They may not look like it, but these are actually smart glasses

They're called Focals and are made by North, a startup backed by Amazon

You can get them with prescription lenses or clear

Focals of the first pair of everyday smart glasses

So wearing the product right now, it's a pair of eyewear that has a hidden holographic display in it

So I actually just turn it on and have a display floating about arm's length out here in front of me saying it's 2:48 on Thursday here

It's all built around this idea of how do we give people those magical benefits of technology and build something that's there and you need it

but they gone when you don't

The concept is not new, both Intel and Google made smart glasses but neither product took off

North is putting significant focus on the design, hoping to convince consumers that it's finally time we all accept smart glasses

We really, first and foremost, wanted to deliver people a great pair of eyeglasses

As an eyewear designer and someone who has a background in in fashion and design

I kind of, you know, looked at my own personal bar for how this needs to be, like what would it take for me to wear this

After trying on Focals our first impression was that they're a little heavier and a little clunkier than normal glasses

but the tech seems to work pretty well

Oh that's actually really cool

Focals worked by directly projecting a little tiny rays of light onto our eye

When you put these on you don't see a screen, this is not a rectangle blocking out your view

It's a very thoughtful, considered interface that is very minimal, you're seeing just little tiny bit bits of text

It just kind of hovers like right below my line of sight

There's also things you'd expect

There's a smartphone processor in here, connectivity of Bluetooth to your phone, either iOS or Android

Citing privacy concerns, North says the microphone on Focals is only listening when it's activated and there is no camera on the device

In order for Focals to work, you need this ring light controller

The loop is a tiny little ring with a joystick a five-way interface on it

There's no need to talk to the glasses to touch them to do anything else

Out of the box, Focals give you the same kind of information that an Apple watch can

Among other things, it can tell you the weather, give you walking directions and display text messages

You can even order an Uber using them and Focals are integrated with Amazon Alexa

Oh cool, so I'm seeing like a little graphic, it's going to be sunny and 72

Focals cost $1,000 and the first units will ship this year

But right now, the only way to purchase a pair is to visit one of North's soon-opening stores in Brooklyn or Toronto because custom measurements are needed

We want to minimize screen time not maximize it

Every interaction, we built we design it to be the fastest way to get it done and to get you back to the world

It's really about staying present in the world while still maintaining the pieces that we value about the connections and the information we need in the moment

But whether consumers are finally ready for smart glasses, is yet to be seen