Page 87 - July-August 2020

Focals is an augmented reality (AR)
device that supports notifications
from Android devices. Compared
to Google Glass, North’s smart
glasses let Android users access any
actions in their phone’s notification
centre, such as answering emails,
retweeting and getting live updates.
There’s a basic pair as well as the
option of prescription lenses.
Focals started out using existing
GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER SERGEY Intel technology at its core. This
MIKHAYLOVICH BRIN
was built up and advanced upon
by the start-up North. While Focals
our hardware efforts and ambient much more solid arms to the 1.0 supported Amazon’s Alexa, the
computing future.” frames, to accommodate active second, when launched by Google,
computing components (a would no doubt be replaced by
Google’s existing work in Google Assistant.
building “ambient computing,” computer processor, battery and
which is computing that fades into Bluetooth module). A tiny laser At the end of last year, prior
the background of a user’s life, is projector placed on one side to its planned release of the next
the strategic reasoning behind projects an image, a transparent generation pair, North did share
the acquisition. This suggests that display that appears to float on one that Focals 2.0 would be ten times
Google could be looking at a second frame in the wearer’s field of vision. sharper than its first version.
foray into smart glasses for the It presents views of messages and The company also claimed that
mass market. navigation directions. the glasses would be 40 per cent

North’s first generation Focals When launched, the product smaller, thereby overcoming the
glasses, launched in 2019, look attracted attention as the most challenge of size in smart glasses
somewhat like regular optical consumer-friendly wearable- technology by making them look
glasses, but at closer look with glasses-computing-interface. almost like normal eyewear.

JULY-AUG 2020 | 83 Google