Google are serious about developing glasses. These have real potential.

 

The growth of Glasses as a replacement for the mobile phone - or indeed, just as a new type of glasses - is stepping up a gear.

At the CES show last week, I blogged about the introduction of Goggles that allow you to video whilst ski-ing downhill for example and live streaming it to your friends. (http://streamabout.blogspot.ie/2013/01/video-glasses-mark-2-launched-this-week.html)

And Instagram had a go at 'Instaglasses'  (http://streamabout.blogspot.ie/2012/07/instaglasses-from-instagram-this-has.html). Google's launch last year is here (http://streamabout.blogspot.ie/2012/04/google-goggles-apple-fiddles.html)

Google have just announced a big session around what they call 'Google Glass' (as distinct from what we know as "Google Googles").  They're holding a 'Glass foundry' this month, to introduce developers to the concept and to start to build the platform.

The Glasses, which they demonstrated last year, have the option to record video, get weather updates and see messages so already they've achieved a level of good sophistication. Now they're taking it further.

'Explorer Editions' of the Glasses are expected to be in people's hands next year and are currently being ordered at 1,500 usd a pair. The developers who attend the foundry event, will be able to use the glasses and the whole purpose here is for Google to get feedback.

It's early development days but this marks a real serious input by Google into developing a better product and platform because they....eh, see the light. They know there's a good business model here.

Glasses have real potential to deliver all sorts of content and to be able to do things hands-free (such as video by head movements alone). These Google versions look smart (always has been an issue) and at 1,500 usd expensive. But that's a starting price and they'll reduce in time for the mass market. The applications are enormous - Sports being one - but so many others including 'Driving glasses' that show directions, locations and geo targeted offers (possibly using 'Foursquare' for example).

And the potential to watch Movies and TV.

It's something every one of our kids will have.
I can see it now.
(sorry)

Instaglasses from Instagram. This has the potential to replace smartphones. Smartglasses.

You'll remember the concept behind "google goggles" http://streamabout.blogspot.ie/2012/04/google-goggles-apple-fiddles.html in April of this year.

And now we have Instaglasses which is the Instagram version.

Designed by German Markus Gerke, they include a 5 mega pixel camera and (I presume) some web access allowing you to take pics, run them through Instagram and post. So you capture the world as you go. A camera on your head. They'll also soften your view of the world and can actually make Instagram's Mark Zuckerberg look angelic.

Possibly video won't be far behind either, dramatically allowing Instagram to venture into the world of video-sharing. Now that would be spectacular for Instagram and start to make sense of The Facebook 1bn acquisition. In fact, you could stream live from the glasses and actually "follow" people in real time visually. So one better than Twitter because this way you'll see what the celebrity sees.

Not unlike Google Goggles, they're a bit of a dream, a prototype for now, but signify the way that Social Media owners are looking at new content delivery systems outside of mobile. If you own the delivery system, you own the world.

Imagine for example, we all had Instaglasses, then we'd all use Instagram and the traffic stats would explode. Importantly too, these glasses are very cool. Or if we had YouTube glasses, we'd all be video-ing onto youtube.


This isn't a flight of fancy but a hard nosed business way to get consumers using more Social and in this case, using more of Instagram. If glasses developed, there's no reason why they couldn't become smartphones. Say using Facetime or Skype, you can make that person-to-person call and see them with your glasses as you talk. Why not?


Other delivery system ideas have included in-car projection directly onto your windscreen where you can see all your tweets/posts etc. Watches too have been thought of.

The accessibility of Social through easy delivery whether by glasses/watches/phones whatever, will enhance its growth. The problem with the surge in smartphone ownership (driven in turn by the need for consumers to have access online) is that the smartphone owner dictates who has access to it.


So if, as they are, Samsung continue to dominant the mobile handset space, they'll become a player in allowing/denying access to their platform. Iphone 4 and 5 deals with embedding Twitter and Facebook into their operating system (OS) is typical of this "ownership". http://streamabout.blogspot.ie/2012/06/apple-teams-with-facebook-tim-cook.html
 
You want to use our smartphones to reach your audience? How much? Exactly as the App store works.


Whereas, on the other hand, if there's other delivery systems (such as glasses), that issue dissipates. Instaglasses is another good indication of that thinking.

Expect something like them to be in the stores.

Expect to be wearing them.

Expect a surge in smartglasses.

This is going to be huge.