Google Glass: Is this the Future?

If you have not already heard of Google Glass, then you will in the near future. Google is looking to transform how we access information on the go with one of their most polarizing innovations. To put it simply, Google Glass is a pair of “glasses” you wear on your eyes with a single lens that can display information in the upper right corner. You can perform your standard Google searches, look at images online, see the weather, check your text messages, use GPS, take pictures and video with the embedded camera, and even translate your voice into a foreign language. The possibilities are virtually endless and the technology has just reached the point where such a product is feasible. However, all of this doesn’t come cheap, as the initial run is expected to cost $1500 a pair. Undoubtedly prices will drop in the future as the technology progresses.

Google has successfully engineered the product to not be much larger than your typical pair of glasses. However, there is no hiding the fact that they do look different and you may feel like you are in a sci-fi movie when wearing them. In the article linked below, Joshua Topolsky of The Verge tries a pair out on the streets of New York and you can see his reaction. Ultimately, the success of this product may come down to whether people perceive the look as “cool” or as the ultimate in “douche-bag” wear. When bluetooth headsets for cell phones first came into existence many people hated them and they came to be personified by obnoxious business men in suits . That stigma has never really gone away. Will the technology in Glass be amazing enough to overcome any design concerns? In an effort to start strong Google is rumored to be partnering with Warby Parker to create designs that will be more socially acceptable. What do you think? Could you see yourself wearing a pair? Or would the $1500 price be too much for you to swallow? Look for Glass in late 2013. -Stephen Tiedemann