What Google Glass for publishing could do...

Have you seen the video for Google Glass? They have a pretty slick site here that tells you how "How it feels" and "What it does." And when you watch the demo videos, you get the sense that it is the most amazing toy ever that will solve all of your problems. The marketing is great. We still don't know what it will be like to use them in real day to day life, and that's also not what I'm going to speculate on here.

What about Google Glass for books?

Let's assume that Google Glass (or something like it) works out and becomes popular. Let's say it's out there on the scale that tablets and maybe even ereaders is.

What would the publishing industry be able to do to innovate through books?

1. Augmented print: In my mind, reading with Google Glass on could offer all the doo-dads that ebooks are trying hard to create. Rather than needing to build them into the book, you could just use your Glass to do specific searches. A publisher could build a site that is specifically set up to augment a print book, with an author interview, discussions, photo library, etc. that any reader could tap into anytime. Or students, for that matter, could tap into a living classroom while using textbooks that are popular across the country.

2. AV books: Imagine having a book read to you and shown to you at the same time. Or having specific chapters be Google Glass experiences. Or having all of the extras be a Google Glass dial-up that you can go to when you finish reading the book. The tech is there if there is a critical mass of users for publishers to build it.

3. Bookstore Search: I can imagine savvy independent bookstores offering specific aisle browsing perks for people who are doing it with Google Glass on. Anything from offering quick written descriptions of the books to short clips of author interviews or even reviews from other shoppers at that bookstore location. All available at your fingertips... I mean, um, eyelash tips?

Image source: teddytan via flickr