Google Glass may be absent for temporary, but it doesn't
stop some competitors to innovate. One of them is Recon Instruments, their smart
glass product, Recon Jet, has undergone a number of improvements since
announced about two years ago, and now it's ready to be launched to public.
At a glance Recon Jet does have functionality similar to
Google Glass: to display information directly in front of your eyes. But the
focus brought is slightly different, where Recon Jet is not intended for use at
daily activities; it's used when you are exercising. Simply put, Recon Jet is a
fitness tracker worn on your face.
In physical terms, Recon Jet is a smart glass with minicomputer
that's embedded in the right handle, giving sci-fi impression rather than
sporty. Both handles and nose fulcrums can be adjusted to the user's taste.
The information will be displayed by the Jet screen located
in the lower end of the views. This screen has the equivalent size of 30 inch
as seen from a distance of 2 meters. Interestingly, this screen will only light
up when you glance at it, maximize the power efficiency and user's
concentration.
1 GHz dual-core processor will process the entire data
collected by various sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, altimeter, barometer
and magnetometer). If you need more, Jet can be connected with other tracker
via ANT + connectivity, or to a smartphone with the help of Bluetooth 4.0 and
Wi-Fi to get notifications.
An HD resolution camera is also pinned so that you can
capture any moment whenever you want. The operation is done via a swipe gesture
on the small touchpad located on the right handle, and two buttons below.
Not only metric data of physical activity or smartphone
notifications that can be displayed by Recon Jet, the operating system has been
equipped with the map application to guide you when jogging around the town.
Besides that, you can also share the collected data to social media.
Recon Jet uses a removable lithium-ion battery on the left
handle, with an estimated life of about 4 hours of use. The battery position on
the left side is also useful to balance the overall frame of Recon Jet.
Recon Jet now can be obtained for $ 699 through the Recon
Instruments official online store. There are two frame colors you can choose:
black and white, as well as four lens options, including the translucent color
and polarized. For users of conventional glasses, you need to wear contact
lenses considering Recon Jet doesn't offer specific optical measurements.