For a company that collects a large portion of its money from smartphones based on Android, one of Google's co-founders doesn't seem very happy with them.
In fact, during a speech given on Wednesday, Google co-founder Sergey Brin didn't have kind words to say about the devices.
"You're standing around and just rubbing this featureless piece of glass," he said about smartphones at one point during his TED Talk, and concluded that smartphones are "emasculating."
He went on to tout the improvements the world would see with the company's upcoming Google Glass, though using one is still going to require rubbing a piece of glass. Well, at least you can walk at the same time. Or can you?
Regardless, CNET reports that Brin said Google Glass is a step up because of a number of features, including the fact that the glasses feature a camera that is instantly ready to snap pictures and record videos on the spot. Users also will be able to get directions, surf the Web and receive various notifications on the device throughout the day.
His vision for the perfect search engine involves knowing what users will search for before they even have to say it, and Google Glass is the next step in achieving his dream.
"This is the first form factor that can deliver that vision," Brin said. Prior to the current model's design, the original prototype was basically "like a cellphone strapped to your head."
Some of the very features Brin touts, though, bring up some major concerns for privacy advocates. Google Glass' ever-present camera can take pictures and video without anyone knowing other than the wearer, and some wonder what the implications could be for a society that makes it even easier to record everyone and everything.
Nonetheless, those concerns haven't really stopped the tech world from being completely enamored with the glasses. Google is currently running a contest that would allow winners to get their hands on the glasses (for $1,500) and test them out. The contest ends Wednesday, and has already sparked some interesting (read: weird) Twitter entries.
