Google unveiled Project Glass on Wednesday. It’s still in the concept/testing stage, but it’s a pair of futuristic glasses that puts the virtual world directly into your eyeballs. If you haven’t seen Google’s video yet, watch it before you go any further:
Now that it’s had a little more time to sink in, people have all kinds of ideas and opinions about what this is and what it could be.
Here are some comments on Google’s Google+ post about Project Glass:
Ben Smith – I must get this as soon as possible. I’m going to try to not freak out for the rest of the day at how cool this is.
Donovan Westenburg – i’d love to have glasses like these. would miss my phone though. wonder if it will work with the phone using bluetooth
Garrett Manley – I think this if this became a reality, it would revolutionize the way the mobile industry is developing. A device like this “Project Glass” is something that I have been dreaming about for quite some time, and I know I’m not alone in this dream.
RC Concepcion – This is awesome. feature wise.. the promo highights so much of what I’d love to see out of the daily social life.. If portions of that make it into tech.. that be awesome.. Will totally be looking into what to add..
Nathan Harig – Man, I could see a lot of use here for those of us in the emergency services… having data like this in realtime handsfree would be a huge asset.
Some other thoughts:
@iron_ammonite
Paul Williams4 yrs ago I got video glasses & strapped a webcam to my head. Augmented reality is finally heading mainstream! http://t.co/9i8zNueE
8 hours ago via Tweet Button · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@FutureMedTech
FutureMed Wow. Google Unveils Virtual Reality Glasses.Think of the applications in healthcare… http://t.co/gqg2oSsL #futuremed #singularityu 15 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
Naturally, as one video has already made humorously clear, there is plenty of cynicism around Project Glass as well:
Just picked up my Project Glass headgear. Looks fun you guys twitter.com/jasonpermenter…
— Jason Permenter (@jasonpermenter) April 5, 2012
@stevepavlina
stevepavlinaWill Google Glass become a new way for ads to be delivered directly to your eyeballs? http://t.co/c0YFgBdz 16 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
John Gruber wrote on the Daring Fireball blog, “Google’s transition into the new Microsoft is now complete: fancy-pants sci-fi concept video to promote stunningly awkward augmented reality glasses.”
@hblodget
Henry Blodget.@gruber nails it on Google’s Terminator glasses: Ridiculous toy that shows that Google is rapidly becoming Microsoft http://t.co/En2y5Fqn 3 hours ago via TweetDeck · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
Joe Stracci has a nice, skeptical take:
1. I fail to see how wearing this technology on your face means it’s out of the way.
2. There’s some incredible Orwellian doublespeak at work here, e.g., technology that “helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment.” As far as I can tell, it doesn’t help you to explore your world at all. It helps Google to explore your world. And this notion of “your” world. What does that even mean? I think Google has flat out given up on the idea of connecting people, and instead, has decided to help them curate their lives, and to play to the collective bloated ego, started replacing “life” with “world.”
And I’m glad that Google Glass will help to put me back in the moment that it took me out of.
@granulac
Meredith GranI can’t wait for Project Glass to exist so a bunch of mutants can yelp “WHERE’S THE MUSIC SECTION” to no one in a bookstore 1 hour ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@granulac
Meredith Granmore incredible Project Glass features: realtime Instragram filter, homeless person detection/avoidance, Put a Hat On Everyone? 1 hour ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@rameshsrivats
Ramesh SrivatsI think Project Glass is a good start. Now waiting for Project Ice and Project Whisky. 4 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@cpedraza
Carlos Pedraza ?Apple and Facebook Should Be Terrified Of Google-Tinted Glasses http://t.co/9swVPDgW // Where TechCrunch sees nerdgasm, I see car accidents. 9 hours ago via Zite Personalized Magazine · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
Of course, Google’s working on countering that too.
David ChartierHas anyone asked Google whether the Project Glass video post-production simply missed a deadline of April 1? 11 hours ago via Tweetbot for iOS · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@KeyserSosa
Christopher SloweI truly hope that Google’s Glass project doesn’t become their Microsoft Surface. 13 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
I doubt I’m the only one who’s brought up the Nintendo Virtual Boy, for that matter.
@riptari
NatashaProject Glass looks like the biggest waste of time. AR glasses & checking in rather than chatting to friends will be big in Shoreditch tho 18 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@davepell
Dave PellThe Project Glass video shows a guy with a ukulele who’s wearing augmented reality glasses.
And a girl calls him.
Yeah right. 18 hours ago via Twitter for Mac · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
@k
Kevin ChengThe Google Project Glass concept video is totally unrealistic because it shows someone sharing on Google+. https://t.co/EyWu0dB0 18 hours ago via web · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto
What do you think of Project Glass? An awesome concept of the future or just silliness? Let us know in the comments.