Black pixels are useful
June 6, 2023 · 1 minute read
One of my first industrial design jobs was working on a headset that never shipped, for a now defunct startup. It used two micro-OLED displays similar to the ones in Apple’s Vision Pro, but with clear, see-through optics reflected into the eye through a kind of one-way mirror lenses (beam-splitters).
In retrospect, it was crazy to think that a small independent startup could bring together all the necessary technology to make this happen.
One thing we got wrong is that we believed in the superiority of a see-through optical system. At the time, around 2011, this seemed like a much better approach, because there was no latency or distortion when looking at the real world. But since then I became convinced that a pass-through display is the best near-term solution.
The reason is simple. You need black pixels.
What Apple showed this week is that we now have the technology to make the camera-to-display pipeline imperceptibly responsive and high-resolution.
If you have ever watched a sci-fi movie with HUDs or holographic interfaces you’ll notice that the backgrounds of the environments are always dark. That’s because these displays can only project light, on a spectrum from transparent to white.
While this looks very cool, it is quite impractical in every day use, and significantly reduces the usefulness of the device. For all practical purposes any device that works with a see-through optics is going to have this limitation.
Apple’s Vision Pro demos highlight three key things you just can’t do without black pixels:
- Black text and black backgrounds
- Virtual shadows
- Environmental dimming
To check Group Policy settings:
- On the old computer, open the Group Policy Editor (
gpedit.msc). - Navigate to:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Sync - Look for policies like:
- Enable browser sign-in – Ensure it is set to Enabled.
- Configure whether to sync browser settings – Ensure it is set to Not Configured or Enabled.
- Apply any changes and restart the computer.
2. Check the Azure AD User’s Licensing
- Microsoft Edge syncing requires a valid license such as Microsoft 365 Business Standard or similar.
- In the Microsoft 365 Admin Center:
- Go to Users > Active Users.
- Select the employee’s account and ensure they have the appropriate license assigned.
3. Enable Sync in Microsoft Edge
- Open Microsoft Edge on the old computer.
- Go to Settings > Profiles > Sync.
- If the toggle is grayed out, the issue is likely due to the organization’s settings. Once fixed via Azure AD or Group Policy, this toggle should become available.
4. Verify the Issue
- Restart Edge on the old computer and try signing in again.
- Once sync is enabled, check to ensure all data (bookmarks, settings, etc.) is syncing.