透過谷歌眼鏡預見未來

LAST year Google whet the appetites of geeks everywhere when it announced that it had developed Google Glass, a pair of web-connected smart glasses that could take photos and videos, and display information gleaned from the internet. The firm said it would launch a public trial of the voice-controlled specs with a small group of developers early in 2013. On February 20th it announced that it now wants a broader group of people to join the developers peering into the future using its new technology.

谷歌去年宣佈開發出了谷歌眼鏡，一下吊起了全球發燒友們的胃口。這是一種新型智能眼鏡，能上網、能拍照、能看視頻、還能顯示網上訂閱的文章。谷歌曾表示希望2013年初在開發人員中啓動小規模公測，以測試這款語音控制的智能眼鏡。2月20日，谷歌宣佈擴大測試範圍，讓更多的人通過這種新科技與開發人員一道展望未來。

The company has launched a website for folk who want to apply to test the Explorer trial version of its glasses and who are willing to cough up $1,500 for the privilege of having them. It has also posted a video (see below) that shows how the specs can be used in various situations, including navigating on a road and taking photos of memorable moments. Data and images are displayed on a tiny screen that appears at the top of a person’s field of vision. This is mounted in a flexible frame that also incorporates a camera, a microphone and a computer.

想要體驗試用版的發燒友可以登錄谷歌的專題網站填寫申請，如果願意花上1500美元，這幅眼鏡就歸你了。谷歌還發布了一段相關視頻，視頻顯示這種眼鏡適用於各種情景，可以用於戶外導航，也可以用來記錄拍照。戴上眼鏡的人可以在視野上方的一個小屏幕裏看到數據和圖像，這個小屏幕框可以移動，而且還包含了攝像、麥克風和電腦功能。

Although its new gadget is still in its early stages and has plenty of room for improvement (not least in the design of the bulky arm that houses its battery), Google is clearly hoping that a broader field test will help it to iron out imperfections faster, as well as stoke interest in the device. It says it is looking for a diverse group of guinea pigs willing to share their experiences with the gizmo via social media.

雖然這一新裝備還處於早期階段，改進的空間還很大（尤其是眼鏡腿的設計，因爲要裝入電池，眼鏡腿太過笨重），但是很明顯，谷歌希望能取得一石二鳥的效果：大範圍實測可以使眼鏡更快完善，同時還能吸引人們對該設備的興趣。谷歌希望有不同類型的測試人員參與進來，更希望他們可以把心得發佈在社交媒體上。

The web giant's move is another sign that the nascent market for wearable technology is developing fast. Other companies such as Japan’s Olympus are also experimenting with smart goggles and there is much interesting work being done to shrink displays even further, as Babbage has noted elsewhere. There has also been plenty of action recently in the market for smart watches that link wirelessly to people’s smartphones. Rumours have been flying that Apple and Samsung are working on web-connected timepieces and Google has also filed a patent that suggests its Glass technology could be used on wrists too. Small start-ups such as Pebble are busily churning out smart watches as fast as they can. All of this is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

可穿着科技設備的市場還未成形，但發展勢頭十分強勁。谷歌這一網絡巨人的新動作就是最好的證明。其他一些企業，比如日本的奧林巴斯也在開發智能眼鏡，正如Babbage（本博客）曾經提到的那樣，許多關於縮小顯示設備的有趣探索都在進行當中。最近在智能手錶（可以無線連接智能手機）市場上也有許多新動向出現。有傳言蘋果和三星都在開發可以聯接互聯網的鐘表產品，谷歌申請的最新專利顯示，他們的眼鏡技術也可以應用在手腕上。Pebble這樣的新興小公司也在儘可能的積極參與智能手錶市場。這些舉動絕對值得你關注。