When Google Glass was first announced, it seemed like something straight out of a sci-fi movie. There was a lot of hype surrounding the headset, but yet for some reason it never quite took. However in its wake of the program shutting down, it actually found a new lease on life and started gaining popularity in the enterprise sector.
For companies that see the benefit that a wearable headset might have in the factory and want an alternative to Google Glass, then you might be interested to learn that Vuzix has announced the availability of its M300XL smart glasses. Similar in concept to other wearable headsets, the M300XL will feature a 16MP camera attachment that can be used to scan barcodes, which the company claims is 2-3 times faster than its previous devices. There is even a telephoto option that can be used to scan from a distance.
According to Vuzix, they have made a lot of changes and improvements to the M300XL over its predecessors. For starters it will now use a standard USB connection that does away with the proprietary pogo pins used in the M300. There is also improved battery life and also upgraded 2.4GHz WiFi for better performance and coverage.
As expected of most enterprise-grade devices, the Vuzix M300XL does not come cheap at $1,500. However for those who don’t need all the new features, Vuzix also announced that the M300 will continue to be made available albeit in limited quantities. It will feature the use of the new 16MP camera of the M300XL, except that it will be priced at $1,000.
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