Intel Buys Swiss Smart Eyewear Startup

“Just as Google has stepped back from making networked eyewear, Intel is stepping into the gap with the purchase of Swiss startup Composyt Light Labs for an undisclosed amount,” according to a post on ZDNET. “A spinoff of the famous Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, known as the EPFL), the company creates smart glass technology that can work with any type of eyewear. For its initial designs, the startup uses an ultra-miniature laser projector (developed by another EPFL start-up Lemoptix) built into the frame of the glasses. This projects images onto a transparent lens, which has a holographic film coating that reflects the information towards the eye.” Read more.

Innovega Closer to Offering AR CLs/Eyewear

“Google's Glass wearable has yet to exit its beta ‘Explorer Program’ -- though prescription lenses appear to be on the way -- and still tends to freak people out and keep the critics testing it in the wild apprehensive of wearing it in public settings,” according to CNET. “Innovega, which showcased its unique iOptik augmented reality (AR) device on the head of a mannequin at last year's CES, is confident that it's getting closer to [augmented reality contact lenses that]…we'll actually want to wear, but with the unconventional caveat of contact lenses, an untested stipulation at the moment. The company, headed up by CEO Stephen Willey, will be back at CES 2014 next week, but this time with a fully functioning prototype. The device, a pair of sleek eyeglasses capable of overlaying digital media and transparent AR data onto the accompanying lenses, will be worn by Innovega staff on the floors of CES. But why does one need to slip something over our eyeballs to use the iOptik system?” Read more.

Google Expanding Use of Its Eyewear

“In the latest move to expand use of its Glass eyewear, Google has reportedly begun inviting developers to purchase the device,” goes the Los Angeles Times post. “The developer invitations to purchase the $1,500 devices came shortly after Google made it  possible for all developers to create Glass apps -- known as Glassware. Google is trying to get more apps developed for the eyewear. Late last month, the company told existing users they could each invite three people to purchase Glass. That was followed by Google posting an online form so that any consumer could apply to receive an invitation. The company also said it will no longer disable the device if users try to sell them. That has spurred some users to try to sell their gadgets at steep prices on EBay and Craigslist.” Read more.

In related news, Linda Conlin's presentation about AR contact lenses at OpticalCEUs Fall 2013 Conference received rave reviews. Read more.

Atheer’s Eyewear Brings ‘Minority Report’ to AR. Google Drops Facial Recognition

“While Google prepares to release eyewear that provides a window to the Web, a startup on the edge of its campus is readying glasses that overlay the Internet on the world in 3D,” writes Yahoo! OMG!. “Atheer Labs on Thursday provided the first public look at prototype eyewear that lets people manipulate virtual objects, maps and more in the air in a style reminiscent of a scene in the film ‘Minority Report.’” Read more.
Meanwhile, “Google late Friday put out word that it won't add face-recognition features to Glass, in a bow to privacy fears raised about the camera-enabled Internet-connected eyewear,” reports Yahoo! Sports New Zealand. “’We won't add facial recognition features to our products without having strong privacy protections in place,’ Google said in an online message aimed at software developers creating applications for Glass.” Read more.

Up Close and Personal with Google Glasses. And How and When to Use Them.

“I had two transformative yet very minor optical experiences last week, both kicking off in the space of 2 hours: I got contact lenses, and I began experimenting with Google Glass,” according to CNET writer Scott Stein. “The two are interlinked, because I couldn't use Google's bleeding-edge wearable tech with my comfy Ray-Ban eyeglasses. If I was going to use Glass, I'd need contacts.” Read about his experience with Google Glass.

Meanwhile the New York Times reports “Google’s wearable computer, the most anticipated piece of electronic wizardry since the iPad and iPhone, will not go on sale for many months. But the resistance is already under way. The glasseslike device…has been pre-emptively banned by a Seattle bar. Large parts of Las Vegas will not welcome wearers. West Virginia legislators tried to make it illegal to use the gadget, known as Google Glass, while driving….As personal technology becomes increasingly nimble and invisible, Glass is prompting questions of whether it will distract drivers, upend relationships and strip people of what little privacy they still have in public.” Read more.

Some Specs on Google’s Specs

“Along with word that Google Glasses are rolling off the assembly line, we get our first look at the specs behind the high-tech spectacles,” reports the digital industry site, CNET. “The eyewear will be capable of capturing 5-megapixel images and video at a resolution of 720p, according to the technical specs Google released this evening. The first glimpse of the eyewear's hardware come as the Web giant sent out an e-mail today to everyone on the Glass Explorers list to say that a few of the $1,500 wearable devices had already come off the production line. It will also feature 16GB of Flash storage synced with Google cloud storage, of which 12GB will be usable. The headset will sport Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, although it will be at the older and slower 802.11 B/G standards. The MyGlass companion app will allow GPS and SMS messaging but run only on devices with Android 4.0.3 or higher.” Read more.

Move Over Google Glass. Here’s Sony’s!

“Watch out, Google. A recently published patent application reveals that Sony’s head mounted display glasses are progressing down the evolutionary path rather nicely. What once amounted to just wide-eyed concepts, this latest patent filing, a continuation patent filed on November 14, 2012, shows that Sony, with perhaps a bit of inspiration for Google Glass, is nearing a practical model. And unlike Google’s take on HMDs, Sony’s has information displays for both eyes,” reports Tech Crunch. “This isn’t the first patent to reveal Sony’s HMD aspirations. A patent published in the summer of 2012 shows a futuristic device — it looks like something from a made-for-TV sci-fi movie. The device in that patent has two lens, not connected by a traditional bridge, with each lens acting also serving as a display. There are cameras and battery packs and the works. This is, after all, just a concept.” Read more. You can also read more about the eyewear here.

What Company Will Manufacture Google Glasses

Focus Taiwan has reported that “Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, declined Thursday to comment on a report that it has been tapped to assemble Google Inc.'s futuristic digital eyewear.” Read more.

Meanwhile the CNBC has come out with the following story: “Google will manufacture Project Glass, its futuristic digital eyewear, in Silicon Valley, in a high-profile example of the return of electronics manufacturing to the U.S., the Financial Times reports.” Read more.

More on the same story from the Los Angeles Times.

Google Looking at New Style of Google Glass

"Internet search giant Google Inc. recently announced that it is testing new eyewear in its research lab, which will be released worldwide in the second half of next year," reports Yahoo! Finance. "The eyewear is unique as it has a tiny camera embedded in it. The camera helps to deploy the “heads-up display” through which data can be projected into the users’ vision. The display is located above the right hand side of the glass and features an inbuilt camera. The idea behind this new Internet enabled eyewear is much like a wearable smartphone, which will allow the user to receive calls, take pictures, send messages, record a video, use Google Maps and perform other functions via voice-activated commands." Read more.

Google Glass Struts During Fashion Week

Backstage wearing Google Glass during Fashion Week

"It seems that whenever Google gives us a little sneak peek at Glass someone complains about how unfashionable the augmented reality eyewear looks. The search engine giant's recent collaboration with designer Diane von Furstenberg might nip some of those complaints in the bud though," according to Today. "During New York Fashion Week, several models and other members of the Diane von Furstenberg (DVF) team wore Glass in order to offer a new perspective on what happens behind the scenes of a fashion show." Read more.