Google Glass may have not have made an appearance during the 2013 Google I/O keynote, but its not completely absent from the conference. Reports are starting to roll from the I/O ‘Developing of Glass’ session that Google Glass will begin carrying apps like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, CNN, Elle, and Evernote to go along with already established “glassware” apps like The New York Times and Path.
The high-tech eyewear was noticeably absent from yesterday’s I/O keynote, though its 2012 appearance would be a hard act to follow. Co-founder Sergey Brin debuted the innovative optics by live streaming a Glass-wearing skydiver’s jump onto the roof of the Moscone Center. Rumors were abundantly abound in the preceding weeks leading up to I/O, with many Google employees posting photos and video footage taken from Google Glass on Twitter.
The Facebook app is focused more on photo sharing. Once a snapshot is taken, the user can immediately upload it to Facebook through voice recognition technology making it hands-free. The Verge continues to note of the rest of the apps,
“CNN’s app will give the NYT some competition in the news arena with video clips and the latest headlines. Glass owners can even customize what time of day they prefer to receive news alerts. Elle is the first magazine trying to bring its content to Glass, and it’s put together an entire team to make that effort successful. The app can read stories aloud, and you can view photos that accompany each piece. When it comes to Evernote you’ll be able to send text-based notes from the company’s web client to Glass for reference later on.”
I was beginning to wonder how apps would be integrated into Google Glass and most of them are taking advantage of Glass’ hands-free capabilities. But the real question about Google Glass is in regards to practicality. A Huffington Post article reports that a survey by BiTE Interactive revealed that 10% of American smartphone users polled would buy and regularly use Google Glass if they could afford it. And to afford it would mean shelling out the $1,500 developers are currently paying for the specs.
The popular apps now on Glass mean that a release could be on the horizon, but judging by the utter lack of Glass at yesterday’s keynote and the fact that fellow co-founder Larry Page only mentioned it, albeit briefly, in response to a question during the Q&A.
But now its time for all of you to weigh in. Would you tell the price tag to “f— off” and splurge on Google Glass? Is Google Glass the absolute creepiest gadget ever conceived? Will Google Glass completely revolutionize the way we interact with technology as we know it? Will the Bruins take game 1 tonight? Let us know all of your thoughts in the comments section below.
