Google (GOOG) is set to release its much-anticipated Google Glass in 2014. These wearable computers hook up to the Internet using Wi-Fi or through your mobile phone, and allow you to take photos and HD 720p video as well as use Google services like Gmail, Google + and Google Maps. With the release of this device, the company is making yet another move towards complete dominance of the web, since the device uses its proprietary Android operating system.
Google's Android Strategy
Unlike its competitor Apple (AAPL), Google allows developers to use its Android OS for free, which has resulted in Android's domination of the global market due to its wide adoption in mobile devices. For example, Android's share of the global smartphone market is around 70%, compared with Apple's 20 percent. The reason Google has opted to adopt this strategy is simple: while Apple wants people to buy its devices, Google wants them to use its web services. With a smartphone that uses the Android OS, you're more likely to use Gmail, search the web using the Google search engine, network with your friends through Google + and so on. Once more, people are using its web services; Google then hopes to monetize them through ad sales. In addition, by using its web services, Google can collect data on your web usage habits, and can then use this information to sell ads targeted specifically towards particular consumers.
