Don's Home Technology Google Glass

Under Construction.

>Essentially, Google Glass is a wearable computer built into spectacle frames so that you can perch a display in your field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go as well as run specially-designed apps.

You control it with a voice activated interface or a touch pad on the frame.
The display is reflected from a clear prism that normally appears in the upper right side of your field of view, but can be centered if you look up or adjust the glasses. It is polarized light in 1 direction so you can still see whats behind the prism.

Glass advocates claim that its heads-up display will actually be less disruptive and more socially involving than heads-down smartphone use.

Glass responds to voice commands as well as taps and gestures on the touch-sensitive bar that runs along the side of the frame. You can start a search with "Ok Glass.." and take a photo or launch an app with a command phrase or a tap of your finger. Glass can also be paired with a phone using the My Glass app to allow quick fiddling with settings and customisation.

You'll be able to use Google Maps to get directions although as there is no built in GPS receiver you'll need to tether Glass to your smartphone.

Source: Google Glass | TechRadar

Video with Robert Scoble at Huffington Post

At My First 100 Days With Google Glass - ReadWrite.com, Joshua Merrill says, "Glass is built to do many of the things my phone can do, but it does them half as well. It can search Google, but it's cumbersome for reading web pages. It can send messages, but relies on imperfect voice transcription.

If Google released Glass today, it would fail. The current product is an order of magnitude short in capability, battery life and ease of use; even a 2014 release date seems too early to me.

Somebody, someday, will get this product right. It may be Google, or it may not. The future is up for grabs. "

 
 
The display is the equivalent of a 25 inch HD screen from eight feet away in the upper right corner of your visual field.

Social Implications:
At Google Glass: An Etiquette Guide - WSJ.com they say,
- There's no way for others to tell whether that camera is on or off. Sure, people might notice the tiny screen near your eye sparkling when they look closely. But that could be anything from a text message to an episode of "Parks and Recreation." Naturally, people are going to be spooked out about whether or not you're recording them.
Don't tell them "there are probably other cameras recording you right now." instead say "it was a mistake for Google not to put a red light indicating that a photo or video is being taken."
- Use voice commands only when you need to.
- It's annoying to talk to someone who keeps glancing up and to the right every 10 seconds. Turn Glass off when there's someone in front of you.
- All it's going to take is for one Glass wearer to record or photograph someone or something that shouldn't have been filmed to ruin Glass for everyone.

At Domus they say, "If the uptake of every technology that first incited both fear and wonder--electricity, telephones, moving images--is anything to go by, ubiquitous computing will become, well, ubiquitous."

As of December, 2013 the seed versions cost $1,500.
At The high cost of Google Glass is no accident | Digital Trends they say, "Slapping on a hefty price tag to manufacture a "cool" factor is nothing new or unique to Glass.
... Eventually, of course, Google will make Glass available to everyone at a reasonable price - that's just common sense."


Specification

Display:
High resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch
high definition screen from eight feet away.

Attachment:
Adjustable eyeglass like frame.
Google is trialing several different designs that will enable Glass
to be attached to existing frames.

Camera:
Photos - 5 MP
Videos - 720p

Audio:
Bone Conduction Transducer transmits sounds others can't hear
Connectivity

Wifi - 802.11b/g
Bluetooth

Storage:
12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.
Battery

One day of typical use.
Some features, like video calls and video recording, are more battery intensive.


Compatibility:
Any Bluetooth-capable phone.
The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher.
MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.

OS:
  Android

The image is reflected from a curved mirror-like surface which effectively puts its image in infinity. However, its rays are not allowed to go to infinity, since they are forced to be reflected into the viewer eyes, so the eye need not refocus.
Source: Understanding Google Glass: Connect.dpreview.com

Google glass is in a class of devices referred to as Augmented reality (AR) where real-world environment whose elements are augmented (or supplemented) by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. Virtual Reality on the other hand replaces the real world with a simulated one.

Links:
MyGlass app on Android - Google Glass Help
Understanding Google Glass: Connect.dpreview.com
Google Glass: Early impressions - Images
Google Glass Has Buzz, but Vuzix, Which Already Makes Wearable Displays, Plans to Compete | MIT Technology Review
Vuzix STAR 1200XL Augmented Reality System
Google Glass competitor Recon ships 50K units, gets Intel investment, and hints at Apple connection - MacDailyNews


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last updated 18 Dec 2013