TechGreatest
Google Glass Explorer Programme Comes To UK
Google has finally opened up its Google Glass Explorer Programme to UK residents
After an initial rollout in the US, Google has finally brought its Glass Explorer Programme to the UK. From today, users in Britain hungry to try out Google Glass can sign up with the search giant and secure themselves a pair.
It doesn’t come cheap though – signing up to become an Explorer costs £1000. But that does get you a Google Glass headset. The initiative has been on-going for a year or so now in the US, and is essentially a way for Google to get feedback on its product ahead of a wider consumer release.
“Technology is at its best when it fits seamlessly into our lives and lets us get on with whatever we’re doing. Our goal for Glass is exactly that – to make it easier to bring people the technology they rely on without drawing them out of the moment,” said Ivy Ross, Head of Glass.
Don’t know what Glass is? Check out our Wikipedia-style article on Google Glass. Inside you’ll find literally everything you need to know about the headset including specs, hardware, how it’s being used and what you, dear user, can do with it once it is strapped to your noggin.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the main ways people are using it, according to Google:
- Search – Whether it’s translating a phrase into another language, or getting the solution to a tough math problem, Glass gets you the answers you want to the questions you ask it almost instantly (watch this video of some fun examples of Search on Glass).
- Navigation – Glass will give you turn-by-turn directions to help you find the fastest route to your destination.
- Gmail and Calendar – Gmail and Calendar are both available on Glass making checking email, or seeing when your next appointment is quick and easy.
- Now cards – From the latest traffic update to work, to that delay in your flight, Google Now is about giving you just the right information at just the right time. On Glass it’s faster and easier than ever before.
- Phone Calls & SMS – By connecting via bluetooth to your phone, Glass lets you easily and quickly call your contacts. It’s also great for speech-to-text transcription, making texting as fast as well… talking.
- Photos, Videos and Video calls – Technology should bring people closer together by connecting us in the real world, not taking us out of it. Glass does this by letting you capture and share great moments without ever having to leave them.
Google announced Glass way back in April 2013, and the launch in the UK is nothing short of being a massive deal. To celebrate the big day, Google has put together a video, shot entirely using Glass, of a bunch of people bombing around London. Interestingly, the first two shots were taken right outside our offices!
“The Glass UK Explorer edition costs £1000 and is available to British residents over the age of 18 with a valid credit card,” said Google in a note to the press. “Glass is still a prototype and will continue to be developed before it is made available to more consumers.”
To date we’ve seen the Glass headset used to train pilots, airport staff in first class lounges, policemen and emergency services staff, as well as doctors and nurses. And that’s just in the US, with the UK programme now underway in earnest, you can expect to start seeing Glass users popping up all over the place.
To coincide with the launch, Google also confirmed several new, UK-facing Glasswear partners – The Guardian, Star Chart, Zombies Run, and Goal.com.