Today, Google announced their "Project Tango" developer kit for tablets with spatial awareness. With a price tag of $1,024 USD, it is definitely aimed at developers. In fact, the form to be notified about the development kit has a required check box that is labeled, "I am a developer". Slightly above the form is another statement, "These development kits are not a consumer device and will be available in limited quantities".
So yes, you can only buy these if you are a developer.
The technology is the unique part. Project Tango is aimed at developers to make apps which understand the 3D world around the tablet. Two examples categories they have already experimented with are robotics and computer vision. Of course, this could also translate to alternate reality games and mapping.
While Google has not been too friendly with OpenCL in its Android platform, it makes sense that they would choose a flexible GPU with a wide (and deep) range of API support. While other SoCs are probably capable enough, the Kepler architecture in the Tegra K1 is about as feature-complete as you can get in a mobile chip, because it is basically a desktop chip.
Google's Project Tango is available to developers, exclusively, for $1,024 and ships later this month.
Also, that price is clearly a pun.
So much for Google as the
So much for Google as the friend of open, more like the abusive prison warden, over the Linux kernel and the open graphics APIs. What we have here with you open platforms is a failure to monetize, now get out there in that hot sun and swing them blades and whack some weeds.
Google, all your private out of the way places is belong to our prying tablet eyes! IN 3D!
Google Glass I have no issues
Google Glass I have no issues with. But this thing – this is just too much. Full 360 in six directions awareness is too much information waiting to be abused.
Google needs a better established security and data privacy policy and framework. They are becoming too all-knowing for me.
Thanks Scott Michaud!
I was
Thanks Scott Michaud!
I was looking for info about this Project!
It was mentioned during my dev session, but never really explained in details. Other than being used in Space Stations.