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Recon's HUD mask transfers your gaming skills to paintball
Recon Instruments and Empire Paintball's paintball mask is fun to wear — and I didn't even get to shoot anyone. The Empire EVS houses Recon's Snow2 heads-up display in bottom-right of the goggles, running on Android, with nine-axis sensors, Bluetooth, WiFi and GPS, while the helmet itself looks like a color-saturated Darth Vader pretender -- and I mean that in the best possible way. Slipping into it is easy, and an armband control unit with directional buttons makes navigation through menus (as well as zooming in and out of maps) hard to screw up. The mask itself, coming from paintball equipment maker Empire has UVA/UVB radiation protection and doesn't fog up inside when the action picks up and your breathing gets heavy. The heads-up display (HUD) can also talk with action cams like the GoPro, which you can mount on your paintball gun to peek around corners and, as one Engadget editor calls it: "cheat".
Heads-up displays come to paintball goggles
Recon Instruments, the Canadian wearables outfit purchased by Intel last year, has released a heads-up display for paintball enthusiasts. Much in the same way Recon partnered with Oakley to produce its Airwave sports goggles, the firm has teamed up with Empire Paintball to create the Empire EVS. The device uses the game guts as the Airwave — a technology known as Snow2 — albeit in a new mask that's designed to withstand the rigors of paint-based conflict.
Recon Jet review: expensive fitness glasses with potential to be better
Recon Jet is a sports computer for long-distance runners and cyclists that's embedded into a pair of sunglasses. Take it on a long, lung-bursting trip and you'll get your speed, cadence and calories, as well as a variety of other stats -- all presented to you on a tiny display placed just below your right eye. At $699, it's priced for the hardcore athletes (and it's certainly catering to that corner of the market). Normally we might not bother with such a niche device but as it happens, the company was recently acquired by Intel for $175 million. As such, we thought it was worth a closer look to see if it heralds a fresh start for face-worn computing -- or if will suffer the same fate as Google Glass.
Intel buys Recon, makers of the 'Google Glass for fitness'
Recon Instruments is famous for two things: building the technology behind Oakley's Airwave and the Recon Jet head-worn fitness wearable. The company has had a close relationship with Intel ever since the chip firm's venture-capital arm threw cash at the business back in 2013. Now, however, Intel has decided that closer ties are in order, and has decided to swallow the Canadian firm wholesale in a deal that TechVibes believes is worth around $175 million.
Recon's 'Google Glass' for sports gets a finalized design ahead of September launch
No, the Recon Jet still isn't out yet, but its manufacturer has a few bits of news to share. For starters, the sports-minded heads up display's brain box is now angled slightly upward, which supposedly improves the display's viewing angle and camera orientation. This tweak apparently boosts the HUD's ergonomics and makes it fit a bit better, too. The Jet is also now rated to IP65 standard, which means it'll be able to withstand dust and torrential rainstorms. Don't think that it'll work on your next swim, though, because submerging the unit is apparently out of the question. The outfit (thankfully) doesn't mention any changes to its September 25th release date, either, but it is spending the next month working on testing the Jet. Oh, and there's a protective case in the works too -- all the better to keep your $700 investment safe and sound. How protected to the Jet remains while it's on your face, however, well, that's up to you.
Sailboat racers get a heads-up display to call their own
It's not easy to track the progress of a racing sailboat -- you don't always have the free time (or free hands) to check a compass or run across the deck. Keeping tabs on a watercraft should be much less of a chore in the future, though, as Afterguard has released a heads-up display system for high-speed sailors. The gear relays speed, wind vectors and other boat data from a central unit to any crew member wearing a pair of Recon Instruments glasses, letting a team focus on outrunning the competition rather than getting its bearings. Afterguard isn't cheap at $2,499 for a complete system ($1,899 during April), but you couldn't even get a sailing HUD before now unless you were an America's Cup racer; this makes the technology available to a much wider audience.
Intel Capital throws money at Recon Instruments, hints at wearable war with Google
If you thought that Google Glass was the only wearable backed by one of tech's mega corporations, think again. Intel's investment arm has now ponied up a "significant" investment into Recon Instruments, makers of the Jet heads-up display for extreme sports. While neither party has disclosed how much cash Intel has thrown Recon's way, the release does reveal that the Intel Capital will be sharing its expertise in "manufacturing, operations and technology" in addition to its checkbook. While it's far, far too early to presume that we'll see Santa Clara dive head-first into the wearables market, we're going to be watching this partnership with extreme interest.
Recon Jet HUD now available for pre-order in $499 Pilot Edition
Want to embrace Recon Instruments' sunglasses-based vision of the future before it officially reaches store shelves? You can: the company has just started pre-orders for its Jet heads-up display in a $499 Pilot Edition. The inaugural eyewear will come with apps for both cyclists and triathletes, and it should beat the production model to market by several months. There's even a financial incentive for that impatience, as the pricing goes up to $599 on July 21st. If you don't mind a potentially rough experience while tracking your mid-race performance, the Pilot Edition is waiting at the source link.
Recon Instruments Jet heads-up display debuts at Google I/O, we go hands-on (video)
Google Glass is a lot of things, but it's hardly a superstar when it comes to the world of sports. Though we've seen proof it is at least water resistant, it doesn't feel particularly durable and isn't entirely well-suited to wearing while, say, sweating profusely during a lengthy climb on a road bike. Recon Instruments has what it thinks is a solution: the Jet. It's a pair of sporting sunglasses with an integrated, Android-powered display that could make things like running and cycling far more exciting -- or at least far more information-packed. Join us after the break for our impressions.%Gallery-188531%
Recon Instruments reveals Recon Jet, a sports HUD so bright it needs shades (video)
We know Glass comes with some snap-on shades, which is no doubt great when casually vlogging in the sun. If you're heading down a mountain, though, you're going to need something a little more like Recon Jet. You may know Recon Instruments from its line of technolicious HUD ski goggles, but Jet sees the firm leap into more casual (yet no less useful) eyewear. Inside you'll find a dual-core processor, WiFi, GPS, Ant+, Bluetooth and an HD camera, plus all the sensors you could want (altimeter, thermometer, accelerometer etc). Recon Jet comes with its own open platform (which typically has been based on Android), and will have some existing native apps (video streaming, Facebook integration, etc.) on display at Google I/O this week. Comparison with Mountain View's own product will be inevitable, but we're guessing that Recon hopes you'll leave Glass on your desk, while popping Jet on for the weekend.
Oakley unveils Airwave ski goggles equipped with Recon's MOD Live heads-up display, iOS app
Remember late last year when Recon Instruments introduced its MOD Live Android-enabled heads-up display for the likes of ski goggles?Joining the ranks of other optics makers, Oakley's partnered with the company to seamlessly integrate the unit into its own goggles, dubbed Airwave. It's not just another shell for the system, either, as Oakley will be providing a companion app that'll work with iOS -- which seems to be first official instance as such since Recon itself said it would be coming earlier this year. The MOD Live itself is otherwise the same right-eye positioned system (providing a perceived 14-inch display at five feet away) we've seen for almost a year now, so don't expect to get the clearest picture if you're left eye dominant or use contact lenses for distance. Furthermore, there's still GPS for tracking friends / navigation, and Bluetooth to work with a water-resistant wrist remote that allows you to control your smartphone and the display itself. Of course, this also means Recon's Android SDK will also be workable, as will your Contour camera. If you're interested in Oakley's spin on the MOD Live, the Airwave will hit Apple stores on October 31st for $600 in your choice of black with a black Iridium lens, or a white with black graphics and a "fire" colored variant of the lens -- yes, they're interchangeable just like most of Oakley's other specs. If you're curious for further details in the meantime, check out the simulation video and press release after the break. Now, how about those full-on smart glasses to take on Google Glass as the company's CEO mentioned in April? %Gallery-169431%
Recon Instruments offers Flight HUD goggles for wingsuit pilots and skydivers
Recon Instruments has decided to take its wares off the slopes and into the air, provided enough people bite. The Flight HUD is built around the same core as its ski goggles, but has been tweaked to offer information more relevant to skydivers, base jumpers and wingsuit pilots. The tiny LCD just below the field of vision displays speed, altitude and glide ratio in real time. Rather than simply guess how fast they're going, adrenaline junkies will be able to see accurate data in the moment and make the appropriate adjustments. Obviously, this is a rather niche market, so Recon Instruments has set a goal: 250 pre-orders to trigger a production run. The early birds can pick up a Flight HUD for $299, while every order placed after the initial 250 will cost $349. To get a run down of the proposed product from renowned aerial daredevil Jeb Corliss check out he video after the break.
Recon goggles gain Facebook integration and augmented reality at Google I/O (hands-on video)
Remember that Android SDK Recon Instruments finally unveiled for its heads-up display goggles? Well the company was showing off the fruits of its labor here at Google I/O 2012 with two demos -- specifically two-way Facebook integration and augmented reality using a Contour camera. In the first demo, the goggles are paired over Bluetooth with an app running on an Android phone. Each time you jump while snowboarding or skying, the accelerometer data from the goggles is sent to the handset which posts a graphic to Facebook showing the distance, height and duration of your flight. Any comments made to the post are then immediately relayed back to the heads-up display. The second demo uses a Contour camera attached to the goggles and paired via Bluetooth. As you look around, the output from the camera appears on the heads-up display augmented with labels showing the location and distance of the nearby train stations based on the compass and GPS data from the goggles. Pretty cool, eh? Check out the gallery below and hit the break for our two hands-on videos.%Gallery-159495%
Recon Instruments defrosts its Android SDK at Google I/O (video)
Ski season (in the northern hemisphere at least) was in full swing when Recon Instruments announced that it'd be providing developers with an Android SDK for its HUD alpine goggles. Now, most of that snow may have melted, but the SDK is finally a cold, hard reality. Made available to the developing masses at Google I/O this week, frosty-fingered devs can use the tool to hook-in to Recon's visual display tools, including its MOD Live series. Given that this opens up the goggles' altimeter, barometer, accelerometer, gyro and magnetometer and temperature reader, that's a lot of detail to tuck into. Itching to get that downhill leaderboard app going? Slide on over to the source for the details.
Recon Instruments partners with Contour, makes MOD Live into ski slope viewfinder
As if capturing your downhill plunge in full HD and tracking your positioning coordinates wasn't enough, Recon Instruments and Contour are teaming up to make their respective, extreme slope accessories work in tandem. Slated for release in the coming weeks, the Camera Connectivity app for MOD Live allows feeds sent from a Contour+ or ContourGPS helmet cam to display on the goggles' 14-inch virtual 428 x 240 display, giving gnar enthusiasts easy access to recording and settings options. But that's not the only cross-tech handshake being announced here. The company also plans to make the various info (altitude, speed, temperature, etc.) collected by its Android-powered mask available to iPhone 4S users, although you'll have to wait until year-end for that feature to launch. So, if you fancy yourself a connoisseur of the powdery white stuff or even the ski slope version of Bond, be sure to pack these Q-approved goodies and download that app before your next trek to Vail. Official PR after the break.
Recon Instruments touts SDK for GPS-enabled ski goggles, polar heart rate monitor compatibility in tow
Like clockwork, Recon Instruments is choosing CES once again to launch its next functionality improvement for those futuristic GPS-enabled ski goggles that we first saw in 2010. This year's revelation is the impending launch (May 2012, to be precise) of a software development kit for the Android-based MOD Live -- a little diddy we sat down with a few months back. Moreover, there's soon to be support with the Polar WearLink+ transmitter with Bluetooth. The MOD Live near-eye device enables skiers and riders to see a hodgepodge of instant (and useful) information, and with an SDK on the way, the amount of available data is sure to increase. We're told that the outfit's working with "strategic partners" to bring specific apps to the table, where users will see things like 2D graphics at up to 30fps, location / speed / altitude registers, time / jump analytics and free fall detection. Head on past the break for the full PR, and go ahead and book yourself a trip to the arctic in May; something tells us Whitefish, Montana's going to be mostly green by then.
MOD and MOD Live Android ski goggles give extreme analytics, we go eyes-on (video)
Straight out of Q's closet of goodies are Recon Instrument's brand new MOD and MOD Live ski goggles, giving bikers, skiers and snowboarders a glimpse into the digital extreme with a tiny built-in LCD micro display -- powered by an itsy bitsy Android ARM Coretex-A8 600 MHz computer. The 428 x 240 WQVGA screen allows the hardcore to tune into things like speed, jump analytics, distance, pre-loaded trail maps, height and GPS location, while keeping MOD Live users connected to calls and texts via Bluetooth. Running Android 2.3, the LIVE variety will let you see who's calling, answer calls, receive texts and even respond to them with pre-programmed responses. Users can switch between screens using the included remote, attachable via wristband or headstrap. Since the display is so tiny, the amount of Android apps athletes will be able to use will be limited -- so, sorry kids, no Angry Birds while mountain biking off a cliff. If that doesn't sound distracting enough, the manufacturer promises future third-party camera and video recorder integration to capture all the jumps, dives and spills associated with shredding the gnar. Sadly, the current model only has 512Mbs of storage and 256MB of RAM, so you won't be able to store too many Sean White-worthy feature films on them. Giving these bad boys a go, they transported us into what seemed like the future with details of our personal best performances staring us in the eye from the corner of the screen -- rad. Flexible and bendy, the eye shield easily pops out of the frame to reveal the display itself, along with the computer's guts. Of course, the extreme flexibility and bulkiness of the goggles doesn't bode well for those of us who actually use goggles to protect our eyes -- giving us the impression that they would not offer much cushion with a severe spill. The enviable eyewear will retail for $299 with the Android smartphone-connected version available for $399. Check out the video and full PR after the break. %Gallery-138853%
Recon Instruments gets NASA Desert RATS eyes-on with Micro Optics Display, lets them see the future
Outer space. The words alone conjure images of high-tech gadgetry and mind-blowing scientific research -- that is to say, the future. But what if we told you our best and brightest cosmic explorers were still relying on arm-mounted post-it notes to guide them through spacewalks? Yes, that would be Staples in space. Luckily, Recon Instruments has partnered with NASA Desert Research and Technology Studies to test two variants of its GPS-enabled Micro Optics Display for use in next-generation spacesuits, and get our space agency a wee bit closer to the P.K. Dick fantasy we hold dear. The customized goggles, which deliver information direct-to-eye, were put to task by the Arizona desert-based team, undergoing a series of simulated critical mission procedures. The end result? A resounding thumbs-up approval from NASA (not to mention deceased sci-fi authors), and a promise to evaluate the tech for further testing. Do you hear that sound, rocketeers? Silly us. Of course, you can't -- in space, no one can hear our applause.
Recon details next-gen GPS goggle technology: Android, Bluetooth, endless fantasies
And you thought those Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles from last fall were hot stuff. Truth be told, they still are, but Recon Instruments' plans for the future make the present seem downright mundane. Here at CES, the company has just revealed its next-generation technology, which should be ingrained in its next line of specs. The big news here is that the revised platform will be based on Android, enabling developers to craft apps and in turn, owners to customize their GPS-enabled goggles in ways not previously possible. Moreover, the technology will be available separately from the company's own eyewear, with a "snap fit" version ready made to work with Uvex, Alpina and Briko products. Wearers will then be able to navigate through the interactive LCD in real-time with the use of a wireless remote, and Recon hopes to eventually craft the first pair of goggles with a real-time navigational system. You'll also get Bluetooth capabilities, allowing users to connect with their smartphones and see their music playlists, caller ID and text messages. Head on past the break for the full rundown, and do your best to not get those hopes too high. As if it's not too late for that already. %Gallery-112630%
Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles now shipping, GPS and head-mounted display included
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? If you'll recall, we heard that Recon Instruments was fixing to up-end the winter sports goggle market in February of this year, with an optimistic-at-the-time ship date of October 2010. Lo and behold, the outfit has managed to nail its estimate, and the planet's first GPS-enabled goggles are now available to highfalutin' skiers and snowboarders. At least initially, the company will be rolling out a limited set, with two models to choose from: the $499 Transcend SPPX is fitted with an SPPX polarized and photochromic lens, while the $399 Transcend SPX features an SPX polarized lens. Aside from the fact that these probably cost less than those ho hum Oakleys in the ski shop, they're equipped with a Zeal Optics' frame design with a micro LCD display, which appears to hang approximately six feet in front of the user. That head-mounted display provides real-time feedback to the wearer, including speed, latitude / longitude, altitude, vertical distance traveled, total distance traveled, a chrono / stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. Yeah, wow. You can bet we'll be trying to snag a set for review when we do our best impression of "hitting the slopes" post-CES. %Gallery-104018%
