Google Glass: Specifications and Build

On my previous post, Google Glass: An Evolutionary Leap, I explained what Google Glass is all about and how it works. The present post deals with bits and nuts of its specifications.
The most anticipated device of Google, The Google Glass, may use some of the most advance technologies available, but the style and simplicity of the glass makes everything looks so easy when you are on the user side. The Glass consists of six main parts as of now. These parts are held together by a stylish looking eye wear frame. The main parts are namely the CPU (incl. GPS), Battery, Camera, Speakers, Microphone and a Prism.

CPU
Although there is no official data available from Google about the processor specifications, however, rumor has it that the device uses a dual-core OMAP 4430 system on a chip and it runs on Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich. The RAM is believed to be 1 GB which has some of its part reserved for the hardware. It’s certainly not a gaming console if you were expecting so, but it’s enough to power the features that the Glass offers.

Battery
Google Glass uses a single celled battery of lithium polymer. The battery is rated as 2.1 watt-hours (570mAh). Many high end smart phones use more than 2000mAh battery for powering the devices. The low rated battery gives a really short battery life to Google Glass. The users of the Google Glass Explorer Version often find it difficult to use it for a whole day without charging. If you are recording a video, it will hardly last 45 minutes or so. This is one of the places where the Google can work on before it releases the commercial version of the Glass.

Camera
One of the coolest features of the Glass is its integrated camera that takes a picture in a point of view (POV) frame. The minimum shutter lag in the Glass Camera makes the shooting easier. Head mounted camera decreases the motion while taking the snap. It is an advantage when compared to a hand held camera, since head is the most stable part of the body it minimizes the shaking effect while taking a picture. The 5MP camera can take snapshots of 2560 x 1888 resolution images and 720p videos.  The camera takes the snap on the voice command - “take a picture” or by tapping the touch pad or just by a wink of the eye.

Speakers

The tiny oval shaped bone conduction transducer or speaker in Google Glass does all the audio transfer from the device to your audio receptors.  The bone conduction technology allows you to listen to the audio sound without an actual ear piece plugged into your ear. The speaker vibrates in low frequency to transfer the sound through the cranial bones into your inner ear.

  

Microphone

The Glass also has a microphone near the camera. The high quality and effective voice recognizer in Google Glass uses the microphone to collect audio command and respond accordingly.

Prism/Display
Google uses both technological prowess and smart application of optics to achieve a high quality display which hover couple of feet away from your eyes and forms a layer over the view in reality. The

output from a tiny 640 x 360 LCD screen is guided through a micro projector and projected on a smart prism which projects a layer over reality. The prism focuses the image directly to the user’s retina, thereby creating a virtual screen in front of your eyes which Google says is “equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.” The Glass

can also be set in a way that a miniature display hangs at the upper right corner of your sightline without obstructing your natural view.

Apart from these, the Glass also features a “12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.” There is a touch pad on the side of the CPU starting from temple to the ear.  You can swipe over the touch pad to navigate through the options in the display. The Glass supports Bluetooth and Wifi – 802.11b/g.  It is compatible with any Bluetooth capable phone. With the Glass also comes an exclusive Micro USB cable and charger, adjustable nose pads (of different sizes) and a durable frame. That’s all you can get out of the Google Glass Explorer Edition. With a price tag of $1500, its quite a good deal for tech enthusiasts.

Google Glass: An Evolutionary Leap

We started with the wheels and continued with the never ending journey of inventions. Technological leaps have altered the ways of lives in the past and will be altering the ways in future for mankind. One such leap, I believe, is Google Glass. A device that gives access to the whole world has now climbed from the palm of our hand to the scope of our eyes. The Heads-up Display (HUD) of Google Glass unfolds a great many possibilities to ease up the use of multitasking devices that connects to the world through World Wide Web. 

Features:

One of the biggest questions that the glass raises is whether it’s going to take away the little time we are left with to interact with the physical world, given a constant presence of virtual screen right in front of our eyes with Google Glass on. I must say that is a question of big debate. Having said that, I must also emphasize the fact that, Google Glass is seemingly meant to aid human beings with technology. Google Glass developer principle says, “Glass is designed to be there when you need it and out of the way when you don't”. The Glass, as they say, allows you to see the natural world by placing everything above the natural sightline of eyes and only engages in the natural sight zone when you want them to.

Following are some of the cool features that Google Glass has to offer:

1. The Glass also offers the convenience to interact with people and your loved ones while you are in the middle of some work. Just reply to a message from your loved one verbally. Once you have stopped talking the message will be sent automatically. This is how you will be multitasking with utter ease and without getting much distracted from the work at your hand.

2. The glass can be invoked by voice command “Ok Glass” or by tapping the touchpad. The home screen shows time. The Graphical Interface is represented in rows of cards to the left and right side of the home screen. Everything of past (photos, videos etc.) is on the right side of the Glass' home screen and everything that is important in near future (like weather forecast, flight schedule, reminder etc) is to the left of the home screen. All you need to do is tap and swipe over the touch pad to control it and scroll through the timeline of events.

3. The glass leaves you completely hands free while doing the stuffs. You don’t need anyone to point the camera while you are holding your kids with both hands. The Glass can take a picture while your hands are busy holding your loved ones. All you need to do is voice a command to the glass – “take a picture”.

4. Want to send your favorite recipe to your friend? Just command the glass to record while you are cooking. The glass will record what you see. Everything happens hands free with Google Glass.

5. You can send images to your friend and also share what you see live. Well, you can make your grandma proud by sharing the visual from mountain top where she might not be able to go. Isn’t it cool?

6. With integrated Google Map, you can use the GPS navigation to help Glass direct you the path. The glass identifies the roads and street and thereby directs the path right in front of your eyes.

7. Ask Glass a question and you will get the answer before you know. 

8. The Glass can also help you in translating your voice to almost all important languages around the world.

9. Another feature that characterizes the revolutionary device is its ability to anticipate the information one needs and provide that relevant information at right place and right time. Google has been working on developing software that can collect the necessary data to understand your needs and requirements and thereby assist you with the right information at right place and right time. Think of a scenario where you are rushing for the flight. Google Glass, having the information about your flight, can prompt you the necessary details of the flight right in front of your eyes without you even asking for them. It definitely will save your time because every second is important when you rush in the final hours.

With so much to offer, Google Glass seems to have the potential to change the way people will interact in near future. The glass is a technology with style and convenience and surely offers ample of promises beyond our expectations.