Vue, the everyday smart glasses, are now available for purchase
Vue, the first pair of smart glasses that are designed for everyday use, are now available for purchase to all.
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Google Glass was an ultimately failed attempt at giving us glasses that do more. Publicly announced in April 2012, most of us had high expectations. But after a few months public sentiment turned. The specs were rather odd looking and also ended up receiving criticism and legislative action due to privacy and safety concerns.
But don’t make the mistake of writing the smart glasses concept off.
Apple is reportedly working on a pair of smart specs. The augmented reality device will connect to iPhones for processing, show images and other information in the wearer’s field of vision. Talk is that the year 2022 will be when the Apple glasses will launch. Apparently suppliers are slowly ramping up development.
While you’re waiting for that, another product might pique your interest.
Vue Glasses
Vue Glasses were originally announced via a Kickstarter campaign back in 2016. The project raised over $2 million in funding so was very successful. Most of the backers have received their product by now and the glasses have been made available for purchase to all on the company’s website.
These are specs that are designed for everyday use. At a basic level, Vue function as normal glasses, meaning you are able to order the lenses you depend on, whether they are prescription, non-corrective or sunglasses.
In terms of smart features, the specs do not try to do as much as Google Glass which is a good thing. For one, there is no display. Built into the specs is a little microphone so you can issue voice commands. Also there are no earbuds. Instead, the glasses use bone conduction technology to send sound waves as vibrations through your skull. This frees your ears so you can still listen to your surroundings.
Vue’s smart features include: listening to music, calls, navigation and notifications via bone conduction speakers; basic activity monitoring functions (tracks your steps, calories, distance – and sends reminders to move); notifications about incoming texts and emails via a subtle LED; and more.
In addition to using voice commands, there is a little touch interface embedded into the arm of the frame. The touch surface fits seamlessly into the design and is indistinguishable from the rest of the frame. Vue has no ports or buttons, ensuring that the experience is as least intrusive as possible.
There are various styles and colors to choose from, and the glasses will keep going 2-3 days on a single charge. Charging time is around 2 hours and it is done wirelessly via the charging case.
The glasses start at $225 and can be purchased on vueglasses.com. User reviews have been mixed so far – so you might want to check them out on the Kickstarter campaign page.
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