One of the big selling points of augmented reality (AR) is its potential to help us with everyday tasks. Untethered from our phones and PCs, we could access information and content anywhere we please — but for that, we need software support. We’re heading in the right direction, though, as Microsoft has just added support for its Outlook Mail and Calendar applications to its Hololens AR headset.
The applications can be brought up wherever you like, though the expected use would see Hololens owners “place’ their calendar and inbox on a virtual surface somewhere within reach, letting them turn to check on them as they need them. As Microsoft explains in its blog post, users will also be able to customize the shape and size of the windows, meaning more or less information can be shown depending on their personal preference.
This is something that users who purchased the $3,000 developer kit can get started with right now. If you’re one of that hallowed few, you can download the applications from the Windows Store on your Hololens — just search for Outlook mail and Calendar.
Although our own impressions with Hololens were sobering in that there are still clear areas where Microsoft needs to continue working on the technology, we’re very excited about the direction that it’s going. Improving office productivity through its usage is something we are especially hyped for, and these apps are one step on the road to making that a reality for all of us.
We just hope Microsoft can get the cost down in short order. If the complaints surrounding early adoption virtual reality have told us anything, it’s that a few hundred dollars is one thing, but once you start edging towards $1,000 and beyond, a lot of people will simply walk away.
