We were promised jet packs, food in pill form, and robotic companions that are programmed to reassure our awesomeness with high-fives on demand...You know what? I think we've been gypped. We can't even get auto-correct to work right. So where is this future we've been promised? While I don't suspect that we'll be getting flying cars any time soon, it looks like Google is trying to play catch upon a much-delayed future.
We've previous reported on the ambitious ocular project known as Google Glass and despite questioning its usefulness, it still left us intrigued. Google posted this video, demonstrating what it would look like to wear the high tech specs. It definitely has me wanting to see more.
So what does this action packed (often times heart-stopping) video show us besides the fact everyone has much more adventurous lives than I, the simple photo blogger? All of the functions appear to be voice activated in the same way you would have a chat with Siri. Through voice recognition you can tell it to take a picture, record 720p HD video, send and receive texts, initiate the video chat hang out, search the internet, find translations, and use GPS navigation.
Pairing with a smart phone via bluetooth, the glasses will be more of an accessory than a communication device on its own. They will pull information from the phone and stream directly to the little display near the corner of your eyesight. In terms of fashion, I don't think Google Glass is all that offensive...it's not exactly discrete, but there are probably more questionable head accessories that come to mind. Think about the first time you saw someone with a bluetooth headset babbling endlessly to who you thought was an invisible friend. This is what the future is going to be like on a much more massive scale: A whole mess of Geordi La Forge's running around screaming "OK GLASS...BEAM ME UP".
As much as I'd like to have a heads up display that provides visual representation of how tired and hungry I am, Google Glass isn't available to the public yet. A lucky few have had the chance to try it out, but if you want to get your hands on them early, you'll have to sign up for a "contest" by filling out a short application. Should you win the golden ticket, you still have to pay $1,500 for your new eye wear. Apparently they won't deliver either. You'll have to pick it up in either NYC, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.
It seems that people are interested...Someone even tried selling a preliminary model on Ebay which got bids up to $16,000 before it was taken down for violating their presale listing policy. Although Google Glass is catching a lot of attention, it does leave me with some questions. Is it going to be worth the trouble or is this going to be another distraction in are already electronically-convoluted lives? It also leaves me wondering if this technology could be used for any of other WiFi connected electronics, specifically cameras. It could potentially opens up a lot of options. Similar to the way they can steam to a smart phone, maybe you could have live view wireless tethering. How cool would it be to have a voice controlled DSLR? This is all merely speculation...for all we know Google Glass could be a big ol' flop. We'll just have to wait until the public gets their hands on them at the end of the year.