• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, February 7, 2012

Sci-fi folly or revolutionary interface, Google appears to be one step closer to releasing “wearable head-up displays,” or HUD glasses. “Google might actually release this product as [a] beta-pilot program to people outside of Google -- and soon,” reports 9to5Google.

No doubt, “wearable technology is on the rise,” CNet writes. “Not only is Google working on these sorts of products, but so is Apple, Recon Instruments, and Motorola.” Yet, public tests shouldn’t be mistaken for outright confidence on Google’s part. Rather, “Google is apparently unsure if [the glasses] will have mass-market appeal,” 9to5Google suggests.

The glasses will reportedly have a small front-facing camera with a flash to gather information and take photos; a navigation system; I/O for voice input and output; and data storage nearly equivalent to an Android smartphone.

Imagining the branding implications, The Register writes: “As the wearer walks around, the clever shades know where he/she is and can pop up locationally relevant information: ‘Special offer on Burger King flame-grilled Whoppers today!’”

In December, The New York Times reported that researchers at the Google X Labs were working on various wearable technologies that would serve as peripherals to Android phones.

However, as PCMag points out, this latest report from 9to5Google suggests that the glasses will actually function as an Android smartphone themselves -- rather than merely relaying information to and from a separate mobile device.

“Here’s the question, though,” writes WebProNews. “Would anybody actually wear these? And if so, why would you wear these? “Maybe it's the sci-fi geek in me thinking … but these glasses sound great,” exclaims eWeek’s Clint Boulton. “I can imagine taking these into a store, looking at stuff, learning prices, and then clicking to buy something, all from the glasses.”