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Editorial: Engadget on Jelly Bean, Nexus Q, Nexus 7 and Project Glass
Phew! On the heels of big events from Apple and Microsoft, Sergey and co. got their time to shine at the Google I/O event this week in San Francisco. The show kicked off with a a keynote that featured insight into Android Jelly Bean, the unveiling of the Nexus 7 tablet and Nexus Q media streaming device, plus some seriously amazing demos of Project Glass, among others. Was the two-hour-and-change press conference enough to push Google out in front of the competition? Check out our thoughts after the break.
Visualized: photos of the glass block you get when you pre-order Project Glass
$1,500? That's a lot for some highfalutin' glasses, but we just couldn't resist. After wrapping up with the keynote, both myself and Darren Murph hopped in line and signed up for our very own pairs of Project Glass Explorer Edition devices. After completing a not-particularly-thorough sign-up process -- which, by the way, does not ask for a credit card -- those who agree to the terms of service receive an actual piece of glass with their number floating in the middle. This will match the serial number of the Project Glass device that will be shipped sometime next year. When will lucky numbers 782 and 788 be rolled? You can be sure you'll be first to know. %Gallery-159331%
More Google Glass details: experimenting with connectivity options, control possible via voice
While Vic Gundotra wasn't willing to talk Glass in our run-in here at Google I/O, a few others were. In speaking with folks from Google, we learned a few new details about the project, while confirming some whispers that we'd heard floated in the past. Here's a quick rundown: Engineers are currently 'experimenting' with connectivity options. Existing prototypes -- including those worn in the skydiving stunt this morning -- do not have any sort of built-in WWAN connectivity. While it's possible that a 3G / 4G module could end up in production devices, the general idea is that latching onto nearby WiFi hotspots or relying on a wireless tether with your smartphone will be the primary way that Glass gets its data to the web. Controlling Glass will eventually rely on a mixture of inputs: it'll recognize voice commands, while also taking cues from the right sidebar. There's a touch-sensitive pad on there that'll understand gestures. It's entirely probable that Glass will also be able to be controlled via one's smartphone, but physical inputs will be the preferred ones. Glass has an accelerometer and a gyroscope, enabling wearers to tell Glass what to do by nodding, shaking one's head, etc. (For what it's worth, we've seen similar demoed by NTT DoCoMo.) The internal battery sits just behind the ear on the right side; the capacity and longevity weren't confirmed, though. Glass will be able to record locally, but the idea is to have 'most everything' streamed live to the web; it's the "live, right now!" nature of Glass that Google intends to push as one of its differentiating factors. In an area where wireless data isn't available (like a remote National Park or a hospital room that forbids phone usage), storing video locally would be possible for uploading later. We also confirmed that the team is playing around with various colors, with orange, white, black and blue editions being sported here at I/O. Whether or not all of those hues make it to market remains to be seen, of course, but we're adequately jazzed about the possibilities.
Google's I/O 2012 keynote is up in video form, in case you missed the skydivers the first time
Yeah, two hours can be a lot of press conference to sit through, but if you took a bathroom break, got a drink or just blinked, you might have missed some of the action-packed spectacle that was today's I/O keynote. We got Jelly Bean, the Nexus 7, the Nexus Q and some extreme Project Glass action. Check out the full video after the break. Update: And just like that, it's gone again. Google has apparently made the video private. We'll add it back in when it goes live again. Update 2: As promised, we've embedded the newly-available keynote video where it belongs... right after the break. [Thanks, Onel]
Photos of Google's Vic Gundotra wearing the latest, blue-hued Glass prototype
Sergey Brin briefly pulled out a light blue prototype of Google Glass whilst on stage at Google I/O, and as it turns out, those are evidently the latest and greatest models that the company is willing to wear around. We ran into social exec Vic Gundotra after this morning's keynote, only to find him donning precisely the same set that was teased on stage. We asked if the blue was just part of Google's experimentation with coloring Glass, and he chuckled while confessing that he wasn't authorized to speak further about the project or its ambitions. Still, the man looks good in blue. And something tells us you would, too.
Google I/O keynote roundup: Project Glass, Nexus 7, Nexus Q and Jelly Bean
Did you keep up with everything Google announced at today's I/O keynote? Believe us, we had a difficult time too. Covering everything from Jelly Bean to jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, there was plenty to keep the audience oohing and ahhing. It makes sense to have this plethora of news in one handy place, right? After the break you'll find every piece of action that Sergey and Friends covered in Moscone West this morning -- as well as the video of the keynote -- so make sure to save a little extra time for yourself to enjoy every last bit of it.
Google unveils $1,500 Project Glass Explorer Edition, takes pre-orders for 2013 only at Google I/O
We've been wondering when non-Googlers could get their hands on Project Glass in earnest, and now we know: the company is opening up pre-orders for Glass Explorer Edition, a developer version of its heads-up display glasses. How much it's changed from the prototypes isn't yet known, but Google has said that it's been steadily working on refining the hardware along with the software. Sadly, the first crack at the wearable technology isn't coming to the broader masses just yet. Orders are only available to Google I/O attendees, and they cost a pretty hefty $1,500 for their release sometime next year. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
Google's Project Glass gets some more details
Google's Project Glass has been one of the most anticipated and hyped projects to come out of Google in quite some time. After a rather epic demo the company finally gave us a slightly deeper look at the wearable computer of our (supposed) future. Inside is the usual set of components you'd expect inside any mobile phone. There's a "powerful" CPU and "lots" of RAM (though, there was no mention of specifics) alongside an accelerometer, gyroscope and wireless radios for pulling in data. There's a mic for voice commands, a speaker and a camera, which can also be controlled by the touchpad that lines the side of the wearable device. All of those components sit off to one side, though Google says they're still well-balanced and actually lighter than some pairs of sunglasses. The tiny transparent display doesn't actually sit directly in front of your eye. It's slightly above your line of vision, so that it shouldn't interfere with your normal life. Sergey Brin had three different prototypes on stage -- a light blue pair, a white pair and a black pair -- indicating that personalization and style were concerns. And that's a good thing since Glass is meant to be worn in public. Ultimately Google hopes that the project will be the next step in its quest to make information quickly and universally accessible. The ability to capture images from the first person perspective seems to be key to the device. In a new demo video, a new mother waxes about how hard it is to capture those perfect moments with her child. She "smiles at faces not devices" which makes sticking a D5 in the baby's face a bad idea. If you're impatient and lucky enough to have been at IO (and live in the US), you can actually pre-order an Explorer Edition of the wearable computer for $1,500. The dev focused units will be shipping early next year. But, be warned, this is not a mass consumer item and will likely be more than a little rough around the edges. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub!
Sergey Brin demos Project Glass onstage at Google I/O (video)
It's hard to ignore Google's X Lab-born Project Glass. News of the slim-lined, sci-fi goggles' existence first surfaced this past February and it wasn't long after that Mountain View's own elite began to flaunt the heads-up display in public. While little of the device's true purpose and functionality is known, we have been privy to certain features over the past few months, like photo sharing to Google+ and even its ability to overlay Maps. Though product lead Steve Lee shrugged off rumors of a late 2012 launch, it does appear the company's itching to spill a few more (jelly) beans at today's I/O conference. To do that, Sergey Brin rushed onstage at Google I/O wearing the glass units to give us a brief live action demo courtesy of a skydive over San Francisco. Video of the jump, performed by four divers in a blimp, was streamed live through Google Hangouts to attendees at the Moscone Center. In keeping with the extreme vibe of this demonstration, the showcase was handed off to bikers on the rooftop, also outfitted with the lenses, who jumped from building to building via ramp and then eventually cycled into the arena and right up to Sergey, himself. As a finishing touch, Brin also snapped a shot of the team using his own headset. All told, it's a pretty incredible way to once again officially tease this forward-looking tech. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's opening keynote at our event hub! Update: Google's posted the entire segment by itself, it's embedded after the break if you want to relive every step (stage to blimp and back to stage, with a few handoffs in between) as it happened. %Gallery-159280%
Sony patent filing for glasses would share data face to face, carry more than a hint of Project Glass
Google might not realize it, but Project Glass isn't alone in the patent race these days. Sony has quietly applied for a patent on a familiar-looking smart glasses system whose advantage over Mountain View would be an emphasis on things in twos. Eyepieces are the most obvious, but Sony is also keen on sharing data between two friends: transmitters on a pair of glasses would send personal info through a likely very uncomfortable glance at someone else with the same eyewear. If your friends are more than a little weirded out from sharing by staring, the proposed glasses could still pick up information from visual tags on posters, products and virtually anything else. There's even the obligatory connection to a watch for sharing data with the rest of the world. Whether or not the patent leads to Sony head-mounted technology more advanced than a personal 3D TV is still up in the air, especially with Google currently hogging the spotlight... not that existing, more conservative designs have ever stopped Sony from rolling out wild concepts before.
Google's Project Glass trackpad gets swaddled in patent protection
Remember when Sergey Brin was on The Gavin Newsom Show showing off Project Glass' right-sided physical trackpad? Today, that element of the tech was given the official thumbs-up by the US patent and trademark office. Legally-trained minds in the audience concerned about the appearance forming prior art, take it easy -- the patent was filed five days before the Google chief took to basic cable to demonstrate his pet project to the current Lt. Governor of California.
Google's Steve Lee talks about the history and future of Project Glass
Details on Google's Project Glass haven't been the easiest thing to come by since the wearable computing effort was announced earlier this year, but Google execs have been getting a bit more talkative and eager to give demonstrations as of late. You can now add product lead Steve Lee to that list, who's given a fairly wide-ranging interview to Fast Company on the project's origins and its future. Not surprisingly, he confirmed that the early prototypes were a fair bit bulkier -- starting a laptop in a backpack -- and that even the current prototypes are still "very early," although they do handle more than just photos (he gives Maps as one example). Lee does see photo-taking as a "key aspect" to the device, though. He also cast some doubt on initial reports that the devices would be available this year for between $250 and $600, saying that would be "pretty aggressive timing," but he also noted that he "wouldn't be on this project if it was like a five-year endeavor." As for the future, he says that contact lenses with the technology is a natural evolution but a definite "long-term thing," and that a nearer term goal is to "serve everyone and make this is a universal device," adding that they've "prototyped lots of different form factors to accommodate all those folks." All of that comes just from the first part of a two-part interview, though -- the rest is promised later this week.
Project Glass revealed to have physical trackpad along right arm (video)
Sergey Brin has appeared on The Gavin Newsom Show on Current TV to drop a few more enticing hints about Project Glass. While showing the presenter a picture he'd taken with the AR glasses, he revealed that the prototype is controlled with a trackpad running down the right* arm. He also talked about the device's genesis in Goggle's (pun intended) X Lab, which he described as an "advanced skunkworks" where "far-out projects" are developed -- it's also the department that occupies most of his time. While the units he and his colleagues have been wearing are very rough prototypes, the Google co-founder shared his private hope that the tech will make its way to general release next year. You can catch the extract in full in the video after the break. *Right for the wearer, left for the observer. It depends entirely on your perspective.
Google patents view augmentation method and glasses, sees what you cannot
Google continues to keep our friends down at the US Patents and Trademark Office busy with its latest filing, involving augmented reality and a pair of relatively staid (at least by these sketches) pair of glasses. The patent outlines a system where a view-finder could identify what we're gawking at, adding in extra factual details and also outlining new points of interest -- including those that aren't necessarily within the view of our own eyes. The glasses would then be able to notify us with a medley of visual indicators and cues (including the slightly awkward notion of light-up frames), guiding our gaze to something we'd hopefully want to take a look at. There's more to Google's latest idea than simple tourist-centric finger-pointing though, also looking to augment how we read. The device would detect when someone is reading from a digital display and even feel out the rest of the information currently out of view. It would then direct readers to points of interest; possibly pictures, possibly those important factual nuggets -- the patent still plays loose with the specifics. But if you're into such vague and fanciful product description, you can take a look at the full filing at the source below.
Google's Project Glass... it's spreading (sample video)
Now, we're not saying Google's elite are actually aliens managing human social affairs, but if you were our reader Ben who ran into a crew of Project Glass-equipped Googlers breaking for drinks at a Los Gatos wine bar, it might seem like a possibility. Beyond filing tons of paperwork, the team is clearly expanding quickly and most recently took part in the Google+ photographer's conference to show off what POV pictures and video (even if that's most of the functionality so far) could add to the world of photography. They wouldn't let Ben try on a pair, but Vic Gundotra reiterated that it was positioned as not to interfere with conversations, and make images appear to be floating in front of your eye. There's video of the photography presentation after the break (jump to about 45 minutes for the first person pics and video), as well as a few more pictures on Google+, but we'd keep a pair of special black sunglasses and bubblegum handy just in case. [Thanks, Ben]
Google glasses gets raft of new patents, sniffs lawsuits coming from miles away
Google will find four more granted patents for Project Glass sitting on its over-sized doorstep this morning. The company can now claim rights over the design of the right half of the device, where the camera hangs over the eye and where the innards are housed within the band along the side. It's also patented the nose-pad sensor that knows when it's being worn, plus the ability to represent ambient sounds on the screen with range and direction info. Finally, it's also got rights on using each eyepiece as a separate display, with the example shown above demonstrating a map in one eye and navigation instructions in the other. The more we sift through the paperwork, the more we're reminded of the Dominion Warship headsets from Deep Space Nine -- but that could be just because we've been locked indoors for too long.
Google patent application could give Project Glass one true ring controller to rule them all
Let's face it: right now, the head nods and other rudimentary controls of Google's Project Glass are mostly useful for looking good, sharing photos and not much else. A US patent application submitted last September and just now published, however, raises the possibility of more sophisticated control coming from your hands. A ring, a bracelet or a even a fake fingernail with an infrared-reflective layer would serve as a gesture control marker for a receiver on heads-up display glasses. Having this extra control would give the glasses-mounted computing room to grow by learning gestures, and it could even depend on multiple ornaments for more sophisticated commands -- at least, if you don't mind looking like a very nerdy Liberace. We can imagine the headaches a hand-based method might cause for very enthusiastic talkers, among other possible hiccups, so don't be surprised if Project Glass goes without any kind of ring input. That said, we suspect that Sauron would approve.
Google's Project Glass prototypes can transfer still images, do little else
This was probably a given, but there won't be any freakishly detailed social profile overlay as you pass strangers on the street in the initial iteration of "Google Glasses." Instead, current prototype functionality includes features like photo sharing (directly from the eyewear to Google+), and... well, that could be it. The in-your-face functionality that we saw in the original Google teaser could come "one day," as the video title itself reveals, but we certainly won't be creepin' on random friends-to-be on sidewalks, trains and parties for some time to come. And just in case you're curious to see what you won't be doing with Project Glass this year, Google's original teaser is after the break, with a popular parody vid tossed in below for good measure.
Those suave Google glasses are now patent-protected
Google has successfully patented the "ornamental design" of its augmented reality eyewear. To you, me and Aunty Dee they might look almost like regular Ray-Bans, but there's a lot of secret technology concealed within those sleek lines and Google evidently wants to prevent others from copying their appearance. After all, if people started faking Project Glass, it'd be impossible to tell if we're being properly scanned or merely checked out.
Google's Vic Gundotra tries Project Glass on for size
Looks like we're starting to get a little insight into Google's Project Glass testing process. Seems like the augmented reality glasses need to make their way onto every head on the Google staff, before the company feels confident moving ahead with them. First we caught sight of co-founder Sergey Brin, then it was Sebastian Thrun of Project X fame, and now social exec Vic Gundotra is getting a crack. He looks reasonably happy, so that's probably a good sign, right? Update: Looks like Google employee Sebastian Thrun actually tried one on... and got a photo of what it looks like from the inside. Head on the past the break for a glimpse.
