In response to the release of Project Glass, a Forrester analyst recommends that “smart developers should start experimenting with applications for wearables on the ‘big five’ platforms (Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook) today,” TechCrunch reports.
Sarah Rotman Epps says within three years, wearables will “matter to every product strategist,” but before they go mainstream, they’ll have to be backed by one of the “big five.”
“Indeed, Forrester’s analysts think wearables will follow a similar path to that of the smartphone market: In the first phase, Apple will create an early app and accessory ecosystem for wearable computing. Google’s open platform, however, will give developers more freedom and broader wearable experimentation. Microsoft, thanks to its recent shift toward open Web standards, will then be able to offer something akin to an ‘anti-platform’ platform for a future operating system for wearables that could be even more flexible than Apple’s and Google’s offerings,” the article states.
In a related Engadget post, the Oakley eyewear company has been working on ways to project information onto sunglasses since 1997.
The company hopes to “start by augmenting the world of sports before ultimately blending into more consumery pursuits with shades that could run solo or pair up with a smartphone,” according to the post. It hopes to trump the likes of Project Glass by focusing on style.
While the function of the glasses is important, so is the design, notes Oakley CEO Colin Baden, who understands that when it comes to putting something on the face, consumers can get very particular about the look and feel.
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