IR version
Good for ummm... Stealthily putting the bins out?
<governator>I see everything.</governator>
Think Epson and you've probably got printers on your mind, but the firm also makes wearable computing devices, and has released its latest effort in the area for less than half the current price of Google's forthcoming Glass headware. The Epson Moverio BT-200 is a pair of high-tech specs that uses twin microprojectors to …
Not just the ideal racing line, but your previous maximum entry speed and gear etc, allowing for progressive improvements on track or frequently driven roads.
Future versions could have the possibility to highlight hazards around upcoming corners based on data gathered from users that recently passed through an area - assuming an eventual uptake in popularity.
The problem though, is that isn't what they'll be used for. Morons will use them to twitter, facebook, and watch cat videos, such that their already abysmal standards of driving suffer still further. The the lawyers will legislate for the lowest common denominator, as they always do, and augmented reality will be banned while driving.
I keep thinking a hud for my motorbike with speed / gear selected, rpm and maybe map direction arrow would be cool.
Especially if linked to a GPS tracker and the soundsystem. You could take a left turn in to the wilderness, discover the ideal piece of road and record the twisty goodness for later replay!
I have the first generation of these - the BT-100s... Which are shockingly useless... They display is good actually, but the CPU can't even manage to play a standard low-def video at better than 10fps... and there is no bluetooth, gps, gyroscopes... er.. nothing. Which makes them utterly useless...
Howwever, they have (supposedly) addressed all of these issues for the BT-200... I had a pair on pre-order.... then on the day before it was supposed to ship my order was suddenly cancelled... and I didn't get an explanation why until I emailed them.. Apparently they've decided not to ship outside of the US for pre-orders.... Nice of them to tell me that now.
Supposedly they'll be available in the UK in June... but we'll see.
Maybe yours is a different generation (certainly rather lower price point for the initial hardware cost), but with our Epson we can just ignore/disable the Low Ink nags, and usually get a couple thousand more pages out of the tank before it coughs dust and gives in. Best value ink I've used, though YMMV.
A truly self respecting hipster (which, of course, is one that avidly swears he is not a hipster, and does so without any trace of irony in his voice) would totally want to buy one of these! Nobody else would be willing to wear them in public and they can correct people that ask if they like their Google Glass.