Google Glass

[BReif61]

Originally Posted by Z-man

We don't need technology to connect us more to the interwebs -- we need to disconnect and return to living our lives in the real world.

Amen.

[RWebb]

wait a minute! that screen name is familiar... "Z-man"

what does he do in his spare time?

[wdfifteen]

"Google Glass can interact with the Internet via natural language voice commands."

We all know how well that works.

iPhone message: "Honey, I’ve been in this bra for 3 hours mating on grandma. Is she ever going to come? I’m getting pretty torrid."

iPhone response: "WHAT??"

translation: "I'm in the hotel bar waiting for your mother. Where is she? I'm getting tired!"

[intakexhaust]

Glazzhole ATTACK!
A San Francisco Woman Claims She Was Attacked for Wearing Google Glass

[intakexhaust]

I find it odd how most are enraged by the breach of privacy but hype GG. And now this on Kickstarter-

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lifelogger/lifelogger-the-ultimate-lifelogging-experience

[jyl]

Originally Posted by M.D. Holloway

The industry thing is what I'm thinking...from process to reliablity this could open up a new world. The upside, and there is a huge upside is the process improvements relating to increased productivity. The increased relaibility in terms of reduced downtime etc...

Now you got me thinking of several apps that could support such a device!

Whenever a new consumer electronics technology starts getting hyped for its vertical or industrial applications, that is a very bad sign. It means that the companies can't see an actual high-volume consumer market.

Remember when the early PC-based tablets had flopped in the consumer market but people were saying they'd be great for medical or sales use? Tablets then sank without a trace in the broader market (and didn't do a whole lot in the vertical markets either) and weren't revived until the iPad.

Vertical applications are very low volume, units in the 10,000s. That is not enough scale to bring down the costs, justify new chip or software development, attract apps beyond the special-purpose industrial ones. You need units in the 1,000,000s to develop a consumer electronics market.

I've been hearing the talk about Google Glass'es industrial uses, and I interpret it negatively.

[Mo_Gearhead]

Paging Navin Johnson ... Mr. Johnson - it appears your Opti-Grab patent has expired.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by jyl

Whenever a new consumer electronics technology starts getting hyped for its vertical or industrial applications, that is a very bad sign. It means that the companies can't see an actual high-volume consumer market.

Remember when the early PC-based tablets had flopped in the consumer market but people were saying they'd be great for medical or sales use? Tablets then sank without a trace in the broader market (and didn't do a whole lot in the vertical markets either) and weren't revived until the iPad.

Vertical applications are very low volume, units in the 10,000s. That is not enough scale to bring down the costs, justify new chip or software development, attract apps beyond the special-purpose industrial ones. You need units in the 1,000,000s to develop a consumer electronics market.

I've been hearing the talk about Google Glass'es industrial uses, and I interpret it negatively.

Augmented reality is the future. When I talked of an industrial use I was giving an example of how it could be used.

Computers, even PCs didn't start out well in the consumer market. PCs took off when companies started using them for business. And they killed certain jobs (secretaries). When the cost of PCs came down, people started buying them.

I bit the bullet and bought in. I've been assimilated. The mapping/directions function is awesome. Very unobtrusive. Easier to program than a regular GPS.

I have not worked with it enough as I'm boot strapping business #3! But again for the car, imagine it more of a heads up display. I expect there will be applications with speed, control functions, etc.

Imagine some other functions. Automatic distance calculations. "Bionic" eye, zooming telescopically and microscopically. It doesn't have IR temp functions, but that could be a cool addition.

At present, it is more like the Galaxy Gear than anything else. It augments your phone (dialing, taking pictures, social media interaction, GPS and mapping, etc) But it also works standalone through WiFi.

The biggest problem is the geek factor. It looks geeky. The display unit sticks out obtrusively. With a baseball cap on, and with the sunglass lenses in place, it isn't too bad. But by itself it stands out.

A couple of bad things: it is not at all water resistant, let alone water proof. For this to be serious, it will need to be environment proof.

The battery life is acceptable but needs to be longer. Right now, the only way to extend life is to attach a standard micro-USB power cord to the thing. You think it is bad with this thing on you head, now add a big wire dropping down near your ear.

Camera takes OK photos and video, but not great. And there is no flash.

What could be cool would be an IR flashlight, and then projecting the image, allowing you to walk around in the dark. I expect this could be done now.

Other things that could be cool would be an external Bluetooth camera.

As I get a chance, I'll chime in with some other notes.

[MRM]

2013: Google Glass is the scary future - the Dick Tracy watch phone of the future.

2014: Google Glass is the Dick Tracy watch phone of the future - it does everything a smart phone strapped to your wrist does, except it's more intrusive and more expensive.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by stealthn

Douce-wear for the bluetooth headset guy crowd

Bam, nailed it.

[epbrown]

Originally Posted by red-beard

I have not worked with it enough as I'm boot strapping business #3! But again for the car, imagine it more of a heads up display. I expect there will be applications with speed, control functions, etc.

Imagine some other functions. Automatic distance calculations. "Bionic" eye, zooming telescopically and microscopically. It doesn't have IR temp functions, but that could be a cool addition...Camera takes OK photos and video, but not great. And there is no flash.

Most of these lump into what I think would be a great function for these - motorcycle and bicycle use. The current motorcycle options for most of these functions (external GPS, helmet cam, add-on bluetooth kits) are all bulkier and more expensive than Google Glass, and GG gives you an option that would work with any bike, rather than adding to the power load on an old one or paying big for a new bike with some of it built in.

[nostatic]

I have one in my office. AR and VR are here to stay, but we really don't know how to optimize systems (including the human) for the capabilities. This is a big part of our research at the moment. We refer to it as VAPOR - Virtual, Augmented, Physical Operational Realities. Whomever can leverage these mixed environments will have a tactical advantage. I'm giving a talk at a Microsoft Innovation Outreach Patnership conference next week looking at the opportunities and risks with this stuff.

As for Glass - it will be compelling at some point but right the the UI/UX is mostly a failure. The concept though will become ubiquitous. And Google will figure out how to extract even more data about you and your life using the, and make money off it. I've even stopped using google search but that is a different rant...

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by nostatic

And Google will figure out how to extract even more data about you and your life using the, and make money off it. I've even stopped using google search but that is a different rant...

Yep....

[john70t]

Originally Posted by nostatic

And Google will figure out how to extract even more data about you and your life using the, and make money off it.

GG presents a disturbing glimpse of 1984.
As we are aware, the private sector is a small step from the public sector.

It's also a national security issue.
Already baby monitors and vehicle systems have been remotely hacked, and they are still not industry standard yet.

Facebook is delving deep into facial and object recognition software.
For instance, if someone takes party pics from inside your private home, Facebook has the ability to recognize:
-Bob Wheaton (married CEO of Unique Engineering Corp) kissing his other girlfriend.
-That labrador retriever with the spot on it's side belongs to Sally McGuire (from Consumer Bank) who is looking for another job.
-That collection of Ming vases in the background is part of a collection purchased from Tiffanys Online back in 2007 for $325,000.
-No evidence of alarm sensors.
-A blueprint layout of the interior can be produced (i.e. location of rooms from exterior doors).

Microsoft also experimented with integrating facial recognition into it's Kinect Xbox for children (pay-per-number of viewers).


Google Glass is just a camera and microphone permanently in the optimal record position, with the ability to scan every sound, face, or facial gesture in the vicinity.

[70SATMan]

I've got a pair for gardening around the house.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by nostatic

...We refer to it as VAPOR......

I'd rethink that name.

Vapor ware is what we call tech that someone claims they have but in reality does not exist in any format other than smoke and mirrors.

YMMV.

[nostatic]

There also is vaping. Actually the vaporware reference is part of the mix...

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by nostatic

There also is vaping. Actually the vaporware reference is part of the mix...

The MSFT guys should be interesting. Smart bunch of guys up there.

They called me a few years back looking for a CTO for the Kinect initiative. Specifically developing a set of standard gestures to interface with the software.

Sounded cool but I was not sold on Kinect at the time, still not, great tech but gaming is predominantly tactile.

[nostatic]

We hack Kinect to do all sorts of things - rehab for stroke/TBI patients, recognition in physical spaces, etc. The guy who started Oculus Rift worked as a tech in one of our labs and we do a lot of research with head mount display as well as IR tracked spaces. Lots of possibilities, but we're focused on training and education. The commercial market is mostly looking at taking your info, selling you stuff and entertaining you.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Modern technology was supposed to make our lives easier, but frankly, the speed with which my life is getting easier is killing me.
I don't know half of what my phone, computer, and iPad are capable of doing and I'm too busy having a life to study them. Usually by the time I get up to understanding about 75% of a device's capability it's obsolete and I have to start all over with the latest and greatest.

Agree. They are going to have pry my flip phone from my cold dead hands. Can you get Google Glass with tri-focals ?? Luddites look better every day.