Glass shatters doubts: Hands On Google Glass in Australia One of the first to get his hands on the much anticipated Google Glass, Chris Griffith says the device is easy to use for those with reading glasses. Get a zoo keeper's perspective through Google Glass as Taronga tests the device for the very first time. Video: Taronga Zoo Now you see it... Chris Griffith looks into the future. FORGET the parody videos that claim your vision will be clogged with ads when you wear Google Glass down the street. The little virtual display screen you see at the top right-hand doesn't dominate your view at all. You see it by focusing your pupils at around 2 o'clock high, and that puts what's ahead in peripheral vision, as if you're slightly looking away. Google Glass still is under wraps internationally. Google in the US has briefly lent two Glass units to its Sydney office, and The Weekend Australian was the first newspaper to try them on. Even so, we can't release some of the media we shot. Outside the US, Glass still has the aura of a top-secret project. VIDEO: Google Glass road tested Google can't say when they will sell here. Even in the US, where 8000 "explorers" are piloting Glass, there's an unspecific notion it will sell late this year. There's good news if you use reading glasses. The text I viewed in the Glass virtual window was as sharp as a tack even though I regularly use prescription lenses the equivalent of 3x cheaters found at chemists. VIDEO: A day at the zoo through Google Glass But near-sighted people reportedly have problems with Glass. The rule of thumb is "can you see a 25-inch TV clearly from 2.4 metres?" Otherwise, like about 17 per cent of us, you will need prescription lenses for Glass, which Google has vowed to make possible. The default set I tried had no lenses at all - they were glassless. Google Glass is basically a set of frames with a small on-board computer, camera and display. You select functions by swiping the touch pad on the arm: left, right and down, and by tapping. Alternatively, and more conveniently, you use voice commands, starting with "OK, Glass" to wake the unit up. One then speaks items from a menu on the virtual screen. I enjoyed snapping photos and taking video. It's fast to initiate. The 5 megapixel photos and 720p high definition video is good quality and displays a wider angle view than what you see - great but not identical. I also could see myself using Glass for directions when walking. If you turn around, the map changes orientation, just like the GPS in a car. As for driving, while Glass doesn't obstruct your view, you do alter where you focus. Driving experts will have more to say. Voice recognition with Glass isn't bad, but isn't brilliant either. You certainly can't stop mid-sentence. Glass wanted to take me to the Central Station Hotel, rather than Central Station in Sydney. And a couple of times my commands were interpreted as expletives, which went into the accessible Glass command history. Memo to the next Glass user: I plead innocent. To receive emails and use the "net, Glass requires you connect a phone to it with Bluetooth, in the same way you'd connect one of the new-generation digital watches. That's how you'd use it in the street. But Glass also has inbuilt WiFi, so you can link to the net wirelessly at home or in a café. One nice touch that I liked is the ability of glass to read your emails aloud. Glass has an unusual audio system. The thick right arm includes what's called a "bone conduction transducer" which sits next to your head and outputs vibrations to the inner part of the ear, rather than just regular sound. It's technology that Google has reportedly patented, akin to taking a short cut through the body's auditory system. I had looked forward to hearing how this would sound - and it sounded real enough, although the sound wasn't strong. This is OK in a quiet room but I haven't tested how this would sound in the street. Glass also is capable of video calling using Google Hangouts so you can share your view of the world with a group of friends. Of course there's a limit to the number of images and video you store on Glass but 12 Gigabytes of its 16GB of flash memory should be more than enough. Memory syncs with cloud storage. Battery life is emerging as an issue with Glass despite Google's assurance of all-day battery life. Some users in the US cite five hours of battery life even with moderate use. It is a challenge for Google to offer so much functionality in such a small device, along with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. Google has an app that lets you configure Glass from a smartphone. It includes a useful mirroring capability for displaying and recording your Glass-time. Despite its obvious innovation, Glass offers much of what you get on a smartphone, but in a radically different and ultra-convenient way. On some occasions, it might still be better to slip out your smartphone. But it was a great experience to try out Glass. The Explorer version of Glass cost $US1500 but the price is expected to drop substantially when Glass is sold generally. In the market Glass faces competition from cheaper HUD (head-up display) devices such as the Recon Jet, which although more oriented to athletics and health, over time will develop through the adoption of third-party apps. HUDs also are destined for cars with projected information displaying on the windscreen. BMW has developed it, and so has Garmin, who will released a GPS that displays driving directions on the windscreen. Would you wear Glass 24/7? That depends on how up-close and personal you enjoy anything for 24/7.