Though 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've 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 sidewalk 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 e-mail sent to Balez in April 2012):
I shudder in laughter wondering what would have happened if that e-mail was never sent. [Amanda Rosenberg via The Next Web]