Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
This pair of glasses could one day replace your laptop - it projects a full version of Windows into your eyes
This pair of glasses could one day replace your laptop - it projects a full version of Windows into your eyes
Kif LeswingMar 12, 2018, 17:32 IST
Toshiba
Advertisement
Toshiba is launching a new pair of smartglasses called DynaEdge.
The glasses can display a Windows 10 desktop in one eye at 640x360 resolution.
The glasses hook up to a rectangle-shaped pack that contains a full Windows computer, and sports a 4-hour battery life.
DynaEdge is only for big companies for now - not for consumers.
The future promised by Google Glass still hasn't come to pass: There aren't many options out there for smart eyeglasses that are actually, well, smart. Even Google Glass itself went back to the lab for further refinement.
But if you're a business or big organization, and you want a little taste of that future, you've got an increasing number of options to choose from.
The newest example comes from Toshiba, the Japanese conglomerate known for high-quality laptops and semiconductors. Now, it's bringing smartglasses to the workplace - and the factory floor.
Toshiba's calling its newest line of products dynaEdge AR Smart Glasses, and they were the result of two years of research and development, Toshiba America CEO Mark Simons told Business Insider. And Toshiba has big plans for dynaEdge.
Advertisement
"Our view is this is the new laptop. It will become ubiquitous," Simons said.
In fact, the dynaEdge boasts Windows-powered hardware that's on a par with most laptops out there today. In other words, it's a computer for your face.
The dynaEdge isn't available for everyone. Right now, it's being seeded in limited supplies to companies that are already Toshiba customers, even as Toshiba itself tests the glasses internally.
I got the chance to try dynaEdge out in February. Here's what you need to know:
The dynaEdge smartglasses can display computer graphics on one eye, not both. It's a little bit like Google Glass.
Here's just the optical module. It has a 5 megapixel camera with flash for taking photos, and it can be adjusted up or down. Toshiba worked with Vuzix to develop the optics, which runs a display resolution of 640x360 pixels.
The glasses are hooked up via USB cable to an iPod-sized pack that holds an entire Windows computer. Toshiba says battery life varies based on application, but the power pack can manage four hours, and it comes with a removable battery.
Toshiba's pack is an entire Windows computer, with specs that rival high-end PCs. By separating it out, the glasses themselves can be both lighter and cooler to the touch.
The pack slips into a case you can wear on your belt.
Making the processor pack separate from the optical module means that the system can be used in lots of contexts, depending on what it's attached to. Toshiba envisions it being used on construction sites: It could be attached to a helmet, giving workers information on the task at hand.
Or attached to a pair of safety glasses for machine shop work.
The display can show an entire tiny Windows desktop. It's not the most usable interface, but Windows has advantages for big companies — they already use it, it already runs the software they need, and it's known to be secure.
But Toshiba is also building software that is more suited to the glasses. The dynaTrace has two main input methods: A touch pad on the side, and buttons on the computer pack.
DynaTrace is a very cool and futuristic project. Toshiba wants people with hands-on jobs — like warehouse worker or machinery inspector — to start trying them out now, so that the next version can be even more useful for specific tasks.
