They have invented a pair of internet-connected spectacles which will make your life flash before your eyes.
If
you want to know the time, the temperature, talk to a friend or get
directions to that café you read about in a magazine, it will all appear
as if by magic in front of you. Called Google Goggles, they are not yet
on sale, but a promotional video released by the company has shaken up
the technology world and prompted claims they could revolutionise the
way we live.
The wraparound glasses feature a miniature display
that sits above one eye, allowing users to surf the internet, make video
calls, listen to music and update the diary without lifting a finger.
The screen is controlled by voice and by tilting your head, so one catch
may be a few funny looks in the street.
A prototype is being
tweaked and tested in public by the company’s employees before it goes
on sale. The technology is known as ‘wearable computing’ and is expected
to launch a new generation of gadgets which display a layer of
information over everything the wearer sees – bringing together the
search engine, GPS tracking, a phone and a camera.
Applications
featuring ‘virtual reality’ situations could be offered in future. This
is the first glimpse of the glasses after months of speculation. Reports
suggest the price will be comparable with the smartphone.
The demo shows off Google Maps being 'added' to the real world - providing real-time directions from your current location.
The demo shows off Google Maps being 'added' to the real world - providing real-time directions from your current location.
In demonstrations, the glasses are mainly voice-controlled, using voice commands to bring up contacts, send emails and search.
The demo shows emails and other information 'layered' into a view of the world via screens in the glasses.
The service lets you locate nearby friends in a similar way to Google's current Latitude service.
The demonstration shows off a weather forecast layered over a view of the world.
The demonstration shows off navigation information similar to what Google currently offers via its Maps service.
The glasses also allow users to record and share videos from a built-in camera, just like on YouTube.
