Oh boy, so HP decided last year to drop this bomb about going all in with some gadget called Google Beam. You know, that thing that used to be ‘Project Starline’? Yeah, apparently it’s all about turning video calls into some high-tech version of reality, like you’re plopped right in front of the person. Anyway, fast forward to now, they’ve whipped out this ‘Dimension’ thing—sounds fancy, right? They’re hawking it at $25k a pop. Yikes.
But wait—there’s more! This contraption uses, get this, six cameras paired with what they brag about as “state of the art AI.” Supposedly makes folks look 3D for real, on a huge ol’ 65-inch screen. Size, depth, color, eye contact—you name it. Practically your own magic mirror, sans the fairy tale villain.
Here’s the kicker, though. The device is set to hit the shelves for select partners come late 2025, each without a Google Beam license. So, you gotta shell out extra for that. Oh, capitalism.
Then there’s a picture here—honestly, I saw it and for some reason, it made me think of a futuristic TV. Don’t ask why. Just my brain firing off randomly.
They’re touting this as a godsend for enterprises, the big guys who want to have VR-like palette swaps with their conference calls. That means super immersive 3D chats and your run-of-the-mill 2D group yawn fests. It meshes with Zoom Rooms, Google Meet, even that Team thing and Webex. Honestly, who listens to that jargon without dozing off?
Alexa’s cousin—I mean, Helen Sheirbon—who’s some big wig at HP, went on and on about how their Dimension bridges virtual and physical realms. Like we didn’t get enough of that in sci-fi flicks. She’s pumped about connecting people authentically or whatever. You do you, Helen.
This Beam thing, by the way, first came out in 2021. It’s all about making chats feel like you’re basically in the same room with the other person. No headgear needed. It’s like magic, if you’re into that sorta deal.
And just to throw a bouquet of stats at you: folks using Beam noticed more non-verbal stuff—39% more, to be precise—a better dance with taking turns (37% better), and some kind of boost in memory (28% more memorable). Honestly, who remembers this stuff when they’re trying to get work done?
A whole rigmarole? Maybe. But hey, if it makes those dry meetings livelier, why not, right?
There. Stream of consciousness or what?
