Google will offer an optional attachment frame for prescription lenses to go along with the computerized, Internet-connected Goggle glasses from Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
The move comes as Google Inc. prepares to make Glass available to the general population later this year. Currently, Glass is available only to the tens of thousands of people who are testing and creating apps for it.
With a camera and a display screen above the wearer's right eye, Glass is designed as a small computer which sits roughly at eyebrow level, higher than where eyeglasses would go.
"It lets wearers surf the Web, ask for directions and take photos or videos. Akin to wearing a smartphone without having to hold it in your hands, Glass also lets people read their email, share photos on Twitter and Facebook, translate phrases while traveling or partake in video chats," according to the AP. "Glass follows some basic voice commands, spoken after the words 'OK, Glass.'"
The gadget itself is not changing with this announcement. Rather, Google plans to make various attachments available for people who wear glasses or sunglasses, the AP reported.
Four styles of frames are being offered for prescription lenses by The Mountain View, Calif., company. In addition to the one previously available, it's also offering two new types of shades.
On top of the $1,500 price of Glass, the frames will cost $225 and the shades, $150.
Any vision care provider will be accepting requests by users to get frames for prescription lenses. Google said it is working with insurance provider Vision Service Plan to train eye-care providers around the U.S. on how to work with Glass, the AP reported.
Some insurance plans may cover the cost of the frames, Google said. "VSP, which covers 64 million people in the U.S., will also provide coverage for the frames and prescription lenses as part of its partnership with Google. VSP's typical allowances for frames can range from $80 to $160," the AP reported.
The new frames will open the spectacles up to a larger audience, Isabelle Olsson, the lead designer for Google Glass, said
She demonstrated the new frames to The Associated Press last week at the Google Glass Basecamp, an airy loft on the eighth floor of New York City's Chelsea Market. It's one of the places where Glass users go to pick up their wares and learn how to use them. Walking in, visitors are greeted, of course, by a receptionist wearing Google Glass.
"We want as many people as possible to wear it," she said.
Glass's designers picked four basic but distinct frame styles. On one end is a chunky "bold" style that stands out. On the other is a "thin" design - to blend in as much as possible, according to the AP.
