Hi, readers!
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| Photo courtesy of Google. |
Google
recently debuted a beautifully polished version of their Glass project. For
those of you unfamiliar with Glass, it’s basically a HUD (heads up display) for
your everyday life. The device, which is mounted on a glasses frame, is capable
of taking pictures, recording video, navigation, search, and more. It’s hard to
imagine something so futuristic and groundbreaking being integrated into our
daily lives, but I want to take a look at some of the possibilities.
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| Photo courtesy of Google. |
Glass
basically puts a digital interface in your view at all times. It sits at the
upper right corner of your vision, and comes into focus when you want to use
it. Google explained that this product was designed to lessen the amount of
time that people spend hunched over their phones by putting that interface in
front of them at all times. They hope to increase face-to-face social
interaction by using technology (which sounds paradoxical, but hey).
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| Photo courtesy of Google. |
The
device leaves your vision unobstructed; it’s not a visor. The frame runs over
your brow line and fits like a pair of glasses. When you need it, you simply
adjust your focus to the ‘screen’ at the upper right hand corner of your
vision. The goal is to have it there when you need it but invisible when you
don’t. You can navigate the options with voice control or with the touch
sensitive panel on the device, which sits by your right temple. “Ok, Glass.
Take a picture.” This will take a picture of whatever you’re looking at.
Ok...
hopefully you have a slightly better idea of what we’re dealing with here.
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| Photo courtesy of Google. |
I want to commend Google on their
design for this thing. It’s sleek, futuristic, and as minimalistic as it can
be. Google generally doesn’t make any
hardware, so I think this design is inspired. You can attach sunglass lenses to
the frame, making them look more ‘normal’ looking. Offering different colors
was also a good choice. Hopefully, we’ll see some partnerships with producers
of fashionable glasses/sunglasses. More options are likely to make the product
appear to wider audiences.
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| Photo courtesy of TheVerge.com |
So let’s examine the features/possibilities
with this thing:
1.
Photos/Video: This is probably the largest draw for
most people. The camera faces outward, so whatever you’re looking at is what
will get recorded. The camera obviously doesn’t face inward, so a Skype or
Facetime style communication is impossible right now. It also has a microphone
so it will catch audio as well as video. (Feature)
2.
Search- A better Siri: Being able to search for
anything without whipping out your phone and holding a button is something I’m
looking forward to. “Ok, Glass. Search a list of Quentin Tarantino’s movies” and
it’s there. The hands free aspect is something that was only present in science
fiction movies 50 years ago. We are living in the future. (Feature)
3.
Navigation: GPS companies have done their best
to make customer usage as simple as possible, but nothing can beat an arrow
right in front of your face telling you to turn right. Having that kind of
immersion is not only awesome, but can dramatically lessen the chances of
getting lost. (Features)
4.
Staying connected: While Glass doesn’t have calling
capabilities, it can connect via Bluetooth to your phone (which allows it
search). That’s not all. Using this connectivity, we can send pictures messages
and video messages to our contacts. (Feature)
5.
About those phone calls: I see this being option
in a future iteration of the device. Adding calling capabilities seems like the
next logical step in the evolution of Glass. Just make it a headset.
(Possibility)
6.
Apps: I predict that application support will
determine whether Glass succeeds or fails. Imagine banking, making dinner
reservations, scrolling through your news feed, or using Google Goggles to
identify anything in front of you. Ideas like these separate a failed concept
from the past to a usable 21st century reality. (Possibility)
7.
“You are there”: This feature allows other
people to see what you’re seeing in real time. Skydiving out of a plane and
want your family to watch? That’s possible. At the Grand Canyon and want your friends
to see? Done. This is taking social to a whole new level. Interactivity is what
the future is about. (Feature!)
If any of these features seem cool to you and you have $1500
dollars lying around, you can be a part of the beta. Google is asking you (and
me… and everyone) to sign up and test this thing out. Learn more here.
Also, read this awesome hands-on to learn about what the device
feels like and a more in-depth look into the technology behind it.
With Glass, we don’t know if Google has a winner yet, but the
possibilities are remarkable. Google has clearly put in a considerable amount
of time into this innovation. Here’s to hoping it delivers.
Let me know what you guys think of this amazing piece of
technology.
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