Google Glass has some competition, say hello to GlassUp

Google Glass may have brought wearable technology in to the headlines, but Francesco Giartosio had started his augmented reality project, called GlassUp, two years ago. The project takes the form of pair of glasses, and it will display SMS messages, emails, and notifications, much like Google Glass does.

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But that’s really where the similarities end, as GlassUp is simply a second-screen output for internet-connected devices, which is quite similar to what the Pebble smart watch does. One key difference is in the way information is presented, information is presented in the center of your vision, rather than off-center like Google Glass.

GlassUp doesn’t have a powerful CPU, so it can’t do any real processing on-board, and it doesn’t even have a camera either. But this may end up working to GlassUp’s advantage, as it could end up being a bit cheaper than Google’s offering. Giartosio says that the device will be priced at $399 and should offer around 150 hours of standby battery life and eight hours of continuous use, thanks to its lack of a powerful CPU.

The start-up project is also heavily focused on appearances, and is determined not to make you look like a “cyborg”. If you’re unsure about the slightly cyber-punk look of Google Glass, the Italian made GlassUp may be a more stylish alternative.