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Get Your Glass Off My Face [What The Tech?!]
Google Glass was released this week via their “Explorer” program for developers who:
1) went out of their way to tweet in 50 words or less explaining what they would do if they had glass, via the creative hashtag #ifihadglass
2) were selected by someone at Google who was paid to sift through these tweets and pick the “best” ones
3) were then granted the right to pay $1500 for a pair
4) went to one of their unboxing ceremony locations to be initiated into the Glasshole Society of America
There’s a good chance you could use some familiarization with Google Glass in general. So allow me to offer you this crash course.
Google Glass is a device which sits on your face. It’s hardware includes a tiny screen, a speaker and a camera, all which reside on the right side of the wearer’s face atop half a frame of glasses. It connects via Bluetooth to your cellphone. It is designed to enhance connectivity to information, notifications, and whatever else these “explorer” developers can come up with.
You may be asking yourself why you would need such a thing encroaching on your face and field of vision. Well it turns out you don’t. I will now give you a highly opinionated, biased list of what I think about Glass.
The good
1. For those of you who hate “wasting the arm motion” of checking your phone whenever someone double-taps your instagram photos, ‘likes’ your check in to Mike’s Philly Grill or takes their turn on Words With Friends, you’re in luck! Glass now delivers that information straight to your face.
2. One of these “Explorer” developers might be able to use the technology to produce something helpful, (don’t let me get all Minority Report on you but…) like something to help law enforcement pinpoint crime before it happens… or recognize someone’s face… or something. Oh wait, that technology already exists and can easily be strapped to someone’s face.
3. Honestly….. I’m having a hard time here. Onto list 2!
The bad:
1. There will come a time where we will be pulled over for wearing our own damn glasses because this thing will be banned while driving:
No officer I am not texting while driving. I’m sorry for attempting to combine fashion with function minus peripheral vision. I’ll just wear my contacts next time.
2. Google’s voice to text and voice command technology still leave a lot to be desired. It’ll be nice when they perfect it for those times when I don’t feel like talking so I can send a text that I don’t feel like typing so I can talk-to-text straight from my Glass.
3. I’m just not comfortable with Glass changing selfies as we know them. Do you look in the mirror to take the photo? Do you hold the Glass in front of you, pointing it at yourself to take the photo? Do you look at a friend who is wearing glass so that they can take a picture of you while you’re wearing YOUR glass? Do you look at your friend who is wearing glass while you’re wearing glass and take a screenshot on your phone of what’s happening? How would you even Skype with this thing? The last time I talked into a mirror it was during a rehearsal for my final project in freshman speech class and I felt like a total tool then.
Whooooaaaa, it’s like you’re right in front of me, bro!
4. I already get enough shit for checking my phone whenever it DINGs because I’m invited to another friend’s anniversary of their 21st birthday via Facebook event. I can’t imagine what my girlfriend and mom would have to say should I passive aggressively protest their protesting of my looking at my phone by just putting Glass on my face. I would be disowned.
5. Camera. On someone’s face. Connected to a network. I’m already extremely uncomfortable every single time I whip out my phone to take a picture of a person of Wal-Mart. These Glassholes can walk around taking photos and videos of anything/anyone they want- and what’s worse, yes, it can be hacked. Uncomfortable yet? You should be. I can guarantee that any chick who’s taken the walk of shame will think twice about waking up next to Glass on the bedside table. Which may significantly reduce the ability to get some of anyone wearing Google Glass . (Just in case the pure aesthetic of Glass isn’t cock blocky enough for you.)
The ugly:
Unfortunately, that’d have to be the face of whoever’s wearing it.
Moving on…
This direction is definitely where things are going as far as connectivity and information sharing is concerned. Cell phones are about to get smaller (once again) with both iPhone and Windows Phone moving into a smaller interface all to create a more smooth transition to in-your-face (and brain) interfaces.
As for now, I’m not taking a stand for or against Glass. I don’t know enough about what good it may be able to do. I’m not counting it out because I know that inevitably this is the direction cellphones and computers are heading in, but until it’s proven as secure, productive and useful… keep your Glass off my face.
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This is definitely where things are headed, though I think Google Glass is a first incarnation which will only be used by the most hardcore tech heads until a more amenable, slicker-looking version hits the market. Kind of like how a lot of my fellow college-goers wouldn’t invest in a laptop until the slick Apple clamshell ones came out and suddenly they were trendy. But right now the device is so off-putting, I can’t imagine it becoming popular with more than a select few, until it becomes less obvious.
That said, I think we’ll all eventually adopt this technology, because 1) it’ll eventually allow us to do some neat stuff like medical scans, and instant-identification of what others are wearing, and 2) we are getting this lazy. I seriously won’t talk on the phone anymore and I’m getting so sick of actually having to write shit down. I can’t wait until the technology gets to the place where I can think something, and it’s goes to an online list or whatever.
Right now it’s more like the technology doesn’t match the desire. For example, I’d love to have a device that I could speak commands into for reminders, information gathering, and the like. Unfortunately Siri and Google Voice just aren’t there yet. And I wish they would hold off on launching products like this until they are. I’m not upset about Google Glass; I’m upset that Google Glass probably doesn’t work as well as I’d want it to for $1500.
Also, if you haven’t read THE FEED by M.T. Anderson yet, this YA book will totally help you see and give you new scary perspective of where this technology is going–basically it won’t stop until it’s embedded inside our bodies. And if you’re saying, “Eww, I’d never allow that!”, realize that those who don’t accept this change for themselves and their children will become dinosaurs, incapable of getting work or really communicating with others, because once it’s inside our bodies, it will change the way we communicate–just like I now keep on forgetting that certain friends I’ve made over the years who aren’t on Facebook actually exist. Seriously read it, then watch in horror as I have over the last two years, as you see many of the its predictions coming true. When I first heard about Google Glass, I was like, “Oh my gosh, it’s happening, just like THE FEED said it would!” http://fierceandnerdy.com/feed-by-m-t-anderson-book-19-of-2011-dear-thursday
Also, want to say that as a mom I’m jealous of all the hands-free technology my daughters will have if/when they have daughters.
Also, I think the Ding situation would actually get better with stuff like Google Glass, because the better technology gets, the easier it is to filter. VIP Status was the best thing that ever happened to my email inbox, because I can do other stuff, knowing that if a really important email comes through, my phone will let me know. Same goes for Facebook dings with Google Glass. I imagine you’ll eventually be able to turn them off and make it so that you only get dings if it’s important, therefore making for less distraction when you’re talking to someone.
The technology is, in fact, already entering our brains at an R&D level, although the adoption to the mainstream is going to be a long and windy road.
So far from what I can tell, most people are perturbed at the idea of having to speak to their Glass. Early owners have been calling for motion and gesture sensing (not in Leap and Kinect capacities like waving your hand around in front of your face) in a subtle form such as finger tap and wrist gestures.
Augmented reality is a fabulous tool that will be utilized for many practical applications in the very near future, and being able to attach is/utilize it on one’s face is going to be convenient for sure.
What bothers me the most is that all of these technologies exist (as shown in my links in the article) and are being developed commercially and for the government— it’s just hard for me to believe that on a consumer level (more specifically on the face of the consumer) it can do much to benefit us.
I hate the speaking aspect, too. It feels like we’re treading some water until we can cross the think-connect barrier. One of my (many) issues with Siri is that it makes me work too hard to get any kind of information. I have to be in a quiet environment, I have to enunciate–ugh! I’d much rather be swiping at the air. I think a lot of companies are overestimating how desirable voice commands will be. I’m like either let me be able to type things in easier OR figure out how to connect me mentally, as opposed to vocally.
Well, the consumer level will distract us from the guvment level–like how I’m somewhat unconcerned that authorities can track me wherever I go because I can conveniently buy just about everything on my phone.