Google Glass Explorer Edition

CNET's Rafe Needleman tries on the Google Glass Explorer Edition.

(Credit: Stephen Shankland/CNET)

Google's Project Glass got more real today when Google showed off its prototype Google Glass Explorer Edition at the Google I/O conference.

While they're not the full-on, head-up-display glasses previewed in the Project Glass demo video below, it will offer some interesting functionality.

What are they?
Google Glass Explorer Edition is the first product to come out of the company's Project Glass. At its most basic level, the Glass is a device that lets you show and interact with the world around you without disconnecting from it.

The Glass is designed to be out of the way so it doesn't interfere with your activity. According to Google, it weighs less than most sunglasses. On the side is a touch pad for control, on top is a button for shooting photos and videos with the built-in camera, and there's a small information display positioned above the eye out of the line of sight.

The actual spec details given were pretty light, other than to say it has a camera, multiple radios for data communication, a speaker and a mic, and a gyroscope so the Glass can tell your position and orientation at all times.

What can I do with them? 
While they eventually may lead you through every aspect of your waking life, in their current state of development it looks like you'll be able to do things such as have Google+ Hangouts, live-stream video, and snap pictures or shoot some movies and share what you capture with little effort. Google search is almost certain to be part of its early capabilities as well.

What's it like to wear them?
CNET's own Rafe Needleman was one of the first journalists to go hands-on (heads-on?) with the prototype Google Glass product. Rafe was allowed to try on the prototype glasses offered by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. He reports:

The glasses have audio output to the right ear only, and there's no earbud -- the sound just leaks into space. Best practice is to cup your hand over your ear and the glasses temple to amplify the sound. This works well, and Brin says the social gesture of cupping your hand over your ear alerts people near you that you are paying attention to the device.

Disabled were all the really cool features -- SMS, alerts, and the capability to read Brin's e-mail. Brin says that he has his glasses set up to not bother him with e-mail text. He gets an audible alert when a high-priority e-mail comes in, and only if he looks up (tilts his head up) does the message display.

The titanium-framed glasses headset was comfortable and very light. I had to take off my prescription lenses to wear the Google Glasses, but Google designer Isabelle Olsson (a former eyewear designer) says the company is working with glasses manufacturers to serve glasses-wearing users.

Continue reading: "I try the Google glasses. Sort of"

Want now! When can I get mine?
Not anytime soon. The Google Glass Explorer Edition is only available to developers as a preorder for U.S.-based I/O attendees for $1,500, and they won't receive them until early 2013.

When will the Android app be available to use with my Google Nexus 7 tablet?
Pay attention. These are not available for consumers yet and probably won't be for some time. For now, we'll all just have to wait.

(courtesy:cnet.com)