Is Google working on high-tech spectacles?
Revenge of the nerd glasses! The search giant is said to be creating eyewear that would tap into the cloud to display details about the wearer's surroundings.
Google is reportedly designing eyeglasses that could display information on the world around us.
The high-tech specs purportedly would tap into Google's cloud-based location services to convey details about the user's surroundings. The visual information would then appear as a 3D augmented reality computer display.
Known as wearable head-up displays (HUDs), the glasses are reportedly in the late prototype stage, says tech news site 9to5Google. Based on information from one of its sources, the site describes the glasses as similar in appearance to conventional eyeglasses but with a few buttons on the arms. The actual display technology is unknown, but 9to5Google speculates that it may use a transparent LCD or AMOLED screen.
The report follows a story in yesterday's New York Times claiming that both Google and Apple are hard at work fashioning wearable technology. One such product would be an iPod that wraps around your wrist through which you would use Apple's Siri to issue commands. Another concept reportedly in the works is technology placed on your body or clothes to communicate with your smartphone as a hub.
Dubbed "Google Goggles" by 9to5Google, the eyeglasses would most likely come with built-in GPS and be able to access the Internet through Wi-Fi or a mobile phone's connection. To make this and other wearable products a reality, Google has reportedly grabbed engineers from Nokia, Apple, and engineering universities with an expertise in wearable computers.
In response to CNET's query, a Google spokesperson said that the company doesn't comment on rumors, so it has nothing to add on this.