Google Glass:What You Need to Know

By James Rivington

Are Google’s glasses more than just a gimmick1. gimmick:〈口〉巧妙的装置。? Back in early 2012, before the world had heard of Google Glass, the tech world was ablaze with rumours that the search giant was beavering away on augmented reality goggles.2. 早在2012年初，当世人还没听说过谷歌眼镜的时候，科技界内就已沸沸扬扬地传言说：搜索引擎巨头谷歌正在努力研发一种带有“增强现实”技术的护目镜。beaver away: 卖力地干，努力地干；augmented reality: 增强现实（简称AR），是在虚拟现实的基础上发展起来的新技术，也被称之为拓展现实。增强现实是在人们接触到的真实世界上，叠加虚拟电子信息，对真实世界的信息进行增强或者扩张，帮助使用者们从事各种活动。

As the days went by, it was clear that not only was this true,but that Google’s dream of wearable technology3. wearable technology: 可穿戴技术。was far, far closer to realize than anyone would have guessed.

But what exactly is Google Glass? Why is it attracting all this attention and what are the implications4. implications: 影响，可能引发的后果（常用复数形式）—both good and bad—of having a Google-eye view of the world?

Google Glass is an attempt to free data from desktop computers and portable devices like phones and tablets,5. portable device: 便携式设备；tablet: 平板电脑。and place it right in front of your eyes.

Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames so that you can perch a display in your field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go.6. 从本质上来说，谷歌眼镜的镜框可谓是集多功能于一身：照相机、触摸屏、电池和麦克风。这样一来，你就能在自己的视野里安置一个显示器，在旅行中也可以摄像、拍照，甚至进行搜索和翻译活动。on the go: 〈口〉旅行中。

The principle is one that has been around for years in science fiction, and more recently it’s become a slightly clunky7. clunky: 笨重的，笨拙的。reality. In fact, the “heads-up display” putting data in your field of vision became a reality as early as 1900 when the reflector sight was invented.8. heads-up display: 平视显示器；reflector sight: 反射瞄准镜。

谷歌眼镜是谷歌公司研制开发的一款智能电子设备，该产品具备智能手机所能提供的各类服务，具有拍照、网上冲浪、电话通讯和读取文件等功能。谷歌眼镜设计巧妙时尚，它的外观类似于一个环绕式的眼镜。如今，它吸引了世人越来越多的关注，它是否能成为真正的革命性产品？

Any function that requires you to look at a screen could be put in front of you.

Controlling this data is the next neat trick. With a microphone and touchpad on one arm of the frame, you can select what you want to do with a brief gesture or by talking to the device, and Google Glass will interpret your commands.

Of course, with something as high profile9. high profile: 高知名度的，有声望的。as Google Glass, every major company has been linked with building a competitor.

Apple and Microsoft are Google’s most obvious rivals—and both are rumored to be working on their own equivalents.10. rival: 竞争对手；equivalent: 同等级之物。Sony has gone so far as to patent11. patent: 取得（发明等的）专利权。a Glass-alike offering. Vuzix,Oakley and Baidu are other numbered among the potential Glass rivals, and they won’t be the last.12. Vuzix: 是美国一家智能眼镜创业公司，成立于1997年，专业生产戴在眼睛上的视频产品；Oakley: 美国一著名运动品牌。

Is Glass cool and entirely novel13. novel: 新奇的，新颖的。? Yes, it certainly is. Is it a device that will change the life of, or even just prove useful to,the average consumer? Let’s wait and see.