ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Vuzix®
Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), ("Vuzix" or, the "Company"), a
leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR)
technology and products, is pleased to announce that Vuzix
Blade® AR Smart Glasses are now available for purchase
by the general public at a price of $999.99 on the Vuzix website through following
link: https://www.vuzix.com/products/blade-smart-glasses.
Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses are the first and only fashion
forward full color, see-through smart glasses available on the
market today for consumers that support app developers and
applications running directly on the glasses. The Vuzix Blade
is a wearable smart display with a see-through viewing experience
utilizing Vuzix's proprietary waveguide optics and full color Cobra
II display engine in a truly wearable form factor. It's like having
your computer or smartphone screen information with you wherever
you go on demand and includes an HD camera to let you see,
recognize, respond to and record the outside real world. Just as
users of smart phones see alerts and information on their mobile
screens when they hold their phones, wearers of the Vuzix Blade AR
Smart Glasses receive personalized alerts and information as a
function of where they are looking with a visual overlay that pops
into their field of vision; delivered hands-free and on the go.
The Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses platform includes an Android based
operating system on the device, a cloud-based services platform
that is being developed specifically for the Blade and a growing
ecosystem of apps and software development firms around the world
that we are working with. Examples of the latter include Yelp and
AccuWeather; and we are currently working with Amazon to finish the
broader integration of Alexa to take advantage of many new and
unique capabilities of the Blade and expect to complete
certification soon; and Alexa BETA is currently available for
developers.
The Vuzix Blade AR Smart Glasses platform enables new visual
ways to reach, interact and connect with consumers. Planning
an appointment or dinner reservation is important for almost
everyone, whether travelling locally or to new cities or
destinations. The Yelp Fusion API allows Vuzix users to quickly and
safely connect with great local businesses in a whole new way, from
discovering a new coffee shop to booking a restaurant reservation
on-the-go.
Similarly, just as users of smart phones see routine weather
forecasts on their mobile screens, wearers of the Vuzix Blade will
now be able to view a comprehensive weather forecast as a visual
overlay that pops into their field of vision. Vuzix has
entered into a strategic partnership with AccuWeather, the largest
and fastest-growing weather media company and a global leader in
weather-related big data, business and analytics, providing
localized weather forecasts to more than 1.5 billion people
worldwide. This partnership will bring compelling and dynamic
interactive AR-based weather experiences to Vuzix Blade Smart
Glasses users across the globe, allowing them to interact and view
localized weather content and weather forecasts through their Vuzix
Blades. Planning for the weather can be critically important at
home or travelling to other cities or destinations. Vuzix
users will now have the added convenience of leaving their phones
in their pockets while wearing the Vuzix Blade to stay informed and
updated regarding the weather without missing a beat. The
AccuWeather AR weather app is expected to be released on the Vuzix
Blade Smart Glasses during the first quarter of 2019.
The Vuzix Blade Companion App, available on the App Store or Google Play, enables easy
setup and customization of your Blade including managing Wi-Fi
connections and pairing your Blade Smart Glasses to your phone. The
Blade Companion App on the smart phone allows users to manage
practically all application notifications and alerts from their
phone to the Blade including email, messages and navigation as well
as media player control and more. For consumers, the current
Vuzix Blade Companion App is being upgraded with new functionality
including the enablement of photo and video sharing between the
Blade and the smart phone, putting users just one click away from
sharing their favorite video or picture on social media
platforms.
The Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses are supported by the Vuzix App
Store, which allows Blade users to register their Blade Smart
Glasses and select applications that they want pushed down to their
glasses. The Vuzix Blade BETA App Store is also now open and
can be accessed here. The Vuzix Blade ecosystem of
consumer-oriented applications is expected to grow significantly
throughout 2019 - ranging from utilities to entertainment with
applications like karaoke, language translation, sheet music
scrolling and more. Also included on the Blade Smart Glasses
are four fun games designed exclusively for Vuzix, including AR
Dino Hunter, AR-Golf, AR-Racers,
and an idle AR Space-Miner game. Shipments of the Vuzix Blade Smart
Glasses consumer version are expected to begin shipping by the
first week of February 2019.
"The general release of the Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses is a
significant step forward for the AR Smart Glasses industry and
delivers against many promises made by other notable players in the
smart glasses industry that have gone unfulfilled. Vuzix
Blade Smart Glasses are truly wearable smart glasses that can not
only be unboxed and paired to a phone in a matter of minutes, but
also deliver immediate utility for prosumers and consumers," said
Paul Travers, Vuzix President and
Chief Executive Officer. "Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses also mark
the beginning of leaving your phone in your pocket, ushering in a
new and dynamic era of wearable computing. And of course, the Blade
Smart Glasses is also a great hands-free productivity tool for
business, delivering a powerful mobile computing experience."
Demonstrations of "A Day in the Life with Blade," including the
integration of AccuWeather forecasts and Yelp AR, will occur at the
Vuzix booth (Tech East LVCC, Central Hall - Vuzix Corp. Booth
#15036) at CES from January 8-11. Interested members of the
media can reference the Company's 'Day in the Life with Vuzix
Blade AR Smart Glasses' marketing awareness video that provides an
overview of expected device features associated with everyday
real-life situations as well as a representative sample of Vuzix
Blade partners.
About Vuzix Corporation
Vuzix is a leading supplier of Smart-Glasses and Augmented
Reality (AR) technologies and products for the consumer and
enterprise markets. The Company's products include personal display
and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable
high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility,
wearable displays and augmented reality. Vuzix holds 144 patents
and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the Video Eyewear
field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES)
awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2019 and several
wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in
1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in
Rochester, NY, Oxford, UK, Barcelona, Spain and Tokyo, Japan.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
Certain statements contained in this news release are
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities
laws. Forward looking statements contained in this release relate
to our business relationships and opportunities with Amazon,
AccuWeather, Yelp and Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses, Companion App,
their features and performance and among other things the Company's
leadership in the Smart Glasses and AR display industry. They are
generally identified by words such as "believes," "may," "expects,"
"anticipates," "should" and similar expressions. Readers should not
place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are
based upon the Company's beliefs and assumptions as of the date of
this release. The Company's actual results could differ materially
due to risk factors and other items described in more detail in the
"Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Reports and MD&A
filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and
applicable Canadian securities regulators (copies of which may be
obtained at www.sedar.com or www.sec.gov). Subsequent events and
developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change.
The Company specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to
update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of
changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this
release, except as required by applicable law.
Media and Investor Relations Contact:
Matt Margolis, Director of
Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Vuzix Corporation
matt_margolis@vuzix.com Tel: (585) 359-5952
Ed McGregor, Director of
Institutional Investor Relations, Vuzix Corporation
ed_mcgregor@vuzix.com Tel: (585) 359-5985
Vuzix Corporation, 25 Hendrix Road, Suite A, West Henrietta, NY 14586 USA,
Investor Information – IR@vuzix.com www.vuzix.com
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SOURCE Vuzix Corporation