Google Glass will have a laser keyboard, patent suggests

Thought you'd seen all Google Glass had to offer? Think again. The augmented reality specs could shoot out a laser keyboard, if the latest patent application is to be believed, CNET reports.

The keyboard would beam out of the arm of the glasses. And if there's no flat surface nearby to shoot onto, just project it onto your hand and start typing tweets or emails. This is some seriously next-generation stuff we're talking.

It's not even a problem if you've only got one hand free. As well as pressing the virtual buttons, you can input by just moving your hand, with the Project Glass' camera interpreting what you're doing.

This is only a patent application, so there's no certainty it'll ever make it into Project Glass, or any other products. But it shows Google has big plans for its cyber specs, and isn't going to limit them to just voice input. Google's voice search on Android Jelly Bean is ace, but what if you're in a crowded place? Or you want to write something the old fashioned way? A laser keyboard could be the answer.

Google unveiled its hi-tech spectacles back in April, though it wouldn't be drawn on when we can expect to actually don them ourselves. They let you stay connected to the Internet and bring up info from Google without having to ogle a screen, which is pretty great. Though some augmented reality experts aren't so sure.

They certainly caused a stir though, with Microsoft, Olympus, and Sony all planning rival specs. Perhaps they could be the next big thing once tablets have had their day.

Microsoft is also rumoured to be working on a pair that'll work with Xbox and Kinect, which could lead to some interesting possibilities.

Are you looking forward to Project Glass? Is a laser keyboard a good idea? How much would you pay for a pair of Internet specs? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.