Virgin Atlantic using Google Glass, Sony smartwatches for London passenger check-in

Virgin Atlantic has begun a six-week test aimed at giving its employees more information about some passengers as they enter the London Heathrow airport. The program, which is currently designed only to aid customer service staff attending to upper class passengers, uses Google Glass and Sony's SmartWatch 2 to serve up information about passengers and their destinations:

From the minute Upper Class passengers step out of their chauffeured limousine at Heathrow's T3 and are greeted by name, Virgin Atlantic staff wearing the technology will start the check-in process. At the same time, staff will be able to update passengers on their latest flight information, weather and local events at their destination and translate any foreign language information. In future, the technology could also tell Virgin Atlantic staff their passengers' dietary and refreshment preferences - anything that provides a better and more personalized service.

FOR FLIGHT INFO, WEATHER, AND LOCAL EVENTS

Virgin says the program replaces an existing service that gave its employees customized information. If successful, Virgin says it could bring Glass or the Sony watches to other airports, though the company did not say whether it might trickle the service down to passengers with lower tier tickets.

Google Glass continues to be available only to those who sign for up the company's Glass Explorer program, with the hardware running $1,499 a pair (or more if you opt for the new prescription frames). It's unclear just how many units of Glass and the Sony smartwatch Virgin Atlantic bought and plan to use as part of the pilot.

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EverQuest Next could be the first MMORPG to support the Oculus Rift

Since the release of the Oculus Rift development kit, many major game developers have been experimenting with virtual reality in their labs. Now, another one of them has come forward in support of the technology: Sony Online Entertainment, the company behindEverQuest. Now, it sounds like the upcoming EverQuest Next will offer some kind of support for the technology.

Last August, the company teased possible support for the virtual reality headset in a behind-the-scenes video for EverQuest Next. Without saying a word about VR, a developer donned an Oculus Rift while the camera knowingly lingered for a few moments. It wasn't just a visual gag: In a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) yesterday, SOE president John Smedley confirmed that the company would indeed support the Oculus Rift "in some way shape or form."

"Probably for no other reason then it's really damn cool and programmers love that stuff," added Smedley.

"I'M THINKING THIS IS REAL AND WE MAY HAVE OUR SNOWCRASH AFTER ALL."

While that doesn't sound like much of a committment, another Redditor asked about supporting other virtual reality systems besides the Oculus Rift, and Smedley responded in promising fashion: "hearing good things about 2 competitors... one of which actually comes from Sony. so I'm thinking this is real and we may have our Snowcrash after all," wrote the executive.

While a number of other MMOs have proclaimed support for the Rift — primarily space sims like Vendetta Online and the upcoming Star Citizen, but also Second Life — SOE's EverQuest Next could be the first to offer a virtual reality fantasy role-playing experience.

Smedley also told Redditors that his company has another unannounced MMO in the works which he hopes will appease Star Wars Galaxies players.

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Google Glass to be the next Super Bowl spectacle

JC Torres

You know that a mass market launch of Google Glass is soon approaching once Googlehas put its well-oiled marketing machine into full gear. At the upcoming Super Bowl match scheduled next month, viewers all over will not only be able to watch the game from the literal viewpoint of a commentator but will also get an idea of what Google Glass might feel like, thanks to a partnership between Google and CBS.

Google Glass, which has just recently undergone its second hardware version, has been out for a long time but only for a limited number of people, including developers, reviewers, and tech evangelists. People who have been keeping tabs on the industry might very well be aware of its existence, but the masses to whom Google might be selling the eyewear are pretty much still in the dark.

If Google Glass has hit public consciousness or media, it was probably along the lines of driving while using a cellphone, which would definitely bias a good number of people against it. A recent San Diego court decision has let a Glass-wearing driver off the hook but has not closed the question about the safety, much less the legality. of Google Glass.

But Google Glass is much, much more than a glorified navigation device, whether inside or outside a vehicle. That is definitely the message that Rochester Optical Glass team member and Google Glass expert Tim Moore wants to be heard. And what better pulpit to preach that than one of the largest sports event in the world, the Super Bowl.



Spectators will be able to watch the game from the vantage point of John reporter and sports anchor John Kucko from CBS' WROC-TV Rochester affiliate. But Kucko won't just be covering the game itself but will also give a first-hand look at the events leading up to the match. With a potential audience of around 1 billion spread across 200 countries, this could be the perfect pitch that Google needs to change how people see Google Glass and, potentially, the world.

SOURCE: Forbes

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8 Ways to Use Google Glass on the Job

Google Glass isn't without its limitations -- not to mention privacy concerns -- but Google Glass 'Explorers' are finding many ways to use the device to work smarter and faster. The key to more widespread adoption, though, will be seamless integration into existing technology workflows.

CIO — Glass, Google's head-mounted, Internet-connected device, won't be available commercially until sometime in 2014. Even so, there are thousands of Glass "Explorers," or early adopters, already using the high-tech eyewear on the job. Many are discovering that, in addition to being a geeked-out plaything, Glass can in fact solve everyday business problems, help people be more productive, enhance workflows and deliver other real-world benefits.

Here's a look at some of the practical and innovative ways Explorers are using the $1,500 prototype device in their work — from automotive repair to sports reporting.
 1. Live, Remote Sales Training
Josh Cohen is CEO of TownSpot, an online video network startup. The company has no actual offices, Cohen says, with team members scattered around the country. The virtual organization structure makes it challenging to train the sales team — a problem Google Glass is helping to solve, according to Cohen.

For example, on a recent sales call to a new customer in Los Angeles, with the customer's permission, Cohen streamed video of his view in real-time via Google Glass to an Atlanta co-worker. Cohen's colleague could see the customer's reactions and hear how he delivered the sales pitch, he says, adding that this type of easily set up, live and remote training "could never have been done before."

Often, salespeople are trained by accompanying the sales leader or CEO on customer calls, Cohen notes. This usually requires flying the sales person to another location, among other costs. Glass lets Cohen virtually take multiple people on sales calls with him wherever he goes, thereby reducing travel and other training expenses.
2. Hands-free Sports Reporting

Andrew Abramson, the Miami Dolphins beat reporter for The Palm Beach Post, uses Glass on the job. He was interested in the device mainly for its video and photo capabilities.

"Video has become a huge part of sports reporting," Abramson says. "While the traditional TV reporters still enter locker rooms with their bulky cameras, other reporters are often uncomfortably holding up their cell phones and shooting their own clips."

Meanwhile, Abramson finds it much easier to wear a video camera on his face. "With Google Glass, I can shoot photos and videos simply by pressing a button or using voice commands," he says. "I can instantly upload photos and videos to the Web without using my hands."


Abramson has received "an overwhelmingly positive response" from Dolphins fans who follow his reports, and about half of the Dolphins' players have tried on his pair. Reaction varies, he says, from ridicule to amazement to "Where do I get my pair?"
3. Sharing Conference Sessions

"Literally every day, there are different start-up related conferences and events," Cohen says. He can't make it to them all, but with Google Glass — and the permission of conference organizers — Cohen and his team divide and conquer. Recording the events in real time "is easier and less obtrusive than using a video camera," he says, and it gives employees the convenience of watching a conference or event on their own time.
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4. Taking Notes
Evernote, the popular note-taking Web service and application, is among the few official Google Glass apps currently available — and Shazafar Khaja, integration architect for The Kroger Company, says Evernote is the most useful app thus far for Glass.


"Before I go to meetings, I email myself the minutes from previous meetings and action items. I have all of this accessible to me in the meeting at the flick of a finger, with Glass," he says. "I've also started to record (with everyone's permission) parts of brainstorming sessions where we have ideas flying around. This enables me to be involved without having to fiddle with a phone or camera."

Khaja admits he could do all of the above using traditional methods — "But with Glass, I'm less distracted and more focused on what's going on."
5. Fixing Cars

Glass Explorer Will Elias says Glass has helped him with the complexity of fixing vehicles. "With cars changing so quickly, and everything computerized, I was able to work on a vehicle with the assistance of an ASE-certified mechanic," Elias says. "He watched what I was doing (through a Glass video chat) and guided me on how to fix the vehicle correctly."
6. Showcasing Your Company

Google Glass is an ideal way to show off a company's customer service experience, notes Hilary Topper, CEO of HJMT Public Relations: "Imagine walking in and videotaping, with a first-person perspective, the way someone would be treated if they entered your restaurant, spa or bank." Topper's firm used Glass to make a reality video to both showcase the firm and show off Glass. The video, Glasslandia, has received more than 50 million social media impressions," she says.

7. Staying Up to Date While Out and About


Matt McGee is editor-in-chief of Marketing Land and also runs the popular Glass Almanac blog. "With Glass I can get RSS feeds, Tweets, emails and so forth sent right to me while I'm out and about," he says. "It's great at conferences, for example, to be able to consume this kind of information while walking the halls or expo floors. It keeps me in the know."

McGee admits that he could get these updates on his iPhone — but consuming that kind of information at a conference means stopping, find an out-of-the-way spot and reading. With Glass, on the other hand, he can keep walking and see headlines and tweets as they come to him. "I can even speak a reply," he says. "And it's all done hands-free with my head up, so I don't have to worry about walking into someone."
8. Troubleshooting a Website From a Distance

Cohen says the capability to share visual information immediately can help solve tech issues. If he encounters a bug or other technical glitch on his company's website, the Los Angeles-based Cohen can say, "OK, Glass, take a picture," and share a photo of his computer screen with his two Web developers in Virginia. The real-time sharing lets his Web developers understand the issue better and react immediately, Cohen says.

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Sex with Google Glass lets you view the action, suggests positions and produces a video

A new web site from developer Sherif Maktabi promotes his new Sex with Google Glass app for the connected specs. The idea, as the site succinctly puts it, is to "Wear Glass. Have Sex." Both participants start up the app by saying, "OK Glass, it's time," and you can turn off the app by saying, "OK Glass, pull out." While in use, the app shows you everything that the other person is seeing. And you can even arrange for Glass to turn off the lights, play music, and suggest positions. You can even connect a smartphone and check out all of the angles.

After the lovin' (a great tune by Englebert Humperdinck), Glass puts together a video of the, uh, action and sends it up to the cloud for 5 hours. After that time period expires, the videos are deleted from all servers, never to be seen again. And while you're waiting for Google Glass to be available for one and all, you can download a free Apple iPhone version of the app. Just hit the sourcelink to sign up for the latter.

Source:phonearena.com

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The future of beauty school is Google Glass

At least according to L'Oreal. The hair care giant (and purveyor of giant hair) just announced Matrix Class for Glass, which gives clients and beauty school students a stylists-eye view of your head. The three-part program includes a video series of in-depth beauty tutorials shot with Google's wearable; Matrix Eye for Style, an "exclusive" salon experience provided by George Papanikolas, who will record sessions with the headset; and a series of lessons for beauty professionals given by be-Glassed hair care superstars.

This isn't the first or last time L'Oreal has taken advantage of the wearable; it used Glass to document Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Madrid late last year and has plans to release a Glass app sometime in 2014. It might seem like an odd coupling considering most glass holes are more Super Cuts than Vidal Sassoon, but L'Oreal says there's an intersection between the early adopters of fashion and tech. According to a study done by its partner at Fashion Week, Nurun, "The futuristic nature of Google Glass appealed to the fashion-forward, tech-savvy audience..." When we start seeing years-old issues of Wired replacing copies of Southern Hair at Truvy's, we'll believe it.

Source:engadget.com

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Vuzix “designer sunglasses” styled Glass-rival due after 2015

Vuzix will take on Google Glass with a wearable headset resembling "designer sunglasses" rather than the somewhat clunky Borg-style tech companies are offering today, thanks to a newly announced deal with a mysterious "Tier 1" brand. The project, which Vuzix says will distill its waveguide-based eyepiece technology - expected to launch this year in industrial form - into a more consumer-friendly form, is expected to reach final design stage sometime in 2015, with a commercial launch beyond that.

The identity of the "Tier 1" consumer electronics brand hasn't been revealed, with Vuzix saying that its partner has requested all details be held back until closer to launch. Still, the goal is clear: take wearables to the mass market by making them more aesthetically palatable.

"Being able to develop Smart Glasses that look like designer eyewear is critical" Vuzix's president Paul Travers said of the project. The company began shipping the M100 Android-powered wearable last month, but the headset is hardly akin to sunglasses in its design.




Similarly, the first waveguide-based product - which Vuzix built using holographic technology developed by Nokia - isn't going to be mistaken for anything but a Steampunk-style monocle. Intended for industrial use, such as overlaying schematics on top of broken hardware for the benefit of on-site engineers, the M2000AR HMD has a 720p resolution display integrated into the eyepiece, along with a 1080p camera and wireless connectivity.




Vuzix isn't alone in testing out augmented reality in this manner. Lumus showed off its prototype headset, the DK-40, at CES last week, though it will leave commercializing the eyewear to third-party brands. That will come in at a not-inconsiderable $6,000 apiece, however, though Vuzix said at launch that it expected the consumer version - which could be on shelves as soon as mid-2014 - to be far more affordable.

It's unclear if that consumer iteration is the same product as Vuzix is working on with its unnamed partner, though it seems likely that they'll be two different options, connected only by their shared use of the waveguide optics system.

Vuzix isn't alone in testing out augmented reality in this manner. Lumus showed off its prototype headset, the DK-40, at CES last week, though it will leave commercializing the eyewear to third-party brands.

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App for Google Glass keeps you awake behind the wheel

You might remember Cecilia Abadie. She was the Google Glass wearer who was ticketed by a policeman for wearing her connected shades while driving. There is a law in most states that prevents a driver from looking at a television monitor while behind the wheel, although we should point out that Ms, Abadie was speeding, which is why she was pulled over in the first place.

Obviously, lawmakers are concerned that driving while wearing Google Glass is distracting to the driver. After all, it is hard to keep your eyes on the road when you're watching a YouTube video on Glass while you're driving. But this doesn't mean that Google Glass can't save a driver's life. Take DriveSafe. This is a new app for Google Glass that uses the internal sensors inside the specs to determine if you've fallen asleep while driving.
Right now, because DriveSafe is not available from the Google MyGlass app, it has to be sideloaded. It is well worth doing. You start up the program by saying "Ok Google, keep me awake". From that moment on, if the app senses that you are falling asleep, there is an audio and visual alert that is designed to be jarring in order to wake you. The app can even give you directions to the next rest stop where you can, well, rest.
Considering that a 2010 AAA report showed that 41% of the drivers in the U.S. admitted to have fallen asleep while behind the wheel, DriveSafe could be the perfect solution. That is as long as the Police don't keep writing you tickets for wearing Google Glass.

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Pivothead SMART Glasses Live Up To Their Name

It’s not a secret that the future of video recording is perched on your nose. Even if Google Glass never really takes off, the hands-free form factor and high-quality video you can get with video glasses makes it highly appealing to journalists and filmmakers. And Pivothead has decided to build modular glasses just for them.

Glasses That Go To Pieces
A Solid Camera On Their Own
Facecamera

The SMART Glasses’ best feature is the ports on either end of the stems. They’re designed to let you swap in different modules to achieve different effects. One of the modules, for example, is designed to livestream video, so if you want to cover the news, or show off what’s going on in real time, you just fire up the glasses. There’s a computing module that adds a bunch of sensors and a rudimentary computing function. And, naturally, there’s a battery to get extended life. Needless to say, there’s only two at a time, but hey, they’re all useful.

Besides that, the SMART Glasses are just a solid little video camera on their own. The footage is shot in 1080p, of course, and can be stored onboard in the 16GB of memory, which can, of course, be expanded courtesy of a microSD slot. Instead of using an in-eye system, a series of LEDs embedded in the frame tell you what’s going on, whether you’re recording, and where your battery level happens to be. It’s not revolutionary, but if you need video handy, this will fit the bill.

You won’t have to wait long to try out Pivothead’s new glasses; they’ve finished a funding campaign quite successfully and are targeting April for a release date. The price is pretty much in line with what you might expect: You’ll be paying $630 to get the glasses and all three of the attachable modules.

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Atheer One smart glasses connect to Android smartphones and support 3D content

Google Google started the smart glasses wave with Google Glass. Those glasses are in the hands of a few developers and end users around the country and have proven to be interesting devices. The downside to Google Glass is that the wearable computing product is not what most of us would consider affordable.A product is on crowd sourced funding site Indiegogo called the Atheer One from Atheer Labs. The Atheer One is a set of glasses that the user wears that supports gesture interaction. The Indiegogo campaign for the Atheer One has two products including the Atheer Dev Kit and the Atheer One.

The dev kit will ship in early 2014, assuming no issues are run into during production. The Atheer One will ship in late 2014. The glasses are an accessory for an Android phone and are connected through a micro-USB port. The glasses show an image that looks like a 26-inch HD screen from 50cm away. They also support 3D content with see through 3D stereo displays. The Atheer Dev kit has a pair of 5MP stereo cameras while the Atheer One will have 8MP stereo cameras. The images you see can be controlled in the air via gestures and since the Android phone controls the show, all Android apps will work with the glasses. The lenses are see through allowing the virtual display to be overlaid on the world around you. The dev kit features a Snapdragon processor, HDMI, USB, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The dev kit has a slightly smaller display that looks like a 15-inch screen from 50cm away from your face. The Atheer One is currently available on the Indiegogo page for pre-order for $500. The Dev kit version starts at $1000. The project was seeking $100,000 and has raised $123,718 with 19 days to go.

SOURCE: Indiegogo

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