<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/22459698.cms" /><br />
<strong>How has been the journey so far since you picked up the MD rank at <keyword id="28115" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intel">Intel</keyword>, South Asia? </strong><br />
My 18 years (and counting) with Intel has been a wonderful journey. I joined Intel when I was pretty much fresh out of college and the company has taught me everything I know about the business and also made me the person I am today. To me, Intel is like a magical garden with opportunities hidden in every corner. You just need to be hungry enough to look for those and be confident enough to open the door when you find it. The myriad roles I have done at Intel, especially in the first few years, gave me a 360 degree understanding of the business and taught me the importance of collaboration and teamwork, both of which have served me very well. And along the way, I have met some of the smartest and most wonderful people who have helped me grow as an individual and a professional.<br />
<br /> It was always a dream to get the opportunity to build the <keyword id="54324" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="india-business">India business</keyword>. So when I was told in 2011 that I needed to come back to India, there was absolutely no looking back for me. India is one the most challenging and exciting markets ever and the opportunity to make a difference with technology is much bigger than anywhere else in the world. If India has to make real progress, inclusive growth is a must. For inclusive growth, you have to ensure that every citizen has access to quality education and basic services – be it healthcare or government services. And it is impossible to enable that without technology. Technology, if used right, can empower every citizen to be more successful, productive and contribute greatly to their families, communities and domestic economies. That’s where I see Intel playing a key role in this country. That’s where we want to make a real difference.<br />
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<strong>I know everyone asks you this, but how is the <keyword id="176127" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intel-India">Intel India</keyword> business doing? And what we can expect in the coming months on the PC and laptop front from Intel?</strong><br />
When I think India, I think opportunity. As a country, we are significantly lagging in the use of technology for development and growth. Somewhere, we lost focus and got over-obsessed with devices and hardware. The focus in India needs to be on what we do with the devices and the impact it has on individuals. In that way, we have not even scratched the tip of the iceberg. In fact, I believe that we haven’t even located the iceberg as yet.<br />
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The focus in India needs to be on driving real and meaningful usage starting at the grassroots – be it building job skills or finding employment opportunities or finding new markets for small traders or providing preventive healthcare to the masses. Technology is meaningful and useful only when it enables us to be more productive and it makes our lives easier. We have a long way to go to enable that India. What we need is a holistic approach to technology that addresses last-mile access, localised content, digital literacy and, of course, choice of devices to meet different consumer needs. If we get it right, the sum total of the strategy will have more value for the consumers and the industry than the singular focus on hardware or devices that we see in the country.<br />
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Regarding devices, the world is moving from the era of personal computers to the era of personal computing. It’s what we do with the technology that becomes much more important than form factors. My belief is – we will see Indian consumers move towards a multi-device lifestyle. The PC, which Andy Grove called the ultimate Darwinian device, will continue to evolve and adapt to changing consumer needs just as it has done all these years. It will get thinner, lighter and capable of doing much more, and the lines between form factors is going to blur. With the innovation we are driving at the CPU level, our partners will have the increased ability to innovate much more around the look and feel and we will see very exciting form factors coming out, based on how consumers are using technology and emerging needs.<br />
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A great example is the announcement of 2-in-1 computing. With the launch of the 4th Generation Intel® Core™ processor family, which will drive an unparalleled amount of innovation in the personal computing space, we will see the start of a new era of 2-in-1 computing. A 2-in-1 device works as a PC when you need it and a tablet when you want that, and you’ll soon start seeing a lot of these products in the market. The new Core family delivers the most significant increase in battery life in Intel history with an additional 50% improvement in battery life in active workloads over the previous generation. The 4th generation Intel Core processors, with Intel Iris Graphics, boast up to two times the performance over today’s fastest Intel HD Graphics, thus bringing mobile computing devices to life with built-in, eye-popping visual experiences. All of this is to meet the needs of today’s mobile and multi-tasking consumers.<br />
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<strong>India is a large market with its set of challenges. Any experience you would like to share where Intel India has done fabulously well?</strong><br />
Because of our commitment to long-term market development in India, I don’t see the country as a short-term sales opportunity. In fact, that is the biggest mistake one can make. In the short term, the market is and will continue to be one of the most challenging ones we have worked in. But the moment you balance short-term realities with long-term opportunities, the game changes.<br />
<br /> One example is the <keyword id="1568547" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="National-Digital-Literacy-Mission">National Digital Literacy Mission</keyword> we launched last year. Post my return to the country last year, one of my first observations was that the industry was putting the cart before the horse. We were obsessively focused on just selling what we had, to the audience that was already tech savvy. As a result, it was a market share game for everyone while millions of families were still not connected to the Internet.<br />
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There was an urgent need to pull together the industry and focus on creating tomorrow’s users – not just to grow the market but to increase technology usage and impact in the country. NDLM was created with this goal in mind. One of the key reasons why people did not use technology in India was that they did not know what to do with it. The objective of NDLM was to address that and drive digital literacy at the grassroots. Intel’s digital literacy training, Intel® Easy Steps, focuses on integration of technology in our daily lives in very simple ways and this training has received an overwhelming response. Along with our partners, we have worked with over 30 NGOs to train 1.7 million people in India in over a year.<br />
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To be successful in India, you have to balance between short-term and long-term priorities, and you have to invest in market creation. These two are my mantras for Intel in India.<br />
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<strong>Thanks to the new age ultra-books and tablets, the <keyword id="28355" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="PC-market">PC market</keyword> has seen a slow down? Has that affected business?</strong><br />
As I said above, the personal computer is no longer defined by a form factor. Andy Grove once said that the PC is the ultimate Darwinian device – it will adapt to what consumers need. Right now, computing is evolving and the industry is in a period of transition and hyper-innovation. New shapes like tablets, 2-in-1s and new operating systems are blurring the traditional lines. We now have a much greater choice of devices; we typically own more devices and choose the right one for the task at hand.<br />
<br />
When you look across the spectrum of device form factors (i.e., desktop, notebook, Ultrabook, tablet and smartphone) and operating systems, personal computing is evolving and growing. Intel is well positioned to take advantage of the range of computing devices – from the lowest power portable devices to the most powerful data centre servers and everywhere in-between.<br />
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In developing the 4th generation Core, Intel was successful in bringing down the power significantly to reach 6W SDP to power the Ultrabooks and will usher in a wave of new 2-in-1 designs. Furthermore, ‘Bay Trail-M’ and ‘Bay Trail-D’, the 22nm SoCs with PC feature sets, will be available later this year for value 2-in-1s, clamshell laptops, desktops and all-in-one computers, ultimately offering users a spectrum of computing products at a variety of affordable price points. Over the last decade, Intel has moved from a company that largely serves the PC industry to one that increasingly provides the vital intelligence inside all things computing. The beauty of all this is that – IF YOU GET IT RIGHT, the sum total of the devices will have more value for the consumers and industry than the individual device itself. That is the business model we are working towards.<br />
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If I have to take a shot at predicting the future, I will say that it will see a multitude of devices and they will continue to get smarter, more power-efficient and more intuitive. And they will all have to talk to each other and work together. It is our goal to create that future with relentless innovation.<br />
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<strong>How important is the rural <keyword id="47445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indian-market">Indian market</keyword> for Intel? Any new front that Intel is working on here?</strong><br />
As per a report by McKinsey, the number of people on the Internet in India will be around 330 million by 2015, making it the 2nd largest base worldwide. However, even with 330 million people connected, we will still be at an Internet penetration of 28%, far less than the projected global average of 43%. To achieve a penetration of nearly 40% by 2015, which would be similar to China’s Internet penetration at that date, India would need to have notched up more than 500 million Internet users. And that is impossible without the participation of rural India. So no debate on that one.<br />
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However, the reality is that we cannot expect rural India to adopt the Internet unless and until they see the real relevance. And there lies the challenge. We have to start thinking differently about the market and what it takes to win, with the focus mostly on the following areas:<br />
<br />
- Increasing awareness about what the Internet can do in a way that is relevant to the audience. For instance, how farmers can use the Internet to get relevant information like weather details and <em>mandi</em> process to plan their transactions better and increase their earnings. The ability to increase income and productivity will be the most important drivers of faster adoption in the country.<br />
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- Innovation at the software and hardware levels is a must to enable solutions that meet the needs of the target audience. As we move beyond the cities, the next wave of users will be largely local language users.<br />
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But currently, none of the Indian languages features among the top 10 languages on the Internet. We will need to drive content and application in local languages to cater to the audience. We also need to drive innovations at the interface level to enable more intuitive ways of interacting with technology that simplifies ease of use. For example, the day a farmer can speak to his PC and get the latest weather information in his local language, we will see a real need for technology build up in rural India. The industry will also need to think through ecosystem innovation in areas like alternate power sources as lack of electricity is and will continue to be a key roadblock to Internet adoption and usage.<br />
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- Both the government and the industry need to keep striving to bring down the total cost of access. There are several success stories globally where governments have driven special tax incentives or subsidies to accelerate adoption in rural segments, SME and education. These initiatives cannot just be about cheap device as the cost of broadband is the largest piece in the total cost of ownership. Also, given the need to drive inclusive growth, just depending on low-end devices for connectivity is not going to help India.<br />
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- Last but not the least, we need to ensure there is last-mile access. While the government lays out the National Fibre Optic Network, there has to be steps taken to work with the industry to drive last-mile access plans.<br />
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Currently our focus is more on understanding the rural audience. We are working with select NGO partners to conduct several pilots in rural India to understand how technology can help people. That is the best place to start the thinking.<br />
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<strong>How do you see the fate of the tablet? It is not doing as well as the smartphone, but is definitely eating into the laptop pie.</strong><br />
I honestly believe that the form factor innovation is just starting and we have seen nothing yet. I think the verdict is out on tablets as they currently exist – they’re here to stay! Today, consumers lead a highly mobile lifestyle and want to be connected at every step. Tablets and smartphones help them do just that.<br />
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However, if you look at the usage aspect of ultra-mobile devices, a large part of the usage is for consumption purposes like reading, checking e-mail, social networking, etc., but when it comes to tasks related to creation, users still need something more and that’s where traditional devices like desktops and laptops come in. Still, a tremendous evolution in form factors in these traditional devices is also happening with all-in-one PCs, Ultrabooks and more recently, with the 2-in-1 devices. Intel is at the forefront of enabling the innovation in the personal computing space in all these areas.<br />
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<strong>When can we see Intel partnering with major mobile brands such as Samsung and Nokia to launch some really powerful smartphones?</strong><br />
It should come as no surprise that Intel is broadening its scope and delivering a range of sleek, new devices. We are accelerating our Android efforts overall and have multiple tablet projects in the works with dozens of customers. ASUS recently announced its Fonepad, a 7 inch handheld device powered by the new Intel® Atom™ Z2420 processor with 3G voice and mobile data for all the features of an Android smartphone and the convenience of a larger tablet display. Additionally, Samsung recently shared that its new Samsung Galaxy 3 tablets will be running on our Intel Atom Z2560 (Clover Trail +) processor platform and will offer the Android operating system. Our newest Atom platform, Bay Trail, is optimised for both Windows and Android. So we expect to see a number of these devices in 2013.<br />
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<strong>How is the partnership with the XOLO brand going? Can we expect more smartphones coming under the same brand? Can you share some features they will have?</strong><br />
We cannot comment on behalf of Lava on their product roadmap. However, what I can tell you is that the launch of the first Intel processor-based smartphone in the world happened right here in India with the launch of XOLO X900. Today, there are three XOLO phones with Intel processors.<br />
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<strong>On a personal note, if you had the chance to design a tablet or a smartphone, what features (except the Intel Chipset) would you like to have in it?</strong><br />
Well, the obvious one is that it will have to be an Intel-based device! But if I got a chance to actually design a device, I would like to create a device for the real India, for the millions of people who may not be fluent in English or may not even be literate, but can tremendously benefit from technology if they could use it. My dream device for India is the one that comes with built-in local language speech recognition capabilities, an intuitive interface that can recognise speech and gestures, thus reducing the need to key in words, and with a battery life that can last all day with a few hours of charging to take into account the sporadic access to power in most parts of the country. And yes, it needs to have the flexibility of a tablet and the performance of a laptop built in.



Challenge Lies In
Creating Inclusive, Relevant Technology For India: Debjani
Ghosh,
MD (Sales & Marketing), Intel South Asia

The head of KFC's US business on comebacks, delivery, vegan 'chicken,' and the chain's new approach to menu innovation

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53c82dc96da811cb250116db-3000-2247/170297715.jpg" alt="Phil Spencer" data-mce-source="Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox Division" /><p class="source"><span>Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox Division</p></div><p></p></div></div>Tomorrow, Apple will reportedly introduce a new version of the Apple TV with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tv-is-going-after-gaming-2015-8">a new focus on gaming and a Nintendo Wii-like motion controller</a>. </p><p>It's seen by many, including the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/07/technology/personaltech/new-apple-tv-is-said-to-focus-on-games-challenging-traditional-consoles.html?_r=0">New York Times</a>, as a move to push the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 video game consoles out of the living room.</p><p>The good news for gamers is that Microsoft has already put its cunning plan to save the Xbox One from Apple into motion. </p><p>The bad news is that it means killing the very concept of the game console as we know it.</p><h2>The threat from Apple </h2><p>While the new Apple TV is definitely not a guaranteed hit, it has a real shot.</p><p>Smash hits like Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds have already proven that Apple's roster of iPhone developers can deliver blockbusters that go way past the core gaming demographic, the same way that Tetris sold the original Game Boy to non-gamers everywhere.</p><p>Combine that with Apple's unbeatable roster of music, movie, and TV show content, including <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-plans-to-destroy-the-large-cable-bundle-2015-8">deals with juggernauts like HBO and ESPN</a>, and it looks like the blueprint for success.</p><p>The fact that the Apple TV will likely cost $149, versus the Xbox One's $349 and PlayStation 4's $399 doesn't hurt, either. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Activision" title_caption="This year's Call of Duty: Black Ops III, in the Zombie mode." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/559edcf36bb3f7680b7d6c84-960/black ops 3 zombies_shadows of evil_jack vincent_wm.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/559edcf36bb3f7680b7d6c84-3527-1984/black ops 3 zombies_shadows of evil_jack vincent_wm.jpg" alt="Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies" data-mce-source="Activision" /></a><p class="source"><span>Activision</span></p><p class="caption">This year's Call of Duty: Black Ops III, in the Zombie mode.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Microsoft's main edge over Apple is its relationships with the major video game publishers. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/call-of-duty-behind-the-scenes-2015-8">Big-budget releases</a> like Tomb Raider, Call of Duty, and Destiny - gorgeous, complex games with strong online components - are still the main province of the game console. The Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 are built for high graphics performance, responsive input, and online competitive gaming. </p><p>There will likely always be a market for these kinds of games, especially since they're <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-activision-blizzard-revenue-rises-as-call-of-duty-delivers-2015-8">such brisk business</a>. </p><p>But Microsoft and Sony are the biggest fish in a pond that's getting smaller.</p><p>The Sony PlayStation 2, the most successful video game console of all time, sold over 125 million units worldwide in the 13 years it was being manufactured. The current best-selling console, the PlayStation 4, has sold 25 million in just under two years. The Xbox One has sold about 15 million over the same time period.</p><p>By way of comparison, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ubs-iphone-6-q2-2015-sales-will-beat-street-expectations-2015-5">Apple sold 47.5 million iPhones in the last <em>quarter</em>, and that was considered a whiff</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54dcf23f6bb3f7d2438b456d-2048-1536/img_0553.png" alt="Clash of Clans" data-mce-source="Steven Tweedie" /><p class="source"><span>Steven Tweedie</span></p><p class="caption">Clash of Clans</p></div><p></p></div></div>Each one of those iPhones is a gaming device, in addition to all the other things it can do. And those games are hugely profitable for the companies that make them, with hits like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/free-clash-of-clans-earns-15-million-2015-6">Clash of Clans bringing its developers $1.5 million in revenue every single day</a>.</p><p>With a living room box that can play games from the iPhone's App Store, it extends all of its massive cross-demographic appeal to the biggest screen in the house. And developers are likely to follow the money all the way to Apple TV. </p><p>As Google Ventures partner MG Siegler predicts in a <a href="https://500ish.com/the-wii-for-real-this-time-aa734ebf71d7">recent blog entry</a>:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">And so, my ultimate prediction is that this is going to be death by a thousand slices in Fruit Ninja. The consoles will remain for a decade at the high end?-?maybe one more cycle. Then the "hardcore" gaming moves solely to PCs (including Macs, by the way). Meanwhile, casual gaming takes over. And I wouldn't bet against iOS powering that in the living room.</p><h2>Microsoft's cunning plan</h2><p>In the next few weeks, Microsoft is planning on releasing Windows 10 as a downloadable update to every single one of the 15 million Xbox One consoles it's sold.</p><p>To understand why this is so diabolical, here's a little Microsoft history lesson: The whole reason that the Xbox came into being in the first place was to make it <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-xbox-pissed-off-bill-gates-because-of-windows-2015-9">super simple to take a console game and also sell it on Windows</a>.</p><p>In practice, it didn't work that way, much to Bill Gates' chagrin. But the concept of taking a game once and selling it on the PC and the console stuck around.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55e4d43fbd86ef13008b7259-594-461/bill gates xbox.jpg" alt="bill gates xbox" data-mce-source="AFP PHOTO/Jeff Christensen" data-mce-caption="Bill Gates unveils the original Xbox at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada." /><p class="source"><span>AFP PHOTO/Jeff Christensen</span></p><p class="caption">Bill Gates unveils the original Xbox at the 2001 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Now, with the pressure of the Apple TV and a changing gaming demographic, Microsoft is feeling the pressure to follow through. </p><p>The Windows 10 update will be mostly under the hood: The actual experience of using the Xbox One console isn't expected to change much. Put in a disc, or download a game from the Xbox Store, and play.</p><p>The biggest benefit for gamers will be the ability to play some last-generation Xbox 360 games on the Xbox One for the first time ever. Windows 10 itself comes with a killer feature: Stream games from an Xbox One to your desktop over the network. It works really well, and can come in handy when the TV is in use.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/557f3fbeeab8ead3424620f8-1433-681/screen shot 2015-06-15 at 2.11.35 pm.png" alt="Xbox 360 on Xbox One" data-mce-source="Microsoft" /><p class="source"><span>Microsoft</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>With an Xbox One that's also a Windows 10 PC, it means that it's a games console that could theoretically run any Windows 10 game, too - though Microsoft hasn't yet shared many details on what Windows 10 will enable on the new console. </p><p>In other words, the Xbox One won't just be a games console. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsofts-xbox-one-video-game-console-is-your-next-work-computer-2015-7">It's your new living room PC</a> - just like Microsoft wants the Surface to be your laptop. If there was any question whether Microsoft was serious about becoming a PC maker, that question should be long gone.</p><p>At first, Xbox gamers won't notice much difference, except that Microsoft may add a Windows Store that would let you download casual, smartphone-style games from its own cross-platform app store.</p><p>But over the next few years, if the Apple TV does diminish the demand for a dedicated video game console in the living room, the Xbox One (or its successors) could turn from a game console into a cheap, effective PC, optimized for gaming and multimedia. </p><p>And with the Xbox One-to-Windows 10 streaming, it means that the console is well-positioned to turn into your home's gaming hub.</p><p>It means you don't need a super-high-end PC to play the latest titles: Just stream them over the network to your Surface Pro tablet or Lenovo superthin ultrabook and you're playing this year's Batman: Arkham Knight with the best of them, without compromises. </p><h2>The real loser: Sony</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5229f848ecad04954e00d7dc-1280-800/unnamed-19.jpg" alt="minecraft pocket edition android" data-mce-source="Screenshot" /><p class="source"><span>Screenshot</span></p><p class="caption">Minecraft: Pocket Edition</p></div><p></p></div></div>The best part about this plan is that Microsoft can actually win twice.</p><p>Even if the Apple TV does take over the living room, Microsoft-owned iPhone games like Minecraft: Pocket Edition and Halo: Spartan Strike will probably be just as successful there as they are on smaller device. </p><p>Just like Microsoft has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-focus-on-office-2015-8">winning with Office by offering it on the iPhone and Android right alongside Windows and Mac</a>, Microsoft can succeed by offering Apple TV games to a more casual audience, while selling the full Halo experience on the Xbox to the core gaming demographic. </p><p>The only real company poised to lose here is Sony. The Sony PlayStation 4 is leading this generation of video game consoles, with 25 million units shipped. But if Apple does lead the video game console into irrelevance, Sony's invested so deeply into PlayStation that it doesn't have much to fall back on.</p><p>Microsoft did not return a request for comment.</p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/xbox-one-backwards-compatibility-2015-6">We talked to the head of Xbox about the newest feature that everyone's been waiting for</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RjcnlvdTpM7Fk2gzDPr8BwHOxQLmkBtY" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'RjcnlvdTpM7Fk2gzDPr8BwHOxQLmkBtY',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Microsoft's cunning plan to save the Xbox from Apple

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5393905c69bedd7541e157f9-1200-800/_mg_2901.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="Meta 1 prototype" width="480" /><p class="source"><span>Karyne Levy/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">MetaPro prototype</p></div><p></p></div>Tucked away in the hills of Portola Vally, California, overlooking grass and trees and even some deer, you'll find the headquarters of Meta, which has been working on <a href="https://www.spaceglasses.com/">augmented reality glasses</a> that they hope will change the future. And the world. </p>
<p>The glasses aren't just for entertainment, and they're not just a smartphone for your face. This is a whole other segment of computing that enhances how you interact with the world around you.</p>
<p>A team of fewer than 50 people lives in a huge rented mansion on a 20-acre estate overlooking the wilderness west of Silicon Valley. It's something out of a movie, with a pool, a tennis court, and pictures of <span>"Iron Man" </span>Tony Stark adorning the walls. </p>
<p>That's because the glasses that Meta is developing resemble something from an "Iron Man" movie. Look through the lenses, and physical objects are rendered virtually. Then, whatever you're looking at - be it a phone or a document or even a keyboard - can be all manipulated by your hands. </p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"The future that we're envisioning has to do not only with showing awesome-looking holograms, but it has to do with collaborating and it has to do with eye contact," Meta CEO Meron Gribetz told me on a sunny Friday afternoon. "This is the first computer ever to allow you and I to make eye contact while we are looking at digital information at the same time. And we see it from different perspectives."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Meta has several experts on its team, including Professor Steve Mann, the inventor of wearable computing. Meta has also hired Jayse Hansen, the designer behind Tony Stark's holographic interfaces in the first and third "Iron Man" movies, to create a user interface that's basically the same as in the films.</span></p>
<p>The Meta 1 glasses have been shipping out to developers for $667. The MetaPro glasses, for consumers, however, will take things a step further, offering more-functional and better-looking frames. They'll arrive in the fall for around $3,650. But, Gribetz assured me, that price tag will be coming down "soon" for regular customers. </p>
<p>"This is all going to be very cheap in the future," Gribetz said. </p>
<p><span>You can </span><span></span><a href="https://www.spaceglasses.com/buy">preorder a pair, or sign up for a development kit, on their website</a><span>.</span></p>
<p>The possibilities for such glasses are endless, whether it be playing games on your living room floor or sculpting a vase and sending it to a 3-D printer. You can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuMv29nKo2k">check</a> out <a href="http://youtu.be/b7I7JuQXttw">videos</a> on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJNnX3OaCTY">YouTube</a> showing you what the glasses are capable of. And companies like Salesforce are already signed on to use the glasses for upcoming products.<strong><br /></strong></p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53976e7eeab8ea5d53c1ced0/meta-chess.gif" border="0" alt="meta chess" /><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p>
<h2>Life At Meta</h2>
<p>I went to the Meta campus to meet the team and try out a pair of the Meta glasses. </p>
<p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Mattan Kitchales, head of marketing and PR, met me at the door, wearing sunglasses and looking as relaxed as anyone who lives on a 20-acre beautiful estate. "Working and living here is like a dream come true," he told me. </span></p>
<p>He gave me a brief tour of the house, which runs on the same principle as a kibbutz: everyone lives together, makes food together, washes dishes together, and works together.</p>
<p>Kitchales met Gribetz in the Israel Defense Forces, where Gribetz was in an elite technological unit, more than 10 years ago. The two were roommates, as well, and he told me that Gribetz has been envisioning and talking about virtual reality and computers since then.</p>
<h2><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meta-campus-tour-2014-6" target="_blank"><strong>Take a tour of the Meta campus&gt;&gt;</strong></a></h2>
<p>After the military, Gribetz studied computer science and neuroscience at Columbia University, which led to thoughts about computers helping people with visual impairments. Which eventually led to the Meta glasses.</p>
<p>After a few minutes talking with Kitchales, Gribetz came out to the backyard to meet me, wearing shorts and a blue V-neck. He looks like he could be Christian Slater's younger brother.</p>
<p>Gribetz was visibly excited to show me the rest of the house, and to give me a demo of the glasses. And after trying them out, it's easy to see why he was so happy. </p>
<h2>What They're Like</h2>
<p>The glasses themselves are pretty comfortable, as far as wearing a computer on your face goes. They even come with prescription inserts for people with bad eyesight. </p>
<p>They have two 1,280x720-pixel LCD displays, each with a 40-degree field of view. They have two RGB cameras; surround sound; a 3-D depth sensor; and a nine-axis integrated motion unit with accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass.</p>
<p>All those tech specs basically mean that when you're wearing the glasses, it's hard to remember that you're not looking at the real world. The glasses look like a pair of aviators, but with a wire that runs to the Meta's computer. And you can see through them, so you're not completely shut out from the rest of the world.</p>
<p>It's more than just two screens in front of your face. </p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/539392a56bb3f735769a24f8-1200-800/copy-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Meta Spaceglasses demo" width="800" style="color: #000000;" /><p class="source"><span>Mattan Kitchales/Meta</span></p><p class="caption">Karyne Levy wearing MetaPro glasses.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>During my demo, I blew up asteroids with my fingers. I typed on a keyboard. I even spun a car around with my hands, allowing me to look at it from different angles. I picked up objects and moved them around.</p>
<p>There's a small learning curve: it's a little bit weird touching things that aren't even there. You're supposed to move your fingers and hand exactly where your brain is telling you to go. But your brain is also telling you that there's nothing really there. </p>
<p>After a minute, my brain and eyes caught up to each other, and I was able to move things around with relative ease. To zoom in on something, you pull it toward your face, just like you would in the real world. </p>
<p>Graphics were high resolution. I could read text. I could watch a television screen. Playing "Minecraft" while wearing a pair of the glasses would be a possible use case. "It'll be like crack for kids," Gribetz joked, and I think he's right. </p>
<p>The coolest part was when someone else put their hand in my field of view. I could see their hand rendered virtually in front of my face, grabbing the object I was working on; it was like they were entering my virtual world. </p>
<h2>The Other Guys</h2>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:300px"><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53938eb269bedd7d39e157fa-1200-2000/_mg_2897.jpg" border="0" alt="Meron Gribetz" width="300" /><p class="source"><span>Karyne Levy/Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">Meta CEO Meron Gribetz.</p></div><p></p></div></p>
<p>Until recently, the glasses had been called <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/meta-pro-ar-goggles-kick-122918255.html">Google</a> <a href="http://www.techtimes.com/articles/2117/20131218/forget-google-glass-the-3k-meta-pro-is-what-you-want.htm">Glass</a> <a href="http://www.devicemag.com/2013/12/20/move-aside-google-glass-metapro-with-real-augmented-reality-glass-is-here-for-3000/">killers</a>. But they're not really comparable. And they don't compete with Oculus Rift, either. </p>
<p>Gribetz explained that there are three categories of wearable<strong> </strong>computing. The first is the "notification machine," which is just giving you popups and tidbits of information. </p>
<p>"Google is the information king, and they're going to win that category. And I wish them all the luck in the world," Gribetz said. </p>
<p>The second is the "'Matrix' machine," which transports you to a different reality. "The Oculus is going to be the best way to consume what I call 'old-world' movies and games in the next 10 years. And Oculus is going to win in that environment," Gribetz explained.</p>
<p>But the new generation of virtual reality - which he calls the "natural machine" - will be collaborative and more like the real world, Gribetz says. And that's where the Meta glasses come in.</p>
<p>"What Meta's about, fundamentally, underneath all the layers of 'coolness,' is bringing people together and making digital information the adhesive between people, instead of the separator," Gribetz said.</p>
<p>Theoretically, the Meta glasses can incorporate the "information machine" and the "'Matrix' machine," making for an all-in-one device that you already know how to use.</p>
<p>"It's an evolution of the iPad, which is an evolution of how we manipulate things in the real world," Gribetz said. "People get it. Touch the photograph, and it moves around on the table. Touch a photograph on the iPad, and it moves around on the iPad. It's a natural progression."</p>
<h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/53974752eab8ea2744457b26/meta2.gif" border="0" alt="Meta demo" style="color: #000000;" /><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></h2>
<h2>The Future</h2>
<p>In a world where we spend so much time looking at our smartphones, laptops, tablets, or TV screens, there's not much room for collaboration.</p>
<p>But with the Meta glasses, other people will be able to see what you're working on. You won't just be waving your arms in front of you like a spaz - other people in the room will be able to see that you're manipulating a virtual document or playing a game or even working on a 3-D model. </p>
<p>In Gribetz's world, when you walk into a coffee shop, you won't see a bunch of heads looking down at computer screens. Instead you'll see people gazing at their virtual workspaces. If someone is looking at pictures of their trip to Peru, you'll be able to see them swiping through the pictures. He hopes it will spark a conversation.</p>
<p>"They're not just moving their hands; they're holding holograms, and other people can see you doing that," Gribetz said. "I envision a future where people are less worried about sharing information, and are more focused on meeting new people using the digital information."</p>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5397701569bedd092f1b48f1/meta-virtual.gif" border="0" alt="meta virtual" style="color: #000000;" /><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>But it goes even further. While wearing the glasses, you see panels of information. Those panels are connected to the internet, and you can scroll through them like you can on a browser. </p>
<p>"If you'd like, you could have more than one 'iPad,' you could have an infinite number of iPads kind of stuck in contextual places in the real world," Gribetz said. "So when you're going out of the house, you could have a shopping list stuck to your door, for example. Your spouse could leave you a note on the fridge. You could start sticking these widgets of contextual information all over your environment."</p>
<p><iframe width="612" height="710" frameborder="0" src="//instagram.com/p/o6rlfKJJXK/embed/"></iframe></p>
<p>It's like combining all of your devices - smartphone, computer, portable laptop, tablet, game console - into one wearable device. "The office place of the future is going to be defined by Meta's technology," Gribetz assured me.</p>
<p>The Meta team works under the philosophy, called "natural computing," which means computing should only emulate what your brain does without it. "We don't want to clutter people's lives with a bunch of crap," Gribetz said. "The best success for us to know when you want and when you don't want to stuff, because they're equally important."</p>
<p>That means no display ads will pop up while you're wearing the glasses.</p>
<p>Instead the glasses will be an extension of the real world. An extension of what you do anyway with all your gadgets, and how others view you while you're using those devices. </p>
<p>"There's a giant movement that's emerging on the internet of people who are becoming anti-iPhone and anti-technology," Gribetz said. "So when you're with a group of friends, you'll have that moment where everyone is staring down at their phones. And there's no talking anymore between your buddies. It's kind of frustrating to a lot of people. And I think computing doesn't have to be like that."</p>

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