Epson and Vuzix Press Ahead with Smart Eyewear

Aside from Intel purchasing smart eyewear company Recon, there's more news on the smart eyewear front.

According to ReadWrite, "Epson has unveiled a significant upgrade to its Moverio smart eyewear device with the BT-2000...[T]he BT-2000 is focused on business use, offering a variety of augmented-reality apps for professional users. The integrated camera gets a bump to 5 megapixels and now includes 3D depth sensing, while its AR capabilities are boosted further with the addition of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) for more-accurate head tracking. The display has been brightened up and the unit now supports voice control even without an active Wi-Fi connection. That all should mean a clearer display for the wearer and more accurate AR capabilities. The software running on the BT-2000 eyewear is based on Android, and Epson says the device is going on sale in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan and the U.S. this fall." Read more.

Eyeglass World has launched the first retail collection of prescription lenses for the Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses and other smart glasses technologies, says a press release from Vuzix. The debut coincides with Eyeglass World's retail expansion into California. Eyeglass World celebrated the grand opening of a Vista, California location on Friday, June 19, 2015, which is the first of eight Eyeglass World stores planned for the San Diego area by June 2016. Read more.

Intel Buys Smart Eyewear Company, Recon

"Last week Intel announced the acquisition of Recon Instruments, a Canadian company that sell smart glasses dedicated to sport people, and already raised funds from Intel Capital in September 2013," reports GPS Business News. "In total the company raised $17 million over three rounds and the acquisition is said to be upwards of $175 million.'This acquisition gives Intel a talented, experienced wearable computing team that will help us expand the market for head mounted display products and technologies,' wrote Josh Walden, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s New Technology Group." Read more.

Recon, Google-Glass Competitior, Gets Funding from Intel

"Intel Capital on Thursday made a 'significant' investment in Canadian wearables technology company Recon Instruments, the Vancouver, BC makers of consumer heads-up display products for sports. Intel Capital, Intel's investment arm, makes equity investments in innovative technology startups and companies," reports Sci-Tech-Today. "Founded in 2008, Recon Instruments lays claim to the 'world's first consumer Heads-up Displays (HUD) for sports,' selling over 50,000 units of its wearables, and making partnerships with known eyewear brands." Read more.