 2nd generation. RAM is 8GB and storage is 256GB. It supports wireless such as 5G NR Sub-6, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1, and has a fingerprint reader. The webcam performance is 2560×1920, which is better than other laptops. It supports DisplayPort 1.4 and has two 10Gbps USB-C ports, so you can connect an external display as needed.
The headset is connected to the main body, and the corrective lenses are attached magnetically. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
The most important feature of this product is the headset connected to the front of the laptop. It provides 1080p resolution for one eye at 72Hz. When the headset is unfolded, the size is 146×175×44mm and the weight is 106g. Compared to Microsoft HoloLens, it weighs only 1/4 of the weight.
very light headset
When I think back to my experience testing HoloLens, it was like looking through a porthole . The field of view was very small, 30 degrees horizontally and 17 degrees vertically. On the other hand, the Space Top has a diagonal angle of view of 53 degrees. Additionally, most of the screen is positioned above the user's field of view, allowing them to work while still seeing everything beneath their feet. Considering that people's eye widths vary, the Space Top headset supports an inter-pupil distance between 56mm and 70mm. VR enthusiasts will find this very useful.
The resolution of the Space Top is 72 to 120 Hz, which is slightly lower than the Meta Quest, which provides 1720 × 1890 pixels per eye. However, MetaQuest is a product for virtual reality, and Spacetop is a device for augmented reality. In other words, the default view is like looking through sunglasses. It's a neat trick that darkens the background without completely obscuring it. Instead, a 'bright' desktop theme is better suited to distinguish between the computing window and the realistic background.
Siteful CEO Tamir Berliner is holding a Spacetop headset. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
People who wear glasses cannot wear the Space Top headset directly. To solve this problem, Sitefull introduced a lenient policy. In other words, if you measure your vision and send it to us, the company will create and send you a set of personalized lenses free of charge. The lens made this way is fixed to the space top frame with a magnet.
Experience Siteful Space Top
I tested Spacetop with guidance from Siteful CEO Tamir Berliner and Chief Technology Officer Tomer Kahan. For reference, their history can be used to guess their strengths in AR. Berliner is a co-founder of PrimeSense, whose technology was used to implement Face ID on Microsoft Kinect and iPhone. Kahan worked at N-Trig, which was later acquired by Microsoft to develop the Surface Pen. Both worked at Magic Leap and left when the company shifted focus to the enterprise market.
When you wear Space Top, the Space Top environment automatically appears before your eyes. A large virtual screen with windows of all sizes wraps around the user. It is similar to the huge Corsair Xeneon Flex monitor, but it is easy to think of it as being about twice the size. If you are a user who absolutely needs to use 2-3 monitors, you will really like the Space Top.
Berliner placed Gmail, calendar, YouTube, etc. within each window. The functions to navigate this are the same as in Windows. You can use the trackpad to drag the cursor, resize the window, and adjust its position on the screen. There's no need for Meta's stupid controller, and it's very similar to a traditional laptop experience.
This is a picture from the company's description, and it is very consistent with what I experienced. However, in reality, the background is darker. ⓒ Mark Hachman/IDG
The only difference is the gesture. Swiping up or down on the touchpad with three fingers moves the curved 'screen' closer or further away. Not only does this help with usability, but you can also lean in and look at specific windows in more detail as needed. There is a small 'task bar' in the center of the screen. Here you can add windows and select apps. Since Spacetop is an open source Android OS, the apps it supports are mainly productivity apps such as Office.
I've used MetaQuest Pro's virtual workspace before, and Spacetop provided a much better experience. In addition, even though I have an unusual condition of being myopic in one eye and hyperopic in the other, the corrective lenses provided by Siteful worked well. Text was clear, and I didn't notice any lag when moving my head back and forth. The 75Hz lens is not as comfortable as a high-refresh-rate screen, but at least there was no dizziness that I experienced with the Quest Pro. This may be due to the lens arrangement that allows the keyboard to be seen from the bottom of the field of view. Meta also tried to cut out part of the VR space for the same effect, but ultimately failed.