Robert Evatt: Glasses tied to Internet floated by Google, Microsoft
BY ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
12/04/12 at 5:35 AM
We may be heading toward a future that has us wearing augmented reality glasses, and not just glasses made by one company.
Microsoft Corp. just filed a patent application for wearable glasses that can instantly project images and information on the inside of the lens.
The patent specifically shows a baseball game with each player's statistics over his head, but there are plenty of other possibilities.
The glasses could instantly project arrows for navigation, take pictures on command, or even project you into good old-fashioned virtual reality.
These glasses would be a competitor to Project Glass, which is set for release in 2014.
Unlike the traditional-looking glasses in the Microsoft patent, Project Glass is mostly a metal headband with a small display hanging in the upper-right area of the right eye.
Before we get too excited about the competition, keep in mind that Microsoft hasn't officially announced anything, and that companies frequently patent all kinds of things that never see the light of day.
Still, Microsoft's move shows the computing giant is at least thinking in that direction.
If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping yet, Tulsa-based ZOMM is offering its pocket-size Wireless Leash, normally $79.99 apiece, at a price of two for $49.98 on the website of home shopping channel QVC.
Yes, ZOMM CEO Henry Penix appeared on the show to demonstrate the product.
The promotion marks the second time in recent months that Penix has been on network television representing ZOMM. The first time was on an October episode of "Shark Tank," a reality show in which entrepreneurs pitch their inventions to a panel of potential investors. No, they didn't bite.
Penix mentioned on the QVC show that the company had $2 million in excess inventory, so the sale might be to clear things out.
I've used a Wireless Leash, and it delivers on its promise to keep you from losing your phone, take hands-free calls via its speaker and more.
Penix continues to plan for the future. He told me in October that ZOMM will unveil Proximity Marketing, a low-power Bluetooth advertising service, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month.
Lifestyle Connect, a health monitoring device from ZOMM that also pairs with smartphones, was announced at CES last January and is still planned for release.
Read more about ZOMM at tulsaworld.com/zomm.
Original Print Headline: Tech giants eye glasses
Robert Evatt 918-581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google Inc., wears Project Glass Internet glasses while speaking at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco last June. Microsoft is seeking a patent for a device that could compete with the Google product-in-development. DAVID PAUL MORRIS / Bloomberg
Henry Penix: His Tulsa-based company continues to develop products.
|
