Top 10 Dos and Don’ts of Google Glass

With Google Glass becoming more widely available, at least in its developmental form, here’s a list of top tips, learned from practical – and sometimes painful – experience …

OK, so you’ve given in to the hype and got your hands on a Google Glass set.  Now, what are you going to do with it?  Well, whether you just intend to have fun or you’ve serious development in mind, here are a few pointers for getting the best from the kit … and avoiding the worst:

FIVE DON’Ts

1. Never take the set of the box unless you’re fully clothed. (This has to be top of the list. With technology that can accidentally take a photo with a wink and post it online with a cough, you have to be very careful.)
2. Don’t tell anyone you’ve got one. (Well, not many people anyway. Apart from the increased risk of getting it pinched, you’ll be constantly pestered by people wanting to ‘have a go’.  If you are prepared to loan it out, refer everyone to rule 1: remember, it’ll probably be your accounts things appear on.)
3. Don’t put it on in public if you’re the slightest bit shy. (Most people still haven’t seen Glass in the flesh so you’re bound to get a large number staring at you pretty quickly.)
4. Give Google Glass a miss if you’re remotely prone to headaches. (For some people, the problem seems to go away after a time but for many it doesn’t.)
5. Glass might not work for you if you’re short-sighted. (You may only see a blur. Somewhat surprisingly, long-sighted people don’t seem to have much of a problem.)

FIVE DOs

1. Think about what’s going to work particularly well on Glass and what won’t. (There’s a fair amount of stuff in the Glassware catalogue that would work just as well on any mobile device; it’s only on Glass because someone got in first.)
2. Be careful what you sign up to in your enthusiasm of installing new Glassware. (Otherwise, you’ll be bombarded with spam email and reminders to renew subscriptions after the trial period has expired.)
3. Be prepared to be amazed and disappointed in about equal measure. (Yes, there’s some really cool stuff but some surprising limitations too – not being able to post on Facebook in the conventional manner, for example.)
4. If necessary, you can – just about – wear Google Glass and conventional glasses at the same time. (Detach the fake lenses from the Glass frame and you can usually squeeze one over the other. Doesn’t help with ‘DON’T 5’, though.)
5. Remember to take it off before you take a shower. (Yes, it’s been done.)

Now relax and enjoy …