Google glass

Hi all,

Since I haven't seen anyone talking about Google Glass yet, I was just wondering what you guys think about this revolutionary new product? Would you get one of these? Certainly seems pretty interesting and there could be a looot of cool and useful stuff done with it.

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Comments

networker050184

I think it's definitely going to be a cool technology. I'm following it for sure.

paulgswanson

Heck yeah, I'd have signed up for the beta if i had 1.5k to spend

bobloblaw

My thoughts summed up by someone else:

Messages From the Future: The Fate of Google Glass

"People who left them on in social situations were openly called “glassholes”."

Think that boner with his bluetooth on is annoying? Wait until someone talks to you with those things on. Imagine being at a bar or in a social situation, and some jerk off is basically recording everything. Sorry... that guy is getting those things smacked off his head immediately.

If this thing has a modicum of success, it will not be as a social tool.

networker050184

^ Sounds like my grandpa talking about cellphones!

bobloblaw

Seriously think about it. Something that is recording you when a user is wearing them. It could find a niche in certain business sectors (aviation, military, ****, etc.), but it will not be successful socially like they're marketing.... whipper snappers.

networker050184

So a cell phone can't record you while someone is using it? That was the exact rant my grandpa was going on about cell phones. 'People are taking pictures or video of you with their damn phones without you even knowing!'

bobloblaw

Ha! Love the grandpa quotes. Nothing beats crazy old men.

For the most part you can tell when someone is pulling their phone out and taking a picture of you. I genuinely think it's a big reason people look down when operating their smart phone. It's not like a CCTV. Someone will literally be recording you during social interactions, and you will be very aware because they look exceptionally lame.

Also, I'll probably have a pair. Still think it will be shunned socially is all I'm getting at.

lsud00d

The problem is Google will own all of the recordings that is streamed to its cloud and as technologies progress you will be automatically identified and tagged as a part of that data stream, both visually and audibly (text translations!). So, if you're in a public (or private) place, you will be recorded and it will be attributed to you. There are many interesting legal aspects to this. In addition, will Google market what the glasses "overheard" you saying on a bus? Your perceived personal/private information will be further scrutinized, profited from, and potentially able to be subpoena'd by the government.

DevilWAH

Like has been said the phone was shuned by many when it started out, and indeed still is by many people who grew up before it was common.

Things like this will be the same, for many of us the idea of texting on your phone in the pub is seen as rude. However to the younger generation is "normal", and this will be the same. I might feel uncomfortable with people wearing these around me in a social situation. But my daughter who is 3 years old, may well grow up with this kind of tec and for her it will be "normal" to see people using this kind of thing.

And as for Google tracking what you do.. every website and application can do this. nothing special about Google. They say you get nothing for free and this is true of Google, and if you use there services they need a way to recoup rate the costs. They do this in various ways, one of which is data mining and reacting to what there users are doing. Its in there interest to do this in a secure and anonymous manor as they need to keep a large user base for it to work, and users will only stay with them if the service outweighs the negitives.

I can see googe glasses being a big thing going forward, it might not be Google product that makes it big time, but I do think they have put forward a case study that proves it can be done at an affordable and usable way.

paul78

This should be interesting to watch as all lawsuits start to get filed over privacy and access concerns.

Is this how the borg started life?

Mrock4

paul78 wrote: »

This should be interesting to watch as all lawsuits start to get filed over privacy and access concerns.

I was thinking the same thing.

I think it's a really awesome concept, but I don't think I see this exact model blowing up. Even if it does, I'll pass. That being said, I think the technology is promising.

hiddenknight821

networker050184 wrote: »

So a cell phone can't record you while someone is using it? That was the exact rant my grandpa was going on about cell phones. 'People are taking pictures or video of you with their damn phones without you even knowing!'

Oh my gosh! I literally laughed out loud when I read this. What you said was so true in every way!

networker050184

DevilWAH wrote: »

Like has been said the phone was shuned by many when it started out, and indeed still is by many people who grew up before it was common.

Things like this will be the same, for many of us the idea of texting on your phone in the pub is seen as rude. However to the younger generation is "normal", and this will be the same. I might feel uncomfortable with people wearing these around me in a social situation. But my daughter who is 3 years old, may well grow up with this kind of tec and for her it will be "normal" to see people using this kind of thing.

And as for Google tracking what you do.. every website and application can do this. nothing special about Google. They say you get nothing for free and this is true of Google, and if you use there services they need a way to recoup rate the costs. They do this in various ways, one of which is data mining and reacting to what there users are doing. Its in there interest to do this in a secure and anonymous manor as they need to keep a large user base for it to work, and users will only stay with them if the service outweighs the negitives.

I can see googe glasses being a big thing going forward, it might not be Google product that makes it big time, but I do think they have put forward a case study that proves it can be done at an affordable and usable way.

This is what I was getting at, just much better stated by DevilWAH!

tpatt100

I think it will come in handy someday for certain situations like hobbyists, scientists, other professions.

Mobile phones being constantly used is not the norm as many like to think it is there are social customs where mobile phones are considered rude in many situations. People are noticing the socially awkward people who use their phones to avoid face to face interactions I see when dining out or in the store people using them and ignoring their family members.

So like mobile phones there will be social issues brought up and the "glassholes" comment will be like the person messing with their phone while trying to go through self checkout and are being very slow. I got a rude stare the other night when I told a lady in front of me to bag first talk later in the grocery store. Those people will be the ones using Google Glass and looking like they have lazy eye and staring off to your side like a bad CGI-real actor scene where the actor is staring slightly in the wrong direction and making it obvious to the viewer that the CGI person is not actually there.

I think it's too limited in use and I don't see how it will take off with the mainstream public like smartphones because well you look goofy with it on.

networker050184

When has looking goofy ever stopped anything from taking off? Have you not seen what kids are wearing? Our parents thought the same about us. It's a never ending cycle of 'thats crazy it would never work' to it being the next big thing.

DevilWAH

tpatt100 wrote: »

I think it's too limited in use and I don't see how it will take off with the mainstream public like smartphones because well you look goofy with it on.

now that could almost be a quote about the iPad. Every one said that was limited in what it could do, was bulky and why would you take the iPad over a laptop. Indeed the mobile phone was laughed atwhen it came out the notion of people talking in public sounded crazy.

Now get on a tube in London and 90% of people are using kindle/iPad or smart phone, this is just another tool and I can see a number of people eager to start using it.

paul78

If I separate the social mores and propriety and privacy dimension from the actual technology, the concept of wearables is probably very likely to be quite successfully adopted. It may not occur first in the United States or countries with strong privacy concerns like in the EU, but there are many parts of the world are likely to embrace this type of technology without hesitation.

Even though this initial product may seem limited - it's really the intersection of other technologies that will make this type of technology evolve.

Imagine if the next version integrates a phone - (no more smartphones needed) - if you integrate better internet (no more tablets needed) - integrate a good user interface (think LeapMotion integration - maybe no more laptops needed).

To me - this simply is the next evolution of technology...

Incidentally, wearing a set of these glasses doesn't really seem any more silly than those fashion statements used to carry smart-phones on a person's hip

SteveLord

This reminds me of all the tools who would wear bluetooth headsets 24/7.

vayze

I can't see this being a very plausible product

networker050184

What privacy concerns are there for this that there aren't already for other devices on the market? There are already devices capable of recording audio and video without other peoples permission.

tpatt100

DevilWAH wrote: »

now that could almost be a quote about the iPad. Every one said that was limited in what it could do, was bulky and why would you take the iPad over a laptop. Indeed the mobile phone was laughed atwhen it came out the notion of people talking in public sounded crazy.

Now get on a tube in London and 90% of people are using kindle/iPad or smart phone, this is just another tool and I can see a number of people eager to start using it.

But people aren't wearing iPads on their face. That was my main issue. I could see it being useful someday but wearable computers on wrist or pocket is passable but across your face might be difficult to sell.

DevilWAH

tpatt100 wrote: »

But people aren't wearing iPads on their face. That was my main issue. I could see it being useful someday but wearable computers on wrist or pocket is passable but across your face might be difficult to sell.

You seen the stuff people wear on there faces and call fashion. If you see the glasses people wear already these are tame.

Iristheangel

networker050184 wrote: »

What privacy concerns are there for this that there aren't already for other devices on the market? There are already devices capable of recording audio and video without other peoples permission.

True but it's considered rude to hold a cell-phone up in someone's face in a social situation because they'll assume you're recording them. With this product, they won't know for sure which might create awkwardness.

My two cents: What it does is amazing. I see the technology itself taking off because the idea of having "first person" videos as well as Googling, directions, etc is amazing but it has a bit to go with the price and the look of it. I don't see people being "accepted" wearing them in social situations because of how silly it looks or because they quite literally cannot tell if they are being recorded or not but I could see having interesting uses. It could be an interesting presentation tool for video conferences if it's easy to watch videos through the "monocle" or if you're giving a presentation to several endpoints that requires showing hands on instruction. Should we start taking bets on how long Cisco decides to wait before popping out a version of their own for Unified Communications? :P

hiddenknight821

Someone here mentioned the exhortation of not wearing Google Glass in the bar. Guess what I just found.

Of Course Some Bar Is Already Banning Google Glass

tpatt100

I still think in it's early stage if I got it the things will end up in my "drawer of abandoned stuff I bought I thought would be cool" like Bluetooth ear pieces, gaming mice/keyboards, Fitbit, USB powered toys from ThinkGeek, etc.

Then again after looking at the site again:

Google Glass - What It Does

I think it would be helpful when I go grocery shopping for my grocery list and looking an ingredient up.

RomBUS

Cool and creepy technology

I think they exaggerate on the advertisements though. I mean cmon...skydiving and parasailing with those things on at the price it will cost? I dont think so.

Master Of Puppets

There was a funny video on youtube of a guy using it on a date. There are going to be a few misuses by guys for sure but I'm not going to get into that

DevilWAH

RomBUS wrote: »

Cool and creepy technology

I think they exaggerate on the advertisements though. I mean cmon...skydiving and parasailing with those things on at the price it will cost? I dont think so.

Remember this is the developer cost. Not the final retail cost. Mate spent £600 on a torch and £400 on a camara case for scuba diving. £1000 for a wearable video camara, that can display info via Bluetooth from devices such as altermeters and GPS would be considered cheep. So sports people are going to be the exact people who will snap this up. My bike GPS is £400 and that has a tiny screen and I have to look down to see it. Google glasses are the perfect answer and throw navigation and video / picture taking in to the mix.