Gallery: Bright Eyes: Smart Snow Goggles Measure Your Radness
01smart-goggles-introduction
Snow goggles used to be so simple: a tinted lens to block the sun, and a strap to hold it to your head. All we asked of the shades was that they wouldn't fog up, and that they'd keep the sun's glare from scorching our eyes. [](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/playbook/winter-camp-2012/)Today, ski and snowboard goggles have more digital functionality than your first car. Now you can keep track of your speed, elevation and other stats right there on the slopes with in-goggle digital displays, record all your stoke-worthy achievements with integrated high-def POV cameras, and pair your goggles to your phone via Bluetooth, where they can interface with various apps. We took four of the most tech-loaded goggles out for some runs at [Squaw Valley](http://www.squaw.com/), in the mountains near Lake Tahoe, and checked the specs. The good news: none of us went snowblind. *— Billy Brown*
02liquid-image-apex-hd-wi-fi
Liquid Image Apex HD Wi-fi -------------------------- These [Apex goggles](http://www.liquidimageco.com/products/model-339-apex-series-hd) from Liquid Image ($400) have a tiny videocamera lens mounted in the frame, positioned right between (and slightly above) your eyes. It's controlled via a small two-button remote on the strap. Unlike the bazillions of other POV cameras we saw on the slopes last week, these Liquid Images don't require screwing around with mounting systems, and they save you from the indignity of running around with a conspicuous plastic appendage sticking out of your dome. The in-frame HD camera records video at 1080p at 30fps or 720p at 60fps, and lets you take 12-megapixel still photos either one at a time or in continuous-shot mode. The between-the-eyes placement gives you a true first-person perspective, and there's a dial above the lens to adjust the camera's vertical tilt up to 30 degrees. The Apex pairs with iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, letting you control the camera, adjust settings, and use your touchscreen device as a viewfinder. The strap-mounted controls consist of a two-button scheme that was a cinch to navigate. Even while wearing snowboard gloves, it was simple to power on the camera, switch settings, and toggle the recording function on and off. Bonus: The auto-off setting switches the camera off after a few minutes of inactivity to preserve battery life — nice for when you forget to stop recording before you get on the ski lift. *— Billy Brown* 
03smith-io-recon
Smith I/O Recon --------------- Starting with its popular I/O series goggle, Smith integrated Recon Instrument's in-goggle heads-up display to crate the [Smith I/O Recon](http://www.smithoptics.com/products/#/Snow+Goggles/Vaporator+Series/IO+Recon/view/) model ($650). A tiny screen just below eye level displays a dizzying array of stats: speed, altitude, distance traveled, temperature, and even jump analytics like hang time for you adventurous types. The wrist-mounted remote control allows you to scroll through the various stat screens. The Recon's Bluetooth capabilities allow for smartphone integration, letting you view incoming calls, read text messages, and control your music. It also links up with Contour's Bluetooth-enabled POV cameras, acting as a viewfinder to ensure you're getting the right angle. Did I mention it's a goggle, too? The I/O's spherical lens has a distortion-reducing design that provides a crystal-clear view of the terrain, and the anti-fog features kept the goggles clear during steamy bluebird days. Just try to remember to watch where you're going in between speed checks. *-— Billy Brown* 
04oakley-airwave
Oakley Airwave -------------- Smith isn't the only company Recon is teaming up with this season. In fact, the HUD innovator has also packed its tech into goggles from the likes of Briko, Scott, Uvex and Alpina. But I got especially excited about Recon's newest collaboration with Oakley, one of the premier optics companies on the planet. Just like the competition, the new [Oakley Airwaves](http://www.oakley.com/airwave) ($600) track your top speed, control your music, work with your Bluetooth-enabled Contour camera and measure your hang time while jumping. Also similar is the remote, a wristband with buttons large enough for puffy-gloved hands. The Airwave's tiny display sits below the main field of vision of your right eye, so the information is there without being obtrusive — important when you're flying down the mountain at 50 mph. If you have one or more Airwave-wearing friends on the slopes with you, tracking them is easy with a built-in buddy location system. Plus, when you plug in the goggles at the end of the day, all your stats are available on the [Recon's Engage website](http://engage.reconinstruments.com/getstarted). As a goggle, they're great. There's zero distortion in the lens, and the lens overall is very nice, as you'd expect from Oakley. They're also comfortable and easy to adjust. The only ding against them is that because of the Recon system, you lose a little peripheral vision — but that's the same story for all Recon-equipped goggles. *— Roberto Baldwin* 
05buhel-intercom-speakgoggle-g33
Buhel Intercom Speakgoggle G33 ------------------------------ When I first started snowboarding, I remember bringing along walkie talkies so my friends and I could talk to each other while we shredded it up. (Full disclosure: At this point in my snowboarding "career" I was doing way more wiping out than shredding. I'm pretty sure my friends gave me the walkie talkie so they could ensure I was still alive after [mousetrapping](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8jJ74V-1Hc) myself 10 feet down the mountain.) So you can imagine my excitement when I saw [Buhel's Intercom Speakgoggles](http://www.buhelstore.com/catalog/product/view/id/135/s/buhel-intercom-speakgoggle-g33-white/category/97/) (between $310 and $360 online), which bring the voice-chat utility of walkie talkies into a pair of ski goggles. The intercom and voice-dialing function use a "nasal bone conduction microphone," which might be more aptly named the "nasal bone-crushing microphone of torture." The microphone supposedly eliminates ambient noise, but I was forced to remove the goggles after just two hours of use, as the [blinding pain on the side of my face](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Raf5JdFecPQ) was interfering with my will to live. Unfortunately, the walkie talkies I was using in the early 2000s were more user-friendly than the Speakgoggles — Buhel's entry doesn't even come close to what's used in the Airwaves or other goggles that use Recon's technology. In addition to the intercom function, Buhel's goggles can also pair with different Bluetooth-capable devices. Buttons on the sides of the goggles act as controls for your MP3 player, smartphone, or GPS. While the Speakgoggle functions passably as a Bluetooth controller for an MP3 player, that doesn't make up for the poor design of the intercom. Finally, the included cheapo earphones look (and feel) like castoffs from a Delta Airlines jetliner circa 1999, and don't do much to sweeten the deal. *— Karissa Bell*
