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The Performance Of Glass

Google Glass: Ergonomics, Performance, And Practicality, Tested
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What can you expect from the hardware comprising Glass? No doubt, Google chose the platform’s specifications in an attempt to balance performance and battery life. Given the operations currently available (at least in the XE4 build; my Glass hasn’t updated to XE5 yet), speed really isn’t an issue. Battery life is far more important to address.

Glass ships with 16 GB of flash, 12.6 GB of which is reported usable. That’s a ton of space for pictures and 720p video. There’s no way to fill the device up in one sitting, though. From a full charge, I recorded 52 minutes and 32 seconds, filling 1.88 GB, before depleting the battery. More casual use is pretty consistent with what other folks have already reported—I’d expect five or six hours of use if you’re looking up driving directions, snapping random pictures, sending some texts, and recording some 10-second videos. I don’t see how you’d get a full day of use out of Glass at this point. Google does appear to be taking steps to shore up battery life; an update to XE5 changes Glass’ sync policy to require power and Wi-Fi for background uploads.

Outside, the camera takes great-looking shots.Outside, the camera takes great-looking shots.

The 5 MP camera takes remarkably good-looking pictures in natural light. Its performance falls off quickly indoors or as it starts getting darker outside, though. The same goes for video quality. You get a great picture outdoors with consistent lighting. In a fluorescent-lit room, video is a lot grainier and washed-out.

Glass’ microphone is most effective at close range, so long as you can keep it shielded from the wind. Even in a bar, with lots of ambient noise, it’s super easy to distinguish between the background bustle and foreground conversation. The downside is that, if you're recording video, as your subject gets farther away, they quickly get more difficult to hear. And if you're driving 20 MPH with the windows down, the mic is buffeted hard enough to drown out anything else.

I was expecting much better quality from hangouts...I was expecting much better quality from hangouts...

Despite a connection to a plenty-fast wireless router at home, voice and image quality aren’t nearly as crisp as I was expecting using the “hang out with…” command. I synced up with our news director, Marcus Yam, over the weekend, and what he saw from Glass was pretty pixelated and choppy. And while I could hear his voice well enough, calling the video feed a slide show would be generous. The same applied to a call with senior editor Don Woligroski, who reported a pretty terrible-looking picture on his Nexus 7. No combination of tethered LTE or at-home Wi-Fi got us any better than this. A third call from my PC was a lot smoother, so we know Google’s hangouts at least have the potential for fluid motion and reasonable quality.

The bone conduction transducer sits just behind your ear.The bone conduction transducer sits just behind your ear.

Coming back the other way, Google’s bone conduction transducer does an admirable job playing sound back into your inner ear. Funnily enough, Glass sounds best when you plug your ears with your fingers. Frequency response is lost otherwise. But I could go back and watch my recorded videos, I understood the turn-by-turn directions narrated to me, and Google did a beautiful job translating phrases in different languages to me. Spectacular. My biggest complaint is that volume cannot be adjusted. So, any time I jumped on a phone call in the car I had to roll up the windows, turn down the radio, and shut off my air conditioning to understand the other end. Even standing next to a busy street was too loud to carry on a conversation using Glass via Bluetooth. 

Google Glass Screencast via MyGlass App on Samsung Galaxy S4

The prism projector is less obtrusive than I thought it’d be. Google claims it’s equivalent to a 25-inch high-def screen from eight feet away, and you’ll see it appear above your right eye’s normal field of vision. Output appears in your peripheral vision, but you do need to look up to see clearly. Readability and responsiveness are both good, and the display is bright. Right away, I noticed that two of Glass’ pixels were dead. Four or more need to go out before Google considers the projector defective, though.

It's really hard to see anything through that sun, but Glass still snaps a pictureIt's really hard to see anything through that sun, but Glass still snaps a picture

One reader asked how Glass adapts to adverse conditions. The projected screen is very difficult to read in direct sunlight (in the image above, I’m in the car—the sun can’t be avoided). But the camera sensor works well enough. Moreover, you can glance up above the windshield and get the display in a more readable position if you really need to see something. I didn’t have any rain at my disposal, though Google is explicit that Glass shouldn’t get wet.

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  • 5 Hide
    Benthon , May 14, 2013 10:03 PM
    I'm personally excited to see where this takes off to. They just need to bring the price down and they have a new generation of product. Great review! It definitely was cute to see your kid walking around and getting him water/playing with him from his perspective.
  • 0 Hide
    blackmagnum , May 14, 2013 10:05 PM
    Elitist geek tech. Making it illusive like Gmail beta. We can only watch and dream.
  • -1 Hide
    witcherx , May 14, 2013 11:01 PM
    why not just make lens.. come on aliens...
    why give us outdated products...
  • 6 Hide
    CaptainTom , May 15, 2013 12:30 AM
    This really is the future. It will just take the third generation or so before it becomes mainstream practical. Oh and I want the lenses to be screens themselves, that would be cyberpunk badass!
  • 0 Hide
    virtualban , May 15, 2013 1:25 AM
    Why do you keep saying "Equivalent of a 25-inch HD screen from eight feet away"? The resolution, according to other sources, is not even 720p.
    You could say "Equivalent of a 16:9, 25-inch screen from eight feet away"
  • 3 Hide
    cats_Paw , May 15, 2013 1:37 AM
    Considering the Privacy issues this will bring on the population, this product might be a big fail.

    I know if i had any form ob bussines, i would not allow my customers to be filmed there. That means, no google glass.
  • 0 Hide
    Vorador2 , May 15, 2013 3:23 AM
    cats_PawConsidering the Privacy issues this will bring on the population, this product might be a big fail.I know if i had any form ob bussines, i would not allow my customers to be filmed there. That means, no google glass.


    Privacy issues? The same than people with a phone. Nowadays anyone with a smartphone can take photos or record videos.

    The only thing it needs to do is to put a led than lights up when people take photos or make videos.
  • 1 Hide
    kettu , May 15, 2013 3:53 AM
    "Take it from a dad, though: there’s something to be said for playing with your kid and recording it, rather than watching him run around, passively, through a smartphone camera (50 minutes of video at a time, that is)."

    I bet that recording everything gets real old real fast. What are you going to with thousands of hours of video? Show it to your friends? I bet they'll love every minute of it! :) 
  • 3 Hide
    randomizer , May 15, 2013 4:00 AM
    That is going to be shown at his 21st isn't it?
  • 1 Hide
    butremor , May 15, 2013 5:49 AM
    I like this video showing how it looks like looking thoriugh a glass http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-y3bEjEVV8
  • 1 Hide
    ruffopurititiwang , May 15, 2013 6:52 AM
    I'll wait until apple comes out with their version, made of glass and aluminum. Because more weight means higher quality. Patented, of course.
  • 0 Hide
    AndrewJacksonZA , May 15, 2013 7:45 AM
    What I wouldn't give for a recording of my Dad and my Mom playing with me as a child, from my perspective and from theirs.
  • 0 Hide
    Tuishimi , May 15, 2013 9:10 AM
    The video was adorable. :) 
  • 0 Hide
    TeraMedia , May 15, 2013 11:28 AM
    Next it will be at weddings - possibly even as part of a photog package. Brides and Grooms can see the entire affair from each others' perspectives, as well as from that of guests, etc.
  • 0 Hide
    internetlad , May 15, 2013 11:42 AM
    kettuWhat are you going to with thousands of hours of video? Show it to your friends? I bet they'll love every minute of it!


    How old are you? Old enough not to appreciate looking back on your life, apparently.

    My son is only 3 years old now, and my wife and I constantly remark that we wish we had taken more videos to remember all the incredible things he did in the first couple of years, some of which are now certainly forgotten.
  • 1 Hide
    kettu , May 15, 2013 1:56 PM
    internetladHow old are you? Old enough not to appreciate looking back on your life, apparently. My son is only 3 years old now, and my wife and I constantly remark that we wish we had taken more videos to remember all the incredible things he did in the first couple of years, some of which are now certainly forgotten.


    Old enough to realise that there is nothing more boring than watching other peoples homemovies about their children who do "incredible" things.
  • 2 Hide
    travish82 , May 15, 2013 2:12 PM
    I think I'm done with technology until batteries advance. As it stands now, my smartphone has to sit on the charger for half the day, and it looks like these glasses are no different. The only battery powered tech I own that's worth a crap is my eInk Kindle Touch. EVERYTHING else should last a month on one charge. I'm not kidding. Make this happen. You can have all the money I have if you give me a month long cell phone battery. Otherwise, keep your garbage outta my face.
  • 1 Hide
    AnUnusedUsername , May 15, 2013 7:56 PM
    travish82I think I'm done with technology until batteries advance. As it stands now, my smartphone has to sit on the charger for half the day, and it looks like these glasses are no different. The only battery powered tech I own that's worth a crap is my eInk Kindle Touch. EVERYTHING else should last a month on one charge. I'm not kidding. Make this happen. You can have all the money I have if you give me a month long cell phone battery. Otherwise, keep your garbage outta my face.


    The average $15 "dumb" phone will last a week or more on one charge, just FYI.
  • -1 Hide
    morpheas768 , May 15, 2013 10:08 PM
    So, even when you're walking on a street where there's no street camera's on, you'll still wont feel safe because of Glass creepers everywhere.

    As if our privacy wasnt intruded enough every day.

    Yes, I am a hater. You can flame me, I dont care. Google Glass needs to die.
  • -1 Hide
    Gulli , May 16, 2013 6:32 AM
    Not convinced: talking to your glasses and flipping your head backwards to shift through files is ridiculous and annoying. Better wait until something like a neural interface is available.

    P.S. This thing needs a guarantee against ads (especially popups, which couls kill you if you are walking on a busy street). Even then I think of the poor souls who get recorded on video against their will with no way to know if your glass is on.
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