google glass

google glass

Google Glasses look like a pair of eyeglasses, but the lens of the glasses are an interactive, smartphone-like display, with natural language voice command support as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. Google Glass is powered by the Android mobile operating system and compatibility with both Android-powered mobile devicesand Apple iOS-powered devices is expected.

Despite the asymmetric design, Glass doesn’t feel uncomfortable to wear. At 43g, it’s is a little heavier than a standard pair of spectacles, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget you’re even wearing it – it often wasn’t until we received lingering stares or remarks from colleagues that we remembered we had it on. The domino-sized counterweight nestles comfortably behind the ear, serving to balance the weight of the hardware within, and the titanium frame makes it possible to bend the nosepiece so that it sits comfortably on the bridge of the nose. Google also provides a couple of different-sized spare rubber nose pads to help you get the fit just right, and offers a variety of pricey clip-on frames and shades to help Glass look more ordinary; thankfully, you get your choice of one of these for free.

Google Glass review: behind the Glass

In terms of its raw capabilities, Glass is truly multitalented. A tiny projector hidden within beams a 640 x 360 resolution image into the prism; this then appears as a semi-transparent display floating in the upper corner of your right eye’s vision. Rather opaquely, Google describes Glass’ display as being the equivalent of a 25in, high-definition screen viewed from eight feet away. In other words, Glass’ display appears big enough to remain legible without significantly obscuring your vision and is sufficiently clear to display a limited amount of at-a-glance information.

Setup and operating system

Perhaps surprisingly, Glass isn’t just a companion to an Android smartphone (although it works best as such). For example, it’s possible to tweak settings and install apps by accessing the MyGlass portal through a browser on a PC or a Chromebook. The MyGlass app is available for iOS, too, but Windows Phone users aren’t accommodated.

For each platform, the setup process is slick and straightforward. Short videos show you how to wear Glass, adjust the prism display and connect via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Initially, you’re greeted with an ultra-minimalist homescreen that floats the time and the keyphrase “ok glass” in front of your vision. Say “ok glass” and a list of available voice commands hoves into view. Moving your head up and down scrolls through the list; speaking a command activates it. As you install apps, this list gets longer and extra phrases become available.

Google has also squeezed a functional touchpad into Glass’ right-hand edge. One-fingered forward and backward flicks of the touchpad move through menus; two-fingered swipes zoom in and out of web pages; downward swipes act as the back button; and tapping selects an option. It sounds fiddly, but it soon becomes second nature.

The homescreen fades away after a few seconds, but you can wake Glass with a tap on the touchpad. It’s also possible to toggle On-Head Detection, which activates Glass when you put it on, or Head Wake Up, which detects when you tilt your head backwards. By default, Head Wake Up wakes Glass when you tilt your head back 30 degrees, but we quickly notched this down to around 12 degrees: this makes it easier to activate Glass without emulating a severe facial tic, and also makes it possible to use it without crashing on the cycle to work.

Google Glass  apps

At the time of writing, Google’s Glassware roster consisted of 72 apps. All the core Google apps you’d expect are there – Search, Maps, Gmail, Google Now, Google Play Music, Hangouts and YouTube appear in some shape or form – and big hitters such as Facebook and Twitter are accompanied by popular apps such as Strava, Foursquare and Shazam.

Installing apps really couldn’t be much simpler: it’s as easy as flicking a switch in MyGlass to turn them on. Some provide new voice command options – for instance, Field Trip adds “Explore nearby”, Word Lens adds “translate this” and Strava offers “Start a bike ride” and “Start a run” – for launching them without needing to use the touchpad.

Glass displays information in the form of cards to make the most of its limited screen resolution and size. You can see key information at a glance, but you’ll need to use the touchpad to explore further or cycle through each app’s options.

Swipe backwards from Glass’ homescreen, meanwhile, and Google Now, Calendar and Weather cards give rapid access to key information, as well as Glass’ settings menu. Swipe forward and you’re presented with an ever-growing feed of recent apps, news items, messages and photos from the past seven days. Individual items can be dismissed with a couple of swipes and taps, but there’s no easy way to clear items en masse.

One apparent absentee is a browser – which makes sense, as Glass’ screen is far too small to make browsing the web a pleasant experience. You can find web pages via Google Search, however, and use two-fingered strokes on the touchpad to zoom in and out.

Google Glass  verdict

Despite its many faults, Glass remains a breath of fresh air. Born into a world of me-too gadgets and identikit smartphones, it’s daring and different – at its very best, inspiringly so. We’ll happily admit there were more than a few moments where our negative preconceptions and healthy reserves of cynicism were transformed into downright admiration. Google has struck out in a bold, new direction, and we can understand why the concept has caught people’s imagination.

By far the most off-putting thing about Glass, though, is the cost. It’s eye-wateringly expensive. At £1,000, Google has set a stinging admission price for anyone who aspires to be a Glass Explorer. And, no matter which way you cut it, that money is buying you a beta product, a thrilling mess of untapped potential and immature hardware, more hi-tech toy than functional tool.

So, is Google Glass the future? Right now, it’s impossible to tell – but as PC Pro is now a fully signed-up Glass Explorer, we’re genuinely thrilled to see what the coming months and years have in store. As with smartphones, and the nascent trend for smartwatches, it’s the apps that will make all the difference. In a few years, we may look back and wonder what could have been – or Google Glass will be staring back at you everywhere you look. Place your bets now.