When the project first leaked it struck me as a gimmicky geek concept that could instantly convert the coolest kid on the block into the neighborhood punching bag. But watching Googlers walk around with their Project Glass Google Glasses has slowly but surely changed my mind.
With a few similarly equipped staff roaming around, you get the distinct feeling that you’re entering Robocop/Jetsons/Minority Report mode. And somehow that seems cool (the attractive Google Staffers modeling them certainly didn’t hurt). Whereas I’d typically write the concept off as seeming forced, awkward, dorky, and futuristically fake, the design seems hip if you give it a chance. Alright, fine… and a little dorky.
Whether or not Google Glass is functional, helpful, entertaining, and enjoyable remains to be seen. Luckily for us, we’ll be one of the first in the world with the opportunity to provide our opinion on the topic.
All Google IO 2012 attendees were given the option to purchase a very early Google Glass beta unit for $1,500. The devices are not yet ready (shipping in 2013), so attendees were asked to provide their contact information after answering a handful of questions, binding them to buy the glasses when available. Myself, Steve Albright, and Chris Chavez all signed up for the exclusive Google Glass beta, after which we received the following tokens to commemorate our future wares.
These numbers will also get engraved into the side of the glasses when they’re produced.
I’m a little bit wary of people actually following through with these purchases. A lot can change in 6 months (the earliest they’ll ship), and $1,500 isn’t exactly pocket change. They also said the “contract” you signed isn’t binding- so some people were likely enticed to “sign up” so they could get their little commemorative prize. Nobody had to actually fill out payment details.
Depending on how many developer beta units are available, I severely doubt they’ll have trouble selling the rest. The latest and greatest Android devices are already hundreds of dollars off contract and Google Glasses are a category of device never before attempted.
It’s pretty darn exciting and we can’t wait to get these beta units and sharing all the information we can about them. We’d also love to try our hand at developing for the first generation of Google Glass Apps. The type of concepts and potential integrations are much different in comparison to phones and tablets; we’ve had some fun talking about various useful examples we could see realistically playing out.
So what do you think… would you wear Google Glass? It would greatly help to know the feature set and specs, but filling in the blanks with your imagination… at what price point would you buy a pair?
Excited about Google Glass? Head over to our Google Glass Forums to discuss!
No comments:
Post a Comment