It’s arguable that the age of advanced technology—the kind of stainless-steel, digital world you see in movies—is close. Some would say that we’ve already begun this age of sophistication with iPhones, talking refrigerators, etc. — but whatever your opinion, there is one thing that we can’t deny: the tech world is fascinated by Google glass.

What Is Google Glass and How Does It Work?

Google glass was introduced in April 2012 and is still only being used by some Google employees and a few others. One good way to think of Google glass is as an extension of your smartphone. It’s the same thing, except you don’t have to pull out your phone to get certain information.

You look forward while wearing the glasses, and you can see things that you would see on a computer screen, and even ‘search’ that computer by saying a few commands. You can’t do everything you would do on a desktop, but there are a few notable features:

• Take pictures by saying, “take a picture.” Just look at where you want that picture.
• Get directions right in front of your eyes.
• Ask a question and have the answer pop up.
• Have your glasses speak for you if you need a translation.
• Have your text messages pop up right in front of your eyes.

The cool thing about Google glass is that it’s not a screen you’ll be looking at all day. Instead, you wear the lightweight glasses and look at the world normally until you want to see a message, and then you look up onto a very tiny screen at the top of the glasses.

The Pros and Cons of Google Glass

The Pros

As of right now, not many people have been able to try out Google glass. However, according to Small Biz Trends, Robert Scoble, who wore the glasses for two weeks straight, said he will never be without a wearable computer on his head again. A few of the reason include:

• No Advertisements. Google announced that it will not allow any advertisements in apps for Google glass, so you don’t have to worry about a bunch of unwanted images flashing in front of your face (or more accurately, when you look up).
• More Social Feel. You are looking at people as opposed to staring down at your phone. This helps you be more social while still looking up the information you need at the moment.
• Convenience. It’s easy to use. You are going about your day with a little bit of information on the top corner of what feels like normal glasses. Whatever you need, it’s there with nothing but a simple command.

The Cons

Unfortunately, as awesome as Google glass is, there are still some things that need improvement. For many, Google glass is still outweighed by negatives. A few of these include:

• Sound Quality. It has been reported that the sound quality is poor, which makes it tough to really use the device when you’re in a loud place.
• The Timeline. Everything that you do on Google Glass will be put into one place called a timeline. This can cause it to get very confusing and cluttered in the internal system, and it’s unclear how a user can solve this problem.
• Poor Camera. You cannot review your photo when you take it like you can with a desktop or smartphone, which is a big problem for many who enjoy looking through photos before posting on social media or saving on their device.
• Skewed Reviews. This isn’t necessarily a feature of the device so much as a problem with the entire production. Those who wanted to try out Google Glass had to pay quite a bit of money ($1631 according to Forbes). It’s hard to believe that those who paid that much wouldn’t like the device because they were so excited about it.

So how do you get started? As discussed above, Google glass is not currently open to the public, so most will be waiting until it is officially released. However, there are several conversations dedicated to Google glass around the web and you can sign up to receive more information here.

What are your thoughts on Google glass? Let us know in the comments below.

About the Author

Amanda DiSilvestro gives small businesses and entrepreneurs SEO advice raging from keyword research to local SEO strategy. She is the online content editor and lead writer for Higher Visibility, a nationally recognized SEO company that offers a wide range of SEO services to companies across the country.