Amazon said to be working on Alexa-powered smart glasses

Amazon is working on a pair of smart glasses with an in-built Alexa voice assistant, according to a report in the Financial Times. The smartphone-tethered device would look like a regular pair of glasses and won't have a screen or camera. The glasses are said to have a bone-conduction audio system built-in, so you don’t have to wear earphones to hear Alexa.

The report adds that the company is also believed to be working on a home security camera that will tie into its ecosystem of Internet-connected products. Amazon already has the Echo Show, which has a screen and lets you make video calls instantly and now you might also be able to view the camera feed on the Echo Show like when an order has been dropped off at your door.

The spectacles will probably function like Google Glass, displaying information related to your queries in your field of view. For example, you might ask Alexa, “Show me coffee-makers under $500,” and the glasses could project a bunch of options for you to look at and choose from. As of now, all this is speculation and there's no official word from Amazon either. Also, the report states one or both of the products might be launched before 2017 ends.

The company has roped in Babak Parviz, the founder of Google Glass, to head up the spectacles project (he was hired back in 2014).