The Idiotic Things Google Was Going To Make You Say To Use Google Glass

The Idiotic Things Google Was Going To Make You Say To Use Google Glass

Although wearing Google Glass makes you look like a futuristic cross-eyed cyborg to the entire world, controlling Glass is a lot more natural and conversational than you’d expect. A few swipes and a couple of “OK Glass” to get started. But do you know what Google was thinking about making you say before it settled on “OK Glass”? Boy, it would have been ridiculous. Like pew pew pew ridiculous.

Google Glass Marketing Manager Amanda Rosenberg revealed the origin story of the ‘OK Glass’ hotword that initiates Google Glass’ menu and it’s raucously fun to look back on. Rosenberg was actually the person who came up with the rather natural ‘OK Glass’ and bless her heart because originally, Glass Project Manager Mat Balez and his team had come up with these ridiculous hotwords:

  • Listen up Glass
  • Hear me now
  • Let me use Glass to
  • Go Go Glass
  • Clap on
  • Device, please
  • 3, 2, 1…
  • Glassicus
  • Glass alive
  • Pew Pew Pew

Oh my God, pew pew pew would have been incredible. Imagine standing on the footpath saying pew pew pew to yourself over and over again. Or even Glassicus or Glass alive or 3, 2, 1 or any of these hotwords! I can’t even think of anything more ridiculous that doesn’t involve curse words and animal noises. Here is Rosenberg’s very reasonable case for ‘OK Glass’ (an email sent to Balez in April 2012):

The Idiotic Things Google Was Going To Make You Say To Use Google Glass

I shudder in laughter wondering what would have happened if that email was never sent. [Amanda Rosenberg via The Next Web]


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