In a brief proof-of-concept video published this week, Google lifted the curtain on their forthcoming digital-overlay glasses, demonstrating how they work and the various ways people might use them.
Rumored for a long time but never-before-seen outside of the search giant's Google[x] lab,the glasses are believed to be coming out later this year at least in beta form. Google's latest video shows people using them like a smartphone, but much more naturally.
Text messages, calendar reminders, video chatting, navigation and even social network sharing is included in the demonstration. It all seems to fit naturally with features in Google's social network and other applications.
Word of the glasses in development was first broken by a blogger at 9 to 5 Google, who said that the heads-up display will only work in one eye and users will navigate the on-board menus with small head and eye movements. The new navigation tech is said to be highly intuitive, and a similar system was shown off by Motorola earlier this year.
People who’ve actually seen the glasses told The New York Times that they will create a new layer for the Internet where companies can stream digital advertising possibly even layered over competitors’ real world ads. The Times also speculated how facial recognition may play a role in the glasses’ core functions, matching peoples’ faces with social network profiles for instant connections between new acquaintances.
Whether the actual product will work this effectively remains to be seen. If Google can pull it off, it could very well spark another revolution in social media and put the search giant squarely back atop the heap of the most innovative technology companies.
This video was published by Google on Wednesday, April 4, 2012.
