For the better part of a year, many tech blogs have been speculating about the highly publicized Google Glass – the internet-connected eyewear. However, these bloggers had yet to actually get their hands on it and were only going off of reports from Google executives.
That changed this week when the company sent out the product to beta testers that were willing to spend $1,500 to be among the first to get their hands and faces on the Google Glass. Everyone from the major technology players to Saturday Night Live got in on the act.
Now the reviews and initial reactions are starting to show up. Many of them are focusing on the hardware because there is no app store for the wearable computing eyewear just yet. The other common topic of discussion is getting used to the sensation of wearing a mobile computer on your nose. And it's not just adjusting to seeing it right in front of your face, but the side with the computing elements is actually heavier than the side with a regular glass lens – leaving wearers with a sense of imbalance.
There has been praise for features like the navigation system and criticism of the short battery life, mediocre Bluetooth and privacy concerns because people looking into your eyes can almost see what you're looking at.
Alyson Shontell of Business Insider was highly critical of the device saying it caused headaches, had poor voice and motion signals and was highly overpriced. However, she did see the potential, which became a common trend.
"With some serious updates, Glass could be a game-changer. I don't doubt we will all be wearing devices like it in the not-so-distant future," Shontell wrote.
The technology landscape is changing, and companies like Google and Apple – with the rumored iWatch – are on the cutting edge of this shift. Businesses should partner with an IT consulting company that can help them take steps into the future.
