Windows 10 may have been the focus at Build yesterday, but Microsoft’s HoloLens demonstration totally stole the show. Want to see what it’s like to live in Microsoft’s futuristic holographic world? Now you can, thanks to a custom camera rig Microsoft cooked up.
Presumably it was wired up the same way the HoloLens itself is — to overlay virtual elements delivered by a computer running Windows 10 atop live video from the stage (set up to look like a Microsoft employee’s actual apartment).
The HoloLens experience is powered by the same Universal Apps that will allow Windows 10 phones to act like desktop computers. Just like on a PC, tablet, or phone, HoloLens gives you access to a Start Menu to launch them. You can then pin them around to your environment — walls work nicely for flat apps while 3D widgets like virtual pets and weather dioramas sit well on tables.
Want to take your apps with you? Just say “follow me” and your app comes along for the ride. And since Universal Apps can scale to any screen — from budget Windows 10 Phones to Microsoft’s massive 80-inch touchscreen PCs — you can resize apps any time you want with a simple gesture. Just tap and drag, and you’ve got yourself a massive, virtual video wall.