Through a Glass, augmentedly
Following Apple’s recent announcement and rollout of Augmented Reality functionality in future OS updates, AR is back in the spotlight. But one piece of AR tech that seemingly came and went is now coming back into focus: Google Glass. According to a post, use of the enterprise version of Glass – used pretty much exclusively by workers, not overly teched-out Silicon Valley types – never really went away, and is now expanding.
Looking more like techie safety glasses, the Google Glass Enterprise Edition spectacles have found success in numerous business applications, from aircraft maintenance to warehouse inventory control to hospital work. While the public version of Glass was both a focus of interest and sometimes derision for those wearing it out in public, the geeky work specs may be about to expand their role into even more business applications.
And, since they are subject to the usual forces of technological development, that means future versions will likely be more capable, less expensive, and quite possibly, much lower profile. Eventually, Google Glass could develop into the somewhat invisible everyday consumer product it was initially hoped to be, and the Google folks will say, “see, told ya so.”
Overhead projection
Speaking of augmented reality, and Apple, check out the Mira Prism, an augmented reality headset that, for the time being, only works with iPhones. Still in development, the Mira Prism works sort of like Samsung’s Gear VR headset in that the headset just holds your phone. Mira’s AR software app lets you play games, work on stuff in floaty 3D, and generally… augment what you see.
Looks kinda geeky in a fun way but if Mira can come through on their promises, this could be a breakthrough product. According to their website, the Mira Prism will roll out to developers in the fall with a consumer release slated for the holidays. Pre-orders are up now for $99 with an MSRP of $149.
Not Finnished yet…
All eyes are on Apple as September gets ever closer and we will finally know what the iPhone 8 will look like and do, but competition may be coming from an unexpected player: Nokia. According to BGR, tech leaker Evan Bass has recently posted images on Twitter of what’s being called the Nokia 8.
Anyway, the Nokia 8 is purportedly packing some serious flair, with a 5.3-inch QHD display that does have bezels, twin vertical 13-megapixel rear cameras with Carl Zeiss optics, speedy Snapdragon 835 CPU, 4 or even 6 gigs or RAM, and a price expected to be under $700. Yes, it’ll run on Android, and current rumors suggest it’ll hit the market on July 31st.
And once it’s out, you may even want to wait, as an even more feature-filled phone, the Nokia 9, is expected by the end of the year. Looks like Nokia could be back in a big way, so stay tuned.
We’ve got more news on our Facebook page and YouTube channel, and be sure to tune in to this week’s DT podcasts: Close to the Metal (computers and such) on Tuesday, Trends with Benefits (general tech shenanigans) on Thursdays, and Between the Streams (movie and TV topics) every Friday.
