A new, "chic" range of Google Glass lenses has just become available to purchase, and while you'll be paying a significant mark-up on the $1,499 asking price of the standard Explorer Edition models, you are, at least, less likely to be branded a "Glasshole."
Clearly not dissuaded after the monumental flop that was Google TV, the company behind Android is once again set to enter the set-top fox fray, this time using the power of its smartphone and tablet operating system as a basis for its new kit.
If you ever wanted to feel like you're living in the future, and that smartphone didn't quite cut it for you, then the fact that Google was working on driverless cars should have at least given you a sense of what was to come. Having had its self-driving cars marauding around San Francisco for a few years and clocking over 700,000 miles, Google has now taken the next logical step by creating its own car from the ground up. That means no steering wheel and no pedals.
It's a familiar story, unfortunately, but once again we're here to warn Android users that their smartphones and tablets could theoretically be recording video and taking pictures without them knowing, with the output then being uploaded to a remote server without any indication whatsoever.
Google Glass is currently being trialed in a multitude of different fields. From Virgin Airline check-ins at Heathrow Airport to the Dubai Police and New York Police in the ongoing fight against crime, the empowering nature of having a head mounted camera and ready-made apps is really starting to show, and now, surgeons appear to be getting in on the act as well.
Google Glass has become a source of interest in the recent weeks, with the company first opening up the expensive and highly advanced eyewear for sale for just a day, and then making it available for everyone in the US. It seems clear that Google is out to ensuring some rather heavy marketing for the Google Glass lineup, and their latest stint with tennis sensation Roger Federer and Stefan Edberg is sure to help that cause. Apparently, the two tennis giants stopped by the Google campus to try on the new eyewear, and take on each other in a friendly match that offered a unique perspective into the game.
Google Glass has been out in the wild for well over a year now, and although it remains in beta, the search giant recently ditched its invitation policy to allow any wannabe Explorer with a spare $1,500 to join up. The more widespread a product becomes, the likelier it is that its various strengths and flaws will become more obvious and exposed, and apparently, long-term use of the unusually-positioned display can lead to muscle fatigue and general eye pain.
The Rubik's cube is well-known as being a very tricky puzzle, and before the Digital Age brought us Flappy Bird et al, many would kill some time trying to match up all of the colors on each face of the legendary puzzle. Now, to commemorate the Rubik's Cube's 40th birthday, you can try your hand at this classic challenge from right within your browser thanks to Google Doodle.
Even with Google Glass suffering something of a PR crisis over the last few months, there's little doubt that the technology is still some of the coolest around. While we have to admit to not being sure where the idea of wearable technology will take us in the coming years, Google should be given credit for being at the forefront of what is possible today.
Google Glass, which first hit the dev scene in beta last year, was initially only offered to developers and "creative individuals." This policy has, at numerous stages, been gradually relaxed, to the point where recently, those who wanted to join the Explorer program badly enough (and were willing to stump up the cash for a unit), could sign up without too much trouble. Now, though, Google has opened Project Glass to everybody in an open beta of the current Explorer Edition, once again, so if you want to see what the fuss is about and are willing to pony up the cash, check the details below.
