By Rob Waugh
A new pair of glasses will allow hipsters to add Instagram effects to the real world – as if seeing the retro-tinted pictures all over Facebook wasn’t enough.
The glasses, designed by German Markus Gerke, would have a five-megapixel sensor built in, and would add filter effects using built-in computer.
The concept comes in the wake of computer glasses from Google, Olympus and Epson.
‘You activate the glasses by pushing ‘Insta’ and choosing between different filters. Just take a picture with your glasses and upload the image straight to Instagram,’ says Gerke.
Das ist cool, ja? The glasses, designed by German Markus Gerke, would have a five-megapixel sensor built in, and would add filter effects using built-in computer
Insta-matic: The concept comes in the wake of computer glasses from Google, Olympus and Epson
‘Many people use Instagram,’ says Gerke, ‘They all love the effects, and every one of them loves to take pictures and to share them with their friends. Wouldn’t it be great to capture your everyday life, your entire life, through beautiful filters?’
Gerke’s idea is only a concept – but not a far-fetched one.
Tech site The Register said that momentum is gathering behind the idea of ‘wearable computers.’
‘With Olympus, Google and Apple involved in the area you can bet your last dollar other companies are looking into it too,’ said the site’s Chris Mellor.
Apple filed a patent referring to, ‘Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for projecting a source image in a head-mounted display apparatus for a user.’
Olympus is to release a pair of ‘techno-glasses’ that put a computer display directly in front of your eyes – and can also make the world itself look cheerier by turning up the brightness.
The world, just trendier: Gerke’s idea is only a concept – but not a far-fetched one
Olympus’s glasses link to a smartphone via Bluetooth to display information such as emails – they also have built-in GPS and an accelerometer to deliver mapping information
Olympus’s glasses – at the prototype stage at present – are lightweight, battery-powered and last for a reported eight hours.
The glasses have a GPS system and accelerometer built in, which could be used to deliver information about the local area direct to their 320×240 display.
A small projector displays an image in front of the wearer’s eyes while letting them stay aware on the outside world.
Google’s Project Glass glasses are designed to let users capture video with a built-in camera as well as use apps, the internet, and social networking sites on the move.
Experience: Google has already released a sneak-peak at the user-interface for the Glass, which broadcasts data directly in front of the eye, bypassing cell phones
The demonstration shows off a weather forecast layered over a view of the world
The demonstration shows off navigation information similar to what Google currently offers via its Maps service
The idea is to bypass computers, tablets and smartphones entirely and keep the user connected in a (fairly) discreet way.
With the glasses, directions to your destination or a text message from a friend can appear literally before your eyes.
