Technology is evolving to the point where it seems it will be too much effort to take a smart phone from a bag or pocket and touch the screen to retrieve information. While we’re not quite at the level of the voice controlled fully integrated home (or spaceship) computer system, in the very near future, the technology will be wearable, and essentially integrated with our senses.
While Apple’s next move is likely to be a smart watch which is expected to function like a mini iPad on your wrist, Google is banking on something that they hope will literally change the way you see the world. Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting Google Glass…
What is Google Glass?
Google Glass is a pair of glasses that display what is known as augmented reality. Imagine walking down the street in a foreign country and looking for the train station. You could attempt to ask a local for directions (and your glasses can actually show you the correct words on Google Translate), but it’s easier for the glasses to literally give you the directions, projecting the information so that it appears to be hanging in the air, right in front of your eyes.
How Does It Work?
The glasses are rather nondescript in their design, resembling a pair of safety glasses with a small box affixed next to the wearers’ right eye. This box is where the magic happens, and data is projected onto the right lens, allowing the wearer to view whatever information they’ve requested. More complex interactions might require a Bluetooth connection to a smart phone, but for the most part, the device is voice activated. Hopefully you’re not the type who uses the words “OK glass” in regular conversation, because this is the command signifier for Google Glass. “OK glass, search for movie times,” “OK glass, Google search for Chinese restaurants near me,” “OK Glass, seize control of the Internet and take over the world.” We made that last one up, but the reaches of this technology are amazing.
When Can I Get It?
The Google Glass is still going through a rigorous testing phase, but senior Google staff have been spotted out and about wearing the glasses, leading to paparazzi to snap their photo as if they were Justin Bieber leaving a party with a mystery woman. Interested consumers were invited to become one of the first to experience Google Glass, and their recommendations would help Google to decide the final function line up of the retail version. These consumers had to send a 50-word statement as to why they were an ideal candidate and they also had to pay $1500 for the privilege. An alleged successful applicant attempted to sell her Google Glass on eBay for $16,000, but this listing was quickly removed.
Is This The Future?
For technophobes, seeing the world via augmented reality might seem like a terrifying prospect, but eventually devices like Google Glass may become commonplace. There are numerous legal issues that need to be worked out and they will vary by country, as devices like Google Glass allow an easy and discreet way to record video, and people may not realize that they’re being filmed. There’s also the issue that you might having a conversation with your friend, and unbeknownst to you, he’s actually checking his Facebook or watching videos of puppies playing on Youtube.
Technology is evolving at an astounding rate, and there are some older members of the community who are still suspicious of those new fangled ATM’s. What was seen as futuristic is swiftly moving into the mainstream. The future is now reality, and it’s augmented.
