Google has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a simple search engine for web-goers. Its own web browser, Chrome, continues to grow in popularity and is now the basis for the operating system of several compact laptops known as Chromebooks; its mobile OS, Android, has taken the smartphone world by storm; even companies with as large a presence as Youtube have been bought up by the Internet giant.
Individually, these are each impressive feats for any corporation to accomplish—in fact, even managing to insert its brand into the common English vernacular is not an achievement to be taken lightly (have you ever “Googled” something? Well, Google certainly appreciates your help in making their name synonymous with “search”)—but it seems that resting on its laurels is simply something Google either cannot or will not do. Its latest innovation, though very clearly still in early stages of development, has already turned quite a few heads.
Project Glass, as it is currently known, aims to streamline augmented reality (AR is an overlay of computer-generated information atop the real world) into the everyday lives of its buyers… whenever it becomes available to buy, that is. Should a finalized version of the product see the light of day, consumers will be seeing Internet-connected features directly through their eyewear.
Few concrete details about the project are truly known; the sole concept video which Google has produced is more a demonstration of what could be than a promise of what necessarily will be. What is known is that, well, frankly speaking, if Project Glass can deliver what its promotional video implies, it should be really cool. Like a current smartphone, the glasses will be able to communicate with GPS services, social networks, friends, weather and traffic data, and much more with simple voice prompts or, presumably, physical gestures. Unlike a smartphone or other web device, however, you won’t need to reach into your pocket or bag to stay connected; these Google glasses will already be on your head ready to pull up whatever piece of the web you need when you need it.
Now whipping out a phone or a tablet may not be the most difficult task in the world, but it can prove cumbersome when trying to snap a quick photo or view information as swiftly as possible. By amalgamating such processes into a device which need not be taken out and stored away, Project Glass can make the already convenient world of the Internet even easier to use. The physical design may not yet be finalized, and the compatibility of the project with prescription glasses remains unclear, but the finished product promises to be one of the sleekest forms of web connectivity that the world has experienced regardless.
Are you intrigued by these nifty new glasses? Google would probably enjoy your feedback, and we certainly would too. Why not discuss your thoughts on the Long Island Lounge?