Google Glass is a product developed by Google X, the same Tech­Advancement team within google to work on driverless cars. Google Glass is deceived as a “computer” it actually is more of a hands free, visual component with voice control, like an app­less smartphone. The Explorer Edition (Beta) enables the user to do all of the seven commands listed below: 1. Take Pictures 2. Record Video 3. Find Directions 4. Send Messages 5. Make Calls 6. Google+ Hangouts 7. Google My thoughts on this product are based on videos I have seen, I haven’t tried Glass myself so my opinion is limited, although I may purchase a pair when they release their final product. Google, as a future tech­company carries the reputation of making ambitious promises that result in negative feedback, or become forgotten; examples of these could include Google Lively (3D Social Network), Jaiku (another social network) and Google Video, an attempt to flush YouTube. Although I have reasons not to put my hope into another idea, Google Glass actually is proven to work and the company is successful enough to support its development. Google, the world’s leading search engine and smartphone software company that is already moved so far ahead with Google Glass , it’s doubtful that anyone will be competing anytime soon. There are already numerous prototypes of Google Glasses being tested by people around the world, and other things that will help make up the Google Glass ecosystem, programs that are all already out there in many forms. For example, if somebody wants to get a sense of how the product will work, try operating Google right now on an Android device – it has a voice­recognition search engine that’s made aware of your surroundings and will try to figure out what you need before you actually ask for it. This is a huge improvement for most peoples productive day I believe, it will make people more aware of their surroundings instead of staring down into their mobile phone when walking from A to B. Also erasing all physical needs of browsing for information.

One does simply use Google Glass ­ Glass introduces a completely original way of computing, with an easy, simple voice­driven user interface that erases complexity and makes a number of tasks much more natural. To begin, the user has to tap the frame of the glasses to bring them to the home screen. When it appears, the user won’t see a lots of apps like a smartphone, just a blank box that carries some information. To begin issuing commands, the user must tap the frame and say “OK Glass”. Afterwards, the user can direct the Google Glasses to do something more specific by just speaking, saying something like “take a picture”. Nothing extra is necessary. Eliminating all the time wasted by clumsily around looking for the camera icon on a smartphone. However with the picture feature, google isn’t sure whether anything on the glasses exterior design signifies the subject if they’re being photographed. So they encourage the public to be aware when they’re speaking with somebody wearing Google Glass, they may appear in their viewfinder. Other commands apply the same method of speech, for location tracking or wanting to record a video. There are Apps that have inspired the impressive powers of Google Glass, for example WordLens is an app from the App store that translates any text in front of your phones camera in real time and doesn’t require the internet. The glasses can also be set to automatically translate any text that appears in front of the user. This can be extremely helpful when going abroad or when lost on holiday in a foreign countries, mostly useful for travelers. Having this ability makes it seem like something out of a sci­fi film, like it is our race’s second step in becoming cyborgs (the first step is creating the technology). How Google Glass Operates ­ Google Glass contains the essential parts of a computer, including a CPU, sensors such as , speakers, GPS, microphone and battery, with a micro projector and a small prism to redirect the light onto the users retina(back of the eye sensitive to light). Each constituent is smartly placed in the frame of the glasses. To keep the glasses as light as possible, most of the actual processing will take place in the cloud, mimicking Siri. This is so a decent enough mobile broadband signal is made.

Google Glass Games 101:

The above image is of a “BattleShip­like” game playable online with Google Glass. Google glass doesn’t have as much depth built into it’s interior allowing it to render any HQ 3D Graphics, or much more than simple 2D image/video. The glasses do however allow the user to play online versus one another with mini games, which are actually simple 2D games like BattleShip, Balance and clay shooter. Although games can be harder to play because they require you to rotate your head so most users are actually more comfortably playing with their smartphones. Clay Shooter This game requires the user to speak “bang” to shoot. This is a unique feature that the glasses carry, along with Oculus Rift. It’s showing originality in terms of gameplay but actually may be an issue in public, the user may appear a little odd to others that are unfamiliar with the headpiece. Shape Splitter Another game requires karate chopping motions to cut up virtual shapes that appear in the viewfinder. This seems like great fun, it makes me think about a motion­tracking version of the Nintendo Wii that is made portable, especially with the SFX influence. The clear problem with this game may only occur if the user is in a crowded area or around children, they may hurt somebody whilst focusing on the viewfinder, people really get involved with their games. Because the product is still in it’s Beta phrase, Google allows developers to use their programs and create games for their Glasses. This is perfect for people in the games industry who want a break. Also, the games are basic, starting from the bottom essentially. This will escalate quickly though and whoever comes up with the most popular game for Google glass first will be quite popular amongst the testers. Hopefully more games will be made available when Google Glass is available in stores as a marketable product.

Facial Recognition ­ The first use of Google Glass would fall under a tracking program that could identify your facebook friends. Using the same image search engine, Google Glass could be programmed to analyze a strangers face by searching their features into the Google image search engine, then displaying their name, allowing people to identify each other easier or add friends on facebook. This feature would be mostly useful for patience with memory loss or dementia, so Google Glass can help them remember family and friends. Image Recognition ­ Using the same program, Google could develop an online multiplayer that becomes a race for who can find the colour fastest. Google Glass would randomly generate a colour, then the two players would have to search for the colour before one another Gun Game ­ The program could track walls, making it possible to generate ghosts around you, creating a real life GhostBusters game. The glasses would have to re­create an Oculus Rift Experience though.