The Google Glass wearable computing project has taken its fair share of insults for being too geeky or dorky. Fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg rose to the challenge during New York Fashion Week by partnering with Google co-founder Sergey Brin to use the glasses for a runway show. We have her to thank for answering the question: Can some of the world’s best models make these things look good?
The models and von Furstenberg herself wore the glasses during the show and the resulting footage will be cut into a film that scheduled for release later this week.
Fittingly, the designer’s Google+ page has shots from the event:
New York Magazine has an interesting write-up from a fashion perspective. Writer Charlotte Cowles, who was previously unfamiliar with the Glass project, said:
Brin himself was in attendance and apparently made his way down the catwalk with von Furstenberg at the end of the show.
The tech and fashion worlds don’t often collide, so I can imagine plenty of audience members were perplexed by this “doodad”, while swaths of tech enthusiasts are now on Wikipedia reading up on von Furstenberg.
Photos like the one above don’t give me much hope for the stylishness of Google Glass, but I am very interested to see how the film turns out. It could revolutionize the way documentaries are made. Though, the revolution probably wouldn’t come cheap, since the developer costs $1,500 a pair .
The DVF show is bound to generate a fair amount of buzz for the project, but it all seems a bit premature. Google has promised to get developer pre-orders out in early 2013, and the consumer version is expected to arrive in 2014.
Images owned by DVF
(hat tip Gizmodo )
Olly, the Internet-connected smelly robot, is now on Kickstarter
A couple of months ago we covered Olly , a small USB-powered device that turns your online notifications, such as tweets, emails and Facebook messages into smells.
Designed by the Mint Digital Foundry , it was a great idea but wasn’t yet a commercially available product. Now Olly has taken a step closer to a place on your desk by being posted to Kickstarter . The team is looking to raise $35,000 worth of pledges in order to bring the device to market.
Each Olly device contains a small tray which you can fill with essential oils, perfume or anything else you want it to smell of. It can then be configured via a dashboard on your computer to emit the smell when notifications of your choice come through. A tweet from your wife? Get a sniff of her perfume, for example. You can use multiple Olly ‘modules’ for multiple smells.
The Kickstarter listing is live until 10 February. If you pledge $50 or more and the target amount is hit, you’ll get your very own Olly. Watch the video below for more information.
➤ Olly on Kickstarter
Virgin thinks your iPhone needs an ugly holiday sweater, too
‘Tis the season to be merry, and all of that other stuff. Eggnog and misletoe aren’t the only holiday staples, ugly Christmas sweaters are too. You know the ones. They’re usually sweaters that your mom picks out at Target, thinking it’s simply too festive to pass up. You wear it because you don’t want to hurt her feelings.
If you’re stuck with an ugly holiday sweater, then all of your gadgets should be too, if you ask Virgin.
The company launched a cute promo site called “ Warm Your Devices ” just in time for the holidays, and it provides you with backgrounds fit for any smartphone or gadget that you carry around.
If only I could get out of wearing my ugly sweater and let my Android phone suffer all of the embarrassment.
➤ Warm Your Devices