The company is examining the potential of both BlackBerry smartwatches and smart glasses.
Speaking to the press at Super Mobility Week in Las Vegas, Nevada this week, John Simms, the company's president of enterprise solutions was quoted as saying: "We're doing internal research on different wearables," and confirmed that the research wasn't limited to wrist-worn tech devices.
The next device that the company is due to launch is a smartphone with a very original square form factor -- the Passport -- which will be revealed at three special media events on Sept 24. But the fact that BlackBerry is looking into wearables, and particularly smart glasses is good news.
Google Glass has so far failed to capture the tech-consuming public's imagination although it has raised concerns about invasion of privacy and the erosion of socially acceptable behavior.
However, over in the world of work, where BlackBerry still has a very loyal following, a host of innovative and useful applications are being found every day for smart headsets -- from a hands-free virtual medical assistant to providing new ways of analyzing professional sports.
In April, Atletico Madrid's assistant manager, German Burgos, became the first football coach in the world to use Google Glass during a competitive match to access live statistics and data without taking his eyes off the game -- an experiment he not only called a success but hailed as the future for football managers.
BlackBerry understands how technology is changing the way we work and the need to protect privacy and increase online security. So if anyone is going to create a face- or wrist-worn wearable that really works, that goes well with a suit and tie and doesn't scare everyone else, it may very well be BlackBerry. The only question that remains is how the company will integrate its trademark full QWERTY keyboard into either product. —AFP/Relaxnews 2014
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