tech
Even Realities: The smart glasses Brisbane didn't know it needed
A startup betting on productivity, not cameras, could reshape how the city's tech workers and commuters interact with information.
How we reported this
Brisbane's tech scene has a new name to watch this month: Even Realities. The startup, which debuted its camera-free smart glasses in mid-July, is pitching a productivity-first approach that avoids the privacy baggage of wearable cameras. For a city pushing its "smart city" credentials ahead of the 2032 Olympics, the timing matters.
Why camera-free matters in Brisbane
The company's glasses use augmented-reality overlays, think calendar alerts, navigation prompts, transcription, without recording anyone. That distinction is crucial as cities like Brisbane expand digital infrastructure. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner's administration has rolled out smart traffic sensors and public Wi-Fi along the Riverside Expressway and in South Bank. But public pushback on surveillance has been a recurring friction point.
Even Realities' bet is that workers at precincts like Fortitude Valley's coworking hubs and the CBD tower blocks will trade camera convenience for a device that doesn't make colleagues or cafe strangers uncomfortable. The glasses weigh 38 grams, the company says, and offer up to eight hours of battery life. No camera means no one needs to ask "are you recording me?"
What the city could learn from New York's heat wave
New York's recent heat wave highlighted a simple but overlooked tech: slushie machines as lifesaving infrastructure. Brisbane's own summer extremes, January 2025 hit 41°C in the CBD, suggest a similar lesson. Smart city plans often focus on sensors and data dashboards. But practical, low-cost interventions matter, too. A camera-free wearable that delivers real-time heat alerts or hydration reminders could serve commuters waiting at the Cultural Centre bus station or workers on a construction site in Newstead.
Even Realities hasn't announced a Brisbane-specific rollout. The company plans to ship pre-orders internationally by late 2026, according to its product page. Local early adopters, particularly software developers and designers working in the city's growing tech sector, have begun testing developer kits, according to the company's blog.
For now, Brisbane's smart city push remains a mix of ambitious plans and incremental adoption. The Queensland government's $100 million Digital Economy strategy funds pilot projects in Townsville and the Gold Coast but hasn't named a Brisbane wearable trial. Even Realities' glasses won't fix the city's traffic pinch points or its summer humidity. But they do offer a template: innovation that doesn't demand everyone surrender their privacy first.