Google has started to slowly expand the group of testers for Google Glass. The company has announced (on both Twitter and Google+) that it'll be inviting #ifihadglass winners "slowly" and "over the next few weeks." This is from the Google+ post: Over the next few weeks, we’ll be slowly rolling out invitations to successful #ifihadglass applicants. If you were one of the successful applicants, please make sure you have +Project Glass in your Circles so we can send you a message. The messaging is slightly different on Twitter, where the message says that "selected" #ifihadglass winners wi [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google | Google: Glass

Search may become a common activity for Google Glass owners, but it's a different kind of search to anything I've done before. Since Glass is a mobile device and has no Web browser, it's currently built for informational searches. Transactional queries (like [buy seattle mariners tickets]) and navigational queries (like [facebook]) don't work well because Glass doesn't have a Web browser. It'll show you webpages that match those search terms, but you can't visit them. In other words: Search on Google Glass is about finding information, not webpages. And, for the most part, Glass seems to [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Search Marketing | Google | Google: Glass

Google Glass isn't even available for consumers and some in US Congress are already formally raising privacy questions. Google's reaction? Privacy has been "top of mind" as it has developed Glass, and it takes trust seriously. It also feels that "social cues" may help with some concerns. Google was asked about the Congressional letter during a "fireside chat" session about Google Glass at its Google I/O conference today. Google Glass director Steve Lee responded as paraphrased below: From the beginning, the social implications of wearing Glass have been at the top of our mind as we [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Glass | Google: Legal

In the midst of the 2013 Google I/O developer conference currently being held in San Francisco, Google CEO Larry Page received a formal letter from eight-members of congress addressing Google Glass privacy issues. The letter from Congress outlined eight specific areas of concern, asking specifically: Does Google have plans to prevent Google Glass from unintentionally collecting data about the user/non-user without consent? (After referencing  Google's agreement to settle charges in 2010 for collecting information from encrypted wireless networks without permission.) What proactive st [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Glass | Google: Legal | Google: Privacy | Legal: Privacy | Politics | Top News

Google has just added apps from Facebook, Twitter, CNN and others for the Google Glass device and showed a preview of them to a packed house in the "Developing for Glass" session at Google I/O. Several new apps are now available for Android users via the MyGlass app that serves as the Glass' headquarters: Facebook Twitter Tumblr Evernote CNN Elle magazine Google's Timothy Jordan showed off a few of them during today's session. Based on the screenshots in his presentation, some of these apps/experiences are further along than others. Facebook On Glass It sounds for now lik [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Facebook | Facebook: Mobile | Featured | Google | Google: Glass | Top News | Twitter | Twitter: Mobile

[caption id="attachment_43692" align="alignright" width="300"] Eric Schmidt & Jared Cohen[/caption] Whereas the Google of old might just throw products "over the wall" and not think much about their real world impacts, the Google of today has much more respect for what its digital products might do in the real world, says Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt. That's one reason why Google Glass is in a long and limited distribution process, he gave as an example. Schmidt was at Google Los Angeles last week, speaking to an audience of Google employees and outside guests from the area [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Business Issues | Google: Glass | Google: Privacy | Top News

[caption id="attachment_43397" align="alignright" width="250"] (L-R: Mike Blumenthal, Matt McGee and David Mihm; photo courtesy of John Denny)[/caption] There's a hint of truth in Peter Shankman's recent article, the one where he says Robert Scoble is so over the top about Google Glass that he's damning the device to be nerds-only for eternity. But, the reality is that most of America (much less the world) doesn't know or care who Scoble is, and their introduction to Glass is going to come (or has already come) in a variety of other ways: local news clips about it, mentions in mainstream [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Features & Analysis | Google | Google: Glass | Top News

Less than two days into my Google Glass ownership and I'm already getting a software update. As Phandroid first reported, the Google Glass software is getting the "XE5" update -- XE stands for "Explorer edition" -- and I'll be able to check it out as soon as I get a chance to plug the device into its charger. (That's the only way to receive Glass software updates from the mothership.) One of the bigger aspects of this software upgrade appears to be a wider and tighter integration of Google+. As I mentioned yesterday in my Google Glass diary, day one article, the ties between Glass and G [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google | Google: Glass | Google: Google+

With an open mind and help from a Google staffer showing me how the device works, it was pretty easy to see some compelling use cases within the first hour that I was a Google Glass owner. On Monday, I visited Google's Mountain View headquarters for my onboarding appointment with a Glass specialist. Marketing Land/Search Engine Land Founding Editor Danny Sullivan was there, too, to help document the visit in photos and videos. Much has been written about Google Glass in the three weeks or so since Google began inviting "Explorers" to get their devices -- but a lot of it has focused on th [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Content Marketing | Features & Analysis | Google | Google: Glass | Mobile Marketing | Top News

While many are gushing over Google Glass, it has become the butt of many jokes including Tumblrs, cartoons and now Saturday Night Live. On "Weekend Update," cast-member Fred Armisen joined Set Meyers as the tech-blogging character Randall Meeks to show how Google Glass worked -- or failed to work. The skit played off of head motions, lack of surroundings and poor voice communication to show what could happen with Google Glass. While an egregious over-exaggeration of Glass, the skit did did have some salient moments when he was talking to himself, trying to communicate with Glass and, of cou [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Glass

Now that Google Glass devices are making it out into the real world through Glass Explorers, the debate has started. Are these things just an expensive joke? A device like a Segway that seemed cool but never took off as some expected? I'd say no, and I'll draw from the TV series "Arrested Development" and movie "Wall Street" to help explain why. It's The Next Segway! If Mike Butcher of TechCrunch didn't originate the Segway comparison, he's sure had one of the best summaries of how Google Glass might go that way. Based on his limited experience in wearing them, he wrote: So Google Glass [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Features & Analysis | Google: Glass | Search Marketing | Top News

As many of you know, Google Glass started shipping to Google Glass Explorers last week. I wanted to share with you some of the lucky people to get Google Glass early, what their experiences have been and where to track who else is getting Google Glass. First, those getting Google Glass within the Explorer group are those who signed up at Google I/O last year. They have been notified one by one, typically in order of their Glass number, to pick up the Glass at one of Google's offices, typically in Mountain View or New York City. Another group of Explorers are those who were selected throu [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Glass | Top News

What seemed like some crazy, farfetched idea when it was announced more than a year ago is now reality. In a series of moves late Monday, Google: notified its first batch of "Explorers" (the ones who pre-ordered at Google I/O last year, not the #ifihadglass contest winners) that the first Google Glass devices are rolling off the production line now and are ready to be delivered revealed detailed specs of the device shared the Glass API documentation for developers released a MyGlass companion app in the Google Play store to allow owners to setup their Glass device Here's a clos [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Channel: Search Marketing | Google | Google: Glass | Top News

Developers may be getting their hands on Google Glass within a matter of weeks. Speaking at today's announcement of the Glass Collective, Google's Steve Lee -- Product Director for Glass -- announced: We will hopefully this month start shipping to developers. That's a reference to the developers who pre-ordered Glass last summer during the Google I/O conference, not to the recent winners of Google's #ifihadglass contest. With the 2013 edition of I/O starting on May 15th, Google has a lot of incentive to get the product shipped to them very soon. The device is likely to be the centerpiece [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google | Google: Glass | Top News

Want to know who will get early versions of Google Glass, Google's forthcoming smart eyeglasses? There's an awesome new list out with lots of names you'll know. Last month, Google announced it would expand its "Explorer" program beyond developers and invited people to apply through submissions via Google+ or Twitter, with 8,000 openings up for grabs. The Google Glass #ifihadglass Winners list from Andrej Karpathy (spotted via BetaBeat) looked for confirmations that Google began posting to winners on Twitter this week, then backtracked to show what their entry was. The list is order [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Other | Features & Analysis | Google: Glass | Top News

I am one of the 8,000 people to be accepted into the early Google Glass explorer program. Although, I am told those who applied to the earlier version of Google Glass Explorer program have not heard back from Google about when they will receive their Google Glass. But, those who completed the Google Glass Explorer contest from a month ago are now being told they will hear within a few weeks where and when they can pick up their Google Glass. How did I get approved to receive Google Glass? It started with reading the how to get one, which is now closed, but Google will open it up agai [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Features & Analysis | Google: Glass

[caption id="attachment_36725" align="alignright" width="324"] The Pebble[/caption] Consumers have only recently gotten used to smartphones and barely integrated tablets into their routines. Soon they'll be presented with yet another mobile device: wearable computers (watches) from both Apple and Samsung. There are other companies offering or developing versions of a "smartwatch" as well. One such device is the Pebble smartwatch (pictured at right), which raised a record $10 million through kickstarter. It integrates with the iPhone and Android smartphones. The anticipated Apple iWatc [...]

Related Topics: Apple | Apple: iOS | Apple: iPhone | Apple: Siri | Channel: Mobile Marketing | Features & Analysis | Google: Android | Google: Glass | Google: Mobile | Mobile Marketing

The Google Glass project is generating a significant amount of buzz. Really, it is scary how amped up people are about the product. But, why shouldn’t they be? It is a whole new technology. If you don’t know, Google Glass is the name of a new technology Google is developing that basically allows you to view things you would normally see on a smart phone through a pair of glasses, as well as do much more. In this blog post we make some predictions for the future of Google Glass. [caption id="attachment_34534" align="alignright" width="300"] Google Glass[/caption] 1. The Small Screen Wil [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Strategy | Features & Analysis | Google: Glass

Can you feel the frenzy building over Google Glass, the smartglasses that Google announced last year? Earlier this week, the company invited non-developers to pitch why they should get a pair. Today, over at The Verge, is news they'll be for sale later this year for less than $1,500, along with an in-depth look at the spectacles in action. I'm on low-bandwidth today, so I can't watch The Verge video of the glasses in action. But you should, as well as read Joshua Topolsky's account of beta testing the glasses. I had an opportunity to try a pair on last fall, for a far shorter time, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Glass | Top News

Among the things you might never have expected to hear: Google's Sergey Brin helping Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg try on a pair of Google Glass glasses. That happened yesterday, as Zuckerberg expressed that he couldn't wait to get a pair of his own. The surprising encounter happened thanks to the recent Life Sciences Breakthrough prize. The project was founded by Art Levinson, Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan and Yuri Milner to recognize excellence to those that target cures for intractable disease and extending human life. Yes, you saw that correctly, the [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google | Google: Glass | Top News