Apple and Olympus Eyeing Google Glass Market
Google Glass is a product that’s ripe with potential, and the time is right for companies to produce their version of Google’s augmented reality / phone / browser / camera / device. Google announced the availability of Glass for pre-orders (US$1,500 or S$1,900, to be delivered next year) at the I/O last week. The official public release is slated for 2014. This week, Apple got a patent approved for its head-mounted display (HMD) and Olympus launched the MEG4.0, a wearable display and communications device sans camera.
![Google Glass (L) will see Olympus MEG 4.0 (R) in the race for heads-up display devices, while Apple (C) wants to squeeze in after getting a patent for a head-mounted display (HMD). [Image credits: Google, ShutterStock and Olympus]](http://www.techwireasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Glass-Apple-Olympus2.png)
Google Glass (L) will see Olympus MEG 4.0 (R) in the race for heads-up display devices, while Apple (C) might want to squeeze in after getting a patent for a head-mounted display (HMD). (Image credits: Google, ShutterStock and Olympus)
Olympus did not say when they will release MEG4.0 units for sale, or how much it will cost. They did unveil some of the specifications: 320×240 QVGA display, accelerometer and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity (no camera, unlike Glass). Apple’s patent approval may not necessarily mean it will build HMDs, but it does mean Apple can sue other manufacturers who will try to create devices that resemble the broad scope of products that its HMD patent covers.
READ MORE
- Semiconductor: Chip nationalism is a ‘blessing,’ SEMI CEO says
- Red Hat’s revolution: Speeding generative AI adoption in hybrid clouds
- How 5G can enhance agriculture and fisheries in Southeast Asia
- Navigating the intersection of sustainability and technology in Singapore
- Why the US should be concerned about China’s quantum developments