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Coding without a laptop: Two weeks with AR glasses and Linux on Android

(holdtherobot.com)
728 points mikenew | 13 comments | 14 May 25 15:11 UTC | HN request time: 0.849s | source | bottom
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johnh-hn ◴[17 May 25 22:35 UTC] No.44017532[source]▶
Does anyone know if these glasses, or any other glasses, can be tried in-person and used on desktop? I'm legally blind, but have just enough vision to use a screen without a screen reader. The problem is I have to be about 6 inches from a 27 inch screen. I'm tall, and I'm almost bent in half to do it. It's been hell on my back and neck. I've only really made it work because I've modified so many things to get around it (i.e. customising Windows, Firefox, and so on).

The part that makes it so tough is monitor arms come in standard sizes and are nowhere near long enough or extend far enough for me to sit comfortably. My dad modified my desk for me years ago to mount a monitor arm on wooden blocks, but it means I can't move the monitor much.

Being able to wear glasses and ditch the monitor entirely would be a game changer for me. I know next to nothing about AR though, being as I assumed, perhaps wrongly, it isn't something that would work for me.

Edit: Thank you for the replies. It means a lot. I've got some options to explore here now thanks to you.

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1. rcarmo ◴[17 May 25 23:16 UTC] No.44017711[source]▶
I have very high myopia (over -10) and share your concerns. I really wish these things were designed to cater to people for whom alternate display tech would actually simplify our lives.

So far I haven't seen anything that can deal with more than -8, and getting a custom prescription is usually prohibitively expensive. I can wear contacts to offset things somewhat, but they just cause added eyestrain.

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2. johnh-hn ◴[17 May 25 23:38 UTC] No.44017811[source]▶
I know what you mean. I can't help but wonder what it would take to make a pair of these. The hardware requirements for low-vision users would be lower, as we wouldn't need things like ultra high definition displays.
replies(1): >>44017833 #
3. Philpax ◴[17 May 25 23:41 UTC] No.44017833[source]▶
It's not too difficult to actually assemble - you just need some displays, a display driver, and the optics - but getting optics fabricated to meet your requirements might be challenging.
replies(1): >>44017977 #
4. swsieber ◴[17 May 25 23:50 UTC] No.44017874[source]▶
I think custom prescriptions for the xreal air 1 are around $80: https://vroptician.com/prescription-lens-inserts/nreal-air

Which I could see that being a deal breaker, but maybe it's lower than you thought

replies(1): >>44017942 #
5. rcarmo ◴[18 May 25 00:07 UTC] No.44017942[source]▶
With import tax to the EU, yeah, it's a deal breaker. Even from the UK. Also, that site only has lenses for the first gen, and above -10 there's a surcharge of EUR 70.

I pay more for eyeglasses than for a Quest 3, so... I don't want to double that.

replies(1): >>44019596 #
6. rcarmo ◴[18 May 25 00:13 UTC] No.44017977{3}[source]▶
It is too difficult to assemble precisely for that reason.
replies(1): >>44018002 #
7. Philpax ◴[18 May 25 00:19 UTC] No.44018002{4}[source]▶
The assembly is easy: the part sourcing less so ;-)
8. bluedino ◴[18 May 25 00:29 UTC] No.44018040[source]▶
I had soemthing like -9.50, but had LASIK, and now I can't focus on anything less than eight or so inches away. I have never tried AR glasses or a VR headset, would they work?
replies(1): >>44018619 #
9. ycui1986 ◴[18 May 25 02:45 UTC] No.44018611[source]▶
Virtue One's prescription insert is $100.
10. ycui1986 ◴[18 May 25 02:47 UTC] No.44018619[source]▶
They should work, because they are at infinity in your eyes' perspective.
11. toyg ◴[18 May 25 07:19 UTC] No.44019596{3}[source]▶
There is no import tax for the UK. I paid £60 in total for my lenses from official partner HONSVR. There are cheaper options on AliExpress.
replies(1): >>44019938 #
12. numpad0 ◴[18 May 25 08:29 UTC] No.44019862[source]▶
Disclaimer: the following is bad medical advice, do not follow.

VR/AR/MR headsets aren't precisely focused at infinity, it's usually 10ft or so. They also have lower resolution than human eyes(~60 px/deg or 1MOA) while at it. This combined means you don't need full correction, I personally use -3 for both eyes, and it seem to work for me in VR.

YMMV.

13. rcarmo ◴[18 May 25 08:49 UTC] No.44019938{4}[source]▶
No, but there is from the UK to the EU, thanks to Brexit.