The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the first big tech event of 2018. This year, if the early news is any indication, augmented reality could be the big star of the show.
Vuzix headlines our early CES coverage, but expect to see a bunch more next week.
If CES 2018 is the starting gate for this year's race to release smartglasses, then Vuzix is already racing down the augmented reality track with its Blade smartglasses.
After a "surreptitious" preview and a pre-order launch in 2017, Vuzix Blade will make its "official" debut at next week's CES event in Las Vegas (Central Hall Booth #17147).
Vuzix is making the case for the Blade as the first "truly wearable" AR smartglasses for consumer and enterprise. And it's a strong case, as the Blade weighs less than 3 oz. and looks more like a pair of sporty sunglasses than sci-fi headwear.
REALITY BITES: We've seen how AR can assist in healthcare practice, but what about healthcare marketing?
It seems fitting that Time magazine's first augmented reality cover is an issue guest edited by Bill Gates, since the company he founded is currently leading the AR charge via the HoloLens.
There's also a certain irony that the AR experience, which includes narration from Gates, is enabled through devices introduced by Steve Jobs, considering the famous feud between the tech titans when they helmed Microsoft and Apple, respectively.
REALITY BITES: Because you're reading this, it's likely you don't need much convincing that augmented reality is on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough. Still, validation from mainstream media doesn't hurt. USA Today lists augmented reality among its top seven technologies to watch for 2018, alongside 5G networks and digital assistants.
The narratives around virtual reality consistently revolve around human empathy and emotion, while the story around augmented reality has been decidedly more dispassionate and business-focused — until now.
In a stirring speech held at a recent TEDx event, Brian Mullins, the founder of augmented reality smartglasses startup DAQRI, took to the stage to share why he believes augmented reality can change our culture by providing information in ways that we might otherwise be unexposed to.