Google unveiled what it calls "Project Glass" last week, giving the public a glimpse of what life might be like with a heads up display, or HUD, delivering digital updates right to your eyeball(s) in real time. This is like the visual equivalent of having a Bluetooth hands-free mic. I'm all for having fun with augmented reality and I think that there are some potentially vastly useful work applications for such a device, but I have a tough time swallowing the pill where this thing is going to take off as a daily aide to our empty, non-cyborg lives. The device is rumored to be called Google Eye and is also rumored to go on sale before year's end.
Video after the break
My previous post was for a somewhat similar patent from Microsoft, and Apple has also filed a patent for a visual display device to compliment their iPad, etc. It looks like there is a race and Google wants to get there first, but I think that it is more about the execution than being first. Apple is well aware of this principle and this new post-Xbox 360 Microsoft is keen on R&D for future devices, ready to go all in on its vision of the future, as Kinect's success is proof of concept. I think it will be the "who does what" with it that will be most interesting.
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