Content marketing is part art with a touch of science.

Creating great content requires a word smith or a creative video producer. The better this foundation is, the more attractive the content is to the viewer and increasing its chances for sharing on the web.

That’s the art part.
So we all know that high quality content and social media sharing and engagement are the driving force behind traffic and conversions. Yet most people don’t have a clear strategy for tracking and analysing performance.
This is the simple science.

Most of us periodically check our Google Analytics to find the number of visitors, or referrals from Google or Facebook, but few know how to use other data available in analytics to maximize their social media and content marketing strategies.

Do you know how to use Google Analytics data to come up with ideas for new articles? Or how Pinterest analytics can help you learn more about your buyer personas, thus helping you shape your message?

In this article I will discuss 6 simple ways to use analytics data to assist with your content marketing strategy.

1. Using long-tail keywords for keyword research

Keyword research is an easy way to brainstorm content. While you might optimize your site architecture with your primary keywords, you also probably know that these should be used sparingly in order to avoid picking up red flags by Penguin.

However, the long-tail keywords you find during your keyword research can still be incorporated into your content. Keyword buckets and competitive research should yield hundreds of potential keywords that can be used as inspiration for content.

If the content is going onto your site, use keywords as the base for article titles and organize them to create a flow for an editorial calendar. High-value keywords can be interspersed with diverse and low-competition keywords, all of which will benefit your site, while allowing you generate large amounts of content and keep to a regular posting schedule.

Start by going to Google Analytics, and pulling a Search report by keyword (Traffic Sources > Sources > Search > Overview). Change the number of keywords displayed to 100. Then take those keywords and use them to run a ranking report. Identify keywords that have brought you traffic but you are not ranking in the top 5. Then use those keywords as part of your content marketing efforts.

2. Creating personas 

When publishing content you should always have a target audience in mind, but within that audience you can develop buyer personas that will help you understand who you are writing for and what their interests will be. You want to consider which stage of the purchase funnel they belong to as well as what questions they may want answered.

As you move along your publishing schedule, you will begin to see which personas respond to your content. Perhaps those in your top-of-the-funnel persona comment most on general advice articles, while those toward the bottom of the funnel are more likely to share your latest company updates on social media. You want to be aware of what they are responding to and react accordingly.

You can track social shares with a tool like TrackUr, or of course, Google Analytics.

3. Studying pinterest

When it comes to content marketing, Pinterest is a valuable social media platform. Pinterest is based solely on unique, shareable content, which makes it the perfect pool for brainstorming and testing out ideas.

Determine what category your content falls under and at a quick glance you can see what types of content are trending and getting the most repins. Look at sites like Repinly which tracks the most popular pins and boards on Pinterest to get ideas of what content will perform well on Pinterest, and what you should be pinning to gain your own Pinterest following.

Once you’ve begun pinning you can delve into analytics data with tools like PinLeague, which I use to look at the statistics of images that Iíve pinned as well as what images have been pinned from my website. You can see what images and pins are getting shared and by whom, which can give you insight into your audience demographics and help further develop your buyer personas.

4. Benchmarking real-time data

Benchmarking is also extremely important to keeping on top of your content marketing efforts. These tools can help you grasp the popularity of your content and what direction it should take by providing a range of metrics.

Cyfe is the benchmarking dashboard Iíve found most useful as it allows me to track a variety of metrics on multiple social platforms, and displays that information all in one place for quick, real-time analysis of social followers, visitors, leads and customers.

Comparing this data to a site-specific tool like Pinleague will allow you to better understand what content your audience is responding to, and the better you understand your audience, the sooner you will be able to produce content that is valuable and relevant to that audience.

Cyfe is a tool that i refer to on a daily basis. It allows me to, at a glance, see how all of my sites and clients are performing. I can see traffic trends, social shares, and much more. From this view, I can then investigate if I see a major spike or decrease of traffic. For example, if there ís a spike in traffic and social shares, I will then go to Google Analytics and find the landing page that generated this traffic and social shares. Then, based on the content, I wíll write more content specific to this topic.

5. Sharing site-specific content

Now that you have an understand of exactly what content your audience wants, you can begin to create strategies specific to each site you intend to share it on.

Pinleague will give you an idea of what content is most shareable on Pinterest. If, for example, a company that sells study guides posts an infographic on the college acceptance rates, and gets 10 unique pins and 500 repins, then any future content they develop on college statistics should be accompanied by strong graphics so that it can be easily integrated into Pinterest.

At the same time, fans of their Facebook page might prefer study guide updates or the latest discounts, which reveals that Facebook might be the best site for attracting traffic and conversions. By paying attention to analytics data you can convert them from followers to potential clients to sales.

6. Repurpose content 

Now that you are tracking and investigating the success of your content, you have access to a wealth of data about the performance of your content. Let’s say that one of your infographics gets tons of repins. Why not convert this infographic into a video? Or write an article based on the content for the infographic, or vice versa?

Repurposing content, especially content that you already know is successful and your audience really likes, is an excellent way to increase your reach without taking much of a gamble. Youíd be maximizing your resources to create more opportunities for conversions.

How to get started

So I have given you the theory, now let’s get to practicalities:

1. Set a weekly task for yourself to visit your Google Analytics account and check the performance of your content based on Landing Pages and Keywords. Check out bounce rate, engagement, conversion rate, etc for these so you can determine how your content is performing.
2. Set up a ranking tool. If you donít already have keyword tracking in place, go to AuthorityLabs and create an account. Enter your most popular keywords, as well as keywords that are bringing you the most traffic from Google. Plan on creating more content around keywords that are bringing in traffic but not ranking in the top 5.
3. Set up social media analytics software†to track your social shares and in-depth statistics for Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus and Pinterest. Cyfe is also a great dashboard to set up as an overview.
4. Use the data from all the sources mentioned above to modify your editorial calendar and content marketing strategy.

How do you use Analytics for content marketing? What has helped you maximize the efforts of your content marketing strategy? Don’t be shy….share!

Most progressive and “cool” companies and brands have embraced social media. They created a Facebook page, a Twitter account and even have a YouTube channel.



If they are real marketing pioneers then they may even have learned how to spell Instagram and know that “pinning” is not just something done by the grannies at the weekly sewing club.

The “geniuses” even know that “Vine” is not just something that grows in the fields of France that leads to much glass clinking, bad jokes and wild dancing.

So the power of social media has been identified to assist and even supercharge creating online brand awareness through the leverage of  ”crowd marketing” that is facilitated by customers and fans sharing your content.

The smart cookies even know that unique fresh content that is popular and resides on your website can provide better search results. Key terms that people use to find your product or service may even appear on page one of Google if your content and search strategy is integrated and honed.

That is gold for any brand.

The challenges

But despite the opportunities there are many challenges.

Creating great content takes time and resources and many organisations have started the journey with enthusiasm but have given up in desperation. They drew up the plan but realised it was a Mount Everest. Blogs were designed and launched but are now desolate and haven’t seen a published post for months. Twitter accounts were started but the tweets are missing and followers are few.

This is due to many factors such as lack of inspiration, the sustained effort needed and the persistence required.

I know what discipline, skill and passion is needed. For the last four years I have painstakingly built this blog on the back of content and technology that has taken me to the teetering edge of keyboard throwing, mouse hurling and laptop launching.

But there are some solutions emerging to help in the battle of content creation and being visible amongst the universe of half a billion websites and blogs.

A solution

For the last 18 months I have been involved in a journey to find a solution to those challenges with a company called Shuttlerock.

It provides a powerful easy to use platform that helps you easily create content that keeps your website and blog fresh, relevant and engaging. It enables your customers, supporters, staff and fans to interact with your website.

Here is a video overview of the concept of how the Shuttlerock software works.

Introduction to Shuttlerock from Shuttlerock on Vimeo.

It is a solution that builds great content for your domain and not just Facebook.  It drives views and engagement to the platform you own.

How does it work?

Shuttlerock is a white label photo and content sharing platform embedded on your website. It allows you to generate, curate and publish photos and stories. It means that your website is no longer one dimensional; it’s now multi-dimensional using customers, staff and partners and their social channels to bring your site to life.



What are the key benefits?

The platform was born out of the frustration of creating content, watching Facebook nabbing all the good photos and not being able to create engagement and content curation at scale.

Here are the key benefits that highlight how it it will assist you with the marketing of your business on a social web that craves fresh unique content.

• More high quality engagement leading to more sales. This is created by the generation of ‘real’ content from ‘real’ people. This “is” content marketing.
• Better interaction with customers AND their friends: a social platform on “your” website. And more control of the customer relationship, content and conversations.
• Creates an on-going source of fresh content which you can share to your company’s social channels.
• Higher search engine rankings. Search engines require fresh content and they rate the social conversations that Shuttlerock encourages.
• Helps you build a valuable email list of your customers and their friends

The key features

The ShuttleRock “software as a service” platform has some powerful features to help you tap into the power of your fans (if you are a sports brand) and followers or customers that love creating content, whether that is a tweet, a photo or other media.

Here are the key features.

1. Content board

It takes minutes to create a content board and you decide whether it’s open to the public or staff only, whether it’s open to voting or not and where it appears on your page.



2. Easily add photos to your site

It’s simple, two-step uploading from a range of sources. No more messing around with cumbersome content management systems or resizing images.



3. Search engine optimisation

Photos are renamed using pre-determined key words to help with SEO.

4. Automatic onsite content creation

Automatic content generation including the hash tags from Twitter, Instagram and Flickr and geotagging.

5. Mobile apps

Content collection doesn’t have to wait to be sent from your computer but content collection can be from a smart phone including Android and Apple.



6. Content publishing control via moderation

Moderation is provided which allows you to accept or reject photos, edit comments or change which board the image appears in before publishing.



7. Prompted sharing

Each time someone shares a photo your brand is centre stage and each share encourages people back to your website.



8. Update multiple social networks at once

You no longer need to chase several channels. Shuttlerock lets you update multiple social networks at once. Create a schedule of posts to your company Facebook pages so something is posted every day even when you have the day off.

9. Demographics and statistics measurement

Demographic information and statistics are presented in an easy to view graph for quick analysis.

10. Integration with 3rd party platforms

Integration with 3rd party platforms including Facebook, Mailchimp and Instagram.

11. Easily create and run a competition

The Shuttlerock content boards create a reason for your customers to send a message to their friends about your business – and drive them to your website.



Some results

The Shuttlerock platform has been added to the marketing toolkits of companies in a range of industries including sports teams, retailers, travel & tourism, real estate and many more.

Some results.

• Progear photography generated 770 shares in the first month getting their brand in front of 77,000 of their customers’ friends.
• Black Cat Cruises created 850 photos in 6 months and lifted their user sessions and online sales by 50% year on year.
• The Queensland Reds football team generated 233 images from 7 content boards in their first 30 days.
• Jucy car rentals increased their Google rankings for ‘Christchurch rental car’ from the second page of Google at #13 to page one at position 3.

View the Original article

Feedly, a news aggregator which promised to make the migration from Google Reader — which is being shut down on July 1 — seamless, has already seen an influx of over 500,000 million Reader users.

"More than 500,000 Google Reader users have joined the feedly community over the last 48 hours. We love passionate readers. Welcome on board," said Feedly on its official blog.

And that's not all: Feedly's Twitter account is buzzing with activity, with new users asking about features and new versions of the software, and Feedly's iOS app has quickly become the top free app in Apple's App Store.

To cope with all the new users and their feedback, Feedly has upped its bandwidth by 10x, added new servers and launched a suggestion forum for new features.

Of course, Feedly is not the only alternative to Google Reader, but its example shows how a smaller service can benefit from a big player exiting its space.

Have you tried Feedly out? How do you like it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Image courtesy of iStockphoto, wibs24, composite by Mashable





































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Facebook unveiled today a radical new look for the news feed, but it wasn't the only social network getting major buzz following the design announcement.

Minutes after Facebook debuted the overhaul, boasting multiple feeds, mobile consistency and a bigger focus on pictures, people took to Twitter to discuss the similarities between the update and the existing look of competitor Google+, which was trending on Twitter in the U.S. for a good portion of Mark Zuckerberg's presentation.

Facebook's announcement comes just one day after Google+ launched new features of its own, including a "Local" reviews tab and larger cover photos.

As a part of an effort to de-clutter news feeds, Facebook introduced on Thursday more white space to make reading easier on the eyes. This shift is indeed reflective of Google+'s signature look. Both platforms now have a lot more space in the center of the page.



Looking at the designs side by side, the similarities are obvious. For example, Facebook's new look takes updates from friends — also called Stories — from small thumbnails to beautiful, blown-up displays, just like Google+'s approach to highlighting updates. Previews of articles shared from friends will also take up more real estate in the redesigned news feed. (Google+ does this too.)

In addition, Facebook will be removing its cluttered left side bar and replacing it with a cleaner, sleeker black bar with visual icons for bookmarks, such as messages and chat. This resembles Google+'s existing grey-scale side bar, also with stacked icons. If you take a look at Facebook's sidebar now, which features smaller icons and more text, this is a huge change toward saving space and streamlining the design. It's also similar to Facebook's iPhone app.



But Facebook has taken its design to another level by adding multiple news feeds that allow you to go beyond just scratching the surface of what's happening on the site. Thanks to feeds that highlight photos, music news (what friends are listening to and what concerts they're attending) and a section just for celebrities and organizations you subscribe to, the move gives you more control over the stories you.

Although a Google+ spokesperson declined to comment to Mashable's Chris Taylor on the comparisons, he didn't deny social networks in general are seeing the same kinds of needs for cleanliness from users.

Do you think the redesign looks like Google+? Take the poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Does the new Facebook news feed look like Google+?

Images are Mashable Composites

Facebook News Feed Event

Mark Zuckerberg



Old news feed



Sharing stats



New news feed



New way to view shares




New profile photos



New Pinterest display



Music stream



News stream



New mobile and desktop view
































View the Original article

Even with the huge emphasis placed on permission marketing lately, so many marketers still fail to understand that consumers don’t like to be yelled at.

The paradigm of interruption marketing went out the window long ago and, if you’re not careful, you’ll be going out the window with it.

It doesn’t matter if you’re selling cars, advertising a laundromat, or trying to bring readers to your blog — if your social media strategy is to push, push, yell, and push, you’re not going anywhere.

There are five unfortunately popular examples below describing the annoying pushing and yelling that still plagues social media. Are you using any of these tactics?

#1. Automated Direct Messages on Twitter

When someone follows you on Twitter, there isn’t an implicit agreement saying it’s okay to send them a direct message. Twitter isn’t an email list, it’s a conversation. It’s a conversation centered around the concept of giving before receiving. So, that automated DM requesting a LIKE on your Facebook page when you’ve done literally nothing valuable for that new follower is a bit greedy to say the least.

Sending an automated DM to every new person who follows you is bad Twitter etiquette and it’s plainly hypocritical when your Twitter bio brags about how your mantra for social media success is “engagement.”

There’s nothing genuinely engaging about an automated DM you send to every new follower. Don’t kid yourself: It’s beyond easy to spot them too — automated DMs read like an advertisement, have generic messages, and usually aren’t personalized. People catch on with ease. That’s no way to start a relationship with a new follower.

#2. Sending Posts Directly to People on Google+

I’m not sure why every feature on a new social network needs to be abused. As they say, “marketers ruin everything.” That’s a pretty dismal notion, but as a fellow marketer, I have to say we need to be very careful how we use the tools placed in front of us.

Simply because we have an opportunity to push our message to a wider audience doesn’t necessarily mean we always should.

Since Google+ has been growing in popularity, I’ve seen an increase in the number of people using the feature that allows you to share posts directly with people — this sends both a Google+ notification and an email to the receiver.

It’s not a big problem to use this feature occasionally, especially if you’re very selective with who you’re sending the post, but it has the potential to quickly spiral out of control. If you just had a major breakthrough and got published on Forbes or another big name blog, that’s awesome and you should let people know. On the flip side, you don’t need to directly notify people about every new post you publish. This will quickly get your account flagged as spam from a lot of people.

#3. Inviting Everyone and Their Mothers to Contribute to Your Pinterest Group Board

I haven’t seen too many complaints about this yet, but it’s a growing problem. I’ve been getting a lot of invites on Pinterest from random people asking me to contribute to their group Pinterest boards and let me say this:

No, I don’t really want to pin on your Pinterest board. I’ve never met you or had any interaction with you anywhere in the social media sphere.

Group Pinterest boards were definitely meant for collaboration, there’s no doubt about that. However, I doubt the creators of Pinterest envisioned users spamming invites to people who have shared no interactions in the past. If you have relationships with a group of people, collaborating on a group Pinterest board can be a great social media tactic.

The key is the relationship should already exist. If you want to collaborate on a Pinterest board with someone, at least introduce yourself first via a tweet, blog comment, or some other means. Yes, it slows down the process and spamming is easier, but you’re likely to get more people to collaborate if you don’t spam and you’re just being annoying otherwise.

#4. Using Hashtags on Facebook

This isn’t so much an issue of permission-based marketing as it is simply looking like you don’t know what you’re doing.

If you’re a social media marketer at any level and you’re using hashtags on Facebook, there’s a big problem. Of course, most people who do this will say they have their Twitter and Facebook accounts linked.

While I’m not a big fan of connecting accounts, I realize it have benefits in some cases. However, you should be very careful when cross-posting on multiple networks, because using hashtags on Facebook is a shot to your credibility as a social media marketer.

Apart from that, it’s annoying! Hashtags have absolutely no functional value on Facebook as they do on Twitter, Google+, or Pinterest and it really does irk some people when they see hashtags on Facebook. Perception is reality in marketing, so it’s in your best interests to protect your perception.

#5 Sending Mass Google+ Community Invites

This one is unfortunate, because I like to join new Google+ Communities and test the waters. I don’t mind being invited to Communities in principle. What’s annoying is being invited to Communities about pottery, parasailing, breeding rabbits, or climbing trees while holding a baseball bat between your teeth. Okay, those last two didn’t actually happen, but you get the point.

I decided to turn off community invites entirely about two weeks ago, because it just got out of control.

If you insist on inviting people to your Google+ Community, please take the time to target your invites to people who show at least some slight interest in the topic of your Community. For one, it’s simply good manners. For two, it keeps your account from getting marked as spam and subsequently suspended or banned.

What We Need Here is a Little Empathy

I understand we’re all trying to get our messages out there. We want people to see what we’re doing and we want them to love us. That’s a basic human desire and it can definitely be hard to tame.

Let’s pause for a second, though. As humans, we have the ability to step outside our own minds to a degree. We’re able to place ourselves in the shoes of others and feel what they’re feeling — that is the very essence of empathy and at the core of making ethical decisions.

Try this little exercise: The next time you’re sending an automated DM, community invite, email, making a Facebook update, or carrying out any other digital marketing effort, genuinely try to put yourself in the shoes of the person who will be on the receiving end of your message. If you were on the receiving end:

• Would you be annoyed by the message?
• Would you hit the delete button before even giving a second thought to the message?
• Would you want to continue building a relationship with the person who sent the message?

Relationships are built on trust and selflessness, not a constant ring of, “Give me, give me, give me.” Every detail matters in marketing, so I challenge you to take this exercise seriously the next time you’re preparing to send a message to others via social media.



































View the Original article

Ever wondered how Google’s search works? The company launched a new website Friday, appropriately called How Search Works, to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the process from start to finish.

“Here you can follow the entire life of a search query, from the web, to crawling and indexing, to algorithmic ranking and serving, to fighting webspam,” Google Product Manager Jake Hubert said in a blog post announcing the page.

“The site complements existing resources, including this blog [Google’s Inside Search blog], the help center, user forums, Webmaster Tools, and in-depth research papers. We hope the site helps to illuminate the split-second journey from algorithms to answers,” he added.

On the site you can check out an animated explanation of search, as well as take a closer look at Google’s major search algorithms and features. A live slideshow gives you a glimpse at how Google removes spam, and complementing graphs show the spam problem and how Google is fighting it.
Search enthusiasts can also read an included 43-page document on how Google evaluates its search results.

You can check out How Search Works here.



Image courtesy of Flickr, Robert Scoble; Screenshot courtesy of Google































View the Original article

The web was dominated for a decade by two key elements. Search engines and content.

If you wanted  information you asked Google. It was simple.

This led to the rise of a new industry called “search engine optimization” or if you love acronyms “SEO”. Experts good, bad and scammy emerged from the web mist to offer your website the holy grail of being ranked number one on a Google search result page. This was important because that gave you 40% of all clicks. Ranking number one could mean the success or failure of your online business.



This led to dubious practices and activities and content farms that just replicated content popped up. Unique and interesting information was being buried and overwhelmed by poor duplicate content.

Google decided to change the game as their search results were becoming more irrelevant and of lower quality.

They decided to work out ways to identify great content through social signals (hence the launch of Google+) and other technologies that rewards the content creators and not the content copiers.

Google got smarter. The web became more human.

Content on purpose 

Content creation on a smarter and social web requires you to ask some questions. So before we start writing our next piece of copy we better stop and ask ourselves what its purpose is when published on the Internet.

• Is it fresh and unique, or are we just adding to the duplicates, risking to get penalized?
• Is it readable and persuasive, or it pushes our readers away?
• Does it answer the questions the readers ask, or are we wasting their time?

Writing a high quality copy requires thorough research on the subject, taking you to all sorts of blogs and articles people from all around the globe have shared, but sadly, this pile of content often consists of far too many articles that fail to comply with the three goals we mentioned above. Not that these three goals of a quality copy are all we should meet, but if you want to truly grab the interest of your target audience, you should give them a second thought before you or your marketing team decide to publish the next post.

Since Google Panda was launched  you should be aware of duplicate content on your website, so writing the unique and quality content is extremely important, with free duplicate content checker PlagSpotter you can find out who steals your works without citing you.

Google is changing copywriting

It is true that Google’s algorithmic updates have caused many transformations in SEO copywriting. We all need to align the way we write with these constant changes. But, instead of us trying to stay one step ahead of the search engine equations, we can create our content with our human audience in mind, and meet them at the finish line.

Google will always have good user experience as their primary goal, and each update they make will be in the direction of better understanding of the content from a human perspective. If you guide your copywriting to provide what your readers look for, not only that you’ll get more loyal audience that loves to come to your website and read what’s new, but Google will also award your actions with a higher ranking in their search result pages.

So how should you write?

Here’s what you should ask yourself before you publish your writing on the Internet:

#1. Would my friends or colleagues walk away if I read this to them?

Read your copy out loud to better understand the flow for each sentence and paragraph and to see if the content is interesting enough to capture the interest of an audience. This will also allow you to clean up your typos, punctuation errors and unnecessary words.

#2. Do the headlines in the copy explain enough about its content?

If somebody reads only the headers of your article, will they understand what the article is about and what is its main idea? Ideally, the headlines should, provide transition and a description for each of the paragraphs.

#3. Are the keywords repeating too often?

When writing content for the Internet there must be some focus on the important keywords, but the density should always float somewhere in between 1% and 3% if we don’t want the writing to sound forced or spammy.

#4. Are my intentions being honest as a writer?

Why are you writing this copy? What is your purpose with it? Is it a complete plagiarism, or an effective idea sharing? Provide your readers with links to other websites, articles, pictures or videos related to your content to be able to achieve better SEO.

#5. Does the copy offer anything new to the readers?

This question builds off the previous point – will those who read your writing learn something new? Your content should match your goal of satisfying the curiosity your audience has on the particular subject. Only new, fresh and organic content is the way to more quality visits and better rankings.














































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Can’t wait to get your hands on Google Glass? You might not have to wait much longer.

In an interview, Google Glass product director Steve Lee told The Verge that it plans to have a “fully-polished” version of Glass available for consumers by the end of 2013. Even better? Glass will be priced at less than $1500 when it goes on sale.

Google took orders for an Explorer Edition of Glass during its developer conference last year. Restricted to developers who were attending the conference, Google said at the time that the Explorer Edition would be $1500. It’s expected to be in developers' hands early this year.

The company opened up additional pre-orders for the device earlier this week, requiring those interested to tell Google “what you would do if you had Glass” on Twitter or Google+ using the hashtag #ifihadglass.

A patent for Glass made public this week showed that the company may have plans for more than one design of the unique device.

Are you looking forward to the release of Google Glass? Let us know what you would do #ifihadglass in the comments.

Photo by Pete Pachal, Mashable

Google Glass: The Patent

Google Glass, Alternate Design 1

Although Google Glass has been shown as an minimalist eyewear frame, Google suggested other designs in its patent, including this normal-looking pair of eyeglasses. Google says either lens could be used as the "projection system" and component 118 is the CPU.



Alternate Design 2

This take on Google Glass resembles cheap 3D glasses, but that's probably just a coincidence. The patent says elements 128 and 132 would be scanning lasers for projecting images and text right on the lenses.



Alternate Design 3

Although this is another full-lens design, it's closer to the current execution of Google Glass, with the active-display area confined to one part of one side of the wearer's field of view.



Frame Design

This design appears to be depicting Google Glass as it exists so far. Element 203 is the only "lens," which overlays computer graphics on the wearer's POV.



Network Schematic

This is a diagram of the computer network infrastructure for Google Glass. The actual device (Part 310) doesn't necessarily need to be a headset -- Google suggests a heads-up display in the patent. The connection to remote computing power (330) via a wireless connection (320) would be essential, and it could be achieved on the device or via a cellphone.



Google Glass Hardware

Here's more detail in how the hardware will be configured. Note how one of the arms contains all the electronics: Google describes elements 70, 72 and 76 as potentially touch-based inputs. Element 80 contains the battery, and 82 is a charging port.



Hardware, Alternate Angle

Another view of the hardware



Display Housing, Exploded View

This diagram gives more detail on the how the camera/display mechanism will work. The circular elements, (62, 66) could allow the wearer to rotate just the display.



Controls With Display Housing

Here are the touch controls (70, 72 and 76) close up. Element 68 is a hard button locking the device or engaging sleep mode.



Display Prism, Angle

This shows how the display will work when positioned at an angle to the center of the wearer's eye, as it is in the current version of the device.



Display Prism, Straight
Here, the display is at or close to a right angle to the wearer's vision, which Google says is for "optimal viewing."



Display Prism, Translational Positioning

This diagram shows how the wearer would be able to adjust the horizontal position of the prism (between P1 and P2 positions), so the display is aligned with the eye.



















































View the Original article

Google Glass isn't even out yet, and people are heralding the part-camera, part-mobile device as the future — a revolutionary product that will surely change the way we use (and view) technology.

But some vision specialists are worried the high-tech specs, which you'll be able to wear on your head, could lead to health issues, including eye strain, headaches and neck pain.

"While Google Glass is a brand new interactive heads-up display (HUD) technology, there are some things we can presume based on the information Google has released," said Dr. Nathan Bonilla-Warford, a VSP optometrist for Bright Eyes Family Vision.

"Consumers may experience a physiological impact while wearing these glasses, such as increased eye-strain and dry eyes from reduced blinking," he added. "This could ultimately cause headaches and neck pain and are the symptoms of computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain."

Most people who spend long hours in front of the computer or mobile devices know the discomfort associated with prolonged eyestrain. That could also be compounded by the fact that Google Glass will be extremely near the eye, increasing the chances of irritability.

"The glasses themselves are too close for the eyes to focus, so the display alters the light so that the perceived image is located up and to the side, about two feet away from the user," said Warford, adding that despite the effect, it will still cause straining.

A Google spokesperson told Mashable that the company has studied design comfort and safety very closely, and hasn't found a cause for concern. They said it plans to continue to watch this area carefully.

Meanwhile, Dr. Michael Ehrenhaus of New York Cornea Consultants believes eyestrain isn't going to be as much of a concern as the distraction it can cause users on the street.

"We still need to learn more about the technology and what exactly people will be seeing, but there may not be a lot of eye straining at all," Ehrenhaus said.

"The bigger issue is that you don't want to fall into a manhole while trying to look at an image in the glass."

Research has been conducted on pilots and drivers in the past reveal that when a person is mentally focused on the HUD, they are not paying attention to the world around them.

Warford agrees, noting clinical studies will eventually evaluate concentration factors, as well as visual skills and ocular physiology before and after extended use of Google Glasses to see its impact.

"For now, we can extrapolate what we know about visual processing of HUD data, the eye movements needed to use the glasses and the effects of prolonged digital screen usage," he added. "Consumers should also keep in mind the experience will not be like the original concept video or the holy-grail of augmented reality. It will be more like a phone you can see without having to hold."

What do you think about the possible health concerns surrounding Google Glass? Would you be nervous to give it a try or can you not wait to get your hands on it? Let us know in the comments.

Google Glass: How It Will Look"

OK, Glass..."

More than a catchphrase, "OK, Glass" is how the wearer will engage the headset, enabling it to listen to commands.



Taking a Photo

One of the most basic things Glass will be able to do is capture photos of whatever the wearer is looking at.



Recording Video

Similarly, the onboard camera will also be able to record videos.



Quick Communication

Here's how it'll look to receive a message.


Flight Alert

Location-based or timed alerts will appear on Glass like so.



Navigation

Showing maps based on the users point of view is potentially one of the most useful features of Google Glass.



Google+ Hangout

Glass will be able to share the wearer's POV via Google+ Hangout.



Brooklyn Bridge Query

The wearer can call search Google for answers to questions verbally.



Brooklyn Bridge Answer

Answers to queries appear similar to how voice search in Google Now works -- giving the user the one answer that they're looking for rather than a series of links.



Translation Query

Google envisions that fast translations of single words or phrases will be a common query for Google Glass.



Translation Answer

Here's how the answer will look, accompanied by an audio pronunciation.








































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