Google Glass Gets Competition

Even if you don't own a pair (I don't know anyone who does), you're probably familiar with Google Glass.

If not, here's some background (courtesy of Wikipedia):

Google Glass is a type of wearable technology with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD). It was developed by Google^[9] with the mission of producing a mass-market ubiquitous computer.^[1] Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format.^[10]Wearers communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands.^[11][12] Google started selling a prototype of Google Glass to qualified "Glass Explorers" in the US on April 15, 2013, for a limited period for $1,500, before it became available to the public on May 15, 2014,^[13] for the same price.

 

On January 15, 2015, Google announced that it would stop producing the Google Glass prototype but remained committed to the development of the product. In their eyes Project Glass was ready to 'graduate' from Google Labs, the experimental phase of the project.^[14]

 

Now, it would appear, some competition has arisen over at Sony.

From CNET:

Sony is making a pass at Google Glass, announcing that a developer edition of the Sony SmartEyeglasshigh-tech specs are available to order now -- and they're cheaper than Glass, even if they're nowhere near as elegant.

 

The SmartEyeglass Developer Edition SED-E1 is the first set of smart glasses from Sony to go on sale. They are available from March in the US, the UK, Germany and Japan for $840, £520, €670 or 100,000 yen, and pre-orders are open today in the UK and Germany. They'll also be on sale to business customers in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. No Australian prices or details were announced but the UK price converts to around AU$1,020.

 

Having looked at both products, I've gotta tell you, the people wearing them look kind of silly. Maybe it's just me, but for that kind of sticker price, I would expect to look better wearing them. Take a look at the video below, and see what you think.