Google shows off prototype augmented reality glasses

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Rosa Golijan

We've heard rumors about Google working on augmented reality glasses, but now the search engine giant has confirmed the existence of what it calls Project Glass?? and it's as awesome as you might imagine.

As you can see in the video below or on the Project Glass Google+ page, this new wearable technology will basically consist of?a pair of clever glasses which contain a display, a camera, a microphone, and everything necessary to make some sci-fi fantasies come true. (But keep in mind that the Project Glass designs are simply ideas, not final products at this point though.)

So what will you do with a pair of these strange glasses?

Well, you might wake up, slip on your Google glasses and set some calendar alerts before looking up directions to your first meeting of the day. While walking to your destination, you may pause to snap a photo of a funny sign (which you instantly share with your friends via a social media service of your choice) or find a coffee shop. Later you could start a video-chat with a friend and show him or her your current view.

And you'd do all of this without ever reaching for a computer or smartphone. You'd simply speak or tap a button on the glasses and the appropriate actions commence.

In theory, the glasses should ? pardon the pun ??augment your day-to-day life, but one could imagine that some folks would get distracted by all the information appearing right before their eyes at any given moment.

But let's be honest: Even those concerns are not be enough to prevent most of us from eagerly lining up to purchase Google's glasses once they're available. After all, who hasn't dreamed of subtly looking up information while seemingly paying attention to a conversation?

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.

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