Working in digital marketing and social media gives me an excuse to satisfy my tech addiction. From my Kindle Fire to my Lenovo Yoga 13 and the Leap Motion Controller I pre-ordered almost a year ago, I buy the best gadgets I can afford, telling my husband that I can’t do my job without them (even if that’s a bit of a stretch). But there’s one item that I’ve been dying to have since Google announced its development—and last week, I found out I’ll have a chance to try it for myself.
I’ve got a (high-tech) golden ticket
In February, Google ran a week-long Twitter campaign to generate buzz about and choose testers for Glass, their Wi-Fi-enabled heads-up display glasses. With the hashtag #ifihadglass, tweeters were encouraged to tell Google how they’d use the device in their everyday lives. Using my personal Twitter account, I tweeted about having a fantasy hands-free professional social networking tool. I then promptly forgot about the tweet, scoffing at my slim chances of winning, the $1,500 price tag and the requirement of traveling to one of the coasts to pick up the device.
But when I booted up my laptop last Friday morning and checked my TweetDeck feed, this message greeted me:
After confirming that the tweet came from the official Google Glass Twitter account, I proceeded to freak out like these kids.
A chance to test-drive a piece of technology that gives its wearer the ability to see the world through new eyes could bring the stuff of my speculative fiction dreams into real life. How will Glass change the way I communicate with coworkers, friend and family? Can getting technology out of the way help boost my personal and professional productivity? And most importantly (to me, at least), how could Glass be used as a content marketing vehicle?
The future is nowDevelopers and journalists have had hands-on time with Glass in recent months, with responses to the device ranging from astonishment to ambivalence. With developers dedicated to creating applications for Glass, the possibilities for uses are virtually endless.
But if Glass somehow becomes as ubiquitous as smartphones, it could be an excellent advertising vehicle for Google and other brands; with a screen that takes up so little visual real estate, “interruption marketing” simply wouldn’t exist on this device. And the most popular smartphone apps people use on a daily basis could be integrated into Glass’s UI with ease. So, how could Glass change the way I interact with technology?
- Geotargeted AR ads: I can imagine walking through a shopping district while wearing Glass, passing storefronts augmented with Glass-only signs and ads. Or, maybe my husband and I sit down at our favorite restaurant and, just as I start to read the menu, a coupon for our favorite dishes pops up in my field of vision. With Glass’s onboard GPS, users could receive highly customized ads and offers based on their search queries, locations and shopping habits.
- Augmented apps: Evernote is one of the apps that will be integrated into Glass. As an Evernote addict, I’m elated; I’ll be able to dictate notes or find articles, add tags and sort them neatly into one of my many notebooks. Apps like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter could give me the ability to post photos or videos in real time. And apps with sensitive info, like banking apps, could be viewed with complete security.
- Next-gen second screen: Glass could be a less intrusive second screen during TV shows or movies, cutting down on the number of times I have to pause a video or risk missing the action while I tweet or send Facebook posts. I could even play games like Words with Friends or Ruzzle while in the passenger’s seat on road trips or in meetings (not that I would ever actually do that, but still).
I’m sure there are applications I haven’t even imagined yet, but I’m eager to explore my personal and professional life with Glass. If you had Glass, how would you use it in your everyday life? Tell me in the comments.
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