First Look: Google Glass Explorer

Unboxing

As with any new technology, the unboxing is a tradition in it's own right. Once the shipping and exterior boxes were removed, the Glass Explorer model was contained in a semi-hard pouch with a draw string to keep it closed. Inside the pouch was the Glass Explorer, with the unit eyeglass-forward into a semi-enclosed hard bottom. This hard bottom of the pouch neatly holds the glass frame and Glass unit in a protective area, which is great for developers like me who throw all of their tech in a bag and hope it makes it to work. In addition, the box came with a USB cable and matching wall charger which are both half black, half white; reminiscent of Harvey Two-Face. Finally, the Google Glass Explorer came with a little piece of paper and a little book which we promptly ignored.

The Device

The white Google Glass Explorer model has two components: a frame and the Glass unit. The frame is an ordinary eyeglass frame with one exception, it does not bend. This is why the pouch is designed the way it is. It wraps around the whole unit, including the arms. The Glass unit itself has the camera and glass display arm, the touch-sensitive trackpad area and a rear battery unit. On top of the unit is a button that takes a picture, no matter what application you are running. On the inside and rear sections of the trackpad, there is the power button, charging indicator, and micro-USB port. The rear battery unit has a button on the inside that reads Glass, but it's not a button. It is actually a bone conduction speaker.

Wearing the Glass

Perhaps now I should mention, that I wear prescription glasses (really, I have terrible vision) so my initial experience was a bit surprising; all of the text on the screen and the images appeared blurry to me. As I squinted to read the introductory syncing instructions, I realized that the glass prism that displays the text is not a traditional display unit, it's actually a projection onto the prism. Even though the device is only an inch from my eye, the perspective makes the text appear far away. It was like looking at screen from a projector that was blurry, but I couldn't change the focus. For this reason, Google provides multiple eye frame options that include options to have lenses made for the units. Wearing my actual glasses under the Glass Explorer was the best I could do under the circumstances.

Despite my issues there, the Glass Explorer was surprisingly light on my head and was comfortable to wear. The arms provided enough tension on the sides of my head to stay firmly fixed without being too tight. Shaking my head, refused to dislodge the unit, so it was safe (for the time being). The display arm has a horizontal hinge, so I was able to adjust the display to appear inside my viewing range. It is important to note that the projection of the display appears slightly higher than the the direct line-of-sight; you have to look slightly up to read the content on the Glass unit.

Syncing

Following the instructions, I went to the Play Store and downloaded the MyGlass App (free on the both the Play Store and the App Store for Apple devices). As I followed the syncing instructions, I had a difficult time trying to sync my HTC One (running Ice Cream Sandwich, API 14) with the Glass. Then I tried to pair with my iPhone. Finally, I gave up on the MyGlass app and paired with Bluetooth directly on the iPhone. Once paired, the Glass Unit prompted me to scan a QR code to connect to a wireless network. This is the primary mechanism of how you connect a Google Glass to a wireless network. From a mobile device or computer on google.com/myglass, you are prompted to enter a network name and network key or passphrase. Once the QR code is generated, the Google Glass takes a picture of the QR code and then attempts to connect with the network. A neat solution when you don't have a keyboard handy.

The final step was to link the Glass with my Google+ account (which did not exist yet). After skipping this step, I realized how integrated the device is connected to your Google+ account. Pictures and videos, emails, messages, locations, and searches are all affected when you do not have a Google+ account connected to the device. So I made one.

Around the Office

Many people have already posted great details about the Glass hardware and its features, but as far as my experience, I found myself doing three things with the Glass Explorer: I took tons of pictures, I searched random trivia with Text-to-Speech (TTS) search through Google Search, and I watched YouTube videos at work (Shakira - Hips Don't Lie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, etc).

Seriously, Tons of Pictures

Now I am not a selfie-taking, Instagram-ing hipster, (don't let anyone tell you differently), but I was taking pictures at every opportunity. If ever I felt the fancy, I would tilt my head up to activate the Glass Explorer (a feature which you can disable if you wish), say "ok, glass, take a picture" and BAM! the picture was taken. Glass then prompted me further with additional options to send it to my Google+ circles. Choosing to send to Google+ sends the picture directly to Google if connected to a wireless network, or saves the picture in the Auto Backup feature that will sync when I next connect to a wireless network. Catching an action sequence? Just a quick tap on the camera button on the top of the Glass takes a picture without spoken commands.

And the picture quality is fantastic for the device. Even action shots were very clear. Recording video was a snap too. One of my coworkers was demonstrating an issue with an application, so I recorded it. After recording it, I was able to post the video on my Google+ profile and then send the link to the person who was going to fix it. How is that for delegation? Recording video however is a multi-step process. Once you start recording, you have about 10 seconds of video before the video automatically stops recording video. To extend the length of the video indefinitely, you must follow the prompt and tap to extend the length of a video. I image this is done to conserve battery life in the event an accidental video was recorded.

Using Google Search

When was the date of that Braves game? What is the maximum number of parameters you can have on a stored procedure? [head-tilt] "ok, glass, Google. What is the maximum number of parameters in a stored procedure?". Internet based results pop up and thought the new card navigation system, I am able to pinpoint my answer. 2100 parameters. With the Google Glass, while connected to a wireless network, contextual searches are also possible. The same way Google provides you with information snippets at the top of the page, Glass Explorer can speak the results of the search back to you. Not all searches can return a spoken result, but I imagine over time, more results will.

YouTube Video

Dennis: What I object to is that you automatically treat me like and inferior.
King Arthur: Well, I am king.
Dennis: Oh, king eh? Very nice. And how'd you get that, eh? By exploiting the workers. By hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society.

Yup, for 88 minutes during the workday, I was watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and it was gloriously British. Out of the corner of my eye, while talking to coworkers, answering emails, or writing SQL statements, Graham Chapman was having his patsy bang coconuts together as he rode an imaginary horse all across England and Scotland. Then I discovered something else...

The Glass Explorer is Hot, Literally

After about 15 minutes of straight video, I began to notice that the temperature of the Glass had significantly increased, prompting me to stop the video and take it off my head and let it cool down. While the device is capable of shutting itself off in the event of overheating, this is a critical point: extensive and prolonged processing usage can increase the core temperature of the device, and in some cases, will force the device to sleep if it reaches a critical temp.

Out of the Office #throughglass

A Conversation Starter

Excuse me, is that the Google Glass?

That was about every conversation I had over the weekend. At the park. At the grocery store. At the gas station. Then there was something else unexpected that happened when I took Glass Explorer out of the office.

Google Glass, My Badge of Nerd-Honor

Somewhere in-between the grocery store isles looking for my ice cream sandwiches (not the Android operating system) it hit me. Those years in middle school, high school, and some years of college, all those years of persecution for being a technologically-savvy intellectual were vindicated. Now I was in the position of envy. In a world where status, fame, and material possessions mean so much, I was wearing the absolute latest in desirable technology (or at least in the eyes of some). Almost every person saw what I was wearing and many asked me to confirm who I was. I was a person wearing Google Glass. That limited, invitation only object desired by many, possessed by few.

Those years dreaming of a cyberpunk reality where everyone is online with ubiquitous devices was nearing and I was literally wearing progress. I realized the Glass wasn't just device to me, it was an embodiment of the future I knew was coming, where I was simply waiting for the hardware to catch up to the vision of the future. It became a symbol of my status and a manifestation a truly useful wearable computing device. I realized that the future has come and then I got my ice cream sandwiches.

Misconceptions

Another frequent follow up statement was if we had targeted everyone and identified who they are and where they live, etc. It was almost a too frequent question which we can directly attribute it's source to media misinterpretations. In our politically polarized world, it's easy to see why one large entertainment-news program could spread the shocking headline, "Google Glass uses Facial Recognition to Get Your Social Security Number," which is an obvious and blatant fabrication of what the technology does today. Is it possible? No more possible than cops with cameras on their vehicles that take a picture of your license plate and then proceed to pull up your name, vehicle registration information and insurance information wirelessly over 3G. Sure, someone could write that app, but they would have to have the resources of the NSA, FBI etc to aggregate all that data AND have up-to-date and clear mug-shots of all the people. Snowden hasn't revealed that information yet so we can assume that does not exist yet.

Conclusion: The Future is Coming, Soon

The Google Glass Explorer is certainly the first of many wearable devices to come in the future, like the Android Wearable platform designed for wrist/arm bound devices. Is it groundbreaking? Sure is. Does it have some flaws? Sure does. I believe that while the Google Glass Explorer is truly pushing the boundaries of what is possible, it will be our imagination that will continue to drive the frontier of Human-Computer Interaction in the years to come. If you have an opportunity, get a Google Glass and see if it's right for you; there will be one in my future for certain.