With smartphones and tablets firmly embedded in mainstream culture, where will the fast-moving world of technology focus its attention next? According to two of its biggest players – Apple and Google – the future is in wearable computing. Apple is reportedly developing a smartwatch, while Google has been upfront about its smart-glasses, Google Glass. But what’s it like to actually wear a pair of smart-glasses?
That was previously a mystery to anyone who hadn’t signed a blood-oath to Mountain View. But today, in a video released on Google’s Glass site, we get a new first-person glimpse of the product – that video can be seen at the bottom of this page.
Sneak peek
Can Google Glass be the next big thing? Judging by this video, it may have a shot. The glasses are voice-controlled, with the phrase “Okay, Glass” activating services like video chat, navigation, photography, social feeds, or search-powered Q&A.;
The interface looks polished and natural enough to forecast a future where wearable computers replace smartphones as our primary on-the-go devices.
Google’s biggest challenge in delivering Glass to the consumer market will be how you look while wearing them. The company has made Glass' design as elegant as a computer on your face can possibly be. But – as much as geeks will be salivating over them – “regular” customers may still hesitate to look like a distant cousin of Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Waiting game
You can check out Google’s full video below. Select developers already have prerelease units, while everyone else can enter at the source link for a chance to become a Google Glass "Explorer" (for US$1,500). Glass won't likely hit the market until 2014.
Source: Google Glass via 9to5Google
