By Jason Venter | 06-28-2012 | 11:00AM
If you thought we’d have to wait a long time before hearing more about Google’s recently announced Project Glass, a technology that mixes the power of an application similar to Apple’s Siri with a pair of glasses, you thought wrong. At its Google I/O developer conference, the company highlighted the upcoming technology and announced some interesting numbers.
At the conference, Google revealed that development partners (basically, the people who attended the event) will be able to preorder the devices for $1500.That sounds like a large investment if you think of it in terms of the pile of food you could bring home from your favorite fast food restaurant for the same amount, but it’s actually affordable as such things go. Those who take the plunge can expect to receive their kits early next year.
Google has sky-high aspirations for the technology, and aptly demonstrated as much by equipping skydivers with prototypes and having them dive near the convention center. Another man rappelled down the building, and some bikers also demonstrated the devices.
Besides letting you check for weather reports while plummeting through the air, Project Glass will also let you outfit yourself in one of several stylish colors. Three colors demonstrated today were blue, black, and silver.
“We want to empower people to use this technology naturally,” said Google designer Isabelle Olsson, while noting that the device weighs less than many sunglasses. Apparently, you’ll also be able to find several configurations, including one version that can be worn with existing glasses you may already have.
Project Glass will be able to record video and present it from a first-person perspective, which has the potential to make cherished moments all the more memorable. For now, Google isn’t sharing many boring and practical details about how various features will work, but a lot of that is likely still up in the air. For now, the big picture is coming together surprisingly quickly and looking quite good.
