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Google Glass could become key e-commerce accessory

Friday, December 20, 2013 - 12:31 by Mike Price

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Google Glass received plenty of coverage earlier in the year when it launched to a select group of people in the media and positions of influence. It is, essentially, a pair of glasses with a built-in screen that can overlay the world around the wearer with information, both for the purposes of augmented reality interaction, and for more mundane things, like checking emails.

Glass only works properly when paired with a smartphone and while it is not currently on sale to the public, its second generation iteration could well go on general release next year.

Now a new feature introduced to Glass by Google, is being touted as something which might eventually be used to help people shop online when they are on the move, according to Retail Week.

Basically, you can now use Glass to take photos simply by winking, rather than pressing the physical button to activate the camera or harnessing the voice controls the device offers.

Google intends not just to make this a convenient way to take photos on the fly, but also states that this will be linked in with things like image search. This means that when you are out and about and you see a product you like, you could wink to snap a photo of it and then Glass will let you order it immediately.

This kind of hands-free approach to safe shopping online will definitely be seen as a convenience by people who are used to having to log onto an e-commerce site, browse through the items for the one they want and then carry out a transaction.

While Google Glass may still be some years from becoming a commonly owned item, it is this kind of innovation that might eventually help it to crack the mainstream.