How Good Are Google's Futuristic Glasses? This Tech Guru Says He Won't Take Them Off (Even in the Shower)

Robert Scoble takes a picture of himself wearing Google Glass. (Photo: Robert Scoble/Google Plus)

Tech guru Robert Scoble with Rackspace is among the 8,000 people, including Newt Gingrich, who were chosen to test a version of Google Glass, the spectacle creation of Google's research arm that puts information in front of a user's eyes and allows for voice-activated actions.

In a review, Scoble wrote he enjoyed Glass so much that he said "I will never live a day of my life from now on without it (or a competitor)."

"It's that significant."

To prove his devotion, he later posted a picture (via Buzzfeed) of himself wearing the futuristic glasses in the shower with this caption:

You thought I was kidding when I said I would never take them off.

Yes, they survive being wet. I had them full on soaked in my shower this morning. +Google Glass  still works.

Robert Scoble says he rarely takes off his Google Glass technology. It even holds up in the shower. (Photo: Robert Scoble/Google Plus)

In his review, Scoble wrote that he let many people try out the technology, to which "nearly everyone had an emotional outburst of 'wow' or 'amazing' or 'that's crazy' or 'stunning.'"

Ultimately though, he believes the cost of Glass is what will determine its success in being picked up on a mainstream level someday. 

"Each audience I asked at the end of my presentations 'who would buy this?'" he said of five speeches he gave wearing the glasses. "As the price got down to $200 literally every hand went up. At $500 a few hands went up. This was consistent, whether talking with students, or more mainstream, older audiences."

Although those testing out the Glass package right now had to pay $1,500, he fully expects Google to price them in this more competitive range. Why? 

I'm now extremely addicted to Google services. My photos and videos automatically upload to Google+. Adding other services will soon be possible (I just got a Twitter photo app that is being developed by a third party) but turning on automatic uploads to other services will kill my batteries on both my phone and my glasses (which doesn't have much battery life anyway). So, I'm going to be resistant to adding Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Evernote, and Tumblr to my glasses. Especially when Google+ works darn well and is the default. 

Scroble believes that Google's business model will be more commerce-based rather than advertising-based because there are a plethora of options where Google could make money through Glass services. The company also said it would not allow ads on apps. 

"...Google could collect a micropayment anytime I complete a transaction like reserving a seat at a restaurant, or getting a book delivered to my house, or, telling something like Bloomingdales 'get me these jeans,'" he wrote. 

Glass does have some downsides currently, like requiring very specific commands. Having an accent could be a problem for the technology, which is solely voice activated. It also, for example, currently will only take a picture if you say "picture" not "photo" in your command. 

What about how it looks? Regardless of if it looks "dorky" or "freaks people out," Scoble said once it becomes more widespread, this thinking about it will change. 

Scoble calls it the "most interesting product since iPhone," and one that has "changed my life."

Watch Scoble talk about what it's like to use and wear Google Glass:

In the video, Scoble explains that unlike what some of Google's demo videos have shown of Glass, the display actually appears above your field of view, not in front of it. Users turn their eyes upward to see the images produced by Glass instead of having it obstruct their view. 

Read Scoble's full review here. Check out the photos Scoble has taken using Glass so far here. 

(H/T: Daily Mail, The Next Web)

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