• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, April 16, 2013

Google has released a series of specs and videos detailing developer guidelines for apps running on Google Glass, as the first pairs begin to arrive to consumers. The first Glass app, MyGlass, also posted in the Google Play Store The app allows users to configure and manage the Glass device.

Glass wearers will look through a high-resolution display similar to a 25-inch HD screen from eight feet away, along with a 5 megapixel still camera and 720-pixel video camera, according to Google. The glasses sync with Google's cloud storage through WiFi, but the hardware sports 12GB of usable memory.

Glass should enable short interactions with content highlighted by headlines and photos, according to Google developer Timothy Jordan. In a video, he outlines four guidelines: design for Glass, don't get in the way of the app, keep it timely and in the moment, and avoid the unexpected.

Helping developers finance their projects, several technology venture capital firms, such as Google Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, set up a group called Glass Collective.

Wearable technology, specifically in the category of smart watches, is expected to catch on in 2013. The category has been around for about 10 years, but ABI Research estimates this year more than 1.2 million smart watches will ship. The market segment could turn into one of the hottest electronic gifts this holiday season.

ABI pegs the wearable computing device market segment in four categories: notification, voice operational smart watches, hybrid smart watches, and completely independent smart watches. Notification type devices offer alerts for incoming calls, messages and other notifications. Voice operational smart watches enable users to conduct calls and speak some commands via the device.

Some smart watches will replicate features in a smartphone, similar to the i'm Watch from the Italian smart watch maker, followed by Apple's iWatch, Samsung's Galaxy Altius and something from Microsoft. Google Glass will offer similar features in a pair of glasses.

Brand loyalty will play a role in adoption, according to experts.

Google Glass may become most popular with Google-loving consumers. Analytic Partners, a marketing consultancy, released a study Tuesday analyzing the loyalty of consumers to national brands. The survey of 1,000 respondents, conducted by Opinion Research, reveals that 48% of consumers between the ages of 18 and 44 feel that any loyalty toward brands in the future will stem from the types of experiences brands create for them, such as interaction with technology, video and social media.

Gender and location remain an important role in brand loyalty. Of those surveyed, 68% of female consumers are more loyal to brands compared with 55% of males. The findings also suggest that consumers living in the South are the most loyal to brands, 67%, compared with 56% of those living on the West Coast. While fair pricing and excellent customer service are important for most consumers, baby boomers 49 to 67 care more than any other age demographic about transparency -- at 80%.