Wearables: a fad or our future

First came Google Glass, a chip built into glasses allowing you to search the internet, take a picture, get directions, etc. Then came the Samsung Galaxy Gear, a watch that acts as an interface to your Android smartphone. Apple’s  iWatch is rumored to have a release date range from the end of 2013 to the last quarter in 2014.

Now in a development that may mean wearables are here to stay, Microsoft is said to be courting Osterhout Design Group for their portfolio of some 140 patents. If the deal goes through, Microsoft will have augmented several strategic directions: military contracts, consumer wearables, gaming and licensing. In addition, they will have added IP to their defensive arsenal should wearables become a new IP battlefield.