Just seven years ago, tech gurus envisioned “Googling on the Go” as opening your smartphone browser, typing google.com in the tiny address bar, waiting for it to load, entering the search term, waiting for the search results to pop up, selecting one of them, and patiently waiting again to be directed to the page where you can find the address of the Zagat-approved restaurant nearby. Not happy with the images of the food on their website? You can always go back and redo the entire process until you find the perfect place or your stomach starts protesting. Nowadays, with Yelp or Siri (for iPhone users), we don’t have to work that hard to get to our dinner place anymore. But you still need to focus on your phone screen while walking or driving, right? Maybe not in the near future! Google announced this April that you might just need your voice and a pair of Google Glasses.

Instead of regular lenses, the ones on Google Glasses are mini computer screens from which wearers can see web contents and navigate around them via the voice command function. Looking for directions? Google Maps will appear on your two little screens and the program even shows you historical information of the landscape you just passed. Searching for a game to play while waiting at the metro on your way to work? Just tell the glasses and you can start pointing, doodling, or even dodging depending on whether Words with Friends, Draw Something, or Coconut Dodge pops up. That is if you don’t mind some curious looks from others since you’re the only one who sees the screen projection! Your eye vision is not perfect? Google also has a solution – prescription Google Glasses. Imagine the near future where everyone on the street talks animatedly to themselves, followed with hand movements around the space in front of them. Does this sound like your vision of the future? Or is it just one of those bizarre, impractical technologies? Comment and let me know.