June 2013
Alfie Carlisle reports on the latest trend in technology
By Alfie Carlisle
oogle Glass , or simply Glass ... There ' s a buzz on Twitter about it , there are videos about it . People are wearing it ! In case you didn ' t know , Google Glass is the latest wearable technology , it looks like a pair of regular spectacles , albeit futuristic ones ! The glasses feature a small thick piece of glass in front of the users ' right eye . The left eye is completely empty and doesn ' t even feature regular lenses .
Google Glass has Bluetooth capabilities , you connect it to your phone and you ' re ready to go ! You can leave your phone in your pocket or bag and enjoy smartphone-like features layered over your normal vision . Glass can accomplish simple , and advanced tasks following a voice command .
To make sure it doesn ' t do anything you don ' t want it to , you always start your command with " OK Glass ," then the device starts to listen . You can ask it to send a text , give you directions , Google something and much more ! Video chatting is also a key feature in Glass , the device has a built in 5MP camera above the users ' right eye , so , whomever you ' re chatting with , they see what you see ! For example , Google ' s I / O Conference last year started with a live video feed ( from Google Glass ) of a Skydive . The Skydiver then entered the conference room whilst his view was being seen by everyone through their computers , smart-phones and tablets .
You may be wondering how this works , how can the Human eye focus on a screen so close ? Well , in truth , your eye doesn ' t focus on the screen ! As the image above shows , a mini colour projector to the right of the
6 block of Glass , projects the image directly into the users ' retina , giving the illusion that its actually on the piece of glass . This works quite well , allowing people to film the piece of glass with video cameras to share the experience of Glass all across the Internet !
The device also features speakers above the users ' ears and a microphone for phone calls and voice commands . The side of Glass has a single button which can perform different tasks depending on the application being used . For example , if you say , " OK glass , record a video ," the button could start and stop that recording !
So , how can you get a pair of these snazzy new glasses ? Well , they ' re only in Beta testing at the moment and sadly , testers must be U . S residents . Fortunately , many of the Beta testers over in the States have been blogging and making videos , for nonusers to enjoy ! Oh , and if you are in the U . S , you ' ll need a lot of luck to get picked and $ 1500 to spare !
One day , Glass could be more readily available and in the future , they could become as accessible as computers and phones are today !
What do you think about Glass ? Join the discussion with # DHSBSpectator or send us an email – spectator @ dhsb . org