Numerous sources, including an informative piece on DroidForums.net, are saying that by the end of this year (think Christmas time), Google (News - Alert) will be making commercially available an Android based heads-up display (HUD) pair of glasses. As reported the development effort is supposedly an “experiment,” but it is being overseen by Google co-founder Sergey Brin (News - Alert) and engineer extraordinaire Steve Lee.
Features being cited for the new pair of shades include:
Rumored retail price for the glasses that are reportedly based on the popular Oakley frames is $250 to $600. Hopefully, they will fit well:
May be it will give all of us Bette Davis eyes.
On a bit more serious note, the addition of HUD devices is just one more indicator of how quickly the device category is fragmenting to meet the needs of specific customer sets in terms of form factor, convenience, etc. Wearable computing is a huge potential category. And, while I have been scoffed at by colleagues, it seems that wearable/washable shirts that are screens are not likely to be far behind.
Indeed, think of not just the opportunities in broadcast mode for advertisers, but also of how the integration of HUD with such screens allows for the ultimate in real-time personal expression. That certainly would make walking the streets of major metropolitan areas high sensory impact zones.
Note to Google: I would like to be a beta customer.