Technology just can’t
seem to stop amazing us every day. The most brilliant minds around
the world work day and night to bring us more and more innovations
that transform science fiction into reality.It started with simple
things like trains, electricity and the light bulb and has gone on to
reach the impossible heights of today like 3D TVs, self-parking cars
and so on. And then there is the Google Project Glass.
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| Image Source:Google+ |
Project Glass is Google's
research and development(R&D) program, set to develop a head-mounted
display (HMD) for augmented reality. Information would be displayed
in a format similar to smartphones, hands-free and with an Internet
connection controlled by voice commands. The operating system
implemented in the products would be, of course, Google’s Android. The Google X Lab which is involved in the development of several technologies for the future is currently developing Project Glass and Google has
already patented the design.
According to the
product’s presentation, with Google Project Glass you will be able
to check-in your location, set up meetings and reminders, make voice
and video calls, check Google Maps and send instant messages (using
the voice-recognizing software implemented in the product). The device will include a LCD or AMOLED display,an earpiece,GPS,3G or 4G data connection,motion sensors,a front facing camera and can be linked to your smartphone using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
The device itself is much
smaller and thinner than previous versions of head-mounted displays
and it differs from regular glasses only slightly. The idea is that
in the future it will be available for integration into your own
glasses.
Despite all the
technological marvels we’ve seen in recent years, Google Project
Glass may be the largest step into the future we’ve taken – the
product really seams to have been taken right out of a science
fiction movie, though to some it may appear even more daring.
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| Google's co-founder Sergey Brin wearing the glasses(Image credit:Thomas Hawk) |
Is the world ready for
Google Project Glass? What are the implications of its mass
production and use among the general population…?
If all things go
according to plan, Google Project Glass products might be available
to the public in a mere couple of years at the price of current
smartphones. The reality of that would be people walking around and
talking to themselves. Sure, we are quite used to that already since
hands-free devices have been around for at least a decade… But
Google Project Glass is a whole different story – people won’t be
talking to someone we don’t see, they will literally be
communicating with their glasses; not only talking, but seeing things
that people around them cannot. Everyone will be literally living
inside their heads without actually interacting with the world.
Of course, on the other
hand, the device is quite handy. It allows you to plan and control
your activities without putting too much effort into it – just talk
to the glasses and they do everything for you like reservations at restaurants or buy tickets to a movie.The device can help you find restaurants,bookstores, or any other place for that matter...you just need to ask...But isn’t effort
what makes our lives interesting? Don’t these glasses make it too
simple?
Another issue with Google
Project Glass is personal safety. There have been many parodies
circling the web with concerns about the project. Though most of them
are extremely exaggerated, there might actually be some truth there…
Just imagine the possibility of looking at something while crossing
the street and a pop-up ad showing up before your eyes.There are also privacy concerns involved with this technology because everything you do,everything you see,your likes and dislikes can be monitored and this information can be exploited by advertisers.
Google Project Glass is a
revolutionary device, no doubt about that. The question is whether it
is too big a leap into the future… Because by wearing the glasses
and interacting with the created virtual reality, people might
actually miss the chance to experience their own lives…
Guest Author:Rita Rova
Rita Rova writes
technology articles for Oz-Coupons.com,
the coupon code website that lists all the latest discounts for
Australia’s top technology stores.
