For the past year, Google Glass has been the sole plaything of developers and those rich enough to afford a pair. Starting next year, however, the technology will be put into the hands of everyday consumers. Those consumers will decide the fate of Google Glass, and Google knows it.
During a talk at EmTech, Google X display division head Mary Lou Jepsen, talked about the creation of Glass and what they have planned for next year. In short, they’re now redesigning Google Glass to be more consumer friendly for when it launches.
To be more specific, Jepsen compared the consumer version of Google Glass to the Model T Ford. Sure, there were other cars before Ford’s first automobile, but it was the Model T that really gained traction with consumers. Jepsen believes that the consumer version of Google Glass will have a similar effect as “it’s lightweight, it’s comfortable, it’s cool.”
The cool factor is definitely something that Google needs to work on as almost every photo of somebody wearing Glass comes off as the exact opposite. Need I remind you of Robert Scoble’s infamous Google Glass shower pic?
Even if Google Glass doesn’t immediately take off next year, Jepsen believes that wearable computing is here to stay. In fact, she believes that people will become addicted to the wearable computing experience once they realize that the tech lets them complete certain tasks much faster than before.
Of course, the entire talk wasn’t solely devoted to Google Glass. Jepsen also took time to address the slowly emerging wearable computer market found in smart watches. While Google is rumored to be making its own smart watch, the company is remaining mum on the subject. All Jepsen would say is that smart watches need to be as diverse as the clothes we wear to make an impact. It could be just a simple bit of advice, or it could be a hint that Google is working on a wide range of styles for Google Glass and its rumored line of smart watches.
[Image: Google Glass/YouTube]
[h/t: Gizmodo UK]