As dorky as you’ll look wearing Google Glasses, the idea of augmented reality specs is dripping with potential awesomeness (and guaranteed hilarity). So it’s not a surprise that sunglasses king Oakley is working on its own Google Glasses competitor. Maybe they won’t be as ugly as Google’s?
I know, I know, we’re talking about Oakley. Bike cop-outfitting, aftershave-smelling Oakley. But aside from momentary lapses of taste, Oakley can still pump out a good pair of glasses (the Frogskins are great and its glasses for athletes are forever popular). And if there is one thing Oakley knows, its optics. If you’re wearing glasses, it’s a good idea to get the lenses right, right? This could work! Oakley told Bloomberg:
As an organisation, we’ve been chasing this beast since 1997. Ultimately, everything happens through your eyes, and the closer we can bring it to your eyes, the quicker the consumer is going to adopt the platform.
According to Bloomberg, the glasses will function on its own while also working with a smartphone. The whole system might be controlled with Siri-like voice commands and is currently targeted to launch for athletes first. Oakley CEO Colin Baden said “that’s the halo point of where we would begin” and then branch out to other fields (military? normal life?) with a huge emphasis on style because, “people get very particular when they put stuff on their face”. Here’s to hoping Oakley can make something worth wearing. [Bloomberg]