While Google may have already ceased in selling Google Glass, other companies will be trying to take up the slack. One of them is Japanese electronics company Sony. Yes, of the Playstation fame. They have announced the availability of the Sony SmartEyeglass for pre-orders.
The Sony SmartEyeglass comes in the heels of Google’s decision to cease making their popular Google Glass available for consumers. Maybe it was not so popular after all. But besides that, Sony will still pursue the technology with the availability of the SmartEyeglass Developer Edition for interested parties in Europe who may want to develop apps for it.
The Sony SmartEyeglass connects to host devices that run on Android 4.4. Its augmented reality features come to your through 419×138-pixel, monochrome green display that is projected to the lenses. The Sony SmartEyeglass also sports a 3MP camera, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, a speaker, mic and a host of other sensors. If there may be any complaints about the device, one of them may be the wired connectivity with your Android smartphone. That, and the rather bulky wired touchpad/controller that may be to bothersome for some people to use. If they can make these features wireless, then people may find it rather interesting enough to replace the void that Google Glass has vacated. Maybe in a few year’s time, that will be possible. The Sony SmartEyeglass can be pre-ordered in the UK and Germany for somewhere along the $840 to $850 price range.
Google Glass puts a small screen in front of one eye that displays various content as you call upon it. Sony’s glasses go all in, however, with transparent displays in both lenses. The result is an interface that couldn’t possibly be more intrusive, at least according to the video.
And then, we get to the design, which is nearly enough to leave us speechless.
The glasses themselves are hideous, and then there’s a cable dangling off them that leads to a control box, which you are then expected to fasten to your clothing somewhere. This way you can quickly and easily clear the display before you trip over a bench while walking down the street because someone texted you and the notification obstructed your view.
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