Augmented reality glasses can view the internet

The internet has turned cellphones into mini handheld computers. Now eyeglasses could be next.

Google Glass is like having your phone over your eye. Google's take on this is still in experiment. Epson's version is called Moverio and is available now.

"The content viewing is actually completely private, so you wouldn't be able to see what I was watching," said Eric Mizufuka of Epson America.

Both devices use technology called augmented reality. This is not the same as virtual reality; virtual reality and TV goggles block out the real world. Augmented reality adds information on top of the real world. You typically use it on a smartphone.

The image is 960x540 pixels, 1/4 HD on one set of glasses. Two Pico Projectors built into the frame beam it onto two 1/2-inch mirrors angled in the glass. Everything isn't build into the glasses; the magic is in a tiny computer powered by Android phone technology, and controlled by touch on a trackpad. It's Wi-Fi, so you can cruise the web and download and run Android apps on it.

It has the potential to take texting while driving up to a whole new level. There are practical uses, for example, Epson believes it can enable one person to operate remotely a helicopter and its camera.

"In less than five years, this type of technology will be incorporated into everyone's normal sunglasses, or regular glasses," said Mizufuka.

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