Glass: Wearable Tech Coming To Life
Google Glass is the most hotly anticipated hardware device since the iPad and preceding smartphone devices. This summer Google will sell about 8,000 Glass devices ($1,500 each) to those that have opted for a chance to participate in the Glass explorers program.
In anticipation of the release to this closed group of testers this summer, Google has released the source code for the device, available for download here: https://code.google.com/p/google-glass-kernel-source/
I’m excited to see what it is like to wear Glass even with the out-of-the-box functionality. Could this device bring on a new wave of wearable hardware? I think so. Smartphones have proven how powerful technology can be when it’s on us all of the time. But unfortunately phones currently force us to escape the present; we’re constantly staring into our screens. Wearable technology changes this.
MYO is an easy example of a device that is currently under development. The MYO will let you interact with computers through simple hand and arm gestures.
My friend Arye Barnehama is building the Axio Melon headband. The headband does EEG scans of your brain to help you find your most productive music, which will help you stay focused for longer.
Finally, FitBit has lead this trend since 2009. They have already proven how lucrative this market can be; their pedometer and sleep tracker has been a hit with fitness junkies for over two years.
How about the price point on these devices? The Glass will start at $1,500 but that’s just to lure in only the die-hards and scare away the naysayers. Early reports indicate that Google aims to sell the device at just above the bill of materials, around $300. MYO is $149, Axio’s product will be about $100, and the Fitbit One is $99.
This is exciting because the price points on all of these devices are within reach of millions of consumers. I predict this summer’s fashion trends for early-adopters will include an array of wearable tech devices.
