Recon Jet goes up against Google Glass, aimed at outdoorsy crowd

Google might be one of the first players to have thrown their chip into the pot, but the Mountain View giant isn't the only company betting on wearable computing. One of the other players is Recon, who took the opportunity yesterday to unveil their new HUD sunglasses, the Recon Jet.

These unique sunglasses might be a bit hefty at 60 grams, but they are still very sexy and quite a bit more rugged than Google's own wearable computer. Obviously they are targeted at the extreme sports and outdoorsy types as opposed to the casual wearer, providing a permanent sunglasses design that makes them less practical for indoor and low-light usage.
So what kind of tech to these babies boast? The Jet features an unspecified dual-core processor, dedicated graphics, ANT+, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a microphone, GPS, HD camera, and a “comprehensive suite of sensors”. According to Recon's press statement, this makes their solution a standalone device that has capabilities similar to what you'd find in mobile devices like tablets or smartphones.
As for the software side of things, the Jet runs on Android 4.2 with a custom UI and will feature an open SDK that is expected to arrive for developers sometime this summer.
You might think that Recon Jet is simply a clone of Google Glass aimed at athletes, but it is important to note that this isn't Recon's first rodeo. The company has been making HUD devices, such as specialized ski goggles, since 2008. The Jet is the company's most ambitious implementation yet, though.
The company is currently demonstrating the device at Google I/O and already has native apps that allow video streaming, smartphone connectivity and Facebook integration.
Besides being targeted for outdoor use, another major difference between Google Glass and the Recon Jet, is that this headset is modular in design. This means that you can swap out broken lenses, replace batteries and other components. It also means that if you bust your frames during your epic outdoor adventures, you can simply buy new ones and pop in the electronics from your old set.

Right now, the Recon Jet is a prototype product, just like Glass. There is currently no set price for the headset, nor can we say for sure when it will arrive in commercial form.

The wearable computing revolution

This is just the beginning ladies and gents! We stand at a crucial turning point in mobile tech, arguably as big of a change as when the smartphone first started making noticeable waves in the early 2000s. With the Jet Recon and Google Glass headsets we look at two very different approaches to glasses design. And that's just scratching the surface on what else is out there.
This is great because that's exactly how things started with the smartphone. Back in 1992, the IBM Simon was the only smartphone, but soon enough new designs and approaches started to arrive that targeted to different kinds of users. The same thing seems to be slowly happening in the wearable computing world as well.
What do you think of the Recon Jet, compared to the more casual-oriented Google Glass? How would YOU design a wearable computer if given the chance? Conversely, do you feel that wearable glasses and watches are merely a fad that will eventually lose steam?

Source:Recon

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