If using Glass has taught me anything, it’s that people want to try it.

At festivals, conferences, outdoor shows, or even just while walking down the street, people approach in pairs, groups, or solo. Their eyes widen, and they ask: “Is that it?” I nod, they smile, and a conversation begins.

“What are you seeing right now?” they ask, ogling the eyepiece above my right eye, not noticing its darkened state.

“Right now, I’m looking at you. So I see you.”

“Oh, but are you recording everything? Should I not say anything incriminating?” A giggle then, ranging from innocent to slightly disturbing.

Through a smile, I answer, “The battery life isn’t huge, so no – I don’t waste it.” I wink or I don’t wink, depending on my mood and the attractiveness of the guy asking (yes, it’s usually a guy).

After the friendly ribbing, I try to summarize what I’ve learned – for the non-disturbing folks, at least.

I’m the star of many people’s first #throughglass pics.

Sean Hemeon and I in another first #throughglass pic.

1. Glass isn’t what you’d expect.

Since I picked up my Glass on May 29, at least 30 people have tried it. And whether by telling me (as more than half did), “This is much less intrusive than I thought” or by putting it on wrong (placing the display directly in front of their right eye rather than above and aside), it turns out the vast majority were surprised at how Glass actually fits and feels. Its display is meant to look like a 25″ screen from 8 feet away. Is that intrusive?

2. Glass is “of the moment.”

I mean, look at it. The hardware’s very design is an on-your-face hint that Glass is about NOW. (And I love the now.) It’s best for receiving important info right away and sending your own without much feather-ruffling. Rather than retreating into the rabbit holes of your smartphone, you can remain in the world.

“Glassware”

• Texts – via Bluetooth from your phone
• Gmail – Priority Inbox message notifications
• Google Now – quick info and alerts based on your calendar events, location, etc
• Facebook, Path, Tumblr, Twitter – notifications and sharing
• New York Times, CNN, Elle – news alerts, as they’re pushed out

3. Glass helps you consume content AND create it.

Along with surfacing “of the moment” content to take in, Glass has impressive on-board tools to help you create and share content of your own:

• 5MP still camera (for 2528 x 1856 photos)
• 720p HD video camera
• Voice-activated photo and video captions (per app capabilities)
• Near-instant automatic photo enhancement, within Glass
• Sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Path through wireless connection or your phone’s data via Bluetooth
• Auto-backup to Google+
• 12 GB onboard storage
• Battery life: 45 min continuous video or 3-4 hours off-and-on usage

4. Glass can tell stories.

For video that documents a moment, an event, or a conversation, Glass blows any smartphone camera out of the water. I recorded my first Glass video on Google’s campus in Venice, CA the day I picked up Glass. Here’s what I’ve observed since then:

• Glass’s onboard mic sits inside the frame, more protected from outside noise. As a result, self-narration comes out ultra-clear.
• Framing is set-it-and-nearly-forget-it. If anything, you only need a quick look or two at the display while shooting.
• When someone’s looking at your camera, they’re also (mostly) looking at you. So, once your observers get past their initial Googley-eyed state, you can record a pretty solid interview. In my first days with Glass, I was reminded of Errol Morris’s Interrotron, which allowed interviewees to look at the face of an interviewer rather than at a camera. I’d love to know what Morris thinks of Glass.
• Recording is hands-free. “But GoPro video cameras do that, too,” you might think. Indeed, they do. But Glass is so much smaller and way cuter. And a GoPro certainly can’t do the other stuff mentioned in this post. As WIRED Gadget Lab’s Matt Honan points out, Glass could easily kill GoPro the same way smartphones put point-and-shoot cameras to rest.

A few tests I recorded and edited:

5. Glass can educate.

Since Glass has the hands-free video advantage, and since it can also connect to a live Google+ Hangout (where others on the call will hear your voice and see what you’re seeing), I believe Glass offers a whole new window on education. Using Glass, you can share anything from “How to apply long-lasting lip liner” to “How to fix the engine of a space shuttle” and everything in-between.

I tested this theory as well. Please enjoy the results!

6. Glass makes augmented reality make actual sense.

Many others have noticed this already. Because Glass is the first unobtrusive, head-mounted display, it’s poised to catapult augmented reality into actual reality for a mass (or more mass) audience. Some even call Glass an “augmented reality head-mounted display” (as this early article does). I wouldn’t go that far, because as yet the device does not “perceive” what’s seen through the lens in order to layer information over it. Yet.

That said, Google has banned display advertising on Glass. And though I’ve worked in the ad industry for 14 years, I heartily agree with the ban. Glass becomes much more a part of its wearer than any other technology, and that must not be taken lightly. With Glass, I feel the new digital adage “mobile first” doesn’t go far enough. With Glass, I believe apps must be “helpful first.”

7. Glass turns regular people into celebs – and celebs into fanboys/fangirls.

This one will take a little explanation: in short, I’ve been working with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the past several weeks to create social media content promoting this fall’s Primetime Emmys. Prior to this, I’d only seen the first part of this point (regular people as celebs) come to life – when I wore Glass to an outdoor festival in Chicago this summer. Several groups of people approached me there, or just gasped and whispered to their friend, “That’s Glass!” Nope, not kidding.

The other half of my point (celebs as fanboys) came true, more or less, on my second day at the Television Academy. That evening, a director and crew shot a Primetime Emmys promo piece that will soon appear on United Airlines flights. Hosting this piece was Kunal Nayyar, whom you may know as Raj on CBS’s The Big Bang Theory. Using Glass, I shot a fair amount of behind-the-scenes footage and stills (G-roll, I’ve coined it).

Kunal Nayyar tries Google Glass

During a few minutes of downtime, Kunal asked about Glass and tried it out. A few moments later, he was called back to the set. After a few takes, when the crew had to reset for a new shot, Kunal raced back to try Glass again. He put it on, and I coached him through his options. He said, “Okay Glass, send a message.” Because Glass is linked to my personal Google account, it listed my contacts. Using his voice, Kunal sent a message to my friend Laureen and another to my friend Dave. After that, he accidentally started a Hangout with one of my Google+ circles – about 85 people. (Oopsie – sorry, circle friends.) After Kunal was called to set again, we chatted a third time – and I “Glassed” the whole thing. To see that video, click the SxSW tile below!

Our SxSW session idea: “And the Emmy goes to… Google Glass”

In just a handful of weeks at the Television Academy, we’ve seen what Glass can mean for interviews, access, and a new, more inclusive POV on the television industry. We all feel it’s worth talking about, so we’ve proposed a session at SxSW Interactive. (UPDATE: Less than 15% of the proposed sessions were picked up for SxSW 2014 (ouch!), and we weren’t one of them. No worries; we’re just getting started. Look out, 2015.)

 Click this to see the proposal!  

Related articles

• 5 reasons I care about Google Glass (margorowder.com)
• #ThroughGlass: Zookeepers, Disneyland, and NFL punting, oh my! [VIDEO] (phandroid.com)
• Nina Garcia Is Going to Judge New York Fashion Week #ThroughGlass (betabeat.com)

Thus, of course I was attracted to Google’s #ifihadglass program: a chance for a few thousand consumers (read: NOT developers) to get an exclusive sneak preview and beta tester status for Google Glass wearable technology and its “Glassware” apps/platform. Up to that point, only developers who’d attended last year’s Google i/O conference had gotten a chance to preorder it.

2. I’m a techthusiast.

I took Computer Science classes in high school, but my techthusiasm didn’t fully develop until I began to work for digital marketing firm Critical Mass in 2007. As a Senior Copywriter there, I’ve gotten the chance to brainstorm websites and apps for clients from Pampers to United Airlines, and even a project for Google. Dreaming up these solutions made me realize how smart and helpful technology could be. This work also showed me that I could help shape its future. Awesome, in the truest sense of the word.

My first #throughglass pic

3. I make up worlds with different technologies – for fun.

In 2009, I wrote the first draft of my young-adult speculative fiction manuscript 30 Decibels. The technology in the story stems from a separate set of circumstances: in a future society, only some people can talk and the rest have to whisper. These “Whisper Rules” took effect after social media-triggered food shortage riots killed half the world. Tech and social media are as regulated as possible, and each person’s volume signifies their level of access. Whisperers use a few devices for text-based messages while Leaders still have all the networks and devices we do – and more.

4. Glass seemed so familiar…

30 Decibels is set in the year 2123, and the tech is well removed from ours. Or so I thought. See for yourself, with a quick excerpt where main character Ava sends a message to her best friend:

Maybe I should warn Michele. I hold down a button on my specs ’ponder and sweep my eyes left to bring up a list of who’s around. After selecting “Robby,” I type the rest using gestures along my left temple. My movements are well-versed enough that most people probably don’t notice – including Robby – but my heart races anyway. Holding down all the buttons sends my message:

FIGHT W/ROBBY.

More on ‘ponders (“transponders”): To create messages, you’d use your voice, mouth movements, or combo of touch, eye tracking, and location-based info. Security “scentsors” identify you by your unique smell, so your ‘ponder only retrieves your data when you’re the one wearing it.

As you can probably guess, when I first read about Google’s plans to introduce Glass, I geeked out. Sure, the “specs ’ponder” described above works a little differently – for instance, Glass’s user interface doesn’t use an eye-tracking interface (yet), and gestures are made on the right side rather than the left. But, I’ll be honest; I sure felt smart.

5. Google picked me (nerd-girl Margo!) to try it.

My #ifihadglass entry, submitted via Google+ in February, wasn’t groundbreaking; I listed a few primary ways I’d use it on a regular basis: hands-free navigation while riding my bike (my only wheels), recording new ideas on the spot (also hands-free), and showing my son what my Los Angeles life is like between visits back to Chicago. Frankly, I expected nothing to come of the entry.

On March 27, Google invited me to be a Glass Explorer.

Hearing the news set my heart on overdrive, not only for all the ubernerdy reasons above and because I wanted to get my hands on Glass, but also – admittedly – because it meant the judging panel may have considered me savvy with the social medias… the Facebooks, Twitters, YouTubes, the G+es. I’d heard the selection process would consider applicants’ influence through social networks. (Note: A few peculiar Glass invites early on triggered speculation about Google’s judging process, but most of that has been cleared up.)

My career as a copywriter in the digital space often has me thinking in the languages of social media and branding, at levels ranging from mom ‘n pop to conglomerate. I can’t guess how many research abstracts, insight briefs, and articles I’ve read on the subjects in my 14 years of ad & marketing experience.

The philosophy I try to follow with self-branding is to spend only the time with it that’s enjoyable, and no more. Case in point, to SO many people, I am the WORST EVER blogger because I don’t write posts at least once a week. Sue me; I’m too busy writing for other brands – United, HP, USAA, for instance. (Now; if only I’d put that writing into blog posts. Sure I’d get into HUGE trouble with work clients, but man would I look prolific!)

An invite to Project Glass meant my online “presence” may’ve had an impact – and that made me glad and proud I’d taken personal branding (at least semi-) seriously. Professionally, receiving the invite was a bit like receiving the ultimate LinkedIn recommendation – from effing Google! Pardon my effing French.

I picked up Glass at the Google office in Venice, CA. The experience is well-documented here, in the LA Times. Fair warning: nerd-girl appears throughout the featured video.

Google Glass through the eyes of an early adopter [LA Times]

Read the follow-up post: 7 things I’ve learned #throughglass.

Well, the future is running a tad late.

Pebble’s Kickstarter project promises a glimpse of Tomorrowland: a watch you can customize with apps that access your smartphone through a Bluetooth connection. It will be the first “smartwatch” that works perfectly with both Android and iPhone. The Pebble is much smaller and lighter than similar devices, but the stand-out differentiator – for nerdies like me – is its high-res ePaper display. That means this thing will look totally sharp in direct sunlight. Hear, hear (if you hadn’t already)!

The team had projected they’d be shipping Pebbles (including my chosen color, “Arctic White”), by last month. Unfortunately, manufacturing is still underway. 

After I finally get my Pebble (by mid-next year, they’ve assured), I plan to check texts from it, see who’s calling, control my favorite Pandora channels, keep stats on running and bike-riding, see my notifications, and probably a bunch more cool stuff – hands-free.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Pebble is the Open SDK the company will offer alongside it. That means smart people everywhere (shouts again, to my nerdies!) can develop apps for the Pebble. When I heard this, my mind bee-lined to the implications for my young-adult speculative fiction novel Thirty Decibels. In the story, both classes (Whisperers and Leaders) use devices called ’ponders – they’re within eyeglasses, contact lenses, desks, mirrors, and windows, but they’re primarily worn on the wrist like a Pebble. A ’ponder makes use of more native technology than a Pebble, but I bet we’ll soon see these developments. I believe Pebble’s SDK and its open-source philosophy will make it possible.

Pebble’s Kickstarter project has ended, but you can still pre-order Pebble.

Are you a developer interested in building a Pebble app? Let’s talk. Drop me a line by leaving a comment below or clicking my picture on the top right corner.

Check out these choice quotes about Pebble:

“Kickstart [a] nice e-paper watch! Your Backer, e pluribus unum!”
– William Gibson

“Smartwatches haven’t really caught on with mainstream buyers – but that might change with Allerta’s new wrist-worn creation”
– Wired Gadget Lab

“Proven track record…Incredibly useful product”
– Forbes

Related articles

• Take A Look At The Slick Interface On The Pebble Smartwatch (businessinsider.com)
• After Seeking 100K, Pebble Smart Watch Raises over 3M on Kickstarter (epicagear.com)
• Pebble Tech shows off Smartwatch UI [Demo video] (androidauthority.com)
• Pebble E-Paper smartwatch gets close to release with UI preview (video) (mobilesyrup.com)

Thanks to everyone who’s joined Readers Aloud.
After two weeks, we’re 60 readers strong and counting!

I *just* drew the winner of the 3-Chapter Readers Aloud giveaway, via random.org. Without further ado, the winner is…

S. Kyle Davis!

The prize: I’ll read 3 chapters of Kyle’s work-in-progress and send him an audio file. This way, he can listen to his work and find the spots that may need more attention. Many agents and editors highly recommend incorporating this step into the revision process. (Here’s an article on why this technique works.)

So, what does Kyle think about his win? I’m such a nerd for giveaways, I had to ask him:

I think that Readers Aloud is awesome! I’ve already done my first reading, and I’m excited to do more. It’s easy and a lot of fun. I am so excited that I won the contest, and I’m looking forward to hearing the results. I’m very curious to hear how my book sounds during a cold read, and think this will be a huge help during my writing and revisions. Thanks Margo!

Yay, Kyle! I look forward to reading those chapters.

Could you use a fresh perspective on your WIP?

Visit Readers Aloud, a free and open exchange on Facebook designed to help revising writers. Our willing readers can help you take your manuscript to a whole new level – and you can do the same for someone else.

[As seen here, too. This post was tagged #LOL by the editors at Tumblr! OMG!]

For more funny stuff, follow me on Tumblr!

Readers Aloud

Readers Aloud is an open exchange project, pairing willing voices with revising writers or others who need read-aloud versions of written work.

Writers, join the group to take your manuscript to a whole new level – HEAR your latest revision from a reader’s voice. More than you ever could before, you’ll pick up on subtle, nuanced changes you should make.

How Readers Aloud makes it happen:

1. Those who want something read aloud leave a post on the wall describing their project (genre, word count, etc).
2. Volunteers comment on the projects they’d like to lend their voice to. Every little bit helps – even just a chapter. More commenters can chip in, crowdsource-style.
3. Writers and volunteers decide amongst themselves how to exchange text and audio files.
4. Give what you get! If you get help with your read-aloud project, help someone else with theirs – anything from a chapter to a whole book.
(Non-writers can post projects, too!)

I’m excited to help my fellow writers – starting with the group’s co-founder, author Kat Yeh. Kat’s work-in-progress will be the FIRST Readers Aloud project. After all, it helped inspire the group (see the story below)!

Enter our Charter Member Contest!

Join Readers Aloud (for free, of course!) and leave a comment below. For every comment from a new member, I’ll read aloud & record 250 words of Kat’s book. So challenge me – if 200 new members leave comments, I’ll read the whole thing!

Writers, get a chance to win!

Writers with a work in progress: tell me in your comment. We want to help! If you’re our randomly selected commenter, we’ll read aloud and record three chapters of any WIP to give your revision a boost.

To qualify, join the group and leave your comment by 11:59 CST on Monday, July 9. The winner will be announced July 11.

And do your writing community a solid – send your writing buds to http://bit.ly/ReadersAloud. Building our numbers will make it easier for all of us to get read-aloud help!

So… where’d this group come from?

My author friend Kat Yeh asked a question of her Facebook friends last night:

Does anyone else read their manuscript aloud during revision?

Kat wanted to know if she was the only one talking to herself. Of COURSE not! (Gosh, you’re silly!), the internet said. Harold Underdown, legendary editorial consultant and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Publishing Children’s Books, commented,

“It’s a technique I recommend. Even better is to have someone read it to you.”

Many other writers echoed this, in the 37 comments Kat’s thread collected. At one point, she lamented that her manuscript was probably too much for one reader to take on – 53,335 words. So, my unthinking brain (it does that sometimes) typed “Crowdsource it!” in the comment box. But then I thought, Yeah – I could read her a chapter and record it. That’s easy! 10, 15 minutes tops. So in another comment, I offered to read a chapter. And then the two of us got to talking about the idea of an exchange… And that’s how Readers Aloud was born.

Become a charter member and read aloud with us. Add your ideas or general comments about the group below. Our brains are storming with thoughts on helping non-profits, starting a monthly best-of podcast, approaching acting schools and sketch troupes… The read-aloud sky is endlessly blue, and we welcome your thoughts!

Don’t get me wrong – I  social media. It celebrates individual voices while also creating a new concept of global reach. (As a writer, I’m always wowed by how powerfully social media brings writerly comrades together – we’re a very solitary ilk, after all.) That said, Pinterest didn’t seem like my thing. Scrapbooking meets wish-listing? Meh. I’d just wait until something extraordinary convinced me.

Today was that day.

Jacqueline Courtney (center) united her backgrounds in design, publicity, and digital strategy to create Nearly Newlywed. (Photo ©Lisa Beggs)

Today, I heard about nearlynewlywed.com, a website that sells pre-worn designer gowns and gives buyers a guaranteed opportunity to sell them back afterwards. “A smart business in itself,” you’re thinking, if you’re anything like me.

What I learned afterwards drove me to click.

(Keep in mind: I’m the farthest from wedding-gown shopping as you can get, without being a dude.) “Nearlyweds,” as the company calls gown shoppers (I’m falling deeper in love at every turn!), can request personal shopping service via Pinterest. “WHAAAAT,” you’re thinking, if you’re anything like me.

How it works:

1. A gown shopper (AKA nearlywed :) makes a Pinterest board with gowns and/or visual inspirations for her gown
2. She follows Nearly Newlywed on Pinterest and leaves a comment with a link to her board
3. The personal shopping team visits her board, then tags her on their own dresses they think she’d like.

As I read more about the personal shopping service on the site, a friendly chat message popped up:

Hi, we’re online right now and available to answer any questions or discuss feedback! – Jacqueline

Hmmm. I decided to bite. What transpired was an impromptu interview with the site’s founder, Jacqueline Courtney:

Margo: I love the Pinterest shopping feature – how did the company come up with that?

Jacqueline Courtney: It was really an organic idea – we wanted to find a way so that I could chat with girls about their inspiration, and also offer advice on dresses that they may not consider or see in stores – since some of our gowns are a few seasons past. Pinterest seemed like a natural choice, since it is so visual. 

M: I think it represents what Pinterest should evolve into. Another example of true customer service via social media.

JC: Definitely – and one thing that is important to me is to have our Pinterest site still be authentic, so our products are contained to one or more board. And we are also suggesting other dresses and staying involved in the larger discussion.

Ironically (and downright metaphysically), Jacqueline was proving her point about being a part of the larger discussion… by making herself available for this tiny one with me.

So, the clues are all there – her business savvy is spot-on. In fact, the idea was born out of a huge needs gap – Jacqueline herself had bought (and then sold) a Vera Wang gown for her own wedding years ago. The process was less-than-pretty; it was in dire need of elevation.

Where the magic comes from: my theory

Nearly Newlywed’s mission statement, “Making brides happy,” comes to life on the site. NN makes a daunting shopping process easier and budget-friendlier for nearlyweds, most impressively by meeting them on a platform they’re already using (or should be). Simple move, but it stands out. It proves that they’re motivated to become more active in emerging channels and platforms – not just to say they did – but rather to create an extraordinary experience for their prospects and customers.

Jacqueline’s love for what she does has become almost tangible. And in my estimation, that’s when and why the magic happens – why some companies just seem like they’re “doing it right.” NN is living, Pinteresting proof that companies that embrace change will have more customers falling for them (and will even inspire those outside the target market to blog about them). Companies that embrace change – just as their customers do – will forever mark themselves as thought leaders.

All this love talk has me a little flustered… So let’s turn to you – who do you think is using social media to the fullest?

The friend was Len Kendall (one of the founders of the3six5.com). First, he mobilized hundreds of people by inviting them to a Facebook event. This was his venue to explain his plan to propose to Katie using an internet meme. The FB event also opened up a venue for discussion (and a little trash talk) among contributors.

This morning, Buzzfeed let Len take over their homepage for the day. (They loved the idea when he approached them with it two weeks ago.)

On Len’s proposal post, anybody could post their contributions through a meme generator embedded in the comment tool. Buzzfeed created this tool just for Len. With it, users simply uploaded a background, positioned the picture layer of Len proposing, and added their own message. Hundreds of us added to the “meme” and shared the posts to their social networks. Len even directed contributors to share with the hashtag #SayYesKatie.

At about noon CST, Len posted an update – Katie said yes!

Scott Lamb, BuzzFeed’s managing editor, says, “It’s been one of the biggest and fastest growing community reaction posts we’ve ever done.” Jack Shepherd at Buzzfeed even posted a Best-of #SayYesKatie post.

So the story traveled, as good stories often do.
#SayYesKatie appeared on MSNBC, The Chicago Tribune, and Mashable, among other outlets.

My contributions

So, what does it mean, Double Rainbow?

Stop – I’m not even half as cool as a DR. But here’s what I think.

With the maturing and evolution of the social web, people now have the power to bend the internet. We’ve used the web billions of times to promote other media, but now we can do so much more to harness its own power. I know this is all very meta, but just think of it this way:
When television was first came along, people thought it was a great way to advertise radio.

If an individual like Len can “bend” the internet to tell his story, in what amazing ways could the social web tell yours?

Related articles

• Man asks Internet to help him propose … and it actually works (digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com)
• The #SayYesKatie Meme and What it Means for the Internet (experiencematters.criticalmass.com)
• For Marriage Proposal, Man Uses Meme and Asks Internet for Help [PICS] (mashable.com)
• Buzzfeed Proposal (neatorama.com)
• This Ad Exec Just Proposed To His Girlfriend In A Crowdsourced Buzzfeed Meme (businessinsider.com)

How successful have they been?

In the Mighty Twig’s first six months:

• 18,017 people visited
• 509 children checked out 6,062 books
• Volunteers distributed 15,297 free books across Evanston
• They’ve built up a long wait-list of volunteers ages 10 to 89

They want to do even more – but they need your help.

Vote for Mighty Twig on Pepsi Refresh!
Help underserved areas get books.

The Mighty Twig’s newest project, “Right Book. Right Place. Right Person“ needs your vote in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge. Cheryl Chamberlain, Twig Advisory Board member (who’s also on EPLF’s Board of Directors) says,

With our project, we’ll buy books by African-American authors and books in Spanish and distribute them to 10 book centers in public areas throughout west Evanston. These areas have zero library services. We also have another three reading rooms beyond The Mighty Twig, and yesterday we began work on our fourth.

How to Vote

The top 15 candidates will get a grant, but The Mighty Twig’s standing is in the mid-20’s. So please vote once per day until the contest ends on November 30, 2011.
Vote online here: http://www.refresheverything.com/themightytwig

Vote via text:
Send the code 109325 in a text message to PEPSI (73774).

Don’t forget:

You can vote every day both online and via text.
Thanks for your support!