Are You Ready? The Desktop Of The Future Is Coming

Are you bothered by the unusually large and ever-growing amount of post-it notes on your workstation? How about the dilemma of anyone from professional IT services needing to open a lot of tabs on your web browser while your desktop has a number of applications running?

The augmented-reality startup Meta is coming up with a solution for all of that in progress right now. So be ready for a clutter-less desktop in the future.

Enter Workspace

Let’s take a look at Meta’s venture into augmented reality in the office via Workspace. Workspace uses a set of virtual shelves, with icons to serve as its cyber desktop. Like a real shelf, you need to open the apps by using your hands to grab them from the shelf.

Workspace allows users to check browsers and sticky notes through an AR headset.

Workspace is also compatible with mobile devices. An app being developed lets you grab notes virtually off your phone and stick them anywhere you want around you, same as with videos pics, and apps just like in a physical desk.

The technology hasn’t been completed yet but Meta’s continuous development assures us that soon we will be reaching such a level of technology.

Workspace Enables You to Have a Virtual Bookshelf of Apps

Our researchers gave Meta 2 a shot and tried it themselves. According to a guy from IT services, he saw a virtual bookshelf appear in front of him with floating icons embodying a number of apps that can be opened and closed using his hands.

Next, he grabbed images that can be altered by pulling and twisting, which we guess is a demo on how to manipulate 3-D models. Also, something interesting is their Web browser, which can be opened with hand gestures then can be operated by typing on a virtual keyboard.

For those experiencing this for the first time, it may be a bit trickier than what we’ve experienced with old Meta software demos in the past. To operate, you have to put your hand on top of the icon you want to grab, wait until a circle appears on top of your hand, then grab and pull it towards you. Since this is still under development, things didn’t always work as expected. Sometimes even the act of scrolling through a website with the use of your fingers may also be quite tricky.

Create Doodles and Virtual Sticky Notes

My favorite feature is the one where you can doodle stuff, scribble a simple sticky note on my mobile device, and pull it out into the air in front of me. This was fun and easy to do, and when I am finished with one I could just put it back into my smartphone.

However, the Workspace headset is still grounded on a PC, and a physical desktop is way heavier to heave around than a pair of AR glasses that you just need to wear. At this moment, I don’t think I can get used to it… but who knows?