J&PR Wired

Yes, It's Google Glass

By Natalie Norris

Digital Media Startups:
Driving J&PR Students
toward Innovation

By Natalie Norris

Paid in Experience

By Eva Cuarenta

TGC: Agency Experience;
Multi-platform Storytelling

By Veronica Richardson

The Orion:
Responding to Economic,
Technological change

By Veronica Richardson

No More Looking into a Crystal Ball; Now We're Looking Through Glass

By Eva Cuarenta

"Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy, put my glasses on - I'm out the door - I'm gonna hit this city."

Ke$ha might not have been talking about Google Glass, but I couldn't have said it better.Being able to wake up, put on a pair of glasses (more like a titanium band with a single prism), then check my text messages and email, all while brushing my teeth, was mind-blowing. I completely forgot about my smartphone and computer; there was just no need for them when they were both already on my face.

A photo of the department's Glass, fresh out of the box

As I walked through Glenn Hall, I got looks and even a "wow" from other students, or as I like to collectively call it, "the alien syndrome." The Glass was making me look as if I were from a different planet. But I didn't mind; I just tapped the side of the Glass and I was gone, completely zoned out of reality and into a different dimension.

Sitting in class was a different story. I chose to keep quiet for the first half of the class period to get genuine reactions from my peers. Everyone eventually became intrigued by the Glass, so the professor changed the itinerary of the day to fit in some time to talk about the Glass - I was the spotlight. Or was the Glass the spotlight?

THE FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT... J&PR Chair Susan Wiesinger tries on the Glass, with its stylin' shade attachment.

The students had questions - just as many questions as the professor did - some of which I couldn't answer. But when I started asking the questions, the reactions on their faces quickly changed. Not one person knew what the Glass actually was or how it worked. I quickly let them know, as a journalist, how convenient it was to check the news and upload images of an incident directly from the scene.

The strange looks the Glass now receives will soon fade away just as they did when the hands-free Bluetooth set switched from a fad to an everyday product. This makes me wonder about the future of technology and what will come next. Will the Glass even reach levels of normality that will allow it to take over smartphone usage?

After walking around wearing the Glass for a few days I started to feel like P. Diddy. The world was at my fingertips, literally. With a swipe of my index finger I could check the weather, read an email, and best of all - have the news read to me. Now that is superstar treatment.

For the link to the Google Glass Acquisition click here.