Businessmen and employees in different fields can better avoid wasted driving time due to heavy traffic by using Microsoft's new HoloLens to make teleworking more effective, among other features that could come in handy for Egyptian users, one of the company’s senior software engineers believes.
The HoloLens, which is yet to be released on the market, aims to replace computer screens with glasses that allow users direct manual interaction with digital components of different purposes. It was unveiled last month after five years of development.
"It will be available [for customers] in the Windows 10 timeframe," said Mokhtar Khorshid, one of several Egyptian members of the Microsoft team at the Seattle-based headquarters of the software giant.
When asked how the highly sophisticated glasses can be best used, whether in Egypt or other countries, Khorshid said he thinks "possibilities are endless."
"But in my personal opinion, and this has nothing to do with [what] Microsoft is planning or intends to do, two specific scenarios jump to mind for Egyptian customers."
"The first is helping people be more productive by allowing them to collaborate in a more personal way remotely. In Egypt people spend almost 25 percent of their time in traffic," said the 32-year-old, who has spent the last six years living abroad.
"The more work they can do without having to waste time in traffic, the more productive and happier they will be."
Traffic in Egypt, especially in Greater Cairo, can be particularly slow during rush hours. Commuters can take a few hours to reach their destinations.
"A great example for working remotely is for designers who can work on a physical object and have someone remotely augmenting it and setting the combined result. Conducting more immersive meetings is another example."
Medical education is where HoloLens could also come in handy in Egypt, Khorshid said.
"I can see medical doctors collaborating with developers to build platforms to teach students things like surgery and anatomy in a more effective manner," he explained.
In Egypt, medical students often pratice on actual patients. Dozens of students would examine the same patient and get lectures during operations. "This is very agonising to the patients," he said.
"HoloLens allows an alternative safe way to experiment instead of doing it on patients right from the first time. Or even worse, buy a corpse and hide it at home as some students do."
"Almost any field imaginable can be revolutionised by new devices. Just like tablets had found their way into every nook in the world, HoloLens is just a new platform and it will be the developers that will determine where it goes next," Khorshid said.
"All we have done at Microsoft is give them a new playing field and we expect their creativity to take it to new heights."
