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Everything we know about Apple's smart glasses

66 points| DamnInteresting | 5 years ago |popularmechanics.com | reply

29 comments

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[+] colinthompson|5 years ago|reply
In general, I find Karl Guttag’s analysis far superior:

https://www.kguttag.com/2020/05/20/analyzing-front-page-tech...

[+] twoodfin|5 years ago|reply
That is a great analysis. But I'd put money down that he's wrong about the camera. It will have a "sensor package" which may actually include optics, but just like Face ID today, the raw data will be inaccessible to the user or applications.

I can't imagine privacy-focused Apple has any interest in selling a device that could be used to discreetly capture images. That caused no end of bad PR for Google Glass, and for the Apple of today it would be in service of a a marginally marketable feature at best.

I can certainly imagine Tim or Phil at the keynote: "When you want to take a picture, you have the best mobile camera in the world already in your pocket."

[+] localhost|5 years ago|reply
Wow. That is an incredible analysis and site. Thank you for sharing. I especially like the discussion around the design constraints implied by the rumored $499 price point.
[+] ceejayoz|5 years ago|reply
> The short version: nobody knows yet.

This is also the long version. The entire article is tantamount to Apple fanfic.

[+] olliej|5 years ago|reply
Better than slashfic? :)

But yeah this is bizarre “let’s invent things that we want” level stories

[+] napier|5 years ago|reply
For now, I just want some reading glasses. Somewhat-smart-glasses wired to my phone that allow me to read books and textual internet on the go. Basic text editor would be nice to have too. Doesn't even have to be full colour. I can wait for all singing and dancing immersive AR. Is there anything like this available or near to market?
[+] nexuist|5 years ago|reply
Same here. Just the ability to overlay text in the corner of your vision would be life changing. Combined with a Bluetooth keyboard and an ssh app, this could easily become the most mobile development device ever made.

Google Glass made strides towards the “text in the corner of your vision,” but they focused too much on developing a brand instead of roping in 3rd party devs. They released (limited) SDKs eventually, but by that point it was too late.

I think they would have had far greater success if they had set up a dev relations team before shipping.

[+] jb775|5 years ago|reply
Hopefully the make them look indistinguishable from normal glasses. I'm not gonna walk around in public looking like I have a video camera strapped to my forehead.
[+] totalforge|5 years ago|reply
Track down an old show called Denno Coil. Every character wears AR glasses, and there's practically a startup idea in every episode of the first season. It is so very Japanese that they used AR on a show from over 10 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennō_Coil
[+] ksec|5 years ago|reply
Am I the only who is not looking forward to any smart glasses.

I have been looking for Smartphone before iPhone launch. It was something obvious and would make big difference. I am not so sure about Glasses. I for one dont want to wear glasses any more having gone through laser surgery.

[+] wil421|5 years ago|reply
In 2014 I was not interested in any type of Google Glasses. Partly because I didn’t need glasses at the time. Now that I do it’s interesting enough for me to try. Sunglasses would be cool. Luckily for me I only have slight astigmatism and don’t qualify for contacts/surgery or glasses full time.

Apple products are abundant in my household but looking back the watch is easily my least favorite purchase. The glasses would need to be compelling.

[+] mrfusion|5 years ago|reply
So how would the vision correction work? I’m not seeing that.
[+] hbosch|5 years ago|reply
Probably a bad communication. You have to assume that they will just be able to fabricate and install normal prescription lenses, like any other glasses.
[+] ben174|5 years ago|reply
47 pixels per inch resolution? Surely that’s a typo?
[+] mmikeff|5 years ago|reply
That would be fantastic, a bbc micro strapped to each eyeball
[+] bsenftner|5 years ago|reply
If these actually eliminate the need for prescription ground lenses, that's it: killer app that will eliminate the prescription eye glasses industry as we know it, immediately placing Apple at the revenue and control peak. With everything taking place in manufacturing, I'm surprised dynamic precision shaped lenses are not already here.
[+] Someone|5 years ago|reply
I think the problem is that, if this changing the shape of the lens (as in https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/these-smart-glasse...) it means relatively soft surfaces, which means they’re easily scratched.

If it doesn’t, what does it involve? Dynamically adjustable gratings inside the lens? Varying the refractive index of the material? Is that possible? Without chromatic aberration?

[+] ceejayoz|5 years ago|reply
I've seen enough fascinating but impractical patents to be pretty skeptical of "big corp filed a patent, so their next product will definitely include it!"