Google adds prescription frames, new sunglasses styles to Glass

GOOGLE Glass is getting glasses.

Google is adding prescription frames and new styles of detachable sunglasses to its computerised, inteet-connected goggles known as Glass.

At present Glass is available only to the tens of thousands of people testing and creating apps for it. It will have a general release this year.

Glass hasn't had glasses in its frame until now.

Glass is basically a small computer with a camera and a display screen above the wearer's right eye.

The device sits at eyebrow level, higher than where eyeglasses would go.

It lets wearers surf the web, ask for directions and take photos or videos.

Akin to wearing a smartphone, Glass also lets people read their email, share photos on Twitter and Facebook, translate phrases while travelling or partake in video chats.

Glass follows basic voice commands, spoken after the words: \"OK, Glass\".

Bright future ... The new Google Glass \"Classic\" sunglasses offer a vision of the future.

From today, the Califoian company is offering four styles of prescription frames and two new types of shades available to its \"explorers\" - the people trying out Glass.

The frames will cost $225 and the shades $150. That's on top of the $1500 price of Glass.

Users can take the frames to any optometrist for prescription lenses. Google says some insurance plans may cover the cost of the frames.

Glass's designers picked four basic but distinct frame styles. On one end is a chunky \"bold\" style that stands out. On the other is a \"thin\" design - to blend in as much as possible.

Take a look ... the new Google Glass prescription frames are not yet available to the public, because Glass has yet to hit the market.

When Google unveiled Glass in a video nearly two years ago, it drew unfavourable comparisons to Bluetooth headsets, the trademarks of the fashion-ignorant technophile.

Fashionable? ... a model wearing Google Glasses. Picture: AP