Google Heads Up Display Coming By the End of the Year

kodiaktau writes "Google is working to deliver a heads-up display allowing users access to email, maps and other tools through a wearable interface. According to the NY Times' sources, the device will be available later this year, and sell for prices comparable to smartphones. 'The people familiar with the Google glasses said they would be Android-based, and will include a small screen that will sit a few inches from someone’s eye. They will also have a 3G or 4G data connection and a number of sensors including motion and GPS. ... The glasses will have a low-resolution built-in camera that will be able to monitor the world in real time and overlay information about locations, surrounding buildings and friends who might be nearby, according to the Google employees. The glasses are not designed to be worn constantly — although Google expects some of the nerdiest users will wear them a lot — but will be more like smartphones, used when needed.'"

Perspective

[StripedCow]

So now google is able to literally look through our eyes... great.

Interesting

[lucian1900]

I've often wished for a HUD to allow me to read while walking around.

But why would this be an Android device of its own, rather than just an input/output device for my existing Android phone?

Re:Perspective

[Anonymous Coward]

So root it

Re:Sounds interesting

[Sqr(twg)]

And everyone will buy from Apple, because "wearing iGlasses" sounds so much more plesant than "wearing a Galaxy HUD".

Re:Perspective

[Captain Hook]

You are assuming the device has enough horsepower locally to be useful, as opposed to doing the vast majority of the work on servers and just displaying the results.

You could certainly do some stuff locally, maybe have heading and speed information, how much is left in your google wallet etc, but the vast majority of the work will have to be done on the server if only because of storage space.

For example, asking for directions to the nearest ATM, there is no way to store a list of Points of Interest for the entire world, I doubt you could even store all the points of interest for a large city.

Thats not to say it couldn't cache results when you go to a new city so you don't need a constant net connection to use it, but at some point it will have to connect back to a server to get more information and at that point stats can be uploaded as well.

Rooting it would allow you to use some server other than Googles' (maybe) but who else runs a server capable of that sort of detailed information and who wouldn't also be interested in collecting the same sort of information as Google.

Re:Amusing gadget

[Anonymous Coward]

Amusing? Like how cell phones were amusing when they first hit the streets and we saw people talking into a phone while walking down the block, or even funnier, when dorks started wearing the ear pieces and looked like crazy people talking into thin air?

I almost shit myself the first time I saw a teenager talking on a cell while riding a bike. Now it's common.

Yeah, the unusual and novel, that sure is funny.

Re:Sounds interesting

[ConceptJunkie]

Actually, to be fair, Microsoft Research probably had it 5 years ago but the monkeyboy is always too busy exhibiting Tourette's syndrome about Google to notice.

No thanks, Google

[mcgrew]

I wore glasses (thick ones) for 45 years until medical technology came to my rescue. I'm not going back. Sunglasses, maybe, but a headsup display at all times with your email and such?

You know, there are some things that should not be invented and this is one of them. You think people talking on their phones while driving are dangerous, wait until they're wearing these glasses! It will be bad enough on the sidewalk with idiots paying attention to the HUD and not where they're going, running into you... better than driving with them, though.

What's worse It's a completely unnecessary device. Doesn't your phone beep when you get a message?

However, this will probably go over big with the hipsters. Kind of like the Segway was so popular. It does have one good feature -- nopbody wearing these will EVER get laid, so their genes will no longer pollute the pool. And the ones who wear them driving (and they will, you know they will) may kill themselves, but unfortunately take an innocent or two with them.

Re:No thanks, Google

[tomhudson]

It's inevitable, as I predicted here last August [technewsworld.com]. But don't worry, you won't have to look nerdy.

Pretty much every electronic device can interact with your video SPEKZ, which can be anything from a pair of plain-jane NokiaSofts to the latest cool shades from Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL). Cars, streetlight surveillance cams, water meters, televisions, and even your clock radio are all talking to each other -- and your SPEKZ are piggybacking on their data streams. There's not a single laptop, desktop, smartphone or tablet computer in sight.

It's an amazingly seamless experience. The tiny twin cams on your SPEKZ let you share what you see with your friends and stream a copy to your home server. Your watch and charm bracelet contain sensors to detect your wrist movements and the muscles and tendons of your fingers flexing, all descended from Nintendo WiiMote technology.

As for driving with the future versions, it will be safer, since:they will give the driver full night vision, as well as the ability to display an enhanced view of traffic despite road glare, sun in the eyes, torrential rain, etc. It would be nice to see that deer well before it goes through your windshield.