Google Glass has been at the forefront of tech coverage over the past year or so, with fans completely fascinated by its progress from concept to current beta state. But the Explorer Edition that the search giant began rolling out last year wasn't the first version modeled, rather the result of a painstaking process of running through numerous prototypes before coming up with a form factor fit for the public eye. Via Google+, the Big G has shown a timeline of Glass' evolution over the course of two years, including images, and the change, when contextualized in this way, is quite stark.
Luxottica Group, the parent company of prestigious eyewear brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, has signed a deal with Google that will bring an element of style to the search giant's wearable Glass technology. In a fashion-conscious society, Glass has been trolled by anyone and everyone for its geeky connotations, but with these two decidedly cool brands bringing out their own ranges, perhaps there is some consumer-market potential here after all.
Love or loathe Google Glass, the search giant's intriguing project continues to get the lion's share of the media's coverage, but whilst the tech world remains fascinated by this new technology, many start-ups have sought to compete against the might of Google with their very own attempts at building a face computer. KAIST, which stands for the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, has just taken the wraps off its K-Glass prototype, which it claims is 30 times faster than Google Glass, as well as 3x to 12x more efficient.
Google Glass is still very much in its infancy, but that hasn't stopped plenty of people from getting excited about the first wearable technology that lives on your face. Google Glass Explorers were the first to get the opportunity to buy Glass, and with that program constantly opening up to more and more people, there has inevitably been one or two flash-points in which those donning Google's eyewear have found themselves singled out. Google's set about making sure Glass wearers don't make themselves easy targets for such things, and it's posted a handy list of Do's and Don'ts for people to follow.
Virgin Atlantic check-in clerks at London's Heathrow Airport have been given the opportunity to utilize the powers of Google Glass at work on a six-week trial basis. It is hoped that the wearable tech may help make the process of checking in more streamlined for both customers and agents alike, with various information regarding flights, delays, weather and gate changes available to attendants at-a-glance.
Google Glass has been a hot topic in the blogosphere for the best part of a year now, and although not deemed ready for consumers just yet, it's worth remembering that the product is being developed with more than just the end-user market in mind. In fact, as per a report over at VentureBeat, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) is currently assessing ways in which the face computer could be used in the ongoing effort to combat crime, and if this is indeed the case, one can envisage law enforcement agencies across the world following suit as Glass becomes more popular.
Google has, for the first time, showcased a series of mini-games designed specifically for use with its Glass project, in a move that the search giant hopes will inspire developers into creating some interesting, exciting, and cutting-edge titles tailored to the face computer. If Glass is ever going to offer any kind of appeal to fans of casual games, though, one suspects that devs will need to vastly improve what Google has mustered, with the company's collective of mini-games hardly rousing even a flicker of entertainment.
Although certain areas of the tech world seem drunk with excitement about Google's Glass project, there remain plenty of questions regarding the device's viability as a consumer product. Price, for example, is one area that could make-or-break this emerging technology once it enters the end-user later this year, but cost alone is not the only hurdle. Those accustomed to wearing normal, prescription lenses cannot comfortably utilize Glass due to its lack of support for those in need of visual aids, but today, those in ownership of the beta Explorer Edition (v2 only) can select from one of four different styles of prescription lens made available by Google for an additional $225.
Google Glass is still trying to creep its way into the public mindset rather than simply living on the periphery of the technology circle. While we're still quite a way away from seeing people walking down the street while donning Google's epic specs, some rather surprising companies are starting to take notice of the technology.
A Californian woman found herself the subject of litigation and national attention after having been caught and handed over ticket for driving whilst using Google’s Glass, but despite not being punished by court, the law remains ambiguous as to whether drivers can wear the search giant’s face computer. 42-year-old Cecilia Abadie shared the news of her now-revoked ticket via social media, but while she has been let off by judge for driving 85mph in her Toyota Prius while wearing Glass, it remains to be seen whether the act of using Glass while driving is actually against the law.
