Business and Marketing

Google Glass gets off the mark, but will it have legs?

Today is Tax Day, but it's also the first day that regular citizens will be able to purchase Google Glasses. Whether the wearable search engine/camera/emailer leads to the creation of a new consumer touchpoint or just the passage of innumerable municipal laws regulating the ambulatory operation of them remains to be seen.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that Google chose today to release its $1,500 cyborgian fashion accessories, since many people will have tax refunds burning holes in their pockets. Until now, Google Glass has been the sole possession of “Explorers”-- developers and other marketplace influencers chosen to put the supercharged spectacles through their paces. Google is making only a limited number of Glasses available today, and they're sure to be snapped up by early adopters. It remains to be seen, however, if their appeal will range far beyond that group.

A study of 1,600 U.S. and U.K. consumers by Gfk last October learned that 40% of 16- to 24-year-olds found connected eyeglasses appealing, yet their intent to purchase fell by almost two thirds after they learned how much they—and other wearables like watches—cost.

“Google Glass could make the promise of location-based marketing a reality, however it's not immediately obvious that Glass will have any success beyond the early adopters,” says Marc Poirier, EVP, Business Development of Acquisio. “This sale should help gauge interest beyond the ‘in' crowd and tell us a lot about the future of Glass.”

Business Breaking News: Samsung Galaxy S5 vs. HTC One M8: Which Is Better For Business?

Want the fastest business phone around? Samsung's new Galaxy S5 and HTC's new One M8 are two of the most powerful smartphones ever. And they aren't just speedy. Both devices pack big, sharp displays, handy software updates and long battery life. In other ways, these new flagship smartphones are very different. The One M8 makes an impression with its slick metal casing, while the Galaxy S5 packs new hardware features, including a fingerprint reader. Read on for a head-to-head comparison.

Galaxy S5: The Galaxy S5's Super AMOLED display is big, bright and extremely sharp. At 5.1 inches, it's a smidge bigger than the 5-inch screen on its predecessor, the Galaxy S4. For most business users, that's a benefit; a little extra screen real estate can go a long way toward improving productivity. The S5's big display is more comfortable for basic tasks such as email and Web browsing, and it offers the space you'll need to view or edit documents and spreadsheets right on your smartphone.

One M8: The new HTC One M8 has a bigger, better display than its predecessor. Its 1920 x 1080-pixel, 5-inch display is significantly larger than the original HTC One's 4.7-inch screen. Business users will appreciate the phone's sharp picture, and the extra screen real estate can help you be more productive. But the phone's display isn't as bright or colorful as the Galaxy S5's.

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