Re-looking at Google Glasses ? Will we catch the fever?
A while ago, Jim wrote a blog about the Google Glass and what it can do. Before we know it, earlier this year, Google released its first developer’s version which could be bought at approximately USD$1500. Google has also confirmed that by the end of 2013, everyone would be able to purchase a pair (hopefully way under USD$1500). But… will Australia catch the fever?
Being a tech junkie, I can’t help but be excited about the Google Glass particularly after watching some of these videos:
How cool is it to be able to document every moment of your life without having to struggle with finding your camera or phone in the sea of items in your bag? I’m sure many of us have experienced the “regret” in missing “the moment” just because we weren’t able to load our camera in time, etc. And how convenient would it be to be able to connect or arrange meetups with friends and family through a pair of glasses which, for some of us like myself, has become a necessity? What about the potential for businesses? I’ve heard some rumours (but don’t quote me) that in time to come, we may even redeem coupons and discounts through these glasses. That would definitely make a huge impact on advertising and marketing. Advertising on-the-go would have a whole new meaning. The question is: Will we embrace such technology?
Looking at something like the Google Glass reminds me of the “Internet Revolution”. The development and usage of the internet can be dated way back to the 60s/70s. It continued to boom particularly in the public sphere with the introduction of the World Wide Web in 1991. From dial-ups to broadband and mobile internet services, we are now more connected than ever and I have no doubt that the Google Glass would bring it to yet another level. But wait a minute… 1 in 5 people in Australia do not have internet access at home?
That isn’t too shocking considering that in America, 1 in 5 people don’t use the internet as well. There are many factors including resistance from people particularly senior citizens, alternative points of access such as through mobile devices using 3G or 4G, etc. But perhaps what’s more interesting is that according to the Internet World Stats, only about a third of the world population (34.3%) has access to the internet (2012). Although this has grown significantly over the decade with approximately 566.4% growth between 2000 and 2012, it still presents a wide gap between the connected and the disconnected which is speculated to partially mirror the gap between the rich and the poor. Looking at Australia, internet penetration in households has risen rather significantly just between 2006 and 2011 from 58.3% to 73.9%.
Hence, we can predict that Australians are more than likely to be adopters of the Google Glass in time to come. But will it be the same around the world?
Other view points on the Google Glass before we leave…
http://youtu.be/VhedhC7tXvs
Share your thoughts with us! Will the Census have to collate data on the usage of devices such as the Google Glass in a decade’s time? Will you join the bandwagon?
Access the Australian Community Profile now! You will find Census results for each Capital City, State, Southeast Queensland and Australia on topics including population, age, country of birth, languages spoken, occupations, industries, employment, disability, income, qualifications, transport and much more…
Access the new profile.id sites and other population statistics for Local Government Areas and suburbs at .id’s demographic resource centre.
Rebecca
Rebecca’s background is in marketing and communications and she has previously worked in media companies in Singapore. She is constantly fascinated by technology, so much so that she has enrolled herself in a PhD course to understand how media technologies impact people in different spaces. She's working with us part time to help us negotiate the world of online communications. When you read our blog or our newsletter, it’s Rebecca’s hard work behind the scenes that bring these to you.
