Vuzix Blade is bringing Goggles back
CES-time hype, so you know, take it for what it’s worth – for those who thought Google Goggles were a pretty good idea, the Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses might be exactly what you’re looking for.
There’s a fairly useful looking video, which may or may not match your experience.
As it has a camera in it you can expect that people will start taking offense, as they did with the Goggles, but whatevs.
Here’s a press release, these things look neat, price tag around $1K USD so not happening for me, but they do look cool.
Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses are the first and only fashion forward full color, see-through smart glasses available on the market today for consumers that support app developers and applications running directly on the glasses. The Vuzix Blade is a wearable smart display with a see-through viewing experience utilizing Vuzix’s proprietary waveguide optics and full color Cobra II display engine in a truly wearable form factor. It’s like having your computer or smartphone screen information with you wherever you go on demand and includes an HD camera to let you see, recognize, respond to and record the outside real world. Just as users of smart phones see alerts and information on their mobile screens when they hold their phones, wearers of the Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses receive personalized alerts and information as a function of where they are looking with a visual overlay that pops into their field of vision; delivered hands-free and on the go.
The Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses platform includes an Android based operating system on the device, a cloud-based services platform that is being developed specifically for the Blade and a growing ecosystem of apps and software development firms around the world that we are working with. Examples of the latter include Yelp and AccuWeather; and we are currently working with Amazon to finish the broader integration of Alexa to take advantage of many new and unique capabilities of the Blade and expect to complete certification soon; and Alexa BETA is currently available for developers.
The Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses platform enables new visual ways to reach, interact and connect with consumers. Planning an appointment or dinner reservation is important for almost everyone, whether travelling locally or to new cities or destinations. The Yelp Fusion API allows Vuzix users to quickly and safely connect with great local businesses in a whole new way, from discovering a new coffee shop to booking a restaurant reservation on-the-go.
Similarly, just as users of smart phones see routine weather forecasts on their mobile screens, wearers of the Vuzix Blade will now be able to view a comprehensive weather forecast as a visual overlay that pops into their field of vision. Vuzix has entered into a strategic partnership with AccuWeather, the largest and fastest-growing weather media company and a global leader in weather-related big data, business and analytics, providing localized weather forecasts to more than 1.5 billion people worldwide. This partnership will bring compelling and dynamic interactive AR-based weather experiences to Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses users across the globe, allowing them to interact and view localized weather content and weather forecasts through their Vuzix Blades. Planning for the weather can be critically important at home or travelling to other cities or destinations. Vuzix users will now have the added convenience of leaving their phones in their pockets while wearing the Vuzix Blade to stay informed and updated regarding the weather without missing a beat. The AccuWeather AR weather app is expected to be released on the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses during the first quarter of 2019.
The Vuzix Blade Companion App, available on the App Store or Google Play, enables easy setup and customization of your Blade including managing Wi-Fi connections and pairing your Blade Smart Glasses to your phone. The Blade Companion App on the smart phone allows users to manage practically all application notifications and alerts from their phone to the Blade including email, messages and navigation as well as media player control and more. For consumers, the current Vuzix Blade Companion App is being upgraded with new functionality including the enablement of photo and video sharing between the Blade and the smart phone, putting users just one click away from sharing their favorite video or picture on social media platforms.
The Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses are supported by the Vuzix App Store, which allows Blade users to register their Blade Smart Glasses and select applications that they want pushed down to their glasses. The Vuzix Blade BETA App Store is also now open and can be accessed here. The Vuzix Blade ecosystem of consumer-oriented applications is expected to grow significantly throughout 2019 – ranging from utilities to entertainment with applications like karaoke, language translation, sheet music scrolling and more. Also included on the Blade Smart Glasses are four fun games designed exclusively for Vuzix, including AR Dino Hunter, AR-Golf, AR-Racers, and an idle AR Space-Miner game. Shipments of the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses consumer version are expected to begin shipping by the first week of February 2019. “The general release of the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses is a significant step forward for the AR Smart Glasses industry and delivers against many promises made by other notable players in the smart glasses industry that have gone unfulfilled. Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses are truly wearable smart glasses that can not only be unboxed and paired to a phone in a matter of minutes, but also deliver immediate utility for prosumers and consumers,” said Paul Travers, Vuzix President and Chief Executive Officer. “Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses also mark the beginning of leaving your phone in your pocket, ushering in a new and dynamic era of wearable computing. And of course, the Blade Smart Glasses is also a great hands-free productivity tool for business, delivering a powerful mobile computing experience.”
