Google Glass

By Hayden Hilgnhold

            Google Glass is probably one of the most important devices that has been created since the smartphone. There are a lot of people who would disagree. They’d say there’s not a lot it can do yet; it needs your smartphone to work, making it little more than a Bluetooth headset plus visual.  They’d say it takes a toll on your phone battery and it has to be charged separately as well, making it a hassle.  They’d say that there is absolutely no point in having your display put up in front of your field of vision; that it is extremely disorienting.  While all of this may be somewhat true they are forgetting one thing; the potential that Google Glass, and technology like it, has.   

            So it is true, as of now the Google Glass doesn't do too much.  It has a few apps, a couple of games, it can take calls, and also record/stream video.  Still nothing you can’t do with even the most basic of smartphones.  And look at the price tag of fifteen hundred dollars, no thank you. But let’s not dwell on where the Google Glass is at fault, but let’s look at how useful it can be.  It does voice commands better than most other devices.  It has been used as a convenient note taker by recording the teacher while they talk, and it does a fairly decent job with capturing audio and video, and it is always looking where you’re looking.  By opening up several windows of research and scrolling through them, it is very convenient for scanning through information for your latest project.  The commands are quite simple, as I learned firsthand at IU this summer when we were actually allowed to mess around with the Google Glass.  It’s very light; much less bulky than my favorite pair of sunglasses.  It is very durable for how lightweight it is and the Google Glass 2.0 while it may appear to be a little bulkier is even more durable meaning a simple accident doesn’t equal $1500 down the toilet.  Also coming with the consumer version, is a better price and hopefully a better battery life and ton of new features.  The estimate for the Glass’s price when it hits the consumer market is $500ish but it should come down quickly afterwards.  This is because the Glass itself is very inexpensive to make.  However all the research hours put into it have to be paid for, making the price astronomical for the time being. 

            So, in conclusion, Glass has massive potential.  Granted as of now it doesn’t do much, has a short battery life, and an ungodly price tag.  But this is like the first release of anything.  It will get better as time goes on and will most likely be worth purchasing before the end of the decade.  More than anything the Google Glass is something we should definitely keep an eye on, because it could become something really special.