Intel invests in Recon Instruments
A month ago Sterling wrote about Recon Instruments, the Vancouver-based company that produces technical HUD-goggles for athletes. Sterling's previous experience was with the ski-goggles known as Snow, and many of you would have since become familiar with Jet, a cyclist/triathlete-focused wearable, through its extensive advertising campaign on basically every tech website on the internet. Someone else who noticed it was Intel, and they have now made a significant investment in the Canadian company.
Recon Instruments has already shipped more than 50,000 of their wearable computing headsets, and are already proving themselves as solid competition for Google Glass when it eventually arrives on the market. Recon Jet currently sells for $600, the Explorer Edition of Glass $1500, with the eventual consumer edition going for anywhere between $300-$800, depending on who's guess sounds better to you. But Intel are certainly paying attention right now, and hitching their wagon to Recon at a still relatively early point in the game is a wise move. Recon will undoubtedly make a consumer device eventually.
Link to Video
Intel are obviously keen on wearable technology, and considering Recon Instruments' success so far, now is a great time for the two to pair up. Recon could use the backing and exposure, and Intel could use the connection at an early stage to a pioneer in the field of wearable technology. While there's no dollar amount put on the investment yet, when a company like Intel says ''significant'' that's got to mean something. Intel already have fingers in the Oakley and Nike FuelBand pies, and the processing giant has also been developing Quark, a new embedded technology for the mobile and wearable market. Perhaps Recon is where Quark will find its first home. If you are interested in getting your own pair of Recon Jet, you can currently get $100 off using the INTEL100 code at the website's checkout.
What do you think of Recon Jet? Do you think given a few tweaks it could compete with Glass?
Via: PC World Source: Recon Instruments
Sterling, you should ask them (in secret Canadian speak) if they have any plans for a more ''everyday consumer'' model and use the opportunity to ask for one. And Bojan/Amy, I totally agree, the Facebook Home disaster made me happy to know just because people love Facebook, they don't love everything Facebook does, and so it should be with Google. If someone else can bring a better alternative to the table, then it would make me all warm and fuzzy inside. And with Intel's backing they probably couldn't just go and buy Recon either!
Considering the company is honestly just across the water from me, I'm very interested to see what comes out of this. Would love to get my hands on a pair to try out!
I dunno, I don't really care for this "In Your Face" thing with technology. I would get a good deal of pleasure seeing Google fall though..................................at least this time.
Google is acting all full of themselves with their Glass thingy. I would really like to see them fall. And it's not that hard, you know, it's quite easy to make something better and better looking than Glass. At this point it's just hype.
I'm very interested to see if Recon bring out other models for the general consumer market. Recon Jet looks fine (and much better than Glass) but it's still a little high-tech athlete looking for me. But some healthy competition for Google is definitely a good thing.
I think this will give Google a run for it's money and I hope they win......