back to article Never fear, Glassholes – Intel to the rescue! 'New CPU' for tech-specs

New models of the painfully nerdy Google Glass goggles will use Intel processors, rather than Texas Instrument chips, it's reported. Today, the expensive headgear is powered by a Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 dual-core Cortex-A9 system-on-chip, which is clocked at 1.2GHz and runs 32-bit ARMv7 code. It also includes PowerVR 2D …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sod that then. Mobile has been a refreshing break from the Intel monopoly and ARM is one of the few developments still around from UK computer industry.

    1. VinceH

      "Mobile has been a refreshing break from the Intel monopoly and ARM is one of the few developments still around from UK computer industry."

      Yeah, I was thinking that if they move from ARM to Intel, I definitely wouldn't be buying Googly-Glass.

      Then I remembered that I definitely wouldn't be buying Googly-Glass anyway, so it's no loss to them.

  2. James 51

    I am sure that if Google wanted to stick with ARM they could find another supplier or come up with a chip themselves.

  3. Bloodbeastterror

    But surely it's not the chipset that's the problem? Even if the glasses had a Cray in them I wouldn't be seen dead in them...

    1. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Well... if it uses Intel will be matching the description

      Idiot Outside

      So I concur, I am more likely to walk of a cliff than wear this.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    "Google pushing Glass as a professional device for doctors, nurses and anyone else who needs a head-mounted display"

    How's about for policemen from the deep south?

    1. P0l0nium

      That is exactly the market Intel are gunning for. :-)

      1 of these for every policeman with a real-time video/data link to the control room.

      Add in Fire and Ambulance in the entire developed world and the TAM is about 10M units.

      It'll probably be done with SOFIA 3G - 2X Silvermont cores with on-board modem.

      1. toxicdragon

        Could see some potential issues with that, I admit that I don't know much about fire fighting equipment but is there enough clearance in those masks for a pair of these? If its just for video then something like a go pro could do the same job? Although I admit there is a possibility for building plans/team locations and so on.

  5. naive

    Google should be awarded Nobel prize for driving innovation

    This google glass could be one of the biggest inventions of this century. Imagine what is could do for people. Provide older drivers with nightvision, have facial recoginition so the police can identify and flag suspects fast, and eventually could assist blind people in going around.. just to mention a few.

    Now it is easy to mock people contributing to this great innovation, but in 10 years, all will have glass in one form or the other. I hope their patent lawyers made up the required patents, so no trolls from Cupertino and Redmond can start their racketeering scheme.

    It is unclear if the world is waiting on x86 compatible processors for mobile, what is it to Intel if they bake chips with Arm instruction set or x86, and x86 is a hassle, since the rest of the world uses Arm.

    But in the end, it is competition which counts, since competition innovates the world.

    1. Khaptain Silver badge

      Re: Google should be awarded Nobel prize for driving innovation

      Except that Google aren't doing this for humanitarian or altruistic reasons, they are in it for the financial potential...

      I believe that Google glass has its place but not as a mass market product. At it's best it is a very niche product, at it's worst it is a gadget.

    2. Mage Silver badge

      Re: Google should be awarded Nobel prize for driving innovation

      What innovation? Competition yes, innovation less so.

      They have a good Search Algorithm and fantastic Advert Selling business. You know that Android, Earth etc are bought in developments and Google Glass isn't the first such device?

      Also Android is basically Linux + Desktop Java, using Davik instead of Sun/Oracle JVM because Mobile Java is for ancient phones and Google wanted full Java, but the Desktop Java licence forbids it for Mobile?

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Google aren't doing this for humanitarian or altruistic reasons

        Most of the great technological and medical advancements weren't. Or at least, weren't funded for those reasons, even if the people doing the R&D were.

      2. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Google should be awarded Nobel prize for driving innovation

        You're confusing innovation with invention.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "required patents"

      I suppose you think Google can patent "glasses with a display on them" or something like that? If it were possible to patent ideas, they would be unable to do so due to the prior art shown in any number of sci fi movies/TV shows that had similar smart glasses / HUD lens.

      Not sure why you think Google has invented something novel that no one saw coming. They weren't even the first to have a functioning prototype of smart glasses, they just got the publicity and the ability to develop it due to being Google. They didn't invent this any more than Apple invented the smartphone.

      I just have to laugh if you think this will change the world. Drink the Google kool aid much?

  6. Mage Silver badge

    Intel & ARM

    They also have an ARM based comms chip they kept when they sold the originally DEC ARM family they had to Marvell. They have had an ARM licence for years.

    It's baffling the ego that makes them stick with the clunky x86 instead of applying their good process engineering to making a better ARM.

    Probably Intel could do a useful 0.1W ARM SoC.

  7. DrXym

    Can't see it being used in the medical profession

    Doctors / nurses etc are subject to extremely strict data protection rules. Wearing a headset which beams information to and from Google is a non starter. It would require drastic modification of what information it captures, what information it accesses, where it receives/sends data to and who can access it before it stood any chance of viable.

    On top of that, it would have such a pathetic battery life and be so intrusive for patients that it's likely it would spend most of its life in a drawer.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Can't see it being used in the medical profession

      If it can be used in the medical profession, it won't be Google that sells the product. Google can't envision the existence of any product that doesn't collect information useful to their mega advertising machine.

      The problem with doctors using it is it requires a voice interface. Who wants a doctor who is looking up symptoms while he stands over you? That wouldn't fill me with much confidence - I could do that at home for free! If he's on a tablet or retreats to his office to check his books/computer, he can maintain that confident air of knowledge that is important for a proper functioning of a doctor/patient relationship.

      For nurses, I could see it. If she's got her hands full with changing an IV or whatever she can refer to the patient's chart to confirm orders, see alerts for one of the other patients who needs assistance, etc. But, as you say, subject to pretty rules about data sharing, which is totally opposed to Google's corporate DNA. If I had to pick the company most likely to sell large numbers of these to hospitals, I'd bet on IBM before Google, Apple or Samsung, that's for sure. The hardware will be incidental versus the consulting, integration and software services to make it useful for them.

  8. Andy Roid McUser

    remember when mobile phones required a suitcase battery ?

    People are too hung up writing off this technology simply because the folks wearing them look incredibly stupid. Personally, I'd never wear one as for some unexplained reason I just want to push the wearers of these things under a moving vehicle.

    This isn't to say I don't like the technology and where it could go..As a person of a certain age who's eyes are steadily deteriorating, I'd welcome augmented reality functions built into my specs , just needs to look like my current glasses. So just like the mobile phone, in the beginning it wasn't so mobile as luggable. Once the tech and batteries can be reduced in size to the point where it doesn't look like your wearing a giant neon sign saying 'punch me' then I'm all in ( without the camera , that's just creepy )

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Tech can be miniaturized, the industry has been doing that for the past half century.

      The problem is the batteries. Make them smaller and they carry less charge, there's no way around that.

      So the consequence is that, when designing portable stuff, you basically have to define how big the battery can be, then design the hardware around that. And if your idea is really advanced, you just might have to wait until tech has been miniaturized to the point where the battery can run it.

      But you can't shrink batteries and keep the same charge. That is just impossible.

      1. Andy Roid McUser

        "The problem is the batteries. Make them smaller and they carry less charge, there's no way around that."

        There is ... Use less power, you're assuming that technology will stand still... when you should be thinking to make the frames photovoltaic, make the frame a battery ( using graphine-esque type materials that haven't been invented yet ), further reduce the power consumption of the chipset and displays... all quite possible in v.near future.

        My point was that, these are early prototypes , when the technology catches up, which it invariably will and it doesn't look like I'm wearing Google Glass.. I'll wear Google Glass.

  9. druck Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    The real story is how much are Intel paying Google to use x86?

  10. Lusty

    Bless Intel for trying

    but every time Intel makes a new low power chip for smaller form factors the smaller form factor in every single case has gotten larger until it looks like a laptop. Look at what the MS surface did to tablet form factor (made it massive) and what the Atom did to Netbooks (made them massive).

    I'm all for it of course, these people clearly want to look like they have a box of electronic crap on their face so this will help them in that regard :)

  11. Chris G

    Loved the video

    I would be wonderful to be able to walk along the road asking glass questions about my environment and telling it to 'take a photo' while throwing an imaginary ball or karate chopping imaginary triangles.

    I would explain all of this talking to myself etc to the nice man with the tranqiliser gun when he comes to take me away.

    To be fair, people in the '80s walking down the street talking to a mobile phone were viewed in a similar light, even apparent lunacy, if it is commonplace will not attract attention.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Google Ass

    Stick it stealthily on your ass. All informative things happen when you turn around. If you're a nurse, the "sick" man has his eyes wide open and his tongue out, so you can get a quick reading of his general health. If you're an HRM, employees' expressions when your back is turned tell you everything about their attitude. If they sneer when you turn around, use the automatic termination feature that sends this text:

    "You have a poor attitude and are fired. Hoping you have a great day!"

    Sent by my Google Ass

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