Google has started to unveil a new/old thing.  This week I saw a video showing what Google Glass might or could look like at: http://www.intomobile.com/2012/04/04/google-project-glass-could-androidpowered-augmented-reality-glasses/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

The idea of glasses with built in augmented reality technology has been around for years. But it seems more like the next wave of reality is on the verge of hitting the consumer market.  As we become a more and more tech savvy society we are less likely to reject new ideas like “smart glasses”  or wearable devices. We have all seen the si-fi movies that have predicted our current technologies like tablets and cell phones and then said “that makes sense”.  The use of glasses is just the next wave of UI to keep us not only enamored with tech but helping us interact with technology more efficiently.

Google hopes the glasses will appeal to people who want information automatically in front of their eyes. No longer will you be hassled to take your phone of your pocket to take a photo, answer a call, send a text message or look up directions.  All this can be can be handled via your glasses and voice command.

I like the idea of wearing my smartphone instead of pulling it out of my pocket every time i need to do something.  The big downfall is the use while driving, I see this as a major obstacle to the glasses.  The no texting laws are in place to deal with the distractions a phone can have on a driver. I cant imagine having a second viewable pane in front of my eye while navigating a tight curve or heavy traffic.  One other down side might be the weight of them, glasses are relatively light but add the smartphone to your frames and wow your ears would feel it.  On the other hand if the glasses were an extension of your current phone and you could connect them via Bluetooth that would be a great option.  All in all there will be people who will love them and those that will hate them but as technology moves more and more in the direction of user comfort it can only make it better as far as i am concerned.

Rod Puzey

Follow us on twitter: @zenwaremobile or @zenwareinc

Zenware is a Boise Idaho based company that specializes In custom mobile software development, custom iOS development, custom Android development, ipad software development, iphone software development, custom web development, web hosting and Saas based work order management software.

Frank Church Wilderness - copyright 2011 Jody Sedrick

Climbing the mountaintops and ridges of the Frank Church Wilderness with my 14-year-old son and 4 other boys last week was an unforgettable experience. Last week we ventured off trail across incredible mountain scapes in an attempt to complete the 52-mile Big Baldy-Indian Creek Loop in 5 days.

While we ended up having to come out a day early due to some of our group getting serious altitude sickness, it was an INCREDIBLE experience. We are planning a second attempt next year.

On my trip, I decided to bring my iPhone to capture photos. No, I wasn’t thinking I’d have connectivity and check emails late at night. I was on an adventure and intended to capture every moment on the iPhone’s camera.  So I decided to pack a lightweight

USB + AA solar charger from PowerFilm Solar to keep my iPhone fully charged.

Powerfilm Solar USB + AA Charger

Here are my findings:

• Time to charge the 2 AA rechargeable batteries: about 2 hours
• Time to fully charge my battery from 50%: 2 hours
• Charging my iPhone worked better if I charged the batteries at the same time.
• Folded up very nicely for easy storage
• 2 grommets made it easy to attach the unfolded solar charger to my back backpack.
• Ideal for light charging.
• Flashing indicator light sometimes was difficult to see in direct sunlight
• As you would expect, direct sunlight was optimal for charging.  Diffused or indirect sunlight didn’t work nearly as well. Fortunately we had a lot of sun.

Tips:

• I found charging my iPhone everyday with the PowerFilm Solar ideal.  One of my hiking companions let his iPhone battery drop to 17% capacity. We charged the application for half a day a recharged the battery to 84%.
• I switched my iPhone to Airplane Mode and shut off all unused applications. This significantly helped reduce the drain on my battery.

Jody and Christian Sedrick hiking in Frank Church Wilderness 2011

All in all I’d give the PowerFilm Solar a thumbs up. Yes it was a little slower than I’d prefer to charge the iPhone from lower battery status. But for continuous light charging it was a great option.

PowerFilm Solar Specs:

• Solar operating voltage: 3.6V
• Solar operating amps: .4A
• Weight w/o batteries: 4.9 ounces
• Folded dimensions: 3.24 x 5.55 x 1.38 inches  (83 x 140 x 35 millimeters)
• Unfolded dimensions: 24 x 5.5 inches (620 x 140 millimeters)
• USB Charging Voltage: 5.0V
• USB Charging Current (Amps): up to 1.0A

Information about Frank Church Wilderness Baldy Creek Trail – http://www.ultimateidaho.com/sec3/extras/frankchurch.html

Jody Sedrick - Zenware

Here are Part 3 and Part 4 our review of the the Windows Phone 7. These videos take a closer look at the overall phone features and the impressive Office / Business application features.

Windows 7 Phone Review

http://www.youtube.com/zenwaregear#p/a/u/1/FzfOv9U1Qbc

Windows 7 Phone – Office review

http://www.youtube.com/zenwaregear#p/a/u/0/wT6LvOKndX0

We look forward to your feedback.