google-glass

Google Glass. Just saying its name can cause frustration, anger and bewilderment to people around you. It seems everywhere you go, especially in big cities, someone has an opinion on what Glass is. Some people have a right to wonder what Glass holds for the future and others are just paranoid. They’ve even come up with a nickname for Glass users: Glassholes.

Well, hello world, I’m a Glasshole. Let me give you my first impressions of Google Glass and why everyone needs to calm down because Glass isn’t the end of the world.

How I Scored Glass

google-glass-close-up

Now that anybody can get Glass, it’s a moot point, but I was lucky enough that my boss bought it when I received my Explorer code. It was before Google made the glass publicly available.

My boss used it once, was bored, and offered it up to me since he knew I was a gadget lover. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to give the Glass a whirl, even though I never thought I’d buy it myself.

10 Amazing Uses For Google Glass To Improve Daily Life in Unique Ways

How It Fits

me-google-glass
Using a Non-Compatible Google Glass with my Prescription Glasses

I was concerned with how I’d wear Google Glass because I wear glasses and you couldn’t get prescription lenses fit into the version my boss originally bought. I managed to rig Glass to fit on top of my prescription glasses with little issues. While there’s methods out there for taking apart Glass and adding them to glasses yourself, I didn’t want to risk breaking the device right after getting my hands on it.

Glass is comfortable to wear, even over my own glasses, and fits snugly when you get over bending it to conform to your face. You have to adjust the screen a bit here and there as conditions change and as you take them on and off, but it’s not as bothersome as you might think.

How The Google Glass Works

One of the biggest concerns people have with Google Glass is how it potentially can invade privacy. However, as The Daily Show has pointed out in the past when cell phones with cameras first hit the market, this is ridiculous.

Even after months of use, you can tell if I’m taking your picture or video of you. I’m either telling Glass to do it or I have to move the screen in a way to capture you without cutting your head or body off. It’s so ridiculously obvious if I’m recording or taking a picture, you’d have to be blind not to notice it.

Google Glass Apps

There’s a variety of apps to choose from, mostly from Google’s wide range of products. However, there’s many unique apps that developers have made you wouldn’t necessarily think to find on a product like Glass. These include everything from Word a Day apps to a guide to Jewish holidays to playing golf through the eyes of Glass. I’ve been very impressed with the apps so far, along with real-time notifications,

When I pair Glass with my phone via Bluetooth, I can use Glass as my phone, text message through it, host a Google Hangout and more. It’s amazing that while Glass may not be connected to the phone network, yet, it can still be utilized as such with ease away from Wi-Fi.

google-glass-battery

One of the biggest complaints about the Explorer series of Glass is the battery life. The battery life flat-out sucks. My Glass drains faster than any other device I’ve used. I have to plug it in several times a day when using it for a full day. While it charges relatively quickly, it’s annoying that I can’t go a full day using Glass to its potential, yet.

Google says it’s working on this and hopefully those who signed up as Explorers might see some benefit from beta testing them for the company for so long.

What Were People’s Reactions?

After owning Glass for a few months, I’ve had three people say something to me about it in Denver. One person asked me what it was, another recognized it and asked to see it, and the third person asked me if it helped with some underlying medical condition. For the most part, people might have stared briefly or just disregarded it. I was surprised walking on Denver streets, which is a bustling tech center nowadays, that people really didn’t care or seem to have issues with Glass.

I’ve been on public transportation with it, shopping with it and just doing things around work and home with it with little to no issues. My coworkers laugh at me, saying I look ridiculous and asking me what the point is, but it’s fun to connect with the device and use it without picking up my phone every three seconds.

I was planning to travel to the East Coast with Glass, but after United Airlines asked a passenger to remove Glass for attempting to take a picture, I decided to avoid the potential hassle. I may attempt a trip to New York City with them later in the fall.

Conclusion

Google Glass is a trip, that’s for sure. If you’re not afraid of being looked at for being different or trying something radically new to the world around you, Glass just might be up your alley if you can stomach the price tag.

When Glass is finally released in a consumer edition, around the $300 to $500 price range Google has floated around, it may be worth investing in if you want a different way to stay connected. If you’re happy with what your cell phone can do – and so far, Glass is just that in a pair of glasses – there’s no need for Glass in your life.