Google working on 'augmented reality' glasses?

Search giant Google may actually be working on Google Goggles: a wearable display that resembles a pair of glasses that can communicate with an Android smartphone.

 

Enthusiast site 9to5google.com said Apple and Google have secretly begun working on projects that will become wearable computers.

 

"In Google’s secret Google X labs, researchers are working on peripherals that — when attached to your clothing or body — would communicate information back to an Android smartphone. People familiar with the work in the lab say Google has hired electronic engineers from Nokia Labs, Apple and engineering universities who specialize in tiny wearable computers," it said.

 

But while Apple may be focusing on iPod nano-like watches, Google may be focusing on heads-up displays, it said.

 

According to 9to5google.com, the "late prototype" gadgets resemble thick-rimmed glasses that “normal people” wear.

 

But the glasses provide a display with a heads-up computer interface and have some buttons on the arms of the glasses.

 

It speculated a transparent LCD or AMOLED display may be used.

 

"According to our source, it communicates directly with the Cloud over IP. Although, the 'Google Goggles' could use a phone’s Internet connection, through Wi-Fi or a low power Bluetooth 4.0," it said.

 

The use-case is augmented reality that would tie into Google’s location services.

 

"A user can walk around with information popping up and into display -Terminator-style- based on preferences, location and Google’s information ... Therefore, these things likely connect to the Internet and have GPS.  They also likely run a version of Android," it said.

 

The site said there is no release date yet for this new device, "but we know that Google Co-founder Sergey Brin is closely associated with the project and it will be Google-branded hardware."

 

A separate article on CNET said the Google-designed eyeglasses could display information on the world around us.

 

"(T)he high-tech specs would tap into Google's cloud-based location services to convey details about the user's surroundings. The visual information would then appear as a 3D augmented reality computer display," it said. — TJD, GMA News