Project Glass ( Google )

[kaid]

Honestly, I'm surprised we don't have something like this already. I guess miniaturization of the needed parts has allowed this to even be considered now.

There are strides in having LED basically printed onto normal glass so eventually you could have just normal looking eyeglasses with all sorts of built in features like this. I think down the road this kind of AR(augmented reality) stuff is probably the way things are going to go. If you can get normal looking eyeglasses basically acting like high rez LED monitors your screen is now literally the world around you.

Glad to see some of the big companies are starting the ball rolling on this tech.

[Paelos]

So they are Google Goggles?

[apocrypha]

There are strides in having LED basically printed onto normal glass so eventually you could have just normal looking eyeglasses with all sorts of built in features like this.

That wouldn't work though since you'd have to focus on the lenses of the spectacles to read the LED display. I'm not sure how these are supposed to work but in, for example, a HUD in a plane you have a projector and a mirror or lens so that the display is actually projected at infinite focus distance so you don't need to refocus your eyes away from the normal view to read it.

The thing that struck me when watching the video was that it all seemed to be voice activated. I can't imagine how annoying it would be to have loads of nerds walking around talking to their Google Goggles. I'd estimate <1 month after launch before some hipstnerd was killed by having them forcible inserted somewhere they weren't meant to go.

[Yegolev]

Having played with the Xbox voice stuff a bit, I'm going to state that all voice-commanded stuff is complete shit.

[Teleku]

I concur.

[Ironwood]

Being Scottish, I'm going to state that all voice-commanded stuff is complete shit.

Yeah.

[01101010]

 

 

[Simond]

I concur.

Garrus is clearly using an nth generation version of Google-Goggle though.

[KallDrexx]

Let's be honest. 

When Augmented Reality capabilities were unveiled in iPhone everyone was ooooohing and thinking it's the future, yet how often does anyone here use it?   That, combined with the fact that voice and non-voice systems that try to bring up information based on non-textual contexts are usually annoying as hell (bringing up the wrong information, spamming with too much, etc..) this gets a big yawn from me.

[Jherad]

Being Scottish, I'm going to state that all voice-commanded stuff is complete shit.

Yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMS2VnDveP8

[Selby]

My cynical nature first wondered "bet the battery lasts all of 2 hours..."

[Lakov_Sanite]

Being Scottish, I'm going to state that all voice-commanded stuff is complete shit.

Yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMS2VnDveP8

Freedom!!!

[Quinton]

Opt-out != opt-in.

Total agreement.  The way this is presented in the Android setup flow is while setting up your account, you're asked if you want to x/y/z and there are boxes you can uncheck. 

I personally would prefer that the boxes be unchecked to start with (but I'm just an engineer, what do I know... those UX people never listen to me) but I'm at least happy that you can uncheck them before going to the next step which results in those features never being enabled.

[Margalis]

Far be it from me to interfere with perfectly good tin-foil hattery with facts, but just in case someone's actually curious -- one can opt to not use a Google account with an Android device and sync nothing with Google services, install alternate apps for email, etc, and so on.  Location and backup services are further, individually, opt-outable (during or any time after setup) even if one does use other Google services.

Please.

Here are the actual facts:

1. You can opt-out on an account level but not on a geographic / IP / other identifying feature level. Google tracks data based on "unique device identifiers" and your phone number ffs, which are in turn linked to your account, so the fact that you can opt-out of account-based tracking is completely irrelevant.
2. It's a pain to opt-out (by design)
3. Not all Google services allow you to opt out or erase history
4. Even when you do choose to opt-out google "accidentally" records information anyway.
5. Google will share your personal information with other companies, regardless of any legal requirement or lack thereof to do so.

This is not "tinfoil hat" stuff. You cannot opt-out of Google tracking, you cannot opt out of google sharing your personal info at their discretion.

[UnSub]

I'm a bit puzzled on the privacy front -- the implications are not much different from those of modern smartphones.

That might just be the issue.

See the issues with the Girls Around Me app that covers a lot of ground about how social network information can be used. It's been pointed out that sure, you can just adjust the privacy settings, but companies like Facebook keep fiddling with such things to ensure it's a difficult process to complete effectively.

As for the Google project: let's see the version in commercial production, not something the lab boys whipped up for a PR event.

[Azazel]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mirror_(TV_series)#3._.22The_Entire_History_of_You.22

[Quinton]

The Glass folks have finally posted some more up to date video showing UI features (a first since the original "concept video", I think), as well as expanding their Explorer program (still pretty pricey at $1500), etc: http://www.google.com/glass/start/

www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1uyQZNg2vE

[schild]

$1500 is indeed way too much atm.

[Quinton]

Yeah, I think the most interesting thing here is that they're finally showing off some UI, not just pictures of the device or people wearing it.  Unlike that early proof-of-concept video, they show the overlay where it actually appears in your field of vision (upper right corner) -- probably a disappointment for people wanting fully-immersive-AR, but perhaps a relief to others.

[Fabricated]

I wish I could use this stuff, but I have a feeling you need binocular vision for it to be relatively safe and I'm profoundly blind in one eye.

[MrHat]

I'm still unconvinced that voice recognition is the way to go on this.

The best way would be a watch like accessory with localized 3D sensing so you can continue to use hand gestures.

Still - the future is now!

[Merusk]

Voice is most certainly NOT the way to go with this. 

Thanks to VoodooLilly I know what IS the answer, though.  Skin-surface pickups and transmitters.

http://io9.com/5985558/temporary-tattoos-could-make-electronic-telepathy-and-telekinesis-possible

[kaid]

There are strides in having LED basically printed onto normal glass so eventually you could have just normal looking eyeglasses with all sorts of built in features like this.

That wouldn't work though since you'd have to focus on the lenses of the spectacles to read the LED display. I'm not sure how these are supposed to work but in, for example, a HUD in a plane you have a projector and a mirror or lens so that the display is actually projected at infinite focus distance so you don't need to refocus your eyes away from the normal view to read it.

The thing that struck me when watching the video was that it all seemed to be voice activated. I can't imagine how annoying it would be to have loads of nerds walking around talking to their Google Goggles. I'd estimate <1 month after launch before some hipstnerd was killed by having them forcible inserted somewhere they weren't meant to go.

HAHA blue tooth headsets. Around here the only difference between insane people muttering to themselves and business people is an ear piece.

[Ghambit]

I'm still unconvinced that voice recognition is the way to go on this.

The best way would be a watch like accessory with localized 3D sensing so you can continue to use hand gestures.

Still - the future is now!

I've got a Leap SDK coming in the mail hopefully soon.  I have big, big plans for the thing one of which is AR stuff.  The problem with these localized devices though (which are typically using tiny mag. fields) is that they need a stable surface to calibrate to.  Their entry-level software isnt designed for dynamic calibration.   Leap may have improved on this though, but we'll see.

Voice recog. does indeed suck, but I'm sure other inputs are allowed.  I could whip up a small 3d mouse ala ss-gyro that'd do the job nicely... I mean really, we're only talking about 2-axes of control here.  

[Sky]

That would be pretty cool for making instructional videos for painting minis!

I could make a good case, but it would also be $1480 short.

[Quinton]

I'd be surprised (and disappointed) if they went voice-only control.  It certainly has its uses in some situations, but it's definitely not the primary interface I want with my computing devices...

[Engels]

I'm just wondering if there's any thought about folks that already wear glasses. If they could make google glass in prescription lenses that'd rule. Otherwise, they're cutting out a lot of market share with the nerds.

[Quinton]

They've stated that future designs will support that, and they definitely get a lot of that feedback both internally and externally.  I'm wondering if it might be possible sooner rather than later now that they're showing pictures of variants  with integrated sunglasses.

I'd be interested in giving the product a look, but definitely don't want to wear contacts to do so...

[Samwise]

The prescription lens thing would be one thing I'd want before I bought a pair of these -- I don't wear glasses now, but if I did I'd want them to fix my mildly defective eyeballs in addition to giving me a HUD.

Better UI would also be a requirement, as would making them not look like cyborg nerd fetish wear.


I expect in ten years when they've had more time to shrink the various components and come up with new UI solutions it'll be awesome.

[kaid]

hell if people like them I would not even say 10 years probably like 5 years and they will be small enough to look just like normal eye glasses.

[Lucas]

hell if people like them I would not even say 10 years probably like 5 years and they will be small enough to look just like normal eye glasses.

Yeah, if this is successful (and the cyberpunk/futuristic me REALLY hopes this is going to be successful), I guess we'll see a lot of adjustments. If you think about it, a lot of tech devices started off bulky (or with oversized components here and there), only to shrink and adapt in subsequent iterations.

I always asked for this  

[K9]

I'm still unconvinced that voice recognition is the way to go on this.

The best way would be a watch like accessory with localized 3D sensing so you can continue to use hand gestures.

Still - the future is now!

While that is cool, I cannot for the life of me seeing it take over from a mouse for desk-work. If nothing else, I can't see how your arm wouldn't be knackered after a couple of minutes of precision waving. Seems more like a toy than a solution.

[Yegolev]

Considering how well the wave-hand-to-get-paper-towel machine works in public restrooms, I'm completely unexcited about a 3D-sensing watch.

[Hawkbit]

Think of all the new pov porn!

[Paelos]

Considering how well the wave-hand-to-get-paper-towel machine works in public restrooms, I'm completely unexcited about a 3D-sensing watch.

Holy hell those things are awful. The ATL airport ones are the absolute worst.