back to article At last: Magic Leap reveals its revolutionary techno-goggles – but wait, there's a catch

After years of promises, augmented-reality hype-machine Magic Leap finally revealed its hardware… in the most bizarre way imaginable. The American upstart promised a "closer look" at its Magic Leap One headset earlier this week, raising hopes that it would actually demonstrate a technology that it has been talking about in …

  1. steviebuk Silver badge

    I have a question...

    Will Magic Leap stickers be provided?

    1. jake Silver badge

      Re: I have a question...

      No, that's teeth. Teeth will be provided.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I have a question...

        > No, that's teeth. Teeth will be provided.

        Hen's teeth, no less. Two free with every shipping device.

    2. TheVogon

      Re: I have a question...

      "MagicLeap's main competitor – Microsoft's HoloLens – offers 35 to 70 degrees."

      HoloLens 3 - due in 2019 - doubles the current field of view:

      https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-found-way-double-hololens-field-view/

  2. Mark 85

    Fertilizer?

    Reminds me of the old saying.... "if it looks like it, smells like it, and tastes like it, don't step in it.". My impression is that the investors are wondering if they'll ever get anything back.

    1. Blank Reg

      Re: Fertilizer?

      This sham has been going on for so long that I don't even bother to watch these events or read the emails they send me any more. If it ever become a real product on store shelves then I'll take a look again.

    2. JLV

      Re: Fertilizer?

      better to step in it than taste it, IMHO.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fertilizer?

      "if it looks like it, smells like it, and tastes like it, don't step in it"

      Why not? In for a penny, in for a pound.

  3. jake Silver badge

    Seriously ...

    ... how long ago was the last time that anybody with clues thought this thing was anything but vaporware? I can't believe the rubes are still shoveling money at it. The mind absolutely boggles.

    1. Sir Gaz of Laz

      Re: Seriously ...

      Maybe they should be called Boggle Goggles...

    2. 0laf
      Holmes

      Re: Seriously ...

      It's a type or pyramid scheme. Those that bought in early know it's garbage but need to promote it to get more people to invest in the hope the original investors will escape with something.

      I'd expect in 2020 2yr late a mediocre product to emerge whoch will be vastly inferior to the Occulous or Hololens of the same day. It'll sell nothing and company will fold.

    3. This post has been deleted by its author

  4. steviebuk Silver badge

    What shocks me...

    ...is how someone can sit in front of the camera and lie/mislead so easily.

    You must be desperate for a pay cheque to be able to sit there and talk bollocks, knowing you're talking bollocks but feel nothing.

    Or maybe that's it. You just feel nothing so don't care what you say. Don't care if its misleading or not, as long as you get paid.

    The Q&A was funny though. As they made questions up, reading the comments about the made up questions was funny. Well if you're going to continue trying to sell made up tech, of course you're also going to make up questions that were never asked.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      ''How someone can sit in front of the camera and lie/mislead so easily'

      Zuck did it for 10 hours.... Plus his chief-chimps did it for many more! Silly 'con' valley is saturated with scammers / con artists:

      https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-05-18/silicon-valley-s-subscription-free-for-all

    2. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

      Re: What shocks me...

      Ever watched a white house press conference?

      1. onefang

        Re: What shocks me...

        Politicians, actors, lawyers, sales and marketing droids, all are well practiced at telling lies in front of an audience.

    3. Geoffrey W

      Re: What shocks me...

      There are two kinds of lies:

      1 - Lies about things that actually matter to peoples lives and health

      2 - Lies about things that matter not one jot to anyone on earth.

      The case in point is #2. No one is being hurt here other than those with too much money to start with and their hurt barely even bumps the needle off the stop. I'd be quite happy to take that money and lie. Have to be a fucking lot of money though. I'd still be able to sleep.

      1. JohnFen

        Re: What shocks me...

        "I'd be quite happy to take that money and lie."

        Why would you admit to being a liar and a thief in a public forum?

        1. Geoffrey W

          Re: What shocks me...

          I didn't

          1. JohnFen

            Re: What shocks me...

            Then I misunderstood. What did you mean when you said "I'd be quite happy to take that money and lie."?

            1. Geoffrey W

              Re: What shocks me...

              I didn't say that. My actual statement will be released before the end of the month

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What shocks me...

      When your job is "technical marketing", I guess that's what you're trained for...

  5. SVV

    No wonder they are strict with the NDAs

    "This is not one we do all of our experiences on because I wanted to make sure I didn't show you one too beat up," she explained

    What are they doing to those poor testers? How "beat up" is "too beat up"? Does it make people want to bang their heads against a wall? The amount of beat-upness of a headset aftert testing should be zero. This is more embarassing than coming on stage and just announcing "look, to be honest the product's still more than a bit shit". Much credit to the troll army in this circumstance for top entertainment Still laughing at "does it come with the stand?".....

    1. VikiAi
      Go

      Re: No wonder they are strict with the NDAs

      No, you mis-understand. It is the product testing team that is beat up. They keep asking for unreasonable things like access to a working prototype and beating them is the only way to shut them up.

      1. onefang

        Re: No wonder they are strict with the NDAs

        Do these beatings continue, until morale improves, then they get promoted to marketing?

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  8. PghMike

    Theranos

    I'm reading Bad Blood (about Theranos) and it strikes me how far people went to convince themselves not to notice that Theranos was a scam.

    And that's what this sounds like, too. They refuse to answer reasonable questions. That's usually because they know the real answer is worse than you can imagine.

    1. A. Coatsworth Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: Theranos

      When you can get US$700 million in fools' investors' money, and be valued at 9 BEEELION without producing anything but hot air... well, I damn well understand how people can be so ready to drink their own Kool-Aid.

      Not that I justify their actions, but the market of venture capitalist *dying* to shove their money into any hare-brained half-idea they find is just too tempting

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    DR Robotnik called, he wants his glasses back. Do they come with snake oil or do you have to purchase that separately?

  10. JLV
    Holmes

    meanwhile, back in forums where people actually know what they're talking about </s>

    "https://www.reddit.com/r/magicleap/comments/8p3gr7/our_best_look_at_a_real_device_yet/"

    probably much of the thread

    >Don't get too swept up in the hype

    It's amazing how the local commentards and they are weaving different orbits but _they_ liked it well enough. Ditto things at the F35 threads @ http://www.f-16.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=65&sid=6d3e4dae899c203cec066ac81376bced

    It's almost a reverse Dunning-Kruger effect in both cases, with experts vs the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_of_the_crowd.

    Popcorn's waiting! and mind the gap /s.

    1. JLV

      Re: meanwhile, back in forums where people actually know what they're talking about </s>

      this thread's not buying it though:

      https://www.reddit.com/r/magicleap/comments/8p1r8o/today_meet_magic_leap_one_on_twitch_at_2pm/

      >At this rate I want to figure out a way to short their stock.

  11. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Joke

    How do you keep an idiot in suspense?

    Tell you later....

    Given how long this has been going on does it have competitors?

    What have they been doing?

    Are they as big a bunch of BS merchants as these guys?

    1. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: How do you keep an idiot in suspense?

      "Given how long this has been going on does it have competitors?"

      That Spectrum console thing?

    2. Ryan D

      Re: How do you keep an idiot in suspense?

      "Given how long this has been going on does it have competitors?"

      Not sure if there are any other's out there that are as much smoke and mirrors as these grade school graduates, but there are a few REAL competitors shipping product.

      Included in that list would be:

      Microsoft - Hololens

      Meta - Models 1 and 2 (I actually have the original dev version)

      DreamWorld - Dreamglass (Have actually seen them demo the gear) and it ships this month

      Magic Leap should just take a leap into the great beyond and call it a day.

      1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
        Coat

        Included in that list..:Microsoft - Hololens, Meta 1 and 2, DreamWorld - Dreamglass

        So other products do exist that aren't total bu***hit?

        Magic Leap is starting to look obsolete as well.

        1. Ryan D

          Re: Included in that list..:Microsoft - Hololens, Meta 1 and 2, DreamWorld - Dreamglass

          Yuppers. There are a few options all be it ranging in price.

          Over here in Canada we have:

          1. Hololens - $3999

          2. Meta AR V2 - $1980

          3. DreamWorld Dreamvision - $399 (USD)

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Can't believe they got people to tune in

    Well making fun of them and hurling insults at obvious hucksters can be fun if you're bored, I suppose...

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: Can't believe they got people to tune in

      ...There was nothing on TV and I had already checked through the latest Social Justice Outrage headlines of hate.

  13. a pressbutton

    Did they have cake at the end of the presentation?

    1. Kane
      Joke

      "Did they have cake at the end of the presentation?"

      Your promised reward is merely a fictitious motivator.

    2. ravenviz Silver badge

      There was cake, but they weren't allowed to eat any of it.

  14. Dan 55 Silver badge

    Damn, I missed the presentation

    I was going to ask if they were going to bundle it with a free Vega+.

  15. Cartimand

    Does it come with 1,000 old ZX Spectrum games built in?

  16. Baldrickk

    I think I am going to have to go and watch this

    If only for the comments.

    I've spent too long on gaming forums recently, and it sounds like the comments on this video are a step up.

  17. Chris G

    Those goggles

    They looked a bit like a bridge to me.

  18. BebopWeBop

    Oh, Shanna. Get out while you still can

    before you are committed for fraud.

  19. Missing Semicolon Silver badge
    Facepalm

    If you are a boss in a room full of engineers/devs...

    ... you have to accept that you are not the brightest person in the room.

    Some arrogant sociopath actually thought this presentation was gonna fly?

  20. onefang

    Looking at that photo of Shanna, is a bee hive hairdo needed to hold the thing to your head?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Looking at that photo of Shanna, is a bee hive hairdo needed to hold the thing to your head?

      Nope. Its for the segway into a Pr0n movie. You know the drill, spectacles off, hair let down, I'm feeling a bit hot, oh look my clothes have fallen off....

  21. dbgi

    SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM

    They can't answer the most basic questions. Everything is about hype that they can't quantify. Totally a scam. It's a scam for investors who know fuck all about tech but think it is going to be the next iPod of the VR world.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wow!

    Based on that performance I can only conclude they share a media team with Elon Musk.

    1. Lord Elpuss Silver badge

      Re: Wow!

      Wow indeed. Because Elon Musk has never delivered anything substantial.

      1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

        Re: Wow!

        Elon would land a booster on the presentation just to get it over with.

  23. Gordon Pryra

    Magic Leap or the ZX Spectrum Vega

    What odds am I given on either of these actually appearing?

  24. steve 124

    all i can say is...

    omg! lol. haha. hehe. (grabs belly) you're killing me.... that's hilarious! lololol.

    People are still listening to these guys? lol haahaha, omg, stop, stop.... (beats floor).

    1. FrankAlphaXII

      Re: all i can say is...

      I felt the same way. I'm genuinely very surprised that they're still around. I'm not at all surprised that they're a scam still, but their continued existence is puzzling. You can only bullshit people for so long, right?

      1. onefang

        Re: all i can say is...

        "You can only bullshit people for so long, right?"

        You're new to this world I can see.

  25. Neal McQ

    While I'm hugely skeptical of how close they are to actually releasing a working unit, saying that only people to try them out are "celebreties, etc." is hugely inaccurate.

    In the words of well known analyst, Benedict Evans (now at a16z the VC company): "More

    Magic Leap is one of only a handful of genuine 'holy shit I can't believe I'm seeing this' moments I've had as an adult. Previous was iPhone". https://twitter.com/benedictevans/status/807013260721426434?lang=en

    This guy doesn't mince his words so if he's saying this, I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing the end-game. After hearing that Apple is also at least 2-3 years away from any release, and they've some of the best hardware designers in the business, I'm not surprised they're struggling to get even a Developer Unit out the door at present.

    1. JohnFen

      "Benedict Evans (now at a16z the VC company)"

      Don't know anything about Mr. Evans, but the fact that he works at a VC company doesn't exactly instill confidence in what he says.

    2. Richard 12 Silver badge

      "holy shit I can't believe I'm seeing this"

      Yes. That's because you aren't.

      So far everything they have ever shown is CGFX.

      They had some really awesome displays in that UN office I saw on the telly a while back.

      Think the documentary was called "The Expanse". They had spaceships and everything.

  26. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge
    Coat

    Words fail me... not another one.

    It's chaila o' clock anyway.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    He then show some LEDs light up on the device

    and yet, them people with money and them people with - you'd think - common sense - keep sending them money. But sir, do sit back and relax, we are not, I repeat, we are NOT going down. And this gravity pull you're suddenly feeling? Well, that's fake news my friend, FAKE NEWS. And no, what you see there, strapped to my back, is definitely NOT a designer parachute, nosir. And, by the way, buy buy...

  28. SonofRojBlake

    Anyone remember Steorn?

    Steorn confirmed...

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I remember back in 2016 there were a few people saying this was a con but honestly I was taken in.

    I never imagined Google who are one of their investors would be so blatantly taken in. I guess given the last round of funding just recently was the Saudi Crown prince then we shouldn't have been surprised. The maybe smart money is fleeing looking for anyone to buy it.

    Is this a pump and dump scam.

    I wonder how many of these VC managers and "journalists" were getting kickbacks. I also notice how the same websites that were promoting their funding rounds and faked videos now aren't reporting on this unveil.

  30. ecofeco Silver badge

    Vaperware 3.0

    This was, is and always will be bullshit.

    It is a company of, by and for creating income for trustfarians.

  31. Matthew Taylor

    Star Citizen?

    Can I play the final release of Star Citizen on my Magic Leap?

  32. Trollslayer

    BBC review

    It is aimed at a less technical audience but a very good review:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-45521497/a-new-reality-putting-magic-leap-one-to-the-test

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