CCTV9英语新闻：谷歌眼镜首次网上公开发售
大众网民可首次网上购买谷歌眼镜啦！但是这价值1500美元的眼镜只在美国公开发售一天。
The general public can now buy Google Glass from online shops for the first time. But the devices, which are worth 1,500 US dollars, are only available for one-day to people in the US.
No one said getting a pair of Google Glasses would be cheap. They’re 1,500 bucks.
But on Tuesday, for one day, anyone in the U.S. willing to plunk down the cash could buy a pair off Google’s website.
Google Glass available to the public online
Mashable’s Chief Correspondent Lance Ulanoff says the sale comes at a critical moment for Glass, which so far has only been available to a small group of developers and other so-called "Glass Explorers".
So why limit the sale to just one day?
"It generates some excitement. Right now, Google Glass is a really esoteric device that some people have seen, they’ve heard about it. They haven’t had a chance to touch it. They’re starting to misunderstand it. I think that’s Google big concern," Lance Ulanoff said.
Since it was first unveiled to the public in 2012, Glass has also been plagued by concerns about privacy. That prompted the release of its Glass etiquette guide earlier this year - complete with rules like "Ask for permission" and "Don’t be creepy or rude... aka a ’glasshole’".
Ulanoff says by broadening the product’s user base, even if ever so slightly, Tuesday’s sale allows Google to hit the reset button.
"They really want people in professions and walks of life where maybe they can give people the perspective to someone else that can be useful. It can help other people for training or to tell a story. I think that’s what they’re looking for. I’ve run into a lot of people who haven’t had access to it before," Lance Ulanoff said.
The company is expected to roll out Glass to the public later this year. It’s already forged relationships with the world’s largest eyeglass manufacturer Luxottica and the vision insurance provider VSP.
IDC research analyst Ramon Llamas says this one-day sale is part of prolonged beta testing, which gives Google time to understand what the consumer wants.
"Reaching out to some of the other companies, VSP, Luxottica, to put together a different kind of hardware and different kinds of looks - I think Google is taking not a one-size-fits-all but multiple sizes and multiple styles are going to be more suitable for more people," Ramon Llamas said.
Llamas expects shipments of wearables to reach about 20 million units by the end of the year. He says Glass is good for all wearables.
"I think if anything, at the very least this is going to keep wearables in the common conversation. We already have things like fit bits, Nike fuel bands and jawbone. You got smart watches that go on your other wrist and clip on, what have you. And this is going to help draw attention to that entire category," Ramon Llamas said.
But some analysts say while the publicity is good, the high cost might still be prohibitive. They expect Google Glass could go for half its current 15-00 dollar price tag before it hits store shelves.
