Google is reportedly looking to bring its own “heads-up display” glasses to market as early as this year. The long-rumoured glasses are said to feature integrated connectivity and navigation features.
According to a New York Times report, employees familiar with the project have said the glasses will be publicly available before the end of the year and will be priced in the region of current smartphones. The glasses will reportedly have a 3G or 4G data connection, motion sensors and GPS.
In December last year, 9 to 5 Mac reported that the so-called Google Glasses, or Google Googles, were in late prototype phase and that they resembled ordinary “thick-rimmed” glasses with a few buttons on the arms. The same report also said the glasses connect directly to the cloud over IP to tap into various Google services.
The New York Times report states that Google has been considering the privacy implications of the new technology, and needs to ensure that “people know if they are being recorded by someone wearing a pair of glasses with a built-in camera”.
The search giant is said to view the project only as an experiment at this stage, and if the consumer response to the glasses is positive, then it will explore revenue streams.
Google is not alone in experimenting with wearable technology, however; Apple, Recon Instruments and Motorola are also reportedly testing various prototypes.
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