Post date: Apr 05, 2012 7:55:7 PM
Google unveils a preview of its futuristic Web-based digital glasses that puts the company's Web services, literally, in your face.
WASHINGTON D.C, UNITED STATES (APRIL 5, 2012) (REUTERS) - Google Inc. is getting into the eyewear business with a pair of thin wraparound shades that puts the company's Web services in your face.
The experimental "augmented reality" glasses - from the same team that is developing self-driven cars - can snap photos, initiate videochats and display directions at the sound of a user's voice.
The prototype digital glasses, unveiled on the company's Google+ social network on Wednesday (April 5), are still being tweaked and tested, and are not available in stores yet.
The Google+ page featured a 2-1/2 minute video, shot from the perspective of someone wearing the glasses. The wearer goes about his day walking through New York City while speaking commands to the glasses to do things such as take a photo and post it to Google+, get block-by-block directions and weather conditions and get a pop-up alert when a friend is nearby.
Google positions the data in the wearer's line of sight, and some critics say the constant barrage of information could pose a distraction while walking or driving.
"People can't even text and walk at the same time without tripping, so now we are going to be communicating with a pop up in our faces about a friend talking to us or about a map. Now it sounds like you could have control over the pop-ups, but they are still going to be in the corner of your vision, you know, nagging at you to answer them and still distracting," says CNET technology analyst Bridget Carey.
The futuristic glasses have also raised questions about how much access the search engine giant will have to the user's personal data and whereabouts.
"We are kind of in the wild west right now when it comes to our privacy and what information we are sending out and what companies are doing with it, so these are all questions that Google would have to answer and be very specific about if they are going to launch something like this," Carey said.
The glasses could provide a way for Google to more closely entwine its advertising-supported online services, including Web searches, maps and email, into people's daily lives.
Carey says the glasses create new opportunities for businesses to reach out to consumers and advertise their products.
"Google's video talked about all the cool things you could do in your daily life to communicate with friends, but what it didn't talk about is how companies would love to get on this and send advertisements are you are walking by the store, perhaps get some pop up coupons. What if you're shopping and you're looking at a jacket, the camera can recognize the product you're looking at and telling you the jacket is on sale. So there's some interesting business ideas that can come from this," Carey said.
The glasses also could help Google match some of the buzz that rival Apple has generated with its latest iPhone and the built-in Siri digital assistant, which takes spoken commands to do such tasks as schedule calendar appointments and get weather forecasts.