Photograph: Guardian

Today I’m excited to announce the launch of the first Guardian app on Google Glass - known as ‘Glassware’.

Our experimentation with Glassware is another step along our digital journey. Wearable tech is firmly on its way into our lives, and with an audience more connected and tech savvy than ever before, it makes sense for us to be innovating in this space.

Google Glass has been making tech headlines for some time now, but it is still very much a product for early adopters. As with any significant developments in tech, a beta period is essential to weigh up the benefits, best practices and best uses for the technology and the way it interacts with our lives. Being there at the start and collaborating with Google means we are working well ahead of the curve.

We are proud that the Guardian is launching its very first Glassware this week, as part of our dedication to experimenting on innovative platforms for our journalism. It is part of our mission to explore exciting possibilities to figure out what works - and what doesn’t - whether in terms of our users’ needs, rapid software development, or for the daily working lives of our journalists.



Glastonbury forecast Photograph: /Guardian Photograph: Guardian

Wearable tech is here to stay. These devices will develop quickly from niche applications and early adopters into much more mainstream products, whether it will be glasses, watches or even items of clothing.

This emerging area of technology presents many opportunities for news organisations - both in terms of offering readers a fresh way to receive journalism with highly personalised news and information, as well as offering journalists new ways to gather news and storytelling. Publishers who ignore it do so at their peril.

It is easy to imagine how wearable technology might revolutionise live reporting. It is clear that Google Glass and other such products could become essential and exciting tools for journalists, and we have been experimenting in this area. The largest parts of our efforts and our Glassware, however, is concentrated on the Glass experience for our users; to learn how, when and what people choose to consume on this platform.

Personally it has been fascinating over the past few years (and I admit quite wonderful) to see how people have turned to reading the news every time technology has liberated more disposable time. We are constantly learning, and re-evaluating our mobile products through our own usability research, and we will continue to do this with Glassware.

Google Glass will give the Guardian its first insights into wearable technology. But it may also unlock an abundance of other information about mobile in general: small screens, voice commands and reading news-on-the-go.

Only one thing is certain; this is a new adventure and one of those wonderful moments in time when we really don’t know quite what to expect. And those instances of significant technological changes are moments to cherish, enjoy and learn from.