A decade after the debut of Google Glass, a pair of glasses that filmed what users saw but raised privacy concerns and received low marks for its design, the platform has unveiled a new take on the segment, with a new product with visuals. more conventional and capable of displaying translations of conversations in real time.
“We’re working on technology that allows us to break down language barriers, taking years of searching Google Translate and bringing that to the glasses,” said Eddie Chung, director of product management at Google, calling the feature “subtitles for the world. “
Google also unveiled a tablet to be launched in 2023 and a smartwatch that will go on sale later this year, revealing a strategy to offer a group of products comparable to Apple.
But Google’s hardware business remains small, with its share of the global smartphone market, for example, below 1%, according to research firm IDC.
The unveiling of the new glasses reflects the company’s growing caution. When Google Glass was demonstrated at the company’s 2012 developer conference, skydivers used it to live-stream a jump from a San Francisco building, with the company obtaining special clearance for the stunt.
This time, Google only showed a video of the prototype, which showed translations for conversations involving English, Mandarin, Spanish and American Sign Language.
The company did not specify a release date or immediately confirm that the device did not have a built-in camera.
The tablet reverses Google’s decision three years ago to abandon manufacturing its own product after poor sales of just 500,000 units, according to IDC.
The new tablet follows increased user interest and was announced in advance to inform buyers of alternatives, Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of devices and services, told reporters.
He added that the Pixel Watch, which will not be compatible with iPhones, will appeal to users other than the Fitbit devices, which Google bought last year for $2.1 billion.
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