My friends and I are not exactly "tech savvy," but we always say that we are waiting for the day that we have a camera put in our eye to take pictures at a moments notice. Imagine my surprise when I found an article telling me that this already (kind of) exists. An article in today's New York Times (online version) tells readers that it may not be as hard as we think to Google ourselves...intriguing, no? Although I had heard of the concept of the Google Glass before, I just thought it was an idea that would make it's way on the market sometime, not be part of our world now.
Don't get too excited, though. After checking out the site for the Glass, I learned that certain ambitious people were only lucky enough to get an application...but for what? It's very possible that these applications were taken some time ago and those certain people have already taken the glasses on a joy ride. A story from Quartz talks about who is likely to get their hands on the Glass and who may have to wait awhile. According to the author of the story, Simone Foxman, a rendezvous was recently held for those who have tested the glasses to weigh the pros and cons of the new gadget. It seems the overall feedback was good, but for the normal people, this isn't exactly "good" news. For those who want the Google Glass, only time will tell when the device will become available. In line first are, of course, businessman. Anyone in the business of medicine or finance are likely to be the first to strap on a pair of these glasses and use them in the work place...I only hope they help, instead of get in the way. This doesn't mean that the average Joe won't own a pair of their own someday, they just may have to wait patiently until their turn comes up. Remember: if you see your doctor looking like Dr. Doolittle when you visit him/her in the office, don't panic, they likely aren't taking pictures of you with their new Google invention.
Clive Thompson, a contributing writer at the NY Times was lucky enough to test drive a pair of the Google Glass this summer and had both positive and negative comments about them. Turns out that they can be helpful for: taking pictures, navigating parking lots, texting and Tweeting. The down side? According to Thompson, when you walk up to someone on the street with a computer on your glasses, they tend to worry and look the other way. Also, since the whole device is mostly voice controlled, talking to air can get you odd looks from the people around you. This is something that would make me not have to think twice about ever getting some.
Not that I ever expect to own a pair of these Google Glasses, but if I did or knew someone that did, I think talking to myself would be worthy of strange looks. Then there's the question of how well voices would be picked up. You don't want something popping up in front of your face because of something your friend said while sitting next to you. If this isn't a problem for you, though, I hope everyone who wants a pair will someday be able to walk around looking like robots and talking to themselves. I mean honestly, Iron Man makes it look bad ass, so why not give it a try.
This is a really interesting topic! My kids would get a kick out of it. You have to wonder where all of this technology is really taking us. The thought of seeing these Google Glasses one everyone might seem odd to people right now, but so did a mobile phone in every person’s hand at the before the introduction of cell phones and now it’s a “normal” site for us.
ReplyDeleteAs talked about in a CNN article from July 2010, do you think that forty years ago when Martin Cooper demonstrated a cell phone the size of a brick on a New York sidewalk, do you think people would have thought he was insane if he had said that one day everyone would have one? Better yet, tell them that they would be able to link to information globally and that this information could be retrieved instantly. Do you think that might have raised an eyebrow or two?
Maybe, but today that statement is replied to with a simple, yes, I know that. That’s because our cell phones are with us everywhere. They have become a part of us. According to Agar, J. (2004). Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone. Duxford, Cambridge: Icon Books Ltd., “By 2002 there were at least a billion subscribers in the world.” Perhaps in the years to follow, those will be the stats on Google Glass. Just like our cell phones, Google Glasses come in different shades although it looks like there’s only one basic design, so far. There are similar products out there like Vuzik Wrap 920 Video Eyewear that allow you to watch movies, so why not glasses that allow you to take pictures?
Like you said “Ironman makes it looks bad ass, so why not give it a try.” I agree and I think I’d like to give them a try!