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Skully ends its dreams of making augmented reality helmets
If you thought that Skully's plan to crowdfund an augmented reality motorcycle helmet was overly ambitious... unfortunately, you were right. After years of delays and several weeks of grave financial trouble, the startup has informed backers that it's shutting down. Simply put, the company had run out of cash -- it had been scrambling to raise some temporary funding, but that fell through. TechCrunch sources claim that Skully had even been trying to sell itself to Chinese tech giant LeEco. However, it reportedly alienated investors following number of disputes over a possible sale, manufacturing hiccups and executive spending.
Skully's Android-powered smart motorcycle helmet goes up for pre-order
If you take your motorbike rides seriously enough to want a smart heads-up display in your helmet, you can now do something about it. Skully has just launched a crowdfunding campaign for its Android-powered head protector, now named the AR-1; plunk down $1,399 and you should be one of the first to get the wearable when it ships in May 2015. That's both a lot of money and a long time to wait, but Skully is betting that you'll like the data you get while on the road. As promised, the helmet projects navigation, a rear camera view and riding info on your visor. Voice commands let you keep a grip on the handlebars, and smartphone pairing gets the headgear online. The price goes up to $1,499 if you wait until launch to make a purchase, so you may want to commit early if you're determined to augment your two-wheeled adventures.
