Google Glass

Through the Google Glass

We all remember little Alice and her Looking Glass fantasy from the fiction, Through the Looking Glass. Well, the way Lewis Carroll designed a beautifully imaginative replica of Alice’s Wonderland, even Google poured in some life into the already existing life through technology by introducing its stunning and sparkling new invention, A Google Glass.

Google glass preview

Google Glass, unarguably developed by Google in the Project Glass Research And Development project, is defined by web as an augmented reality wearing computer with a head mounted display. For novices like us, let’s try to dissect the definition and get a clear picture of Google Glass. In simple terms, Google Glass is a portable computer which can be worn like a spectacle bearing a small display device and giving a real time live view of physical environment with all kinds of synchronized data such as sound, video, GPS or graphics augmented within. Apart from this, it also enables the user to access the internet in a restricted yet fun manner.

Google Glass uses Android operating system, has an amiable smartphone look and allows the user to access Internet along with features like capturing images and videos and all of it with just the voice commands. Following are the features allowed by Google Glass along with the instructions to avail them.

1. Record Video:

One can do live video recordings by commanding the Google Glass saying, “Ok glass, record a video” and the glass starts the recording with a quality of 720p HD video. Thus one just has to wear the Google Glass and whenever one desires to capture the moment as a memory, all one needs to do is command the glass and the glass will be at his service.

2. Take a picture:

On saying, “Ok glass, take a picture”, Google glass activates its 3 Megapixel digital camera eye-mounted on the device. On recognizing the interactive voice command, Google Glass clicks the pictures and makes time stand still forever.

Google glass features

3. Use Google Now:

Google glass allows its users to access Google Now feature of Google that is a personal assistant equipped on the Android Operating System which answers questions and make recommendations after studying what the user wants based on their search habits. All one has to do it is say, “Ok Glass, [question]”.

4. Start Google+ hangout:

For users who have a Google+ account and want to interact with one of their friends in their Google+ circle while taking a walk can do so with the help of Google Glass. By saying “Ok glass, hang out with [person/circle]”, Google lets one know if that particular person is online and allows the user to have a live conversation.

5. Google Search:

When the glass embeds so many features of Google within itself, it is but obvious that it won’t skip out Google’s search feature under any circumstances. Just say, “Ok glass, google [search query]”, and consider the job done. It presents all the search results in the display before you go for your next blink.

6. Search Google images:

Along with the web results, Google Glass also presents the user with the Google images if asked for explicitly by merrily commanding, “Ok glass, google photos of [search query]”. And it displays one with all the images based on the query.

7. Translate:

Google presents a highly advanced translator which translates any known language to any other desired language. Whenever one wants to get a translation of a particular statement using a Google Glass what one needs to say is, “Ok glass, say[text] in [language]”. And you can hear as well as view the translation of the statement.

8. Give Directions:

Honestly speaking, it would have been a total waste if Google didn’t include its Google Map into the glass. By far Google Map has been the most creditable achievement in various aspects. And most definitely it dint invent the glass as waste. The exact syntax for getting directions turns true when one says, “ok glass, give directions to [search query]” and you end up retrieving each lane and turn till the door of the address.

9. Send Message:

One can even send text messages to friends, families, acquaintances by saying, “ok glass, send a message to [name].” or “ok glass, send [name] that [message]” or better still “ok glass, send [message] to [name]” and the message is delivered to the destination provided the glass has the record of that name.

10. Get Weather details:

Retrieving weather details through Google glass is also an easy task to fulfill. With the command, “ok glass, how is the weather in [location]?” or “ok glass, do i need an umbrella today?”, the glass responds back with the weather details of the given location or the present location respectively.

11. Give Flight details:

Missing the climax of a thriller to reach the airport only to know that the flight has been delayed makes you want to kill the airport authorities, isn’t it? Well there is an easy way out to prevent you from engaging in a heinous crime. Just ask the glass to give you the flight details and enjoy the climax with a bucket of popcorns. Jokes apart, when you command the glass saying, “ok glass, when does flight [flight number] depart from [airport]?”, it gives you the entire flight details.

Google Project glass

So what are we waiting for? This is the chance where we can be in the shoes of Alice and wander in our even beautiful Wonderland with a bigger and better experience. Don’t miss it for the world. Have a wonderful Googly Glassy day!!

Aurisha Sengupta is a Software Engineer. Apart from technology, she is an insatiable art lover and a perpetual student when it comes to knowledge in any form.