Google Glass may have failed for a myriad of reason including, but not limited to, the poor design, the fear of not knowing if you were being filmed, and the high entry cost. I had high hopes for Google Glass, but sadly after the failure by Google, many tech companies were scared away from putting a computer on your face. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality is bringing a resurgence to smart glasses, lead by Snapchat’s new Spectacles.
A new Kickstarter campaign has surfaced with a new pair of glasses being pitched as “your everyday smart glasses.” The glasses by Vue won’t make you look like a “Glasshole,” nor do they look any different than your traditional pair of glasses you need for your prescription.
The glasses let you listen to music, make phone calls, track your activity, and can work with prescription lens, non-corrective lens, or even as sunglasses. While the glasses aren’t as advanced as Google Glass, with a lack heads up displays where you can have a virtual image overlayed on the real world. Vue glasses are heavily relying on your phone for audio commands from Google Maps, Siri, or Google Now/Assistant.
The idea is you’ll wear these glasses around where every you go and be able to listen to music or take a call discretely without anyone noticing. The discrete design means you’ll never know when someone’s listening to a podcast, music, or they’re listening to you.
The audio uses bone conducting speakers which work well enough but won’t sound like a decent pair of headphones. The wireless charging case will keep you charged for hours of usage, and get you 5 hours of talk time or music listening time. You won’t be able to use them all day, but they’ll get you through the more boring parts of the day. If you need glasses to see, they’ll give you extra functions than traditional dumb glasses, but while you charging up, you’ll need another pair of glasses.
They’ve already blown past their $50,000 goal with over $230,000 raised. If you act quickly you can snag a pair of these glasses for only $179! The glasses will ship July 2017, but we know almost every Kickstarter hits some delays along the way. Either way, these glasses are an exciting new take on smart glasses.
Tell us in the comments below if you’re going to pick up a pair of these glasses!
Also, check out the thread for Vue on Product Hunt;