Google's Augmented-Reality Glasses

Google's latest project is augmented-reality glasses that eliminate the need for a smartphone. Google’s venture into augmented reality has finally come out into the light of day. The Android-running device are glasses that aren’t really glasses, but more like frames with one small lens over the right eye and a camera. That lens provides a heads-up-display which overlays the wearer’s frame of view. The glasses have all the features expected from a mobile device: messaging and chat, photo and video, wireless connectivity, GPS and location services, and music. One of the biggest surprises with the glasses design is how unobtrusive they are, a far cry from the clunky headgear that had been previously suggested on a recent report about Google's Glasses.

Back in February it was announced that the glasses would be on sale by the end of the year, but Google has stricken down that timeline. Although this technology is surely to hit the mainstream market soon enough and we all will be walking around with digital read outs in front of eyes. I'm not sure how the user will control these glasses, but this is most certainly an evolution in technology! Will this eliminate the hand held smart phone?

This latest announcement is intended to excite public interest, get feedback, and assess demand along with coming up with strategies to deal with resistance to the technology. It’ll also answer any questions from people wondering what those things are that early Google testers are wearing around town and as they interact with virtual objects in real surroundings. Additionally, Google just might be trying to create a bigger shift in the current mindset about technology.

Though the excitement over the possibilities of this technology also bring a slew of concerns, the least of which is the onslaught of privacy issues. Then there’s the more technological issues, such as durability, sizing, battery life, and, of course, cost. Finally, the word still isn’t out about whether cell phones cause brain cancer, so the health concerns over glasses that might be worn as long as corrective glasses could be enormous. It makes sense then for Google not to reveal any hard details about the device, and keep everything in the concept realm.

Is this is a sign that our society is becoming more connected? The way we receive and process information digitally is ever changing. The internet is no longer just something we can access on our computers and smart devices. The internet will available right before our eyes, literally! So I would say within the next couple years you will begin seeing people with these new glasses on.