Google Glass made a huge splash when it was shown off back at Google I/O 2012 and many attendees shelled out $1,500 for it, but some held out to see what the competition had to offer. Vuzix back in November announced its Google Glass competitor, but didn’t announce too many details and focused mainly on specifications. On Friday, however, Vuzix released the first phase of the SDK for developers to build apps for its Smart Glasses.
Vuzix says that Phase 1 provides developers with the software needed to begin the code writing process with the PC emulator for Android. While this is only the first portion of the SDK, it provides the essentials for developers looking to build apps for the device.
The SDK is available now for those who pre-registered, as well as new developers on developer.vuzix.com in the developer center. Developers will be able to get advice, support, and updates through the developer center, as well as early access to the M100 Smart Glasses. Vuzix also announced today that the smart glasses will be available in gold and silver and be announced and delivered in stages and updated often.
The Vuzix Smart Glasses are powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and feature a virtual display eyepiece, Bluetooth, WiFi, a 720p camera, and head-tracking sensors that are paired with a gyroscope, GPS, and digital compass. The M100 device offers an earpiece and noise canceling microphone for voice commands, as well. It displays in a WVGA resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It gives the impression of looking at a 4 inch display at a distance of about 14 inches. The camera on the unit shoots video and images at 1280 x 720 resolutions and it’s powered by a 1GHz OMAP4430 processor with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage. According to Vuzix, you’ll be able to last for 8 hours on a single charge with hands-free use or two hours with the screen on. Google has been silent on the battery life for Project Glass, so it’s unclear how the two stack up against each other.
What do you think of smart glasses, whether it be Google or Vuzix?