Last Updated on November 8, 2015 by Mathew Diekhake
Few love the idea of wearable tech more than me. When it comes to being antisocial, I’m about as “for it” as it gets. I see no problem with it. However, it only takes being awake for a few hours to realize that most people do. Was that going to be the difference maker in this scenario of eyewear with built-in technology like Google Glass? Absolutely not. For me, the main concern is that people do not want to be walking around with technology constantly attached to their faces.
Even though sunglasses and glasses can be removed and taken down away from the eyes, the way we wear them means they will be sitting on the face when in use. On top of that, for them to be efficient in what they do, the person has no choice but to wear them. They are no good to us away from the face.
The world just is not wanting that at all. In my opinion, the key to a smartphones success spawns from it being an object we can take out of pants pockets at will, and more importantly, it can go back in the pocket when we want it to. Yet it still manages to keep us as connected as possible and still is of use when tucked away out of view, hidden in clothes.
From a designers perspective, Ray-ban is cool. Surfers have been wearing a similar sunglasses style for years now, and we all know how popular surf wear is in the world, even for a heck of a lot of people who do not even surf. The keys here is that although technology focuses on the future, fashion and style very much depends on the now. For that reason, it is no surprise that these tech brands are struggling a bit and need help. Geeks, after all, have never been considered the most stylish people in the room.
After a matter of days, just after we saw the successful launch of Android Wear — a new Smartwatch range designed by some of the biggest names in the fashion industry to give people what they wanted from a style standpoint — Google immediately used that knowledge and turn its focus on hiring a company that is very successful in sunglass. What better company than the iconic and arguably the biggest of them all: Ray-Ban.
Not being an American, I did not know what a “Ray-Ban” was until Jay Z came out with “On The Run”. Since then, I have realized that they are the originals behind this kind of look.
“[Verse 3: Jay-ZAnnotate]
Deeper then words, beyond right
Die for your love, beyond life
Sweet as a Jesus piece, beyond ice
Blind me baby with your neon lights
Ray Bans on, police in sight”
People are very brand oriented. Instead of just looking with their on eyes and ideas, they want to take a look around and see what other people think about it. We want to know how friends feel, how peers feel, and how the companies feel. Having a huge name like Ray-Ban, that everybody loves over in the United Sates and around the world, instantly gives ‘Glass’ an element of coolness that it did not have before. If it is going to be successful, fashion will definitely play an integral role in kick starting the trend. I do not think that Google Glass will be successful without the help from companies like Ray-Ban on board and helping out in every way they can.
So, with that news, it was not a surprise to hear that the Mountain View company teamed u with Ray-Ban, among others, to help produce a new age Google Glass product line that is different from the ones we have seen already that did not exactly take the world by storm. It is a shame that we did not get a small sample of what they have already made behind closed doors.
It is possible they do not have anything made just yet. However, over the next few months we know that there is going to be a lot of work done behind the scenes in creating some of the best ‘Glass” products we have seen yet. Google still aims to launch Google Glass during the Google I/O in 2014. The I/O is the annual event they hold to showcase what they have in store for consumers for the remainder of each year.