Let’s start by talking about how Google Glass works. The glasses are obviously not your typical spectacles. Inside the right arm are the parts of a smartphone: a processor, 16GB of storage, a Bluetooth radio, and a small battery. On the front, the screen can be found, a little glass square. The glasses can be adjusted so that the screen sits slightly above your right eye. If worn correctly, your line of vision should not be obscured. The screen can also be adjusted or swiveled so that you can move the screen closer or farther from your eye. The glasses pair with your phone to get connectivity. There is some support for iPhone, but Android support is much deeper. Android already has a MyGlass app, and this can be used to configure the connection for Google Glass. The app also has a screencast feature, which mirrors the Glass display on the phone. (iPhone has not yet released an app for Google Glass, but there is one on the way. The release date has not been revealed.) To the right of the screen, there is a 5-megapizel camera. There is a button on the top of the glasses that can be used to take photos, but the easiest way to control the glasses is with your voice. Without a phone connection, Google Glass can still be used to take photos and video.
Google Glass can be controlled by voice commands or by using the track pad on the right arm of the glasses. The entire side is touch-sensitive; sliding your finger along it allows you to scroll through the interface, and you can make your selection by tapping it once.
That gets us into the main things that Glass can currently do for you. You can use the device to take photos and video. Reviews, however, have said that the camera does not take excellent pictures; using the camera on your smartphone is currently the favorable option. With Google Glass, photos can only be shared on Google Plus. There is currently no way to share photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You can also use Glass to view and respond to texts, emails, and incoming calls. To respond, simply say your reply out loud and Glass will convert your speech to text. And, of course, you can Google stuff. You can see the weather, search Google, and get maps and directions.
Google Glass is nowhere near fully developed; they have just released the limited Explorer Edition, and they are called that for a reason. The battery lasts a mere 3.5 hours, and the design does not allow you to wear regular glasses or sunglasses with them. You can’t connect to a wireless network that requires you to sign in. There is no security built in, no lock screen, no voice command code, nothing. The product will of course need some improvements, but Google was smart to release a test product. They will be able to work out the problems before a mass release. And for app developers, the question is – will they be able to develop apps specifically designed for Google Glass? Till now, the answer seems a resounding yes!