Google Glass Explorer Program Starts: 10 Key Features to Know About

by Don Reisinger

Google has promised that the average person will have no trouble wearing the glasses. In fact, they come with an adjustable nose pad and a frame that can fit any head. Google Glass comes with larger or smaller nose pads just in case they are needed.

When walking around town, Google Glass users should expect their device to give them HD resolution. Google says that the lens will deliver the equivalent of a 25-inch high-definition screen when standing eight feet away. That seems a little small, but at least it’s HD.

Snapping photos with Google Glass might be a subpar experience compared with what is widely available today. According to Google, the eyewear comes with a 5-megapixel, front-facing camera. Considering the majority of smartphones today are at least pushing 8 megapixels, it would have been nice to have seen that bumped up a bit.

Video capture is available through Google Glass, but don’t expect it to be full HD. Instead, Google has decided to bundle 720p video support with the device, meaning it won’t stand up to the 1080p resolution the majority of HD cameras have today. It’s another odd omission that might make some users unhappy.

Although Google Glass is designed to be worn around town, Google has made a rather unfortunate decision: There’s no 4G LTE support in the eyewear. Furthermore, Google says WiFi support will only include wireless-b and wireless-g, leaving out the faster and more reliable wireless-N. What is Google thinking?

One of the reasons Google might have opted for only 720p video capture with Google Glass is because the eyewear comes only with 12GB of usable storage. On the box, it’ll say 16GB of storage, but Google has already said that the software running on Google Glass will take up 4GB of space. So, don’t expect to store much on the eyewear.

No surprise here: Google says its eyewear will come with enough power for up to one full day of usage, assuming folks aren’t recording too much video or holding too many streaming chats with friends. If Google Glass couldn’t last a full day, it really wouldn’t be worth buying.

One of the big questions surrounding Google Glass was whether it would actually work with an iPhone. Google has said that the eyewear will work with any Bluetooth-compatible handset, meaning it will, indeed, work with Apple’s handset.

But as with anything else in the mobile market, there’s a catch. According to Google, the eyewear’s companion software, MyGlass, will be needed for Google Glass’ GPS and SMS messaging features. There’s just one problem: MyGlass requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher to work. So, don’t expect those features, iPhone owners.

It’s important to note that Google itself has said that Glass will not be for everyone. Google says that those who wear eyeglasses in addition to Google Glass could experience eye strain or get a headache. Those who have had Lasik surgery should consult a doctor before using the eyewear. Oh, and children under 13 can’t use Google Glass because “it could harm developing vision.”