Adventure Tech: Google's Project Glass

One of the expected next big things in terms of tech gadgets is wearable technology. Smartwatches are starting to get a lot of buzz, especially since Apple is rumored to be making one, and Google's Project Glass has been building some momentum for quite awhile now. For those who aren't familiar with Glass, it is a high-tech device that mounts a lightweight and tiny LCD screen right on the edge of your peripheral vision that can provide all kinds of information as you need it. The device pairs with your smartphone via BlueTooth, which allows the wearer to read and send text messages, get directions, take photos and video, and of course make Google searches.

Up until now, the exact functionality and how it looks has been a bit of a mystery. But Google is holding a developers conference at the moment and more information about Glass is starting to filter out, including the video below which gives us a real sense of what these things can do.

I have to admit, I wasn't completely sold on this technology when I first heard about it. I took a wait and see attitude because I wanted more information out of Google before I formed an opinion. But looking at the video, this looks like really exciting stuff. I like the idea of having a language translator ready to go at all times and the ability to get directions, with routing information right before your eyes, looks very promising. Sending texts with photos and interacting with friends over video calls could be a great deal of fun too. On top of that, the built in camera could be the first real challenge to GoPro in terms of the action cam market.

Right now Glass is only available to developers, with a new round of applications just opening, but Google is hoping to make this available to the general public sometime next year. It should be fascinating to see how it evolves in the months ahead.