Google's Glass has yet to hit the streets, but the folks at Redmond are already thinking about how best to compete against the futuristic device.
According to analyst Brian White, Microsoft is prepping a set of Internet-connected glasses that could launch as early as 2014, likely well after Google's spectacles ship in late 2013.
White also believes the advent of Google Glass will kick off a concerted push by industry heavyweights who are serious about wearable electronics, such as Apple which is reportedly working on its long-awaited "iWatch" accessory.
"It appears to us that Google has made significant breakthroughs around software applications as it relates to this new product," White explained.
"As such, we believe this initiative will kick off a major push into the field of wearable electronics and therefore will be closely scrutinized."
In related news, a number of reports indicate the China-based Baidu is prepping its own version of Google Glass. Dubbed the Baidu Eye, the device boasts a number of Glass-like features, including an LCD display, voice control functions, speakers, image recognition and a bone conductive microphone.
Google Glass can best be described as a wearable computer with a head-mounted display (HMD). The device displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format capable of interacting with the Internet via natural language voice commands.
