Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#141

Post by tesseractive » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:13 PM UTC

kami8845 wrote: post #125

Symmetry wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not that Google's automated cars haven't been in an fatal crash, its that they haven't been in a crash at all. The US _crash rate_ is a bit over 5 per million miles traveled, you you would expect about one crash in the 200k miles already covered if it was a human driver. The circumstances probably aren't identical, but what evidence we have suggests that these automated vehicles are at least comparably safe to a…

The Google car is only driven in controlled conditions in sunny California. For example the car simply doesn't work when it snows, so they just turn it off for that duration. The project looks promising but it still has a long way to go.

But remember: a car that can drive for you perfectly well when the weather is fine but that requires you to take the wheel under adverse conditions is still an awesome product as long as the limitations are clear, consistent, and understood by purchasers.

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#142

Post by varunsaini » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:13 PM UTC

I believe that if the product is good then it doesn't matter if you keep it under wrap or give a peek to people. Google believes in iterative model and they are keeping that. If they pull it off and sell it in 300-500 $ I can imagine seeing a lot of people wearing these and updating their facebook timelines and twitter :), so now we all know why they call Android, and Android

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#143

Post by dpark » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:16 PM UTC

saturdaysaint wrote: post #53

I don't know whether to be encouraged or disturbed by the notion of having wearable cameras become socially acceptable. On one hand, I would think this could be a major crime deterrent - the idea of a "witness" could become quaint as any crime could easily be captured with a time/location stamp. But it could also be a major altering of norms. Are women comfortable with the idea that any guy looking at them on the str…

How is this actually any different than today? There's nothing stopping me from popping up my phone to take a picture or video in a public space. There's also nothing stopping me from wearing a pinhole camera all the time. If these became common, then obviously there would be more cameras on at all times, but the fundamentals wouldn't be any different.

It seems like the biggest difference is that if a ton of people were wearing these all the time, police couldn't tell everyone to turn them off. If they looked like normal glasses, they wouldn't even know.

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#144

Post by sonnekki » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:17 PM UTC

windsurfer wrote: post #92

heyrhett wrote: post #5

Why would the largest advertising company in the world want to place a screen between my eyeballs and reality?

I'm imagining a remix of the featured video to look something like this: * Guy wakes up, puts on glasses. They immediately tell him what brand of breakfast he should be eating today. * When he looks at the window to see the weather, buildings and places are censored, and advertisements are replaced with google ads, yet he doesn't care * During the text message with his friend, after he says "Strand books", Google sug…

This is a very interesting interpretation of that video. It has such a dystopian flavor. Yes, it solves problems for you, but at the expense of a full thought process.

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#145

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:18 PM UTC

dannyr wrote: post #121

hswolff wrote: post #25

>“We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input,” the three employees wrote. “Please follow along as we share some of our ideas and stories. We’d love to hear yours, too. What would you like to see from Project Glass?” Why would you ask that? This type of product is so different from what's available on the market that I doubt the Project Glass team woul…

Some people see the infinite possibilities to what Google is doing. While others see only what's wrong to what Google is doing.

[deleted]

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#146

Post by danilocampos » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:18 PM UTC

jrockway wrote: post #112

FredFredrickson wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"And that's a damn shame, because given Google's talent, it'll nevertheless be a engineering feat of epic proportion." You know, I have respect for the people Google employs - they are certainly a very talented bunch. But what has Google ever engineered, at least physically, that has set your expectations so high?

But what has Google ever engineered, at least physically, that has set your expectations so high? Driverless cars.

Quite so! I'm very excited to head on down to my Google dealership and pick one--

Oh.

There's a huge difference between a research project and a shipping product. I'm most excited for this development as well, but I'll be withholding my acclaim until they actually deliver it. So far, all of this stuff is an elaborate Montessori school science project.

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#147

Post by bishnu » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:20 PM UTC

indiefan wrote: post #89

hswolff wrote: post #25

>“We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input,” the three employees wrote. “Please follow along as we share some of our ideas and stories. We’d love to hear yours, too. What would you like to see from Project Glass?” Why would you ask that? This type of product is so different from what's available on the market that I doubt the Project Glass team woul…

Typical Google. Treating what should be platforms like products and treating what should be products like platforms.

Is there any indication that there won't be Apps available for these glasses? I don't think so.

At any rate, the counter argument is that opening it up to 3rd party developers means letting people shit up your field of vision with ads, which might not be so cool.

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#148

Post by siavosh » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:21 PM UTC

JanezStupar wrote: post #130

siavosh wrote: post #72

I loved the video, but it didn't show the glasses on his face. Besides the technical/usability challenges, I think the cultural connotation of the device will be an equally deal/no-deal situation. Like the Segway, significant portions of the society might associate negative connotations with the device ("dorky", antisocial, pretentious etc). I remember when a friend bought a pair of Oakley sunglasses with built in he…

This is nothing like Segway. Segway users are bound to be seen as too lazy to walk. But imagine having these glasses on while performing a complicated technical procedure providing you with checklist of activities, enabling you to take pictures as you go. Or giving a lecture/presentation without having to turn away from the public to peek at your presentation/notes. Plus in comparison to Segway and bluetooth headphon…

I think that's a valid point especially for certain tasks, but it finally hit me what's slightly jarring about the glasses in the scenario the video portrayed.

It creates a very clear seperation between you and the person you're facing, a complete loss of intimacy and focus which right now is the last refuge for non distracted human contact. It's analgous (roughly) to having someone talking to you while looking at their iPhone the whole time. In the personal (ubiquitous) scenario, I can see how glasses like these can be a violent intrusion in our relationships.

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#149

Post by dpark » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:22 PM UTC

artursapek wrote: post #78

huskyr wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame." ;) http://slashdot.org/story/01/10/23/1816257/apple-releases-ip...

Cute winky face, but you completely miss my point. I'm not saying this is "lame," I'm saying most people won't want to wear pixels on their face. Even the most successful products get criticism, especially in the beginning.

> I'm saying most people won't want to wear pixels on their face.

You could have said the same about any number of technologies that are now ubiquitous (and many people did say those same things).

"Who wants an iPhone? Crappy virtual keyboard and the only apps are from Apple."

"Cell phones will never catch on. Anyone can call you at any time? How obnoxious. And you pay even when you didn't call? Ridiculous."

"No one will pay for TV with ads."

"No one will pay more for TV without ads."

Etc...

Times change, and the "I'd never buy this" statements become suppressed memories once everyone else owns it and you feel left out. What matters is how much benefit the product delivers. People will get over their hangups if the value is high enough.

I'm not saying that this will be an awesome product (or that it will ever even come to market). But if it is, people will buy it, and they will use it.

Re: Google Begins Testing Its Augmented Reality Glasses

#150

Post by taliesinb » Wed, Apr 04, 2012, 8:23 PM UTC

jordhy wrote: post #124

indiefan wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Typical Google. Treating what should be platforms like products and treating what should be products like platforms.

This is a great point. In the Project Glass video all of the products are Google's. Imagine if, instead of a product, the Google glasses were an open platform for AR like Android is for smartphones. If this were so, Google could create a new app store for AR applications, a new distribution platform for web searches, AR open web apps, and (maybe) a first-person version of YouTube (reality TV 3.0). This platform would…

Agree with most of the above, but as regards an open platform, don't forget that the iPhone didn't initially have an app store at all.

I think it might take a while of having people walking around with an initial, closed version for the truly novel and exciting obvious to really become obvious.