Google alters reality with Futuristic Glasses

Google's highly-anticipated augmented reality head-mounted display, still doesn't have a release date, but some lucky few are getting the opportunity to test out the new technology. U.S. residents have the opportunity to pre-order the glasses by tweeting or posting to Google+ what they would do with Project Glass.

 

Google's techno-glasses offer emails, video chat and even directions over your view of the world.

 

You can experience all these through a built-in screen in front of your eyes.

 

The glasses are a product of Google's "Google X" blue-sky ideas lab - and the search giant is looking for ideas to improve them.

 

The glasses appear to run a variant of the Android operating system, using the same microphone icon and other recognisable parts of Google's mobile OS.

 

 The glasses layer information "over" the world, and offer directions - as well as allowing users to "locate" one another in the real world, as with Google's current Latitude system.

 

Google Glass is supposed to perform many of the same tasks as smartphones, except the spectacles respond to voice commands instead of fingers touching a display screen.

 

  Project Glass by Google

 

The glasses include a tiny display screen attached to a rim above the right eye and run on Google's Android operating system for mobile devices.

 

Because no hands are required to operate them, Google Glass is supposed to make it easier for people to take pictures or record video wherever they might be or whatever they might be doing.

 

Online searches also can be more easily conducted by just telling Google Glass to look up a specific piece of information.

 

Google's Android system already has a voice search function on smartphones and tablet computers.

Google posted a video showing people wearing the glasses while skydiving, riding a rollercoaster, skiing, riding a horse and even swinging on a trapeze.

 

Google also posted photos of the glasses in five different colours: charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton and sky blue.

 

To gauge how people might use its glasses, Google is encouraging entrants in its contest to include up to five photos and 15 seconds of video with their applications.

 

The company doesn't want to see any nudity or violence. "Basically, don't add anything you wouldn't be OK with your Mom seeing," Google advised.

 

Google co-founder Sergey Brin (L) wears Project Glass prototype glasses at Allen & Company's Sun Valley Conference on July 12, 2011 in Sun Valley, Idaho.