As Google’s first wearable computer Glass edges in past its initial run of devices, members of the general public begin to ask: when will the device be delivered in a form that any non-developers will be able to get their hands on? At a Google I/O 2013 “Fireside Chat” with several members of the main Google Glass team, this question was addressed more than once. In short: soon, but not nearly as soon as they’d like.
Because Google’s most popular operating system – and the most popular operating system on the planet, mind you – is Android, it only makes sense that much of the company’s yearly developers conference would be centered in this multi-device environment. What we expected for this year’s Google I/O was an upgrade to a new version of the mobile OS and a new device (or two) to run it on. Instead what we got was a major upgrade to Google’s social networking connections and services working in and around Android – a turning point, perhaps, for the company in a single three-day series of events.
If you’re still laughing at Google+, and at Google Glass, then it might be time to stop; Google has just shown that they’re its next route to digitally understanding everything about you, and it slipped that through in the guise of a simple photo gallery tool. Highlights is one of the few dozen new features Google+ gained as of I/O this past week, sifting through your auto-uploads and flagging up the best of them. Ostensibly it’s a bit of a gimmick, but make no mistake: Highlights is at the core of how Google will address the Brave New World of Wearables and the torrent of data that world will involve. And by the end of it, Google is going to know you and your experiences even better than you know them yourself.
We've heard several times that Google Glass would be available for those with actual prescription glasses, but details have been a bit slim regarding this. However, during Google I/O this week, prescription Google Glass frames have indeed been spotted on the heads of several Google employees, but it's said they're still in the prototype phase of development.
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This week at a fireside chat during Google I/O 2013, Mary Lou Jepsen – currently the head of the Display Division at Google X – let it be known that “there’s no more silicon in Silicon Valley – it’s all iPhone apps.” She quickly added – “or Android apps, I should say.” An overarching theme from her set of words in the extended chat made it clear: she’s not satisfied with the current atmosphere for hardware innovation, particularly when it comes to startup funding.
Earlier this morning, we posted about the Meta 1 augmented reality headset -- a rather unique pair of glasses that lets you play around with virtual 3D objects in the real world. Being right on schedule, the project has officially hit Kickstarter, with the goal of raising 100 grand in just 30 short days.
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We went into Google I/O hoping for hardware and gadgetry; instead, we got three and a half hours of software and services – gaming, messaging, Larry Page wistfully envisaging a geeky utopia. You can perhaps excuse us for getting carried away in our expectations. I/O 2012 was a huge spectacle, with lashings of shiny new hardware only overshadowed by skydiving Glass daredevils and Sergey Brin looking moody on a rooftop. In contrast, 2013′s event brought things a whole lot closer back to the developer-centric gathering that the show had originally been established as. Glass was conspicuous by its on-stage absence, and the new Nexus tablets that had been rumored were also no-shows; the emphasis was firmly on how the components of Google’s software portfolio were being refined as the mobile and desktop battles waged on.
It’s turning into a week of wearable computing, with Epson-partnered start-up Meta readying preorders for its true augmented reality headset. First revealed back in January, Meta offers a fully digitally-mediated view of the world – allowing for graphics, video, and text to be superimposed on real people and objects – rather than the Google Glass approach of floating a subdisplay in the corner of your eye. Sales for developers will kick off at 9am Pacific (noon Eastern) on Friday, May 17.
Glass was nary more than a twinkle in Google's eye (pun intended) when many started voicing their concerns over privacy, followed shortly by preemptive bans against the wearable device by bars and similar associations. While Google has talked about Glass and privacy to various degrees over the past weeks, it is going to have to zero in on specific concerns by June 14, according to Congress.
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It has been a busy couple days, and we've seen a lot so far at Google's I/O event, including quite a bit of Glass news. Earlier today, the Internet giant held a Voiding your Warranty session detailing the process of putting Ubuntu on Glass, showing the process with a screencast from the device beneath the Terminal. The process isn't terribly involved, but does take a few steps for those willing to risk messing something up and rendering Glass effectively bricked.
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This week at Google I/O 2013, the company’s yearly developer conference, the wearable technology device Glass was discussed as a scalable fashion platform by the project’s lead industrial designer. In a fireside chat with several other creators and head minds from Google on the Glass project, Isabelle Olsson let it be known that Glass has come a long way since its first day in the lab – she had one of the original prototypes on hand to show off in-hand.
Google’s 2013 developer conference this year didn’t give immediate attention to Glass, at least not at its one and only keynote address – but behind the scenes, development ran deep. Speaking together at a developer chat session centered on “Building Glassware” with what the company calls its Google Mirror API, Jenny Murphy and Alain Vongsouvanh made the case for the future.
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