Google Glass is an attempt to free data from desktop computers and portable
devices like phones and tablets, and place it right in front of your eyes.
Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames so that you can perch a display in your field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go.
Price: $1,500 for initial model sold to "Explorers" who signed up last year; Google has hinted the price may be lower once production ramps up.
Availability: Google had said consumer sales could start by the end of 2013, but Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt recently said 2014 is more likely.
Features: Basic services include Gmail, Internet search and the ability to hold online video chats or upload photos to Google+. GPS navigation and text messaging is available when connected via Bluetooth to an Android smartphone running Google's MyGlass app.
Third-party applications: Google has shown a few apps from outside developers; one delivers headlines from The New York Times, while others let Glass-wearers upload images to the online services Evernote and Skitch, or post brief updates to the Path social network.
5MP camera, a bone conduction
transducer for audio, Wireless G and Bluetooth connectivity, 12 GB of usable
storage and a battery promising a full day of typical use. What hasn't been
revealed until now is the actual core hardware that makes everything tick.
Some of the specs are still unknown, but a pair of hackers discovered the USB debugging settings and managed to get Android Debug Bridge (ADB) up and running. It confirms that Glass is indeed running Android 4.0.4 "Ice Cream Sandwich" which the system requirements for the MyGlass companion app hinted to in Google's specs.
ADB also revealed that Glass uses the OMAP4430 45-nm SoC from Texas Instruments which features two ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore SMP general-purpose cores (clocked at 1 GHz?) and a PowerVR SGX540 graphics core. Also included in this chip is an IVA 3 Hardware accelerator, an ABE processor, and an ISP supporting a 20MP camera. 1080p HD video performance is supported at 30fps, as well as 720p stereoscopic 3D.
As for memory, the OMAP 4 chip is backed by 682 MB of RAM although kernel messages point to 1 GB of RAM, the hackers claim.
Disappointed in the specs? Don't be – Google Glass isn't meant to play NOVA 3 (although honestly it would be cool), but rather pull some of the functions away from the smartphone. The second-generation Kindle Fire uses the same OMAP 4 SoC (which says the clock speed is 1.2 GHz) and the same amount of memory, so the performance should be nearly equal outside the Pure Android vs. Forked Android debate.
Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames so that you can perch a display in your field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go.
Price: $1,500 for initial model sold to "Explorers" who signed up last year; Google has hinted the price may be lower once production ramps up.
Availability: Google had said consumer sales could start by the end of 2013, but Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt recently said 2014 is more likely.
Features: Basic services include Gmail, Internet search and the ability to hold online video chats or upload photos to Google+. GPS navigation and text messaging is available when connected via Bluetooth to an Android smartphone running Google's MyGlass app.
Third-party applications: Google has shown a few apps from outside developers; one delivers headlines from The New York Times, while others let Glass-wearers upload images to the online services Evernote and Skitch, or post brief updates to the Path social network.
Fit
- Adjustable nosepads and durable frame fits any face.
- Extra nosepads in two sizes.
Display
High resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.Camera
- Photos - 5 MP
- Videos - 720p
Audio
- Bone Conduction Transducer
Connectivity
- Wifi - 802.11b/g
- Bluetooth
Storage
- 12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.
Battery
One full day of typical use. Some features, like Hangouts and video recording, are more battery intensive.Charger
- Included Micro USB cable and charger.
Compatibility
- Any Bluetooth-capable phone.
- The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.
Some of the specs are still unknown, but a pair of hackers discovered the USB debugging settings and managed to get Android Debug Bridge (ADB) up and running. It confirms that Glass is indeed running Android 4.0.4 "Ice Cream Sandwich" which the system requirements for the MyGlass companion app hinted to in Google's specs.
ADB also revealed that Glass uses the OMAP4430 45-nm SoC from Texas Instruments which features two ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore SMP general-purpose cores (clocked at 1 GHz?) and a PowerVR SGX540 graphics core. Also included in this chip is an IVA 3 Hardware accelerator, an ABE processor, and an ISP supporting a 20MP camera. 1080p HD video performance is supported at 30fps, as well as 720p stereoscopic 3D.
As for memory, the OMAP 4 chip is backed by 682 MB of RAM although kernel messages point to 1 GB of RAM, the hackers claim.
Disappointed in the specs? Don't be – Google Glass isn't meant to play NOVA 3 (although honestly it would be cool), but rather pull some of the functions away from the smartphone. The second-generation Kindle Fire uses the same OMAP 4 SoC (which says the clock speed is 1.2 GHz) and the same amount of memory, so the performance should be nearly equal outside the Pure Android vs. Forked Android debate.
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