The idea of wearable technology is fast approaching; especially the invention of Google Glass. This product has not yet been released, and won’t be sold to the public until 2014. Google Glass is basically a wearable, hands free iPhone. It is worn like a pair of glasses, just without lenses.
This cool new product “provides interaction via natural language voice commands, as well as eye-tracking technology.” Where the lens would be is a small electronic screen, and on the side frame there is “a processor, a camera, speaker and microphone, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi antennas, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and a battery.”
Now that’s just the basics of the glasses; the most important part is what are the risks and rewards of buying this product, because it’s not going to come cheap. In 2013, Google is offering the prototype to developers for $1,500; this is before it is released to the public in 2014. A potential negative of this product is that they could break easily. How many times do you hear, “Oh my gosh, I broke my glasses”? Well those glasses didn’t have a processor, camera, and many other features to replace like Google Glass would. So, the replacement costs could be high. Also, like I said before the retail price of Google Glass could be high depending on how you value the product. Another possible drawback depends on if Google plans on selling Google Glass as just a product vs. a product with a message/data plan. The price could be different depending on which one they choose.
Now, there are many positives to Google Glass. First and foremost, it is basically a hands-free smartphone. This avoids the hassle of having to take your phone out of your pocket. It doesn’t get much better than that. Next, it weighs less than most sunglasses and it is very slim. And that is only the prototype. Mr. Babak Parviz, a project leader at Google’s Project Glass, said,”This is the bulkiest version of Glass we’ll ever make.” This means that this product is just going to keep getting smaller and lighter as technology advances. Also, the speed of the processor and the clarity of the camera is phenomenal. Like me, many people are probably wondering if the little screen in front of your eye is going to be annoying and get in the way when driving. According to David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist, the screen is completely invisible when driving or reading. You just forget about it. A tradeoff of Google Glass is that you give up some apps that the iPhone has to offer; instead, you get the convenience of the Glass in return.
In my opinion, the benefits greatly outweigh the costs; this means that it should be a hot product that many people will buy in the coming years. The convenience factor and the amazing features are a recipe for success. Below are two videos that capture the incredible features that Google Glass has to offer.
Google unveils Google Glass Explorer Edition at I/O – CNET News
Sources:
http://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/2014.htm
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/google-glass-and-the-future-of-technology/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443779404577643981045121516.html
sounds cool but the issue about driving is distraction. if this works, it disctracts you. if not, it does nor have your attention and is not working
good blog