Google Glass has been in the news a lot in the days leading up to its launch. While many people will not get Glass for quite some time, a select group of pre-orders are about to reach their customers’ doorsteps. For one Iowa State student, the waiting game is almost over for what could be the year’s most talked-about product.

Allistair Lee, who is pursuing his masters of science in crop production and Physiology, ordered his wearable computer last year at Google’s annual I/O, a conference where the company addresses current/future plans and product news.

“I’ve been interested in Google Glass since they released their concept video on YouTube, Project Glass: One Day,” Lee said.

“The main reason for me to be one of the early adopters is because I wanted to develop my own Glassware [app for Glass]. And also, being a techie for almost all my life, I couldn’t pass up on having this futuristic device now, can I?”

In addition to the plethora of development options for Glass, another draw for Lee and many others is Glass’s ability to show adaptive environment information. Lee said that having information in front of him whenever he needs it is the most compelling feature of Glass.

“Not to mention that Glass also has the ability to take photos and record 720p HD video. No more searching and fumbling for my phone just to miss an important picture moment,” Lee said.

Since the cost of Glass is in the neighborhood of $1,500, making sure the device is secure in large public places like a campus or a crowded city is a priority for Google. Lee said that Glass has an ability to identify unnatural movements, such as sudden jerks or quick removal, and then immediately locks the device, rendering it unusable until it is in the right hands. Because of the device’s built-in location sensors, tracking it is just as easy as a lost smartphone.

Lee has had extensive experience with Google and their products. While familiar with Android since Version 1.5 (called “Cupcake”), Lee is also co-organizer of Ames’s Google Development Group.

“Basically, [Google Development Group]s are for developers who are interested in Google’s developer technology; everything from the Android, App Engine, and Google Chrome platforms, to product [application programming interfaces] like the Maps API, YouTube API and Google Calendar API,” Lee said.

Lee encourages anyone who wants to develop using Google technology to join the Google Development Group. They have monthly meetings and its information can be accessed on Lee’s Google Plus profile.

Google Glass has not arrived for Lee and other customers quite yet, but stay tuned to the Iowa State Daily in the coming months for updates on Lee’s experience with this revolutionary product.