Google glass promised much, but, so far, its impact seems to have fallen far short of expectations since its public release in May this year. Its original function?information displayed at eye level in a smartphone-like hands-free format?seemed fascinating at first, but the communication format, which involves natural voice commands, does not seem to have had the same impact. Users may have felt inhibited walking around in public, talking to themselves. Yet, what could really make Google Glass a must-have are the applications?many in the making, but some that have been released recently. Geek portals have been reviewing some apps that appear to have amazing potential. One can turn the headset into a life-changing tool for the hearing-impaired and another can help movie theatres sell more tickets. Others can be invaluable for fire-fighters or even security personnel. The application called Captioning on Glass (CoG) is a real-time closed-captioning app for Google Glass. If you?re deaf or hard of hearing, you?ll see the words that anyone is speaking to you on your Glass display?almost instantly. There is, however, a catch. The person on the other end has to be talking into an Android smartphone with a companion app installed. Google Glass has its own built-in microphone and voice recognition software, which can, for instance, translate Spanish into English, but it is less effective when it is confronted with background voices. That is why the CoG service uses the paired phone, and the speaker must hold it close to his/her mouth to deliver a more accurate transcription or translation.
For those who appreciate art and history, but don?t know too much about it, there?s an app that is just about perfect. It?s called GuidiGo and is an augmented-reality app that provides real-time explanations of paintings, sculptures and historical landmarks right into Glass, allowing the wearer to watch videos, listen to audio commentary and even zoom in on a canvas. It saves the expense of hiring an expert guide. Another ground-breaking app is meant for emergency service personnel, who can use Glass to summon up critical data such as floor plans and aerial imagery before they enter a burning building. The app could also be used by security personnel, who can get the same information plus additional footage from security cameras before entering a building where terrorists are holed up or hostages have been taken. At a civilian level, there?s an app called Preview for Glass, which is more commercial in nature and helps sell movie tickets. After installing the app, you simply wear Glass to a movie theatre, look at a poster of a coming attraction and say, ?OK Glass, recognise this!? The movie?s trailer will then play on your head-mounted display. All these apps are available now while others are expected shortly like the one that will allow doctors to put on Google Glass to view a patient?s medical records stored on the patient?s phone or doctor?s office in case of an emergency.
