Google Glass is a "wearable computer", which incorporates an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) with voice and touch commands, and a "Bone Conduction Transducer" for sound. A camera for stills and video is incorporated into the frame, which can give real-time photo and video (with audio) records of the wearer's point-of-view and experience. Other terms for this "Wearable Technology" include "Augmented Reality (AR)".
The device is based on the Android OS. Third-party developers are creating "Glassware" applications for the device. Common tasks (apps) will be for e-mail, mapping, web searches, language translation, social networking connections, news & media, etc. But basically, as the below TechRadar.com article put it, "The sky's the limit."
Initially, consumer release of Google Glass was scheduled for 2013, but very significant privacy issues are largely responsible for delaying its release to the general public (in 2014?). I have a feeling though, that the Genie is out of the bottle on this one, and it is going to be hard to get it back inside. Like so many other new technologies, this is coming, whether you like it or not.
Sources to check out:
- Google Search: Google Glass
- Google Glass on Wikipedia
- Google Glass: What You Need to Know ... on TechRadar.com
- Google Glass Home Site
:-)
