Yet the demo videos show some virtual objects that are darker than their background. That may be vaporware. So far, there seem to be no images on-line actually taken through the device. Has anyone seen any?
This matters. If it can only brighten things, it can only overlay bright things on top of the real world, which is what Google Glass did. Fine detail won't show up unless the background is very dark or very uniform.
If you look carefully at Microsoft's pictures, the backgrounds are subdued gray, black or brown, and free of glare. The press was forbidden to take pictures of or through the device, and their cameras and phones were confiscated for the demos. Microsoft used custom-built rooms for the demos, giving them total control over the contrast and lighting situation.
It could still work, but it's probably not going to look as good in the real world as it does in the demos.
This matters. If it can only brighten things, it can only overlay bright things on top of the real world, which is what Google Glass did. Fine detail won't show up unless the background is very dark or very uniform.
If you look carefully at Microsoft's pictures, the backgrounds are subdued gray, black or brown, and free of glare. The press was forbidden to take pictures of or through the device, and their cameras and phones were confiscated for the demos. Microsoft used custom-built rooms for the demos, giving them total control over the contrast and lighting situation.
It could still work, but it's probably not going to look as good in the real world as it does in the demos.