Sergey Brin, Google’s co-founder recently revealed that the company behind the worlds biggest and most popular search engine is set to release the highly anticipated ‘Google glass’ by 2014.
Project glass was first brought to the public domain in April this year, when the search engine giant released a video that showed both media and fans some of the potential features of this ground breaking technology. The reality enhanced glasses allow users to record video, check and edit calendar entries, receive weather updates and track & send messages between friends.
Developers will get first access to the new technology when they attend Google’s I/O conference in San Francisco. For a price of $1,500 per pair, developers will get the chance to be the first to test and try the new Explorer Edition Google Glasses early next year.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Brin said Google Glass will be available “in a broad consumer offering” in 2014. Saying also that the Mountain View based company is sharing the design with developers to benefit from their work. Stating that “these explorer editions I’d like to get out early next year”.
The company’s co-founder displayed a demonstration of Project Glass, which featured skydivers, abseilers and mountain bikers wearing the glasses, broadcasted live to the conference. The secretive and futuristic Google X lab is also rumoured to be developing other technology, such as self-driving cars.
Project Glass is the research and development program run by Google that is in the process of developing an augmented reality head-mounted display. By creating a hands free display, worn as glasses that project images over the eye, offering information and features that are currently available on most smartphones.
Some of the specifications of Google Glass have also come to light. The New York Times reported that the glasses will run on Android, and include a small screen that will display in front of your eye. This screen will have motion sensors, GPS and either 4G or 3G data connectivity. Allowing you to scroll and click information by tilting your head, and using voice input and output commands. The most recent prototype supposedly has a non transparent screen, and can act as a stand alone device. Meaning it can connect directly with the cloud, but can be connected to a smartphone via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.0 if needed. There is also a built in front facing camera, with a flash.
No one knows if this new technology will be a vision of the future. But the idea of delivering augmented reality, with relevant information to your surroundings directly before your eyes is extremely exciting. The potential is enormous, but just how it will fit into everyday life is yet to be discovered. Google has also been experimenting with designs that allow a user to fit the glasses over an existing pair, making It very multifunctional.
So unless you’re a developer who has been invited to Google’s I/O developers conference in San Francisco, you will have to wait until sometime in 2014 to get your hands, or eyes, on this fantastic little device. In terms of price, no one really knows, but there have been rumours of around the $500 mark. But I guess we will all have to just wait and see.
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