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I regrettably designed my own glasses on a smartphone app
JINS is a glasses maker on a mission: to make glasses worth talking about again. That usually entails a dash of technology thrown in; a few years ago, for instance, the company dotted spectacle-selling vending machines across Tokyo. Yes, it's a Japanese company. Yes, they're also dabbling in smartglasses. But I'm not talking about any of that this time. No, I took a whole 10 minutes designing my own pair of glasses on the company's "Paint" app, and then a week later, I was wearing them. It's not nearly as elaborate as, say, 3D printing, but it does offer a relatively cheap way of making yourself a one-of-a-kind pair of glasses. And mine probably would have looked better, if I had even a single creative bone in my body.
These 'privacy glasses' make you invisible to facial recognition
You're going out with friends mid-week, and you don't want the boss/significant other/parole officer to find out. But it's a birthday celebration, and Facebook's auto-tagging the pictures your buddies upload like a dirty snitch. The first piece of advice: never "friend" your parole officer. The second? Maybe grab a pair of these "privacy" glasses from software security firm AVG. You, of course, can see my visage above, but AVG claims the technology in the specs means facial recognition software (like that of Facebook) will not.
Sony's head-mounted display will turn spectacles into smart glasses
It's no secret that Sony's been working on a sort of Google Glass analog, but the fact that the company's also got a bolt-on display that can (ideally) turn any pair of glasses into a savvy wearable is nothing short of impressive. After Sony wrapped up this year's CES press conference, we got the chance to yank a pair out of some poor spokesperson's hands and strap them on for ourselves. Long story short: Sony just might have a winner on its hands.
Intel teams with Luxottica to make smart eyewear fashionable
In case it wasn't already clear that Intel believes wearable tech should be stylish, the company has just forged a multi-year partnership with the glasses gurus (and Google Glass partners) at the Luxottica Group. The two will collaborate on smart eyewear that you'd actually like to put on your face; it's not happy with the current, overly utilitarian (read: ugly) approach to heads-up displays. They aren't talking specifics, but the aim is to make "premium, luxury and sports" glasses with a dash of intelligence. You won't have to wait long to see the first fruits of this relationship, at least, since the duo expects a product in 2015. Between this and talk of Intel-powered Glass, it's clear that the chip maker wants a prominent spot on your cranium -- it's determined to take wearables seriously and avoid missing the boat, like it did with smartphones. [Image credit: AP Photo/Gurinder Osan]
Not quite Google Glass: a week with Epson's awkward smart glasses
I had the full attention of Engadget's San Francisco office as I unpacked Epson's latest augmented reality headset, the Moverio BT-200. The glasses make for one heavy, awkward wearable: Coke-bottle thick lenses with inlaid transparent displays hovering in front of each eye. My coworkers and I passed them from desk to desk anyway, snapping goofy images for Instagram and musing over what to do with them. The glasses aren't Engadget's typical review fare -- it's not a product intended for consumers, and I wonder out loud how I'm going to explain the lenses to my readers. Without missing a beat, my editor Christopher Trout looks me square in the eye and gives me an answer. "Wear them," he says. "For a week. That's an assignment. You're doing it." Hoo boy.
Experimental display lets glasses wearers ditch the specs
Engadgeteers spend a lot of their day staring at a screen, so it's no surprise that nearly all of us are blind without glasses or contact lenses. But wouldn't it be great if we could give our eyes a break and just stare at the screen without the aid of corrective lenses? That's the idea behind an experimental display that automatically adjusts itself to compensate for your lack of ocular prowess, enabling you to sit back and relax without eyewear. It works by placing a light-filtering screen in front of a regular LCD display that breaks down the picture in such a way that, when it reaches your eye, the light rays are reconstructed as a sharp image. The prototype and lots more details about the method will be shown off at SIGGRAPH next month, after which, its creators, a team from Berkeley, MIT and Microsoft, plan to develop a version that'll work in the home and, further down the line, with more than one person at a time.
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.
Ambient glasses put smartphone notifications right in front of your eyes
Still not sold on smartwatches, but want to know what's going on with your phone without taking it out of your pocket? Maybe Matilde's Fun-iki glasses, spotted at CNET Japan's Live 2014 event, will do the trick. Connecting to smartphones through WiFi, a trio of LEDs above each lens will glow (or pulse) when there's a notification, or simply to add a little, er, color to your complexion. The lights cycle through various shades of red, green and blue, and you're able to assign specific colors to specific notifications: these frames aren't limited to just phone calls and email pings and adding further third-party apps' notifications is apparently easy. There's speakers within the arms, while it charges through the micro-USB port on the left side -- we're told it'll typically blink and glow for around two days. It's a pretty simple pair of glasses: notifications are pretty much it -- there's no interactive component or camera within the hardware itself, but you can setup the notifications, color cycles and pulse rates through a companion app. There's also three different light-up modes: 'disco' and 'party' make the LEDs go a little crazy (just think of the Tinder applications), while 'relax' mode takes gentler hues and fades them in and out. Oh and there's a morse code mode, where you can flash out a specified message. Because anachronisms.
Oxford University's smart glasses help people with partial vision see more detail
When we hear the term "smart glasses" these days, we tend to focus more on the smart and less on the glasses. Researchers at Oxford University see things the other way around: putting the emphasis on glasses suggests a device that helps the visually impaired see the world, not augment it. This is the project Dr. Stephen Hicks of the Nullfield Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Oxford has been working on: a wearable designed to give folks with partial vision a clearer view of their surroundings. It's not as flashy as Google Glass, but it has the potential to change lives. It's also being tested in the wild.
New eye-tracking glasses show others what you're looking at in real time
Researchers and marketers often want to know what catches your eye, whether it's players on the basketball court or just a new shampoo at the store. They may have an easier time figuring this out with Tobii's latest eye-tracking headset, the Tobii Glasses 2. Besides providing a much wider field of view than the original eyewear, the new design has a front-facing 1080p camera that lets observers see whatever you're focused on in real time -- they'll know right away if something gets your attention. The four eye-facing cameras and new software also offer more precise gaze data than the last time around.
New smart glasses warn when you're fatigued
Many people know that they should take breaks when they're fatigued, but actually recognizing that worn-down state is tricky; it's all too easy to push past the breaking point. If JINS' upcoming Meme smart glasses live up to their billing, though, you'll always know when it's time to relax. The Bluetooth wearable includes both eye and motion sensors that can tell when you're close to nodding off. If it gets to that point, a companion smartphone app will give you a heads-up. The eyewear is useful even when you're fully alert, as it can handle basic fitness duties like step counting and calorie tracking.
Epson's latest Android glasses finally arrive for the faithful few
We doubt that there's a horde of wearable fans jonesing for Epson's second-gen Moverio glasses -- not after Google's one-day Glass sale, anyway -- but they're at last available, several weeks behind schedule. Spend $700 and the just-shipping BT-200 headset will put a basic (and frankly decrepit) Android 4.0 interface in front of your eyes. It does have a few tricks up its sleeve that Google can't quite match, though. There's wireless video mirroring and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound; you'll also get long-overdue head-motion tracking and a camera whose LED makes it clear that you're recording. The new Moverio is far from reproducing the cachet (or social stigmas) of Google's eyepiece, but look at it this way: The money you save by skimping on trendier eyewear can be put toward nobler pursuits.
'Wearable eyes' take all the work out of having emotions
Ever seen one of those funny novelty spectacles with eyes drawn on them? Dr. Hirotaka Osawa from Tsukuba University in Japan has designed a high-tech version of those called AgencyGlass, and they have eyes that actually move. The digital eyes blink when you nod or shake your head, look up when you tilt your head down and (best of all) it stays open even while you doze off, all thanks to a gyroscope and an accelerometer that detects head movement. That's not all they can do, though -- the eyes also automatically look up when the system determines that a person is looking at you, as taken by the accompanying camera. In fact, Osawa designed the bizarre smartglasses for that purpose: to make you look friendlier and less socially awkward than you actually are.
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.
These laser goggles let you live out your X-Men dreams
Many X-Men fans want to be Wolverine, but the cool kids know that Cyclops is the real star. How can you beat lasers for eyes? Patrick Priebe is most certainly aware, as he built a real-world set of laser-blasting goggles to emulate Cyclops' optic blasts. While the wearable isn't powerful enough to take down the likes of Magneto, it lets the fortunate user burn cloth and pop balloons just by winking an eye. Unfortunately, you probably won't get to try the goggles unless you hang out with Patrick. He's not making additional pairs or offering blueprints, in part because the design is inherently dangerous -- it would put high-powered lasers just a short distance from your head, after all. Still, the eyepiece could well be the closest that we get to Scott Summers' superhero powers without a genetic mutation.
Temple Run in first-person, courtesy of Epson's Android glasses (hands-on)
We saw Epson's Moverio BT-200 glasses back at CES, and while not much has changed on the hardware front since then, the company dropped by SXSW to demo a few new games. There's also a new homemade camera rig, so it's now possible to share the excitement here. Moverio supports the full version of Android 4.0, but unlike smartphones and tablets running the same OS, these glasses include a pair of embedded transparent displays, which provide a surprisingly usable view, while also preserving some of your field of vision -- we absolutely would not recommend walking, driving or interacting with humans while wearing them, though.
Google Glass gets prescription glasses: four styles, $225 each (video)
Remember when Google said its wearable would work perfectly fine with prescription glasses? Well it's finally delivered, offering a $225 upgrade option for current Google Glass Explorers. Crafted from titanium (whatever else?), the designs are pretty unassuming and classy: they look like glasses frames you'd see at an optometrist. There's four styles to choose from -- Curve, Thin, Split, Bold -- making the selection sound more like font categories than frame categories. Google Glass then attaches to the frame through several screws. More styles (in other materials and shapes, possibly) are incoming, but the team behind this launch range (the designs were all done in-house at Google) said their aim was simplicity -- it helps that the extra frame-age also helps to obscure the still rather conspicuous Google eye-piece. Early adopters will be able to shop around for frames starting this afternoon and VSP, the largest optical health insurance provider in the US, is working with Google to offer subsidized frames and lenses for those who qualify.
Vuzix plans to make smart sunglasses you'd actually like to wear
Although smart sunglasses exist (like Recon's above), they're seldom pretty by the usual standards -- you won't impress many people at the beach. If Vuzix has its way, though, these shades will be as fashionable as the eyewear from your favorite label. It has just reached a deal with an unnamed major electronics company that could lead to smart glasses that look just as good as "designer sunglasses;" see-through waveguide optics would keep the display relatively subtle. Just don't hold off on buying any traditional gear in the meantime. Vuzix doesn't expect to build prototypes before 2015, let alone a finished product. Still, it's good to know that smart sunglasses and style won't be mutually exclusive at some point in the future.
Epson introduces new Moverio glasses with head-motion tracking and camera
Everybody knows about those other smart glasses, but they're certainly not the only ones making a big fuss these days. Epson has been working on a similar product called the Moverio BT-100, for the last few years, and it's ready to show off the next iteration of its signature wearable at CES. This one, the BT-200, will retail for the same $700 price point as the original, and comes with Android 4.0 support and a few new features and capabilities: Bluetooth 3.0 support, head-motion tracking aided by sensors and Dolby Digital Plus for surround sound are among the new options. Also, there's a front-facing camera with image and video capture, but bystanders won't need to worry about asking you if you're filming them -- an LED lights up on the lower left corner anytime you're trying to capture precious moments. But how does it look inside the glasses? Thanks to a pair of tiny transparent displays built into the glasses, you can view movies, play games, do augmented reality and conduct other tasks while walking around, talking to other people or any other normal activity. It comes with an Android device attached that doesn't actually feature a touchscreen; rather, it acts like a mouse of sorts, mimicking your movements on the display and letting you drag the cursor around to wherever you want. It also features wireless mirroring, so other people can watch you fall flat on your virtual face on a HDTV. Sound good to you? Check out our full gallery of images and save up $700 before March. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Lumus reveals classy two-tone Glass competitor with in-lens display
Lumus is a heads up display (HUD) manufacturer better known for its military-grade products, some of which have been deployed in US Air Force F-16 and A-10 helmets. Its latest effort, the DK-40 dev kit, is an attempt to steer its tech toward the consumer market. And yes, it looks a lot like Google Glass. But instead of projecting notifications on the outskirts of your peripheral vision, the entire right lens of Lumus' Android-powered eyewear is a 640 x 480 see-through display. The DK-40 also includes a motion sensor and 5-megapixel camera necessary for a true AR experience. Though its sleek design is more socially acceptable than its fighter pilot headgear, Lumus doesn't intend to mass-produce anything just yet. The glasses are still deep in development stages, harboring only 1-2 hours worth of battery life. Instead, the company simply wants to promote the adoption of its lens technology. The entire monocular kit and SDK will debut at CES 2014, but won't ship to OEMs and "select developers" until the end of Q1 2014.
