Google co-founder Sergey Brin revealed one of the features of Google Glass — the upcoming headset/eyewear device the search giant is developing — in an email to followers today.
Copying a post he had shared to followers of Project Glass on Google+, Brin said he was trying out a new feature of the product that automatically takes a photo every 10 seconds. Brin said he had the mode engaged while he was driving in Montana, with the device sending all the pics to his Google+ account via instant upload.
Browsing the images later, Brin picked one he thought best captured the beauty of the Montana landscape. The image has just 512 x 384 resolution — less than a megapixel — though that that’s probably not an indication of Google Glass’s capabilities. It could be an aspect of the auto-photo mode, using lower resolutions so storage isn’t taxed that much. Here’s the photo:
In the message, Brin emphasized that Glass allowed him to take pictures as he drove without distraction. He also talked about the vision of Project Glass. “We started Project Glass believing that, by bringing technology closer, we can get it more out of the way,” he wrote. “Whether you’re exploring a new city, hiking in the woods, or playing with your kids — Glass allows you to enjoy and share life’s moments without being tied down by technology.”
It appears only attendees of Google I/O who signed up for Google Glass received the email. On the Google+ post, however, Brin encourages followers to leave a comment and provide feedback on the project. He also promises that Google has some “great things” coming the next few months. He’ll have a tough time topping his spectacular skydive at the I/O conference.
SEE ALSO: Behold: The First Video Taken with Google GlassesAlthough it was first reported Google Glass would go on sale before the end of 2012, Brin himself has said it’ll be ready for consumers by 2014. Developers who were interested in receiving one of the prototypes were asked to commit to paying $1,500 for each one, though that figure has no bearing on what the retail price will be.
What do you think of the latest news about Google Glass? Does automatic picture taking sound like a feature you’d use? Share your thoughts in the comments.
View As Slideshow » The HUD we know today evolved from the reflector sight on German planes in 1937. They allowed targeting assistance to be added to a scope for pilots to more easily aim. Eventually it incorporated displaying information such as air speed velocity and attack angle that made it easier for pilots to hit targets.
The Blackburn Buccaneer developed for the British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force was the first plane with a built-in heads-up display. It was prototyped in 1958, but flew for the British from 1968 until 1994. It was a low-flying bomber that was used as late as the Gulf War.
Standardization for the Military
After Britain noticed success in pilots who used a HUD, French test-pilot Gilbert Klopfstein developed the first standardized heads-up display for use in aircraft, so pilots would not have to refamiliarize themselves each time they entered a different plane. As is the case with many technologies, standardization is often the path to mainstream acceptance, as this moved HUD into wide military use.
While the earliest uses of HUDs on commercial aircraft were in the 1970s, it hadn’t reached wider use until it was added to Boeing 737 in the 1990s. Now it’s on several Airbus and CanadaAir planes as well. The HUDs help commercial pilots take off and land in inclement weather and also displays airspeed, altitude and flight path.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, lsannes
The first heads-up display was added to the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme in 1988. There were also some included on Toyotas in 1991. Currently, heads-up displays are offered by many different car manufacturers, and as third-party add-ons. While many simply display a speedometer and tachometer, newer models can also display navigation directions.
Virtual Retina Displays shoot a beam of light directly on the retina to display an image in front of the wearer’s eye. The technology has been in development since 1991 and has many applications, many for military and medical use. It will allow for the development of head-mounted displays, which serve as a HUD for the human eye. The technology has been proven safe by the FDA, has already had some practical applications. The Navy was developing a model for pilots that would help them see better in bright light, and allow for touch interaction.
Image courtesy HIT Lab, Washington University.
Heads-up displays are appearing on more consumer technology, including ski goggles with a built in HUD, tools for runners, and, as mentioned before, more complicated automobile peripherals. MicroVision is the company with many of the contracts for consumer technology, and it is currently working with Pioneer to create a large heads-up display that can work with your smartphone to add in directions.
Image of a 2005 concept of swim goggles that would display your time, from CNN.
Microvision’s website boasts several different applications for heads-up displays, from military to gaming. The only products it has available commercially though are pocket projectors.
General Motors is working on a full windshield heads-up display that will work with elements of augmented reality to highlight roads and street signs, display GPS directions, and even display the building you’re driving toward so drivers can easily find their destination.
Image courtesy AutoEvolution.
Google’s HUD glasses, which are still only rumored to be in production, would supposedly work with the Android OS and 3G to display different kinds of information to the wearer. If the the rumors are true, it’s definitely a step closer to the science fiction angle of heads-up displays.
Image courtesy Zebra Pares, Flickr.
