Houstonian among few thousand testing Google Glass

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A 50-word essay won a local man the opportunity to test technology's next big thing. The gadget allows users to actually see the world through Google-tinted glasses.

Google Glass is unique, and the company was looking for unique people from all over the world to test it before they sell it to the masses.

Paul Louden is a self-described gadget enthusiast.

"It's sort of a combination bluetooth headset, computer and screen, and camera," he said.

Louden's newest toy is a prototype of a first-of-its-kind wearable computer called Google Glass.

"It's really exciting. The hardware is very much very interesting because of all of the things it could potentially do," he said.

Louden is a Google Glass explorer, one of 8,000 people worldwide who Google chose to buy the prototype, test it and offer feedback. He won the opportunity through his 50-word pitch to the company.

"I am an adult on the autism spectrum," he said.

Louden has Asperger's sydrome and hosts a Phoenix-based radio show called Understanding Autism. He sees the wearable computer with a heads-up display as a great tool to help people with austism compensate for their weaknesses.

"People on the austism spectrum tend to be a little more disconnected from their memories. They might see it as a series of events, as if you watched as TV show or if you heard about a story from someone else. But they aren't really firmly connected to the memory," Louden said.

But with point-of-view pictures, video and sounds, that can be played back, it could help with memory and organization.

"Google Glass really offers the opportunity to sort of offload some of these processes that peope on the autism spectrum are really weak with," Louden said.

It's just one use for what Louden sees a potentially transformative gadget.

Google has not yet released an official release date for Google Glass.

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