Android-Powered Glasses Would Blur Line Between 'Real' and 'Virtual' - The rumors started in December. Google was supposedly working on a pair of glasses powered by its Android operating system, with a built-in display and a smartphone-equivalent processor.
Since then, Seth Weintraub of 9to5Google has put together a summary of all the rumors, plus information from an anonymous tipster. Supposedly, the prototype glasses look sort of like Oakley Thumps, which have built-in MP3 players and swing-down earphones. They will have a front-facing camera with a flash, according to the rumors, and will not use expensive transparent LCD lenses -- instead, they'll have a tiny display inside the lens for one eye.
It's impossible to tell whether the tips and rumors are true or not. The 9to5Google article doesn't even say when (or if) the glasses will be released. If they are released to the public though -- Weintraub suggests it might involve a pilot program like with Google's Chromebooks last year, where people apply to be gifted the devices -- they'll be different from today's Android smartphones in some big and important ways.
No touch screen controls
A touch screen mounted on the inside of your glasses wouldn't be very easy to use. Sci-fi stories sometimes feature gadgets inspired by the Army's IHADDS heads-up display, used in the Apache gunship helicopter, which tracks the gunner's eye movement to lock onto targets. This aerospace technology is probably too big and expensive to fit in consumer technology right now, though.
Weintraub's tipster reports that you'll tilt your head subtly to use the glasses. It's supposedly "very quick to learn" and "almost indistinguishable" to other people. Another possibility would be a voice interface inspired by Apple's Siri. iPhone 4S users hold their phones up to their faces to give her instructions, though, which looks a bit more natural.
Another possibility would be to connect a game controller or Android smartphone via Bluetooth and control the glasses this way. There's no mention that this will be officially supported, but some Android gamers are already doing things like this with their smartphones and tablets.
Augmented reality
AR apps for smartphones let you look through their camera, and see things overlaid on the "real" world; targets and objects in games, for instance, or directions to places you're trying to go. This would be the most obvious use for an Android device that you wear on your head, and could blur the lines between the in-person and online worlds.
How so? Well, take a look at the AR Cards used by Nintendo's 3DS console. When you look at them through the 3DS' camera, you see a three-dimensional image of a Nintendo character standing on top of them. Imagine QR codes (those blocky barcodes that they want you to scan with your smartphone) replaced with AR tags, letting you instantly see movies or in-depth info about products just by looking at them. That's one possibility Android glasses would bring.
Another might be costuming. You can already dress up and control your Xbox 360 avatar using Kinect. But with an AR-compatible Android app, you might be able to try on new clothes in the mirror, or even add whimsical accessories like animated cat ears and a tail. They would only be visible to others wearing the glasses or using compatible apps, though.
Glasses, not goggles
One final note: They probably won't be called Google Goggles. That's the name of an existing app, which might get a new lease on life when and if the glasses are released. ( yahoo.com )
Since then, Seth Weintraub of 9to5Google has put together a summary of all the rumors, plus information from an anonymous tipster. Supposedly, the prototype glasses look sort of like Oakley Thumps, which have built-in MP3 players and swing-down earphones. They will have a front-facing camera with a flash, according to the rumors, and will not use expensive transparent LCD lenses -- instead, they'll have a tiny display inside the lens for one eye.
It's impossible to tell whether the tips and rumors are true or not. The 9to5Google article doesn't even say when (or if) the glasses will be released. If they are released to the public though -- Weintraub suggests it might involve a pilot program like with Google's Chromebooks last year, where people apply to be gifted the devices -- they'll be different from today's Android smartphones in some big and important ways.
No touch screen controls
A touch screen mounted on the inside of your glasses wouldn't be very easy to use. Sci-fi stories sometimes feature gadgets inspired by the Army's IHADDS heads-up display, used in the Apache gunship helicopter, which tracks the gunner's eye movement to lock onto targets. This aerospace technology is probably too big and expensive to fit in consumer technology right now, though.
Weintraub's tipster reports that you'll tilt your head subtly to use the glasses. It's supposedly "very quick to learn" and "almost indistinguishable" to other people. Another possibility would be a voice interface inspired by Apple's Siri. iPhone 4S users hold their phones up to their faces to give her instructions, though, which looks a bit more natural.
Another possibility would be to connect a game controller or Android smartphone via Bluetooth and control the glasses this way. There's no mention that this will be officially supported, but some Android gamers are already doing things like this with their smartphones and tablets.
Augmented reality
AR apps for smartphones let you look through their camera, and see things overlaid on the "real" world; targets and objects in games, for instance, or directions to places you're trying to go. This would be the most obvious use for an Android device that you wear on your head, and could blur the lines between the in-person and online worlds.
How so? Well, take a look at the AR Cards used by Nintendo's 3DS console. When you look at them through the 3DS' camera, you see a three-dimensional image of a Nintendo character standing on top of them. Imagine QR codes (those blocky barcodes that they want you to scan with your smartphone) replaced with AR tags, letting you instantly see movies or in-depth info about products just by looking at them. That's one possibility Android glasses would bring.
Another might be costuming. You can already dress up and control your Xbox 360 avatar using Kinect. But with an AR-compatible Android app, you might be able to try on new clothes in the mirror, or even add whimsical accessories like animated cat ears and a tail. They would only be visible to others wearing the glasses or using compatible apps, though.
Glasses, not goggles
One final note: They probably won't be called Google Goggles. That's the name of an existing app, which might get a new lease on life when and if the glasses are released. ( yahoo.com )
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