If you are in the market to buy a new computer, tablet or smartphone in 2016, a number of options you are going to come across will have Intel’s RealSense inside it. 
In the flat screen TV market, those for sale labeled “smart” are not the odd duck in the showroom these days, but mainstream, more popular and affordable. A couple hundred dollar discounted price for a flat screen TV without the “smart” features are increasingly being passed over by consumers. The main reason is people know the difference between those with and without the “smart” feature; it is not just “another nice thing to have” but necessary.
This train of thought will likely greet you when you consider a new computer, tablet, or smart phone purchase this year. Get one with Intel’s RealSense or not. I’m writing this article specifically to help the less than tech savvy 2016 computer or smartphone purchaser on what Intel’s RealSense is, and suggest a couple ways Intel’s RealSense could help them.
So what is it? It is a camera that is in the computer or smartphone. According to their website product page ( https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/realsense-overview.html ), “there are three cameras that act like one—a 1080p HD camera, an infrared camera, and an infrared laser projector—they ‘see’ like the human eye to sense depth and track human motion. Intel® RealSense™ technology redefines how we interact with our devices for a more natural, intuitive and immersive experience.”
So what does this mean to you?
One thing is you don’t have to remember your passwords anymore to log in your computer because it recognizes your face (Bradley L. Jones, It's Happening Now: Perceptual Computing is Real, March 26th, 2015, https://www.webopedia.com/Blog/perceptual-computing-is-real.html ). We have all forgotten our password at some time or another, or didn’t update it when our system prompted us it was expiring, and always it seems to be when we are in a hurry. That feature alone might make sense for someone to spend a couple hundred dollars more.
A second idea more related to smart phones and tablets I have not heard many people talking about or writing on, is home décor possibilities, namely picture/painting art in your home or office. Think about the serene sunset painting you purchased for several hundred dollars without a nice frame. Then add the cost of a nice frame. Imagine just taking a picture of that same painting you own, and paying only to make a 3D re-print to scale for your home or office (please ensure that the photo is not copy written before doing this). Or, how about the contactor troubleshooting a job site problem remotely. Wouldn’t it makes sense, save time and money getting an instant 3D image or “Facetime” feed? Finally here, what about those online daters or social media posters? Worried your camera doesn’t really show your chin or nose as nicely as it is in person? A RealSense 3D image could be the trick to put your best feature forward.
These are just a couple of observations, and I’m certain I’ll be writing on other applications in the future. The cost and time savings provided by those examples above justify spending a little more to have RealSense on your next computer, tablet or smartphone in my opinion.
In the next post I’ll cover some of the computers that have Intel’s RealSense camera, and options to get a smartphone with one. In the meantime, feel free to Google: “smartphones for sale with realsense” or “computers for sale with realsense” if you cannot wait.
Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions via email at randy@rbsmn.com. RB’s Computer Service sells the Intel Compute Stick as well as the best laptop computers, best desktop computers, business computers, computer parts and computer monitors. We also provide managed IT services, computer repair, iPhone and smartphone repair to customers and clients throughout central Minnesota and St. Cloud.