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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%
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The World's First GPS Goggles with Head-Mounted Display Available Now
See More with this Season's 'Must-Have' Alpine Goggles
The highly anticipated Recon-Zeal Transcend goggles are now available to order, Recon Instruments announced today.
The public can purchase these revolutionary GPS-enabled goggles from Recon Instruments' fresh new website www.reconinstruments.com and be part of the exclusive group to own the world's only goggles with real-time GPS data viewable through a head-mounted display system.
Recon Instruments' initial 2010 limited release will ensure skiers and riders have a pair of Transcend goggles when the first snow hits the mountains this winter. There are two models of Transcend available with different lens options, Transcend SPPX is fitted with an SPPX polarized and photochromic lens retailing at $499US, Transcend SPX features an SPX polarized lens and costs $399US.
Transcend is the only pair of goggles in the world to provide real-time feedback to the user, including speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, vertical distance travelled, total distance travelled, chrono/stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. It is also the only pair of goggles that boasts GPS capabilities, USB charging and data transfer, and post-processing software all with a user-friendly, futuristic interface.
Recon Instruments has even hinted at an open API app development and download community, with some featured free apps.
The optical system, designed by Recon Instruments, is embedded within a Zeal Optics' frame design on a micro LCD display, which appears to hang approximately six feet in front of the user. Transcend also features 'glove-friendly' buttons to navigate the full-color dashboard and feature screens. The goggles also come with Recon HQ, a PC/Mac software application which allows users to track their day's statistics and overlay their entire alpine experience on satellite imagery.
In addition, Recon HQ features a highlight editor to export the best parts of a session straight to Recon's new website and HQ Online community. And with podium contests and giveaways awarded to the best highlights experienced at resorts around the globe skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling will never be the same again.
Darcy Hughes, Recon Instruments' Chief Marketing Officer noted, "We have had great success with the development and partnership with Zeal Optics, and we're excited for this initial limited release. Interest in the goggles has been unprecedented so it will be interesting to see how fast the release sells through at reconinstruments.com."
"As action sports fanatics ourselves, we recognize the fun and importance of sharing the data collected by the goggles with friends, which is why we have incorporated the HQ Online community into our new website. We hope the public will have as much fun using our invigorated website as we have had in its development." Hughes added.
