Like the idea of Google Glass, but don't fancy wearing a lopsided metal strip on your face?
You may be in luck, as a pair of reports on Wednesday and Thursday hinted that Google could be looking to sell the Google Glass headgear computer in a variety of styles to fit any need.
First came the rumor that Google is looking to fashionable eyewear start-up Warby Parker to design hip Google Glasses frames.
Then, on Thursday, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a Google patent detailing Glass' design, including diagrams of possible alternate styles - and a plan to shoot lasers directly into users' eyes.
Making a statement
In an article titled "Google Searches for Style," The New York Times on Wednesday dropped the news that Google is "negotiating" with the trendy web start-up Warby Parker as they struggle to make Google Glass into the next big "fashion statement."
You know, like Apple's products, The Times suggested.
The report came from "two people briefed on the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly because the partnership has not been made official."
Google began accepting applications to pre-order Google Glass on Wednesday, and The Times reported that the device has seen some improvements - not least of which is the integration of Google Maps in "the latest version" of the glasses.
It's all in the patent
The patent published by the USPTO on Thursday is another story, one that details every aspect of Google Glass, from its ability to capture images to the wireless connection types it supports.
It mentions cameras and a "finger-operable touch pad," as well as ways to keep the image consistent despite wearers' head movements and how real-world objects can be overlaid with digital information.
It shows that though Glass isn't even out on the market yet, Google had this all nailed down years ago - the patent was filed in August 2011.
Those aspects are subject to change, but more importantly, the patent features diagrams showing alternate styles for Google Glass that don't look like they're from a cheesy 70s sci-fi movie.
The patent mentions the possibility of both plastic and metal frames, and shows designs that include square-ish hipster glasses and more.
The laser eye surgery you never knew you wanted
Google's Glass patent also gets into more theoretical areas, describing a version of the wearable computer that features lasers instead of a mounted display.
This version of Google Glass would use "a laser or LED source and scanning system [that] could be used to draw a raster display directly onto the retina of one or more of the user's eyes."
Keep in mind that most things that are patented never come to be. Hopefully, this is one of them.
