2012 inventions included robots, rovers and glasses. Yes, I am talking about Google Glasses,which was one of the best inventions of the past year. Simply put, this is a computer built into the frame of a pair of glasses which is expected to change augmented reality. With Glasses, you can take and share photos, video chat, check and respond to emails and appointments via voice commands and surf the web, all without touching a keyboard or mouse or facing a screen. This is all done with a pair of glasses.
1. You can make calls via Glass
From the demo videos that Google has uploaded on the Web, Google Glasses can be used to make calls by simply talking to the device. If you want to call a friend, simply say “OK, glass, call my friend, Karen” and it initiates a call. Its that simple.
2. The translation is straightforward, practical and fun
Imagine the potential of being able know and identify street signs in foreign languages, languages being spoken around you and being able to pull up related info simply by looking at objects. That is the power of Glass to shrink the world.
3. Say “take a picture’ to take a picture
The Glass unit responds to voice commands such as “take a picture” and takes snapshots of whatever object you are looking at. The pictures are automatically uploaded onto your Google+ profile in real-time. This is an excellent way to take shots of those rare moments while you are engaged in an activity without distraction from it.
4. With Google Glass you can record hands free
Just like taking snapshots, recording works in a similar way by telling glass to record the activity you are engaged or looking at. What is even more amazing is the ability to share what you are seeing on a Google Hangout live.
5. If you’re lost Google Glass will come to your rescue
If you are ever in a strange location and cannot find your way back, Glass comes to your rescue by bringing up directions to your destination from where you are. You no longer have to drag your map with you when driving or biking since all the directions, including the distance and the estimated time of arrival, are right there on your face.
6. Google Glass can be a translator
Glass gives a new twist to how you search for information on the web. You simply look at an object of interest and ask whatever’s on your mind about the object. Say you are purchasing spinach at a local Chinese grocery store. How do you ask the store owner for spinach in Chinese? Just ask Glass to tell you how to pronounce and bam! You have your own translator right there with you.
7. Google Glass is strong and light for everyday use
Glass is so light and inconspicuous that nobody will be able to tell that you are interacting with a computer screen. The unit comes in varying colors, so you don’t have to worry about it crashing with your favorite outfit. It spots charcoal, tangerine, shale and cotton sky colors with more colors and frame designs being tested.
8. You can’t make Google Glass like Google
If you like the sleek ornamental design of Glass and looking to create your own set to sell, too bad because Google has already patented the design and look. This will help protect the technology and discourage people faking Glass. You don’t want to start having sub-standard Glass units that come nowhere near the real thing.
9. Google Glass never gets in the way
By positioning the unit slightly above your right eye, you get to do amazing things with it without distracting from your environment. It is lighter than many sunglasses and super sturdy allowing you to use it for most situations. It allows you to catch fleeting moments with friends and family and offers, genuinely, the first-person point of view snapshots that would otherwise be lost forever.
10. Google Glass can let you know how fast you are driving
Glass is amazing not only in identifying your current location but can also let you know how fast you are driving or biking without disconnecting or disengaging from the physical world.