They notify you of messages, control music playback and presentations, etc.

Oct 12, 2013 07:38 GMT  ·  By

You'd think that sunglasses with integrated LEDs would have been done before, but that's not really true, which is why the ION actually has the potential to cause a few ripples around the world.

LED isn't the only curiosity about the new product though, and the light source is definitely not there just for kicks. There is a purpose, the same way there is a purpose for the Bluetooth connectivity technology and the tiny button controller.

In a way, the ION could be considered a forerunner, of sorts, for true augmented reality glasses/monocles/eyewear, like the Google Glass that almost everyone has heard about.

While the ION glasses can't intelligently “watch” the world around you and display info and feedback, or maintain video calls and such, it performs some essential features, the sort you'd expect from a Bluetooth headphone set.

For one, the built-in LED will light up when you receive a message. You can even set different colors for different people (phone numbers).

Another thing the glasses will be able to do is control music playing on the phone, or prompt the advance through a power point presentation, like a wireless mouse. A battery is included, lasting one week.

In fact, any other devices that can be controlled via Bluetooth should be possible to control through the ION.

Well, we say “they can and will” when it should be “they should.” After all, the ION pair of sunglasses doesn't exist yet, not in a form beyond the prototype stage anyway. The inventor, Santiago Ambit, has posted a project on Indiegogo, where he hopes to raise enough funds.

The goal is for $150,000 / €110,000, and Ambit has only raised $22,000 / €16,200. The minimum pledge is of $89 / €66. Well, the minimum that will get you a pair of glasses anyway. If nothing else, ION is a lot less obtrusive than Google Glass, so you can get away with using them without anyone knowing.