GOOGLE GLASSIntroduction: -Google Glassis awearable computerwith anoptical head-mounted display(OHMD). It was developed byGoogle with the mission of producing a mass-marketubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format, that can interact with the Internet via natural language voice commands. While the frames do not currently have lenses fitted to them, Google is considering partnerships with sunglass retailers such as Ray-Ban or Warby Parker, and may also open retail stores to allow customers to try on the device. The Explorer Edition cannot be used by people who wear prescription glasses, but Google has confirmed that Glass will eventually work with frames and lenses that match the wearer's prescription; the glasses will be modular and therefore possibly attachable to normal prescription glasses Glass is being developed by Google x, which has worked on other futuristic technologies such as driverless cars. The project was announced on Google+ by Project Glass lead Babak Parviz, an electrical engineer who has also worked on putting displays into contact lenses; Steve Lee, a product manager and "geolocation specialist"; and Sebastian Thrun, who developed Udacity as well as worked on the autonomous car project.Google has patented the design of Project Glass. Thad Starner, an augmented reality expert, is a technical lead/manager on the project. Wearers communicate with the Internet vianatural languagevoice commands. Google Glass became officially available to the general public on May 15, 2014, for a price of $1500. Before that users were required to receive invitations before they could try Google Glass.Google providesfour prescription frame choicesfor $225.00 U.S and free with the purchase of any new Glass unit. It is necessary to remove a small screw in order to move the Google Glass from one frame to another. Google entered in a partnership with theItalianeyewear companyLuxottica, owners of theRay-Ban,Oakley, and other brands, to offer additional frame designs. Google started selling Google Glass in the USA on April 15, 2014 for a limited period of time for $1500.Development: -Google Glass was developed byGoogle X,the facility within Google devoted to technological advancements such asdriverless cars.The military began researchinghead-mounted displaysin 1995. Google Glass is smaller and slimmer than previous head-mounted display designs. The Google Glass prototype resembled standardeyeglasseswith the lens replaced by a head-up display.In the summer of 2011, Google engineered a prototype that weighed 8 pounds (3,600g); it is now lighter than the average pair of sunglasses.In April 2013, the Explorer Edition was made available toGoogle I/Odevelopers in the United States for $1,500. The product began testing in April 2012. Sergey Brinwore a prototype of the Glass to an April 5, 2012,Foundation Fighting Blindnessevent in San Francisco. In May 2012, Google demonstrated for the first time how Google Glass could be used to shoot video.

Background: -Google Glass is a prototype for an augmented reality, head-up display developed by Google X lab slated to run on Android operating system. Augmented reality involves technology that augments the real world with a virtual component. The first appearance of Glass was on Sergey Brin who wore it to an April 5, 2012 public event is San Francisco. Provocative headlines emerged such as Google Project Glass Replaces the Smartphone with Glasses and Google X Labs: First Project Glass, next space elevators?. A groundswell of anticipation surrounds Glass because it implies a revolutionary who can only see it in promotional materials. Heads-up eye displays are not new. The Land Warrior system, developed by the U.S. army over the past decade, for example, includes a heads-up display with an augmented reality visual overlay for soldier communication. Many well-known inventors have contributed eye display technology, research or applications over the past two decades including Steve Mann (Visual Memory Prosthetic), Thad Starner (Remembrance Agent), and Rob Spence (Eyeborg). Commercially,Vuzix is a company that currently manufactures transparent eye displays. Science fiction and popular references to the eye display are almost too numerous to list, but most are featured in military uses: Arnold Schwarzeneggers Terminator from the 1984 film had an integrated heads up display that identified possible targets, Tom Cruises Maverick in Top Gun had a rudimentary display to indicate an enemy planes target acquisition and current G-forces, and Bungies landmark video game series Halo features a heads up display that gives the player real-time status updates on player enemy locations, shield levels, remaining ammunition and waypoint information. In most popular culture uses, a heads up display is transparently overlaid upon the real world. However, in video games, the display is considered to be part of the entire game interface. While many film and television shows are adding HUDs to their storytelling to add a science fiction or futuristic feel, there is a movement in game development away from any artificial HUDs as many consider them to be screen clutter and block a players view of a created world. The video game Dead Space by Electronic Arts is an exemplar of this new style: traditional game information such as health and ammunition have been woven into character design, allowing for an unobstructed view.

How it Works? The device will probably communicate with mobile phones through Wi-Fi and display contents on the video screen as well as respond to the voice commands of the user. Google put together a short video demonstrating the features and apps of Google glasses. It mainly concentrates on the social networking, navigation and communication. The video camera senses the environment and recognizes the objects and people around. The whole working of the Google glasses depends upon the user voice commands itself. Sergey Brin has been loosely associated with Batman since the fall of 2011, setting persuasive discursive grounds for actions that Google takes. A compelling character in the narrative that charts this technologys emergence, the name Sergey Brin appears 713 times in the corpus of 1,000 print and online news articles about Google Glass. Often the story concentrates on Brins activities, comments, whereabouts, and future expectations amid news of a technology that only exists as an artifact of the press for the public. Rupert Till explains the definition of how an individual must amass popular fame in order to form a cult of personality: A celebrity is someone who is well known for being famous, and whose name alone is recognizable, associated with their image, and is capable of generating money. . . For a star to progress to a point where they are described as a popular icon requires their achievement of a level of fame at which they are treated with the sort of respect traditionally reserved for religious figures. In order to be described as a popular icon, a star has to become a religious figure, to develop their own personality cult and recruit followers.Release Date: -American citizens over the age of 18 are able to join the open beta for Glass. A wider release is estimated later this year.Features: - Touchpad: A touchpad is located on the side of Google Glass, allowing users to control the device by swiping through a timeline-like interface displayed on the screen. Sliding backward shows current events, such as weather, and sliding forward shows past events, such as phone calls, photos,circle updates, etc. Camera: Google Glass has the ability to take photos and record 720p HD video. While video is recording, the screen stays on while it is doing so. Display: The Explorer version of Google Glass uses aLiquid Crystal on Silicon(LCoS), field-sequential color, LED illuminated display. The display's LED illumination is first P-polarized and then shines through the in-couplingpolarizing beam splitter(PBS) to the LCoS panel. The panel reflects the light and alters it to S-polarization at active pixel sites. The in-coupling PBS then reflects the S-polarized areas of light at 45 through the out-coupling beam splitter to acollimating reflectorat the other end. Finally, the out-coupling beam splitter (which is a partially reflecting mirror, not a polarizing beam splitter) reflects the collimated light another 45 and into the wearer's eye.Software: - (Applications)Google Glass applications are free applications built by third-party developers. Glass also uses many existing Google applications, such asGoogle Now,Google Maps,Google+, andGmail.Third-party applications announced atSouth by Southwest(SXSW) includeEvernote,Skitch,The New York Times, andPath.On April 25, 2013, Google released the Mirror API, allowing developers to start making apps for Glass. In the terms of service, it is stated that developers may not put ads in their apps or charge fees; a Google representative told The Verge that this might change in the future.Many developers and companies have built applications for Glass, including news apps,facial recognition, exercise, photo manipulation, translation, and sharing to social networks, such asFacebookandTwitter.On May 16, 2013, Google announced the release of seven new apps, including reminders from Evernote, fashion news fromElle, and news alerts fromCNN. Following Google's XE7 Glass Explorer Edition update in early July 2013, evidence of a "Glass Boutique", a store that will allow synchronization to Glass of Glassware andAPKs, was noted.Version XE8 made a debut for Google Glass on August 12, 2013. It brings an integrated video player with playback controls, the ability to post an update to Path, and lets users save notes to Evernote. Several other minute improvements include volume controls, improved voice recognition, and several new Google Now cards.On November 19, 2013,Googleunveiled its Glass Development Kit, showcasing a translation appWord Lens, a cooking app AllTheCooks, and an exercise appStravaamong others as successful examples.On May 15, 2014, Google announced 3 news apps TripIt, FourSquare and OpenTable in order to entice travelers.Relevance to HCI Community: -Google is calling for a profound change in computer interactivity with the mainstream introduction of the wearable eye display. This case study explores how this nascent computer platform is undergoing a process of early adoption in creative and alternative ways. Our paper charts this phenomenon by reading the popular culture context that surrounds adoption and the discursive response in the news and media. The path to technology adoption is a much-researched area with established theories as to why people embrace a platform. John B. Horrigan and Ellen Satterwhite analyze adoption and emphasize the social aspect.It is social support that draws people to adoption, that is, the demonstration effect that comes when people see others in their social networks using something new, which in turns helps people understand the value of trying something new. People learn about a new product from people around them; their social networks, in other words, play a key role in helping people discover the utility and usability of an innovation. Googles approach is to bring Glass into public social networks before it emerges. It generates a culture and a mass mainstream following for Glass as a new HCI platform by mediating how it is introduced to the public. Using an exemplary figure in Sergey Brin, Google makes Glass seem both socially relevant as well as alluring. While relevant research has been conducted on the adoption of hyped technologies, it usually takes a consumer research perspective and does not consider the broader discourses, personas, and popular culture allusions that function in this process. Sergey Brin has been loosely associated with Batman since the fall of 2011, setting persuasive discursive grounds for actions that Google takes. A compelling character in the narrative that charts this technologys emergence, the name Sergey Brin appears 713 times in the corpus of 1,000 print and online news articles about Google Glass. Often the story concentrates on Brins activities, comments, whereabouts, and future expectations amid news of a technology that only exists as an artifact of the press for the public. Rupert Till explains the definition of how an individual must amass popular fame in order to form a cult of personality: A celebrity is someone who is well known for being famous, and whose name alone is recognizable, associated with their image, and is capable of generating money. . . For a star to progress to a point where they are described as a popular icon requires their achievement of a level of fame at which they are treated with the sort of respect traditionally reserved for religious figures. In order to be described as a popular icon, a star has to become a religious figure, to develop their own personality cult and recruit followers.Built-in apps: - Glass is not an all-purpose computer, it's a Google computer. All of its core experiences are based on Google+, Google Search, and Gmail, and there's no way to change that. The more of a Google ecosystem adherent you are, the more utility you'll get out of Glass. If you're okay with that, Glass can be a really slick, natural experience. If you're not okay with that, you should probably be in the market for a different wearable computer. "OK GLASS" LAUNCHER

The main screen of Google Glass shows a simple clock, and below it the words "ok glass." If you say "Okay, Glass," youre sent into a launcher that lists Glass primary functions. Theres no need to pause after saying "Okay, Glass" before the next command. For instance, you could say "Okay, Glass, send a message to Joshua Topolsky" in one breath and Glass will keep up with you (if Joshua Topolsky is one of your contacts). Unfortunately, its easy to misspeak and watch Glass eagerly perform the wrong command like sending a message to the wrong Joshua. Worse, Glass can hear other people talking in the vicinity, and is likely to pepper some of their words in as well. Depending on your friend set, tapping through the menus might be safer. At least Glass filters out expletives and "unsafe" searches, but a clever troll can still find ways to prompt a disgusting Google Image search if you're not careful we only barely dodged a "horse diarrhea" query at the office the other day."TAKE A PICTURE"If you say "Take a picture," Glass will take a picture. It happens instantly, without any preview of what youre about to get the idea is to frame with your eyeballs, so hopefully you have Glass on straight. The photo is then flashed up in front of you, stashed in a new card, and synced privately to Google+. When you swipe over to the card and tap it, you get the option to share the photo with your Sharing Contacts (comprised of Google+ friends, Google+ Circles, and apps), or to delete it. Additionally, the photo is stashed in Glass physical storage, and can be manually transferred to your computer over USB.THE IDEA IS TO FRAME WITH YOUR EYEBALLS

"RECORD A VIDEO"When you start recording, Glass will automatically start recording for 10 seconds, and with a tap you can cut the video short or extend recording indefinitely. After its captured, the video is stored on Google+ and shareable in the same way photos are though not every service will accept shared video, and it's not always clear which ones will.

WITH A TAP YOU CAN EXTEND THE RECORDING INDEFINITELY

"GET DIRECTIONS TO"

If your search results include an item with an address, you can tap on it to get directions. Alternatively, you can request directions to an address or point of interest by speaking, "Get directions to" and your destination. The first time you do this, Glass will sternly warn you, "Do not manipulate this application while in motion," which you will tap to ignore and then be taken through turn-by-turn directions. The compass responds to your head motions, so you know exactly if youre pointed the right way. You can tap again to see the entire route, or swipe over to choose between walking, driving, and biking directions there are no public transportation directions available as of yet. If you exit out of the map, the destination will be pinned to the left of the "ok glass" screen so you can resume your trip at any time.

"DO NOT MANIPULATE THIS APPLICATION WHILE IN MOTION."

"SEND A MESSAGE TO"

"MAKE A CALL TO"

If youve paired your phone with Glass, you can make a phone call to one of your contacts. It works fine, but youll have to decide for yourself if Glass bone conduction speaker and microphone are sufficiently loud for your conversation much more than a quiet conversation nearby can easily drown you out.

MUCH MORE THAN A QUIET CONVERSATION CAN EASILY DROWN YOU OUT

Hangouts couldnt be easier on Glass. From the home screen you speak "Hang out with" followed by the name of your chosen friend or circle, and theyll be invited automatically. Conveniently, Google just unified Hangouts across its services, so your friend is more likely to notice your call in our experience, an unsolicited hangout is typically an unfulfilled hangout.

GOOGLE NOWOur Google Now card seems mostly concerned with the local restaurants available at any moment, but every Now experience is different, based on your location, activities, and whatever web activity of yours Google is tracking and Now-ifying these days there are at least 25 "cards" that have been developed so far. Glass also has a very beautiful, simple weather widget thats always available to the left of the home screen. It's Glass' reliance on serendipity that's both its greatest strength and greatest weakness, and now is the case in point.

Benefits: Easy to wear and use. Sensitive and responsive to the presence of people. Fast access of maps, documents, videos, chats and much more. A new trend for fashion lovers together being an innovative technology. A spectacle based computer to reside directly on your eyes rather than in your pouch or pocket. A useful technology for all kinds of handicapped/disabled peopleMy GlassGoogle offers a companion Android and iOS app called My Glass, which allows the user to configure and manage the device.

Voice activationOther than the touchpad, Google Glass can be controlled using "voice actions". To activate Glass, wearers tilt their heads 30 upward (which can be altered for preference) or tap the touchpad, and say "O.K., Glass." Once Glass is activated, wearers can say an action, such as "Take a picture", "Record a video", "Hangout with [person/Google+ circle]", "Google 'What year was Wikipedia founded?'", "Give me directions to the Eiffel Tower", and "Send a message to John" (many of these commands can be seen in a product video released in February 2013). For search results that are read back to the user, the voice response is relayed usingbone conductionthrough a transducer that sits beside the ear, thereby rendering the sound almost inaudible to other people.Awards & Praise: -In November 2012, Glass received recognition byTimeMagazineas one of the "Best Inventions of the Year 2012", alongside inventions such as theCuriosity Rover. After a visit to theUniversity of Cambridgeby Google's chairmanEric Schmidtin February 2013,Wolfson Collegeprofessor.John Naughton praised the Glass and compared it with the achievements of hardware and networking pioneerDouglas Engelbart. Naughton wrote that Engelbart believed that machines "should do what machines do best, thereby freeing up humans to do whattheydo best".In December 2013,David Datunabecame the first artist to incorporate Google Glass into a contemporary work of art.The artwork debuted at a private event at The New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida, US and was moved to the Miami Design District for the public debut.Over 1500 people used Google Glass to experience Datuna's American flag from his "Viewpoint of Billions" series.Instances like this demonstrate that Glass can alter perspective, with the possibility of opening up new dimensions in the visual arts. Criticism and Privacy Concerns: -Concerns have been raised by various sources regarding the intrusion of privacy, and theetiquetteandethicsof using the device in public and recording people without their permission.Google co-founder, Sergey Brin, claims that Glass could be seen as a way to become even more isolated in public, but the intent was quite the opposite: Brin views checking social media as a constant "nervous tic," which is why Glass can notify the user of important notifications and updates and does not obstruct the line of sight.Additionally, there is controversy that Google Glass would violate security problems and privacy rights such as the Secrecy paradigm (seeprivacy).Organizations like the FTC Fair Information Practicework to uphold privacy rights through Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPS), which are guidelines representing concepts that concern fair information practice in an electronic marketplace.Privacy advocates are concerned that people wearing such eyewear may be able to identify strangers in public using facial recognition, or surreptitiously record and broadcast private conversations.The "Find my Face" feature onGoogle+functions to create a model of your face, and of people you know, in order to simplify tagging photos.However, the only current app that can identify strangers is called MORIS (Mobile Offender Recognition and Identification System), and is a $3,000 iPhone app used by police officers.Some companies in the U.S. have posted anti-Google Glass signs in their establishments.In July 2013, prior to the official release of the product, Stephen Balaban, co-founder of software company Lambda Labs, circumvented Googles facial recognition app block by building his own, non-Google-approved operating system. Balaban then installed face-scanning Glassware that creates a summary of commonalities shared by the scanned person and the Glass wearer, such as mutual friends and interests. Additionally, Michael DiGiovanni created Winky, a program that allows a Google Glass user to take a photo with a wink of an eye, while Marc Rogers, a principal security researcher at Lookout, discovered that Glass can be hijacked if a user could be tricked into taking a picture of a malicious QR code, demonstrating the potential to be used as a weapon incyberwarfare.Other concerns have been raised regarding legality of the Glass in a number of countries, particularly in Russia, Ukraine, and other post-Soviet countries. In February 2013, a Google+ user noticed legal issues with Glass and posted in the Glass Explorers community about the issues, stating that the device may be illegal to use according to the current legislation in Russia and Ukraine, which prohibits use of spy gadgets that can record video, audio or take photographs in an inconspicuous manner.Concerns were also raised in regard to the privacy and security of Glass users in the event that the device is stolen or lost, an issue that was raised by a US congressional committee. As part of its response to the committee, Google stated that a locking system for the device is in development. Google also reminded users that Glass can be remotely reset.Police in various States have also warned the Glass wearers to watch out for muggers and street robbers.Lisa A. Goldstein, a freelance journalist who was born profoundly deaf, tested the product on behalf of people with disabilities and published a review on August 6, 2013. In her review, Goldstein states that Google Glass does not accommodate hearing aids and is not suitable for people who cannot understand speech. Goldstein also explained the limited options for customer support, as telephone contact was her only means of communication.Several facilities have banned the use of Google Glass before its release to the general public, citing concerns over potential privacy-violating capabilities. Other facilities, such as Las Vegascasinos, banned Google Glass, citing their desire to comply with Nevada state law and common gaming regulations which ban the use of recording devices near gambling areas.There have also been concerns over potential eye pain caused by users new to Glass.These concerns were validated by Google's optometry advisor Dr. Eli Peli ofHarvard, though he later party backtracked due to the controversy which ensued from his remarks.Safety Considerations: -Concerns have also been raised on operating motor vehicles while wearing the device. On 31 July 2013 it was reported that driving while wearing Google Glass is likely to be banned in the UK, being deemed careless driving, therefore a fixed penalty offense, following a decision by theDepartment for Transport.In the US,West Virginiastate representativeGary G. Howellintroduced an amendment in March 2013 to the state's law against texting while driving that would include bans against "using a wearable computer with head mounted display." In an interview, Howell stated, "The primary thing is a safety concern, it [the glass headset] could project text or video into your field of vision. I think there's a lot of potential for distraction."In October 2013, a driver inCaliforniawas ticketed for "driving with monitor visible to driver (Google Glass)" after being pulled over for speeding by aSan Diego Police Departmentofficer. The driver was reportedly the first to be ticketed for driving while wearing a Google Glass.While the judge noted that "Google Glass fell under 'the purview and intent' of the ban on driving with a monitor", the case was thrown out of court due to lack of proof the device was on at the time.Healthcare Applications: -Several proofs of concept for Google Glass have been proposed in healthcare.On June 20, 2013, Rafael J. Grossmann, MD, FACS, a Venezuelan surgeon practicing in the USA, was the first surgeon to ever demonstrate the use of Google Glass during a live surgical procedure. In July 2013,Lucien Engelencommenced research on the usability and impact of Google Glass in thehealth carefield. As of August 2013, Engelen, who is based atSingularity Universityand in Europe at Radboud University Medical Center,is the first healthcare professional in Europe to participate in the Glass Explorer program.His research on Google Glass (starting August 9, 2013) was conducted in operating rooms, ambulances, a trauma helicopter, general practice, and home care as well as the use in public transportation for visually or physically impaired. Research contained making pictures, videos streaming to other locations dictating operative log, having students watch the procedures and tele-consultation through Hangout. Engelen documented his findings in blogs,videos,pictures, onTwitter,and onGoogle+.and is still ongoing.Key findings ofhis researchincluded:1. The quality of pictures and video are usable for healthcare education, reference, and remote consultation. The camera needs to betiltedto different anglefor most of the operative procedures2. Tele-consultation is possibledepending on the available bandwidthduring operative procedures. 3. A stabilizer should be added to the video function to prevent choppy transmission when a surgeon looks to screens or colleagues.4. Battery life can be easily extended with the use of an external battery.5. Controlling the device and/or programs from another device is needed for some features because of sterile environment.6. Text-to-speech ("Take a Note" toEvernote) exhibited a correction rate of 60 percent, without the addition of a medicalthesaurus.7. A protocol or checklist displayed on the screen of Glass can be helpful during procedures. Journalism and Mass Media ApplicationsIn 2014,Voice of AmericaTelevision Correspondent Carolyn Presutti and VOA Electronics Engineer Jose Vega began a web project called "VOA & Google Glass," which explores the technology's potential uses in journalism.This series of news stories examines the technology's live reporting applications, including conducting interviews and covering stories from the a reporter's point of view. On March 29, 2014, American a cappella groupPentatonixpartnered with Voice of America when lead singer Scott Hoying wore Glass in the band's performance atDAR Constitution HallinWashington, D.C., during the band's worldwide tour - the first use of Glass by a lead singer in a professional concert.Beginning in the fall of 2014, TheUniversity of Southern Californiawill conduct a course called "Glass Journalism," which will explore the device's application in journalism.Technical Specifications: -For the developer Explorer units: Android 4.0.4 and higher 640360 Himax HX7309 LCoS display 5-megapixel camera, capable of 720p video recording Wi-Fi 802.11b/g Bluetooth 16GB storage (12 GB available) Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 SoC 1.2Ghz Dual(ARMv7) 682MB RAM 3 axis gyroscope 3 axis accelerometer 3 axis magnetometer (compass) Ambient light sensing and proximity sensor Bone conductionaudio transducerWhat Google Glass Does?1. Strava Run: Strava for Glass makes accessing your real time feedback even easier so you can stay in control of your run. Track your runs with GPS, analyze your performance, set new personal records and see how you stack up against friends.2. Navigation: Whether you love to cycle or run, Glass makes it easy to stay on course with turn-by-turn navigation.3. Golf sight: GolfSight is a golf GPS rangefinder made specifically for Glass. It gives you accurate pin distance, course data, and scoring information, all without having to dig through your pockets.4. Swing byte: Swingbyte for Glass provides the most natural, hands free way to improve your golf game. Get real time swing data, coaching and more, all without having to step away from the tee.5. Strava Cycle: Strava for Glass makes it easy to track your rides, visualize your progress, and challenge your friends, all while keeping your hands on the handlebars.6. Send a Message: Whether you ski, snowboard, snowshoe or anything in between, it's never easy to keep track of your friends. With Glass, you can keep your mittens on and send messages hands free through SMS or Hangouts.7. Lynx Fit: LynxFit is a personal fitness coach that helps keep you on track with your health goals. Subscribe to a workout challenge, track your activity, and receive real time coaching through Glass.8. Google Play Music: Need motivation to push it one more mile? Simply say "ok glass, listen to" to fire up your favorite tracks from Google Play Music.