Kansas City, Kan. was the first to get Google Fiber, but who’ll be the first to get Google Glass? The latest innovation from the internet giant could hit each corner of the Silicon Prairie later this year through its Glass Explorer program, an invite-only opportunity to purchase the $1,500 device.
Last year, Google gave developers an exclusive pre-order opportunity, and earlier this year, some of those developers got to play around with the device—Lincoln, Neb.-based Android developer Israel Knight (left) was one of them.* In February, came the general public’s first chance at Glass. Individuals who wanted to test out the device were invited to post a message on Google+ or Twitter consisting of 50 words or less and containing the hashtag #ifihadglass.
The contest ran for one week, February 20-27, and from March 26 to April 2, Google sent out its invitations. If the invitees want to take Google up on its offer, they’ll need to attend a Google Glass event in either New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles to pick up the device. The date of that event is unknown, but Google’s Project Glass director Steve Lee told The Verge the plan is to have the product in stores by year’s end.
Thanks to a project by Stanford University graduate student Andrej Karpathy—he mapped the location of Google Glass invitees on Twitter—we’ve rounded up more than 40 individuals who have received invitations. In all, Google extended invites to 8,000 people on Twitter and Google+.
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Also, on the topic of Silicon Prairie and Google Glass, it’s worth noting Lee is an Iowa native.
If you see someone we missed, please let us know in the comments or by email, editor@siliconprairienews.com.
Omaha
#ifihadglass I would film my own reality TV show.
— Joe Olsen (@joeolsen) February 21, 2013
@projectglass#ifihadglass You’d see eyes of Hip Hop/Rap Battles/Performances twitter.com/theRealShooKon… — theLife of shooK on3 (@theRealShooKon3) February 26, 2013
Lincoln
#ifihadglass I would record my beautiful son 24/7 %uD83D%uDC8B
— BritMcConnell (@BritMcConnell) February 21, 2013
#ifihadglass, I would visit my favorite family by train and cook family recipes w each in their kitchens. Then, I’d keep learning to cook. — andreadavis (@andreadavis) February 21, 2013
#ifihadglass I’d share my college experience in US with my family and explore how to integrate Google Glass with motion sensing technology.
— Tianze Wang (@WangTianze) February 20, 2013
I’m going to Japan this summer. #ifihadglass I would document the entire experience—the language, culture, and beauty of a country far away. — Molly Storm (@MollyIsAStorm) February 20, 2013
#ifihadglass I would create an app that would make people, especially young women like myself, feel safe in their current surroundings.
— Christine Yost (@chrisyost) February 26, 2013
Elsewhere in Nebraska
#ifihadglassI would use it with my ESL 7-12 grade students. They could take pix of what they don’t understand, Google in class, translate. — Nancy Jacobs (@nksjacobs) February 21, 2013
Des Moines
#ifihadglass I would show the awesomeness of passing time during chemo infusions!Life is better when you are plugged inGoogle ROCKS!
— Teri Coday Osborn (@TeriOsborn) February 26, 2013
Elsewhere in Iowa
@projectglass #ifihadglass I’d use for observations of how students get to use tech in elementary & secondary school bit.ly/YLr8yT — Scott McLeod (@mcleod) February 22, 2013
@projectglass The implications for covering shows and events are intriguing. #ifihadglass — Daniel Tack (@dantack) February 20, 2013
#ifihadglass I would help change how the world sees agriculture. While increasing our own efficiency in the process. #gamechanger — Jon Blin (@jjbcattleco) February 21, 2013
@projectglass #ifihadglass I’d use it to to make easy-to-follow cooking instruction videos for @thepublichearth ow.ly/hVRjo — Kurt Michael Friese(@KurtMFriese) February 21, 2013
Explore disability issues.Movie captions for Deaf.Accessible routes for wheelchair.Reading asst. for LD/low vision. and more! #ifihadglass — Marti Slaughter (@martislaughter) February 21, 2013
I would show the world what it’s like to live life as a famous person stuck in a below-average person’s body #ifihadglass — the homie ZK (@ZKhawk26) February 23, 2013
#ifihadglass I would be able to show and explore the world in a whole new way. — Kelsie Maas (@_kelsieleigh) February 22, 2013
#ifihadglass I would bring you live tornadoes via Google Plus hangouts! #G — ChaserCentral (@ChaserCentral) February 21, 2013
Kansas City
I would prove that social connectivity and conversation can be more than superficial #ifihadglass — Chad Martin (@chadm) February 28, 2013
#ifihadglass Id bring it back to @intouchsol to start brainstorming how we use it to make patient lives better #futureofhealthcaretechnology — Kyle Kowalski (@kykow) February 20, 2013
#ifihadglass, I would share it with #kc citizens, and stitch their videos and photos into a documentary about all aspects of my city. — Sarah Wood (@hidama) February 21, 2013
#ifihadglass I would share my experiences with our @jetlifecompany audience & use it 2 film our next episode of the @selfmadethreads series — Drew Taylor (@SelfmadeDT) February 20, 2013
#ifihadglass I would record insane customers at my job, and be able to prove to my boss they really were crazy and I was nothing but kind. — Allie Q (@MissAllieQ) February 21, 2013
#ifihadglass i would film FUN like: youtube.com/watch?v=Gx-MHt… gadget REVIEWS: youtu.be/Bz-fmXX9QDI and INTERVIEWS: youtu.be/t3Hn4aqpJ8A — Ramsey Mohsen (@rm) February 26, 2013
#ifIhadglass I’d share my world travels with my family and build products that help prevent chronic disease. #google plus.google.com/10941963710700… — Chris G. Shaw (@MOChrisShaw) February 27, 2013
#ifihadglass I would explore its uses in the lives of young millennials and how it would affect our everyday lives @projectglass — Emily Chartrand (@Emalou) February 20, 2013
How Google Glass wants to change the world for travelers travel.cnn.com/how-google-gla… by @rafat – #ifihadglass I would document all of my travels. — Robert Patterson (@robertpatterson) February 21, 2013
As KCPS president, #ifihadglass I would visit every classroom asap. Our scholars deserve for people to see how remarkable & driven they are. — airick leonard west (@airickwest) February 22, 2013
It would be so easier for me to get places with a gps and me being a singer I could put the lyrics on my glasses!!!! #ifIhadglass — Kalen Allen (@Live4Now_) February 20, 2013
#ifihadglass It would revolutionize the way that notes are taken in class I could focus more on discussion than writing down everything — CΛLΞB-MICHΛΞL (@cmichaelfiles) February 20, 2013
#ifihadglass I would go to the local mall, have random folks try it out and document their responses. — Chandra Yarlagadda (@randommuses) February 21, 2013
#ifihadglass i’d be one step closer to my dream of becoming queen of a borg-like hive-mind collective. mmm omniscience 🙂 — Lisa Homstad (@lisa_homstad) February 22, 2013
#ifihadglass being a new mom would be much easier! I could take pics, record video, search answers to baby questions with baby in my arms! — Whitney Baker (@IHeartYBK) February 28, 2013
Elsewhere in Kansas
#ifihadglass Hands-free teaching! No longer tethered to a laptop or Elmo, limitless creative & practical classrm applications! — Kimberly Payton (@PaytonLHS) February 20, 2013
#ifihadglass, I’d use them to create a snowboarding documentary on Mt. Rainer. — Daniel Lindsley (@daniellindsley) February 20, 2013
Elsewhere in Missouri
If I had glass, I’d Hangout with Heroes. plus.google.com/u/0/1073237268… #IfIhadGlass — Sarah Hill (@SarahMidMO) February 24, 2013
#ifihadglass i want google glass. i would record every concert ever!
— Nikki Hindman (@nikkay2point0) February 21, 2013
#ifihadglass I could help parents see how I care for their precious babies when they can’t make it to our NICU. — Alyssa Stuart (@alyssastuart) February 21, 2013
Sioux Falls
#ifihadglass I’d be able to tell others the whole story behind images like this –> ow.ly/i/1zAxQ — Paul Ten Haken (@paultenhaken) February 23, 2013
#ifIhadGlass I would be able to utilize the internet and interact with my baby at the same time. She’s sick of seeing the back of my phone.
— Jill Blom (@jill_blom) February 27, 2013
#ifihadglass I would share a story of a D1 athlete going pro in something other than sports. My pursuit of happiness for the American dream — Dominique Clare(@DomClare) February 27, 2013
#ifihadglass I would showcase South Dakota in a different light so everyone could see the beauty. #digitalfrontieryfrog.com/kjmhpzcj
— John T. Meyer (@johntmeyer) February 28, 2013
Update April 10: When published, the article incorrectly stated that Israel Knight tried on Glass last year at Google I/O. He tried on the device at Google’s Glass Foundry event in February.
Note: Fred Bauters contributed to this post.
Credits: Israel Knight photo from twitter.com.