Google's Project Glass isn't a new concept, but augmented-reality glasses are still seen as futuristic, or even awkward, by the mass market. It now appears that Google may not be the only company looking to develop this new category of consumer electronics. Valve, the game development company behind wildly popular titles like
Counter-Strike,
Portal and
Team Fortress 2, is experimenting with the idea of its own Project Glass. Valve employee Michael Abrash
wrote in a blog post that wearable computing is now part of the company's R&D (at a very early stage, it appears). There's no product in the pipeline yet, so you won't see
Gabe Newell wearing any weird glasses anytime soon, like
Sergey Brin did. As for Apple: Reports are circulating that CEO Tim Cook recently visited Valve's headquarters, which is rather bizarre since the companies have no existing business relationships, at least as far I know. The law of speculation dictates that both of these stories have to run together in order to fan the wildest imagination of, well, me. And maybe you. The most popular guesses I'm hearing are:
- Apple is interested in Valve's wearable computing project.
- Apple is collaborating with Valve on a new gaming console.
- Apple wants to enter the game industry, at least the distribution part of it.
- Nothing will come out it.
What do you think? Will the next big thing come out of an Apple-Valve deal? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.
