Google Glass is so 2013. Say hello to Google Contacts, a project the company made public in January that is now becoming a reality. Pharmaceutical company Novartis announced that it has licensed the technology to begin manufacturing the product for consumers.
Blood Sugar You Can ‘See‘
While still in the preliminary stages, the move bodes well for the tech world. The Verge confirms that Novartis will use the lenses to analyze the fluid in tears to determine real-time glucose levels to provide immediate updates for diabetics, straight to the user’s smartphone or even to a doctor directly. Eventually, the company will also create a lens for those with presbyopia, or farsightedness.
Aside from the perpetuation of smart devices, Google’s smart contacts are the second sense-based technology to hit the market recently. The ReSound LiNX is a smart hearing aid, which can boost sound and operate entirely from a smartphone. The hearing system is pretty simple: Adjustments include volume, pitch, and noise cancellation—all technologies that have existed for a long time and are mature. Sight is much more complicated, however, and this small step toward connecting eyesight to the everyday device is the first of many.
Better ‘Focus’
The value of these contacts comes in contrast to Google Glass, providing a comprehensive view of the world that ends up being simply too much for most people. Every day, people hear another story about someone wearing Google Glass getting harassed. It does too much, too soon. Meanwhile, Google Contacts have one responsibility right now: monitor glucose levels for people with diabetes. Soon they’ll have two, and eventually users will want them to watch TV from across the room, or to see more clearly while driving at night. The potential is limitless.
What do you think about Google Contacts? Are they cool, or even more intrusive than Google Glass?
Image courtesy of Flickr
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