Newt Gingrich Wearing Google Glass Means Google Glass Has Arrived (Really)

Newt Gingrich just got Google Glass and, if the grand history of Newt Gingrich knowing the future is any indication, this techno-politician's endorsement means the wearable face computer will go from niche Glasshole hobby to product of the masses. No, seriously. Gingrich is one of the great early adopters in Washington history. The former Speaker of the House and presidential candidate (and future Crossfire host!) won himself a pair of Google glasses, telling the company he would "take it on tours of zoos and museums to share the animals and fossils" in Google's #ifihadaglass competition. Newt, of course, is a noted animal lover, so his Glass #dream makes sense, as pedestrian as his official purposes may seem.

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The whole thing might sound like a publicity stunt on behalf of both parties, but, despite being an old person and a politician, Gingrich has a knack for envisioning what will take off, from cellphones and the Internet to face helmets (left) and now Google Glass, as The Atlantic Wire's Elspeth Reeve has noted in-depth. This can only mean good things for Google and its newfangled face machine's reputation, which has so far been set mostly by an inaugural class of so-called "Glassholes." (Dorks, creeps, and freaks who got the glasses before everyone else.) There is one catch, though: Newt's acceptance means Glass is still way on the fringe. The Speaker anticipated Netflix streaming... in 1998. The DVD delivery company didn't go digital until 2008.