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ODG's Qualcomm-powered glasses tout AR, VR

The San Francisco wearables company shows off its R-8 and R-9 smart glasses, which run Android and give you the full functionality of a computer on your face.

James Martin
James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.
Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
James Martin
Shara Tibken
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Looking smart

San Francisco-based wearables company Osterhout Design Group has created two pairs of smart glasses -- the R-8 and R-9 -- that use Qualcomm's new, high-end Snapdragon 835 processor.

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The R-9 glasses are geared toward business customers.

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The R-9 glasses will go on sale in the second quarter and will cost $1,800.

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The R-9 glasses feature a connector on the top for attaching business-focused modules.

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Everything needed to run and navigate the glasses is included on the device, like volume keys and scroll wheels.

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A big feature of both models is the high-definition displays. The R-9 includes two 1080p displays while the R-8 has two 720p displays.

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Looking through the R-9 business version is like staring at a 120-inch TV, 10 feet in front of you. The R-8 is like looking at a 90-inch TV.

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ODG has partnered with 21st Century Fox and China Mobile's content group, among others, to provide movies and TV shows for the glasses.

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Because the glasses run Android, you can do things like play Pokemon Go.

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You can even check your email on the glasses.

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Cameras on the consumer version let you capture 3D video that you can stream to others.

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The consumer version of the glasses, the R-8, will go on sale in the second half of the year for less than $1,000.

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The consumer version of the glasses are lightweight at only 4.2 ounces -- less than most phones, like the 4.9-ounce iPhone 7. Microsoft's Hololens weighs a whopping 20.4 ounces.

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Games and other apps can use both AR and VR, such as one ODG-designed app where you see a virtual door in the real world. When you walk through the door, you're in a virtual world, but you can look behind you and see the real world.

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