Google Glass
Though head-worn displays for augmented reality are not a new idea, the project has drawn media attention primarily due to its backing by Google, as well as the prototype design, which is smaller and slimmer than previous designs for head-mounted displays.. Around August 2011, a Google Glass prototype weighed 8 pounds; the device is now lighter than the average pair of sunglasses. The first Glass demo resembles a pair of normal eyeglasses where the lens is replaced by a head-up display. In the future, new designs may allow integration of the display into people's normal eyewear.
The New York Times originally reported that Google Glass would be available to the public for "around the cost of current smartphones" by the end of 2012, but other reports have stated that the glasses are not expected to be available for purchase soon. The product (Google Glass Explorer Edition) will be available to United States Google I/O developers for $1,500, to be delivered in early 2013, while a consumer version will be available by the end of 2013 for "significantly less" than the Explorer Edition, which is $1,500.
The product began testing in April 2012. Sergey Brin wore a prototype of the Glass to an April 5, 2012 Foundation Fighting Blindness event in San Francisco. In May 2012, Glass was demoed in the first test video shot with the eyewear, demoing the 720p HD first-person video recording capabilities of the augmented reality display. Sergey Brin demoed the Glass on The Gavin Newsom Show, and California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom also wore the Glass. On June 27, 2012, he also demoed the Glass at Google I/O where skydivers, abseilers, andmountain bikers wore the Glass and live streamed their point of view to a Google+ Hangout, which was also shown live at the Google I/O presentation.
In February 2013, Google released a demo video showcasing the voice-augmented display of the Glass filming various experiences in first-person.
In addition to possible sunglasses retailer partnerships, Google is furthering the search for fashion-savvy developers, and may even open retail stores to allow customers to try on the device.
Voice commands
Multiple features of Glass can be seen in a product video released in February 2013:
| Feature | Voice activation text |
|---|---|
| Record video | "ok glass, record a video." |
| Take picture | "ok glass, take a picture." |
| Start Google+ hangout | "ok glass, hang out with [person/circle]." |
| Search | "ok glass, google [search query]"." |
| Search photos | "ok glass, google photos of [search query]." |
| Translate | "ok glass, say [text] in [language]." |
| Give directions | "ok glass, give directions to [search query]." |
| Use Google Now | "ok glass, [question] |
| Send message | "ok glass, send a message to "[name]"." |
| Give flight details | unknown |
