The long awaited Recon Jet was finally released to the public back in April. It was a long wait for those first following the smart sunglasses since 2008.
Now selling units, Recon Instruments has just released an update that will likely please many tech-savvy early adopters, with the smart eyewear now compatible with ANT+ power meters. With this, the Recon Jet delivers real-time power data on a display that sits below the right eye, something that’s claimed to be just outside your field of vision.
Support for ANT+ power meters is available as a a free software update. Once updated, ANT+ power data can be displayed in one of six different modes, including Instant, three-second, 10-second, 30-second, Max, and Average. Additional modes are said to be coming soon – whether this includes left-right balance, percentage of functional threshold power, normalized power or perhaps more is currently unknown.
Power readings can be displayed alongside pre-existing metrics, such as heart rate, speed, cadence, pace, grade, elevation gain, calories burned, distance, and duration.
Using the ANT+ protocol, the Recon Jet’s power meter compatibility list is expectedly extensive, with most models from Quarq, Factor, VerveCycling, SRM, Power2Max, Pioneer, Powertap, Rotor, Stages Cycling, Xpedo and Garmin said to be compatible.
Two days ago, Recon Instruments announced that Intel has finalised its acquisition of the company. The brand will remain in its Vancouver offices, with the acquisition providing it with a boost of both financial and technical resources to successfully grow.
The smart wearable market is one with fierce competition that's currently trying to establish a 'best' example. For sporting use, the new Apple Watch has been met with mixed emotions; there are also the up and coming in-ear biometric options (more on these soon).