Google has announced
that its latest innovation, a device known as Project Glass, will be made available to developers and programmers from early next
year. The move, announced at its three-day Google I/O conference this week, is
intended to allow developers to create applications and suggest improvements to
the glasses before they go on general release in early 2014.
Project Glass is
aimed at providing users with a way of searching for information, reading text
messages, recording and watching video, and viewing and taking photos without
having to use a hand held device. The
glasses will be made available to developers for $1,500 and while the eventual
consumer product will be cheaper; it is being treated as a premium product,
priced above smartphones.
Speaking to the I/O
conference, Google co-founder
Sergey Brin said: "This is new technology and we really want you to
shape it. We want to get it out into the hands of passionate people as soon as
possible."
The
glasses still face a few hurdles before production, with battery life thought
to be an issue for Google as it would like Project Glass to be a device worn
throughout the day.
In a
typically understated way, Google demonstrated Project Glass to the 6,000
conference attendees by having two skydivers jump from a blimp 7,000ft above
San Francisco while wearing the devices. The footage was streamed live via the
internet-connected glasses as the skydivers descended to land on the roof of
the conference centre.