Sunday, 21 April 2013

Week 4 - Project Glass

Google seems to be trying to branch out into all sorts of futuristic inventions that go far beyond search and advertising which are their core products. We've seen self-driving cars, electronic devices such as the Nexus Q (which has already failed), Chrome notebooks and high speed internet (Google Fiber). Perhaps the most interesting of them all is the Google Glass project - a tiny wearable screen which projects images directly in front of your eye. Equipped with a camera, microphone and connectivity, it becomes something right out of a science fiction movie. And yet here it is:




Questions:

1. Will this catch on and become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, or is it a niche product in your opinion?
2. Do you think it's OK to wear a discrete recording device everywhere at all times? Should there be any restrictions?
3. Although Google is already hinting that advertisements will not be allowed, how would you feel if they were?
4. Is it too distracting or is it solving the problem of more distracting handheld devices as Google claims?

19 comments:

  1. It looks cool, but I don't seriously believe, that it is going to become ubiquitous. As weird as it may sound, I am not the biggest enthusiast of new gadgets (therefore my opinion is probably biased). For me, such device needs to provide some really new (useful or entertaining) features, while most of them are in fact doing the same things, just in a different way (not necessarily better) or simply change the design...
    Additionally after watching the video I have some serious doubts, whether it is convinient - I would expect sore eyes when using such device on a regular basis...The second thing, that came into my mind was the idea of walking down the street and talking to my glasses :) . I know, we already have similar problems with bluetooth headsets but still...well...it seems a little bit eccentric to me - you can call me old-fashioned :)
    On the other hand I have to admit I am concerned about the idea of Google bringing the distracting technology "closer to our senses". Hope it will not be taken to literally in the near future. I wouldn't like the big brother to know that I caught the flu before me ;)

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    1. There are some clever optics in the translucent part. It's like looking at a 25 inch HD screen from 8 feet away (or so they say). Hard to tell without trying them on but hopefully sore eyes wouldn't be a problem. I really like how small they are compared to VR glasses.

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    2. Well - I have to admit, that I like the design much more than this one :)
      http://www.abc.net.au/science/singapore/img/kylie_virtual.jpg

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    3. Yes, no earbuds required, they replaced them with bone conduction speakers to generate sound through the skull. You could probably still wear headphones and get sound from both sources at the same time.

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  2. Well, if we will go further with this technology it could be like in this movie:
    http://vimeo.com/46304267

    And here short parody of Google Glasses ;)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3TAOYXT840

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    1. Nice movies :) The man from the first one only lacks a laser function to cut the cucumber precisely without using the old-fashioned knife ;)

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    2. Yeah, I was hoping someone would post a link to that parody.
      That's why you have to look slightly higher to see the screen and it doesn't obstruct your eyes, so you can have eye contact with another person.

      The other video was pretty amazing!

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  3. 1. Will this catch on and become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, or is it a niche product in your opinion?

    Hard to say, definitely it is an interesting idea. Maybe in the future it will ubiquitous as mobile phone but now it looks more like a digital gadget, especial because of its price.

    2. Do you think it's OK to wear a discrete recording device everywhere at all times? Should there be any restrictions?

    This is quite a controversial issue. I think that making recordings with such devices falls under the same rules as taking pictures :) Many people are not aware of the fact that we cannot take pictures left and right as we wish, because depending on the situation it is often regulated by special laws. Don’t ask me where its written, I don’t know, my photographer friend just told me recently about it. However, no one seems to respect much these limitations. Therefore I don’t think it is going to be any big issue.

    3. Although Google is already hinting that advertisements will not be allowed, how would you feel if they were?

    I don’t like the idea at all. It is already annoying to see ads everywhere. It is like some kind of epidemic.

    4. Is it too distracting or is it solving the problem of more distracting handheld devices as Google claims?

    I am very interesting how they solve this problem, for me such commercials will be distracting all the

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  4. 1. Will this catch on and become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, or is it a niche product in your opinion?

    I would bet on niche, actually it does not do anything more that giving you camera mounted in your glasses with voice command. As for me nothing special.

    2. Do you think it's OK to wear a discrete recording device everywhere at all times? Should there be any restrictions?

    I think that recording and using are two different things. For examples as far as I know in Poland it is forbidden to record something without ones approval.

    3. Although Google is already hinting that advertisements will not be allowed, how would you feel if they were?

    I think it's their choice, of course consumers don't like advertisements but this is commercial product and when designer feel it will benefit him he can do whatever he like.

    4. Is it too distracting or is it solving the problem of more distracting handheld devices as Google claims?

    Honestly ... I don't know. Actually I really don't have a need for any features that this device give in my day to day life, so I cannot think of reason why should I wear something on my glasses.

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    1. Regarding point 3. I do suffer from the fact that we are surrounded by adverts placed everywhere there is free scrap of space.
      Let’s think the opposite. Google glass might try to “erase” the posters and adverts you see filling this space with the augmented reality with something calm pictures of trees, sea, birds … :)

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  5. For the first question I generally agree with Artur. I don’t notice anything revolutionary – maybe only size.
    I think that some gadgets will stay as popular as mobile phones only if they can replace our mobiles. I noticed only one feature of showed glasses which is absent in my mobile – continuous filming everything what I see. Nowadays I think that replacement mobiles by glasses is impossible because:
    - We have one or two mobiles (private and company’s) in our pockets, but we often need more number of glasses: for day, for night, for reading, sunglasses, glasses for sport etc. And often our women need different glasses for different dresses ;-). So from this side of view glasses should be cheaper than phones (or really cheap) because we probably will need more number glasses than phones – it seems impossible for me.
    - Current mobiles have a big display which is absent in glasses (yet) and simply is useful.
    About filming everywhere – I think that it should be allowed in the public places. Publishing some movies should be restricted.
    I think that advertising is present so deeply in our life that we have to live with adverts. I think that we should limit advertising in a lot of places but I suppose that we don’t have too many chances for winning a war with adverts.
    I think that we have a wave of distributing following a wave of centralizing our handheld devices. Maybe now is time for distributing. But at the end China will earn the most of money on producing gadgets ;-).

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    1. You're right, it's not clear how they would work with perscription glasses with different frames. In the video they mention that they are working on a reference model.

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  6. It is an interesting idea and I believe there is a space for that solution more than ever before. The first implementation might be probably bulky and uncomfortable as firs mobile phones were. The main idea is good and it is to free the user from manually operating the device. You could get content you want more or less automatically and it will be its driving force.

    Yes it does introduce a new problem of overwhelming instant live recording of the reality. It is already happening with all the street cameras but it will boost with massive google glass spreading. It’s inevitable I think and partially it will change our behaviour.
    Facebook allows to share your live so do will the glass project.

    Aldo google streat view will get instant feed of the current data.

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    1. You mean they will crowdsource live video of everything we look at :) That's funny, but who knows.

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  7. 1. Will this catch on and become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, or is it a niche product in your opinion?

    This is something new but it isn't some kind revolution idea :) I don't thing that it will be as ubiquitous as mobile phones id don't think that everyone will go with that glass all the day:)

    2. Do you think it's OK to wear a discrete recording device everywhere at all times? Should there be any restrictions?

    I think that it isn't ok I don't want to be recorded by other people I want to have some privacy but in other hand now a days our government are recording us all the time look at the monitoring camera in the city :)


    3. Although Google is already hinting that advertisements will not be allowed, how would you feel if they were?

    I don't think that they don't allow advertisements because now a days a lot of many are going to adverts. So snore or later they allow for that and i think that will be annoying because now a days adverts are everywhere

    4. Is it too distracting or is it solving the problem of more distracting handheld devices as Google claims?

    To be honest I don't have opinion in that subject for me hand held devices aren't distracting:)

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  8. I really like to see that big companies do not settle for the products they have become rich for and search for innovations. I agree that not all of them hit the spot and become a big success but some can really make our lives better.

    Google Glass seems to be an interesting idea, which in theory could really catch on (especially for people that wear regular glasses – such as myself). Just imagine - you can sit in a boring meeting / lecture and watch a movie and people would probably not notice it (OK, with no sound, but you can use subtitles)!

    So even if this looks like something that I would be interested in, I highly doubt that I will get myself one of these in the near future. This is why:
    1. Localization – I doubt that we could use this in Poland. As I saw in the movie the Glass is voice-controlled, and I have seen many issues with devices based on Polish language recognition.
    2. Voice control in crowded places – try using this while riding a bus to work…

    So all in all this seems like an interesting concept but I’ll wait a few years for mine.

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  9. 1. Will this catch on and become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, or is it a niche product in your opinion?

    I think that presented form of Project Glass is something different from product we expected based on first commercials. If they make real glasses with projection, it will be something more than gadget.

    2. Do you think it's OK to wear a discrete recording device everywhere at all times? Should there be any restrictions?

    It's NOT OK! I will feel very uncomfortable knowing that everything I say and do during conversation with somebody could be used later in wrong way (for example sentences out of context).

    3. Although Google is already hinting that advertisements will not be allowed, how would you feel if they were?

    It would be awful and really annoying. Just check this out and you will understand what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mRF0rBXIeg

    4. Is it too distracting or is it solving the problem of more distracting handheld devices as Google claims?

    In my opinion it's even more distracting than mobile devices because you will see all the information all the time in the corner of your eye. In case of smartphone/tablet you can put it away, turn sound off and check what is going on only when you want it.

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  10. I think this is a very cool gadget. However should be limit to record films. You will not everywhere able to enter with google glass for exemple cinema. Hopefully this evolves into something worth buying.
    Life battery is 1hour nice going google thinking we can catch the moments but instead the google glass is just charging
    Advertisment - I would feel that it is an evil idea, for me it is a biggest obstacle.
    It looks cool, but I don't want people to see what i'm doing.
    Good way to cheat during exam in school :)

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  11. 1.Will this catch on and become as ubiquitous as mobile phones, or is it a niche product in your opinion?
    In my opinion this will become niche product use rather like a gadget then tool for everyday use.
    2.Do you think it's OK to wear a discrete recording device everywhere at all times? Should there be any restrictions?
    I think is not OK. Most of the problems are listed hire http://www.edrants.com/thirty-five-arguments-against-google-glass/
    3.Although Google is already hinting that advertisements will not be allowed, how would you feel if they were?
    For me advertisements is not so important problem in this case. We already live in a world full of advertisements and most of companies (maybe except Onet or TVN) already know that amount and quality of adds must be controlled otherwise they lose customers.
    4. Is it too distracting or is it solving the problem of more distracting handheld devices as Google claims?
    I think I will be distracting.

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