As reported on TechCrunch.
by RIP EMPSON
Over the last year, Google has slowly been unveiling its plans around Project Glass, the company’s R&D program responsible for attempting to bring wearable computing to the mainstream. Complete with augmented reality and an integrated display, Google’s smart glasses have had many geeks on pins and needles, especially as “Explorer” editions of the glasses have been expected to begin showing up early this year.
Today, Google sent out its first invitations to the developers who signed up for the $1,500 special edition glasses, inviting them to an “early look at Glass” and “two full days of hacking on the upcoming Google Mirror API” in San Francisco and NYC. The invite also includes the first mention of the project’s APIs, which have gone unmentioned to this point.
These hackathons, which Google has dubbed the “Glass Foundry,” are exclusive to developers in the company’s Explorer Program, offering those select engineers the opportunity to get an early shot at building for Project Glass.
According to invitation, the hackathons will introduce developers to Glass (they’ll be given a device on-site) as well as its Mirror API, which “gives you the ability to exchange data and interact with the user over REST.” The developers will then be given free rein to hack away, with Project Glass engineers on hand to help them along the way.
On the second day, the hackathons will culminate with the standard round of demos to be overseen by a handful of “guest judges.” Google doesn’t make it clear what kind of rewards — if any — await the winners. It’s also interesting to see that Google is being so brisk about the invitations, which don’t offer much time for turnaround. The deadline to respond to the invitations is Friday, and the events are scheduled to take place on January 28th and 29th in San Francisco and February 1st and 2nd in NYC.
Here is the full text of the email Google just sent out:
Join us for an early look at Glass and two full days of hacking on the upcoming Google Mirror API in San Francisco or New York. These hackathons are just for developers in the Explorer program and we’re calling them the Glass Foundry. It’s the first opportunity for a group of developers to get together and develop for Glass.
We’ll begin the first day with an introduction to Glass. You’l have a device to use while on-site. Next we’ll take a look at the Mirror API, which gives you the ability to exchange data and interact with the user over REST. We’ll then dive into development with Google engineers on site to help you at any point. At the end of the second day we’ll have a lively round of demos with some special guest judges.
If you’d like to attend this first Glass Foundry, please choose and register by Friday, January 18th at 4pm PT. There is limited space. If you are accepted, you will receive a confirmation letter with additional details and required terms after registration closes. Please don’t make any travel arrangements until your attendance is confirmed.