Today in sci-fi daydreams/nightmares coming true, The New York Times’ Bits blog has learned that Google is in the process of creating glasses that “stream information to the wearer’s eyeballs in real time.” With an augmented reality interface, Android-based capabilities similar to smartphones — 3G or 4G connection, GPS, “a low-resolution built-in camera that will be able to monitor the world in real time and overlay information about locations, surrounding buildings and friends who might be nearby” — and a target price point of $250-600, the glasses are reportedly being built at the clandestine Google X labs.
The project certainly sounds exciting, but it’s not all happy nerds in futuristic Google goggles that look like Oakleys. The prospect of Internet-linked glasses with discreet recording capabilities have apparently already raised well-founded questions about surveillance and privacy. So, what do you think, readers? Do you welcome the prospect of viewing the world through augmented-reality lenses, or is this new development a bit too Big Brother for your liking? [via The Mary Sue]