Google Glass bone conduction earpiece tipped for private audio

Google has used bone conduction for its Project Glass wearable computer, it’s claimed, promising discrete notifications that only the wearer themselves can hear. The headset makes contact with the mastoid process, linked directly to the middle ear, insiders tell Geek, meaning any audio output – such as new messages, Google+ alerts, or other notifications – is piped in directly, completely inaudible to those around the Glass owner, and yet can still be perceived despite high background noise.

Bone conduction has been implemented on a number of wearable audio devices, from Bluetooth headsets – Jawbone’s headsets use speech vibrations picked up through the upper cheek to perform noise cancellation, for instance – to stereo headphones. As well as cutting through loud background noise more efficiently, they also can help keep the user’s ears open rather than plugging them up with earbuds.

That’s particularly useful if you’re using an AR device like Google Glass, which is intended to be worn semi-permanently. Google is yet to give any specific hardware details about audio from the headpiece – in fact, all specifications publicly shared to-date are subject to change, as Google tweaks the design ahead of the initial “Explorer” developer versions set to ship early in the new year – but it was assumed that a small speaker was embedded in the oversized arm-piece.

Such a speaker would have drawbacks, however. For instance, controlling volume would require repeated stabbing at buttons on the Glass device itself, unless automatic volume levels were implemented; that could lead to distractions for those around the wearer, if the volume was set too high. Meanwhile, some notifications might be private, or the audio could be a hands-free call, and discretion preferred.

Audio quality of bone conduction systems tends to be less audiophile-level than traditional headphones, but the technology’s other advantages may well outweigh any shortcomings there. It’s possible that the oblong pad in the image above – shared by Google back in May – is the bond conduction assembly.


Google Glass bone conduction earpiece tipped for private audio is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google Glasses rapid prototype built in just two hours

Rapid prototyping isn’t anything new, but making prototypes for future technologies in under a couple of hours is pretty incredible. In what almost seems like something you would see MacGyver do, a team of rapid prototypers have come up with working prototypes of several different technologies, including Google Glasses and the touch interface featured in Minority Report.

At Mind The Product 2012, Google’s Tom Chi demonstrated that anyone can build these incredible products and ideas by using everyday materials and a bit of ingenuity. For example, Chi’s team built a fully-working prototype of Google Glassses from a coat hanger, a piece of plexi-glass, a Pico protector, a wire harness, and a netbook.

Chi’s team also built a prototype of the gestural interface as seen in the movie Minority Report. Unlike the Google Glasses rapid prototype, this only took 45 minutes to throw together, and it uses materials that you would normally find in any office or home, including a coat hanger, a whiteboard, fishing wire, a couple of hairgrips, a chopstick, and a presentation clicker.

Obviously, these rapid prototypes aren’t that practical, but the important thing that Chi notes is they get you to think and do the first things that pop in your mind. Chi also notes that the first thing that does pop in your head is “the right thing” only about 5% of the time, but he mentions that 5% is usually the rate of success for most startups. Chi notes that once you begin rapid prototyping, you go through ideas a lot quicker, meaning a higher success rate:

“By the time you try 20 things, even if each individual thing only has a 5% chance of success, by the time you try 20 things, your chance of success goes up to 64%. By the time you try 50 things, it goes up to 92%. It’s almost like you can’t fail!”

[via Mind the Product]


Google Glasses rapid prototype built in just two hours is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Google I/O 2013 set for May 15-17 with ticket sales coming up early

After hosting a rather late Google I/O conference than usual towards the end of June earlier this year, Google is moving back to their usual May timeline for Google I/O 2013. May 15-17, 2013 will be the dates for the upcoming developers conference, with registration starting sometime earlier in the year.

Google confirmed the dates on Twitter, and while the company hasn’t mentioned any other details on what’s to come at the conference, we’re guessing that Project Glass (a.k.a. Google Glasses) will make a big appearance on stage. We’ve seen it in action before at Google I/O 2012, but it’s possible that the company may announce public availability for the product, or at least a release date.

Google I/O 2012 was huge for Google. They announced a slew of new products and updates to their Android OS. They announced Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the Nexus 7, Nexus Q, and Project Glass, as well as handed out feature-filled updates for Google+, Google Maps, and YouTube. Hopefully we’ll see the same kind of action come this May.

Sadly, Google doesn’t yet have a landing page up for the 2013 conference on their I/O website, but you can still relive the days of I/O 2012 thanks to a handful of videos that are posted up on the website. For now, we’ll just have to sit and wait for registration to open, and you can be sure that we’ll be there covering all of the new announcements.

[via Android Community]


Google I/O 2013 set for May 15-17 with ticket sales coming up early is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft Patent Hints at Google Project Glass Competition

In the past, we’ve talked about the interesting and odd project from Google called Project Glass. The technology is basically a small wearable augmented reality system with a display embedded into a pair of glasses. A patent application has surfaced from Microsoft that shows the company is at least considering a competing product.

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Artwork included with the patent application shows one example application as view of a baseball game offering factoids about players, including stats, hovering above them while you watch the game. They also showed another example where subtitles are displayed over an opera performance. Here’s the abstract from the patent application:

A system and method to present a user wearing a head mounted display with supplemental information when viewing a live event. A user wearing an at least partially see-through, head mounted display views the live event while simultaneously receiving information on objects, including people, within the user’s field of view, while wearing the head mounted display. The information is presented in a position in the head mounted display which does not interfere with the user’s enjoyment of the live event.

Microsoft’s offerings are also not meant to be worn at all times, while Google is hoping we’ll be wearing their glasses everywhere we go. It appears that Microsoft is tying their device to live events like sports and concerts. The Microsoft product would be able to the project text and audio overlays onto whatever the wearer is viewing.

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The patent app was originally filed in May of 2011, but was updated this week. There is no indication of what the status of this project is at Microsoft right now; it could be significantly further along considering it’s been over a year since the application was filed, or it could just be a concept. Whereas Google already has usable prototypes of their system, it appears Microsoft’s is in the planning stages.

You can view Microsoft’s complete patent application here.

[via UnwiredView]


Microsoft’s Google Glass rival tech tips AR for live events

Microsoft is working on its own Google Glass alternative, a wearable computer which can overlay real-time data onto a user’s view of the world around them. The research, outed in a patent application published today for “Event Augmentation with Real-Time Information” (No. 20120293548), centers on a special set of digital eyewear with one or both lenses capable of injecting computer graphics and text into the user’s line of sight, such as to label players in a sports game, flag up interesting statistics, or even identify objects and offer contextually-relevant information about them.

The digital glasses would track the direction in which the wearer was looking, and adjust its on-screen graphics accordingly; Microsoft also envisages a system whereby eye-tracking is used to select areas of focus within the scene. Information shown could follow a preprogrammed script – Microsoft uses the example of an opera, where background detail about the various scenes and arias could be shown in order – or on an ad-hoc basis, according to contextual cues from the surrounding environment.

Actually opting into that data could be based on social network checkins, Microsoft suggests, or by the headset simply using GPS and other positioning sensors to track the wearer’s location. The hardware itself could be entirely self-contained, within glasses, as per what we’ve seen of Google’s Project Glass, or it could split off the display section from a separate “processing unit” in a pocket or worn on the wrist, with either a wired or wireless connection between the two.

In Microsoft’s cutaway diagram – a top-down perspective of one half of the AR eyewear – there’s an integrated microphone (910) and a front-facing camera for video and stills (913), while video is shown to the wearer via a light guide (912). That (along with a number of lenses) works with standard eyeglass lenses (916 and 918), whether prescription or otherwise, while the opacity filter (914) helps improve light guide contrast by blocking out some of the ambient light. The picture itself is projected from a microdisplay (920) through a collimating lens (922). There are also various sensors and outputs, potentially including speakers (930), inertial sensors (932) and a temperature monitor (938).

Microsoft is keeping its options open when it comes to display types, and as well as generic liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) and LCD there’s the suggestion that the wearable could use Qualcomm’s mirasol or a Microvision PicoP laser projector. An eye-tracker (934) could be used to spot pupil movement, either using IR projection, an internally-facing camera, or another method.

Whereas Google has focused on the idea of Glass as a “wearable smartphone” that saves users from pulling out their phone to check social networks, get navigation directions, and shoot photos and video, Microsoft’s interpretation of augmented reality takes a slightly different approach in building around live events. One possibility we could envisage is that the glasses might be provided by an entertainment venue, such as a sports ground or theater, just as movie theaters loan 3D glasses for the duration of a film.

That would reduce the need for users to actually buy the (likely expensive) glasses themselves, and – since they’d only be required to last the duration of the show or game – the battery demands would be considerably less than a full day. Of course, a patent application alone doesn’t mean Microsoft is intending a commercial release, but given the company’s apparently increasing focus on entertainment (such as the rumored Xbox set-top box) it doesn’t seem too great a stretch.

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[via Unwired View]


Microsoft’s Google Glass rival tech tips AR for live events is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Microsoft Patent Shows It’s Working On A Google Glass Type Device Of Its Own

Microsoft-Project-Glass

Microsoft had a new patent application published with the USPTO today (via Unwired View) which shows a glasses-based heads-up display system that could overlay information on the real world for a user. If it sounds familiar, it’s likely because that’s what Google’s trying to accomplish with Project Glass, which actually already has functional prototypes out in the wild.

The device described by Microsoft is a little less ambitious, but maybe also a little more purpose-driven. The patent describes a tool that’s designed for use in specific situations where it’ll be most relevant to a user – rather than being intended for all-day use, the way that Google seems to want to position Glass. So, for instance, you could pop on Microsoft’s glasses when at a baseball game and view box scores from around the league, pitch speed information, pitch count and other info overlaid on your view. By acting in specific contexts instead of as a general-purpose device, Microsoft’s design could help users get over what will certainly be an adoption curve for cumbersome wearable tech.

Microsoft’s patent deal specifically with live events, in fact, and is designed to be used pretty much in a stationary position, without compromising the field of view. Microsoft describes its capabilities as follows:

A computer implemented method providing supplemental information to a user with a head mounted display viewing a live event, comprising: receiving an indication that a user is attending a live event, the live event having an event duration; determining a field of view of the user through the head mounted display, and objects within the field of view at the live event; retrieving supplemental information describing at least the objects in the field of view of the user during a portion of the live event; determining elements of said supplemental information to present to the user in the head mounted display; and displaying the supplemental information in one or more display elements in the head mounted display.

Of course, an AR/HUD glasses device from Microsoft could also plug into its existing hardware ecosystem, maybe to produce combined experiences with the Xbox and Kinect. But this is still just a patent, and one that was only relatively recently filed (May 2011), so even if Microsoft does go ahead and put this into production we won’t see it for a while. But getting some patent skin in the game for this market, which could explode depending on consumer reception of Google’s early efforts, is a very good idea for Microsoft, especially given the cross-platform ambitions it seems to be diving into head-on.


Google’s Project Glass makes it to Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of the Year 2012

Time Magazine recently published its Best Inventions of the Year 2012 where the rest of 2012′s most important innovations were showcased. Time picked a total of 25 innovations including Tesla’s Model S sedan, the Switchblade backpack drone, NASA’s Z-1 prototype spacesuit, the Curiosity Rover, and yes, Google’s very own Project Glass also got a well-deserved spot. “We’re honored to be included among these amazing innovations,” exclaimed the team behind Project Glass.

Time puts it best by saying, “Glass is, simply put, a computer built into the frame of a pair of glasses, and it’s the device that will make augmented reality part of our daily lives. With the half-inch (1.3 cm) display, which comes into focus when you look up and to the right, users will be able to take and share photos, video-chat, check appointments and access maps and the Web. Consumers should be able to buy Google Glass by 2014.” You can also check out the full list here. What are your thoughts on this?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Project Glass nose bridge patent, Google Glass makes Fashion Week debut,

SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 6, 2012

Welcome to the SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: Presidential Edition. The world of tech didn’t come to a halt just because we needed to go out and vote, so in case you missed it, here’s the big news from the day. We learned today that HTC and Verizon will be holding a press event on November 13, and it’s there that we’re expecting to get our first official introduction to the HTC DROID DNA. Speaking of HTC, the company gave us its earnings for October 2012 today, and they aren’t looking all that great. Halo 4 officially launched today, but it isn’t without its share of server problems, and physical Google Wallet cards have been confirmed on a Google support page.


We heard new rumors of an Xbox Surface again today, and AT&T announced that it will begin offering the Nokia Lumia 920 on November 9 for a mere $99. Apple OS X 10.9 has been popping up around the web today, and Opera has been updated to version 12.10, which brings support for high definition displays. Amazon has introduced a new monthly billing option for Prime, and even though you’ll be paying more than subscribing annually, it might be a better idea for some than plopping down one big lump sum.

A sequel to the classic game Elite is looking for funding on Kickstarter, while Instagram says that Hurricane Sandy was probably its biggest event ever. Vizio unveiled a new line up of HDTVs and sound bars for the holidays, while Valve officially kicked off its limited-access Steam for Linux beta today. Ford and Microsoft had reason to gloat today with the 5 millionth Sync-equipped vehicle, and EA & DICE are celebrating 10 years of Battlefield with free copies of Battlefield 1942 on Origin.

Did you photograph your ballot and put it on the Internet today? Did you know that’s an illegal thing to do? Google was awarded a new patent that means something interesting for Google Glass, and Fisker was hit pretty hard by Hurricane Sandy. Microsoft has confirmed it will be focusing on Skype instead of Windows Live Messenger, and we heard that PlayStation: The Official Magazine will be going dark later this year. Finally tonight, Chris Davies explains why Apple will kick Intel to the curb if it can, and we tell you why you should probably wait on the all of the Miracast accessories for now. That does it for tonight’s Evening Wrap-Up, enjoy the rest of your night everyone!


SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: November 6, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Google Glass gets transforming nose piece patent

Those of you waiting for the ultimate head-mounted computer in Google’s Project Glass will be glad to know that it may be coming with a nose piece that changes based on your desires – and nose size. What we’re seeing today is a patent at the USPTO that’s been granted to Google which shows a technology that allows for a malleable nose bridge controlled by the touchpad that sits on the side of the Glass unit (by your temple). Just incase you’ve got an extra-stuffy nose, you’ll be set!

This new bit of gadgetry has the ability to harden and soften using electrically controlled fluid. The fluid has a changeable viscosity which is controlled, again, by the touchpad at your temple which also tends to control many items in the full unit. Those of you that wear glasses on the regular know that having a nose piece that’s too hard can lead to the ol’ “nose dents” while too little support has a tendency to keep your glasses closer to your chin than your forehead.

At the moment it does not appear as though this tech will be present in the first edition of Google’s Glass units, but perhaps the future “final” iteration will be bringing the fire. The Explorer Edition of the Google Glass gadget is still set to be sent out in the first half of 2013 to those that pre-ordered back at Google I/O 2012. This edition will be tending to developers and those that really, really want to check the gear out early rather than the public.

The public will be waiting an undisclosed amount of time before the final iteration of Google’s Project Glass is released. The final market edition of the technology will likely have several different iterations, some made for those that don’t normally wear glasses, some for those that do. There will also be a hefty premium, we must expect, for a future-looking bit of uniqueness like this, especially considering the price of the Explorer Edition.

[via Engadget]


Google Glass gets transforming nose piece patent is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Project Glass nose bridge patent

When the Project Glass from Google was first unveiled to the rest of the world, most folks were abuzz at the kind of potential applications for Project Glass. It does look as though wearing a pair of Project Glass for hours on end might end up in a rather painful experience, but perhaps there is more than meets the eye that Sergey Brin has yet to share with the world? All of that have come to a head now as we learned from Google’s latest patent which shows how the Internet search giant is considering a malleable nose bridge which will harden and soften, courtesy of an electrically-controlled fluid with a viscosity that changes accordingly.

Tap the touchpad and you are able to tweak it according to your liking. Bear in mind that this is not concrete proof that such technology will be making its way to the Explorer Edition of Project Glass, but who are we to say that this is not the case in the future?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Google’s new Project Glass patent details gestures controlled with wearable markers, FTC could sue Google and Motorola over abuse of standard-essential patents,