If you've paid any attention to technology-related news recently, you might think that by the end of the year we'll all be like Tom Cruise in "Minority Report," sporting retina-scanning glasses with a gestural interface in the form of Google's Project Glass.
But what's lost in all the media fawning is that Google actually has produced something between a really cool virtual tour-guide and a hands-free smartphone. Not quite the augmented reality game-changer that is being portrayed. For now.
Google, or specifically co-founder Sergey Brin, has done a masterful job of marketing a fantasy, tapping into our collective craving for the next game-changing device. The company has not only driven its stock price to an all-time high, but also crowd-sourced the vision for whatever eventually becomes of Project Glass.
But the hype may have gotten out of hand recently. A few days ago, Brin was actually downplaying expectations: "It's by no means a done deal yet," he said, adding that we shouldn't trust purported prototypes that show up on eBay.
The interesting psychology of Google's strategy aside, the fact is that some sort of glasses will become available to some segment of consumers soon — for about $1,500. The few who have tested this device report that in a controlled environment for a short period of time under certain circumstances, Google's glasses can take videos and photos, forecast the weather, receive email and relay directions — provided there's a cellphone to connect with.
Though I'm as psyched as anyone to get my hands on these things, whatever they are, I predict that Google's glasses will compete directly with another product that requires a smartphone to work, and that it won't win. Apple's rumored iWatch will wear more discreetly, and it will be cheaper, too.
I predict the glasses will have the battery life of a first-generation smartphone and will be similar to Segways — the province of mall cops, group tours and the eccentric rich, but another novelty cast aside by the mainstream.
Even if Google fully achieves its vision, there's still the giant impediment of getting people comfortable with the idea of looking and sounding silly, talking to oversized bifocals as they walk.
But don't misunderstand: I'd love to get a pair. So Google ... if you're reading this ... can I expect my review glasses soon?
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