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Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

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Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#21

Post by viraptor »

alexvr wrote: post #18

People should have the right to do whatever the heck they want with their property. While these "lawmakers" are at it, they should ban all of the voice-enabled cars and force people to text and hold the phone while driving. I was driving down the road in an unfamiliar place with my iPhone and Google Maps in my lap, looking at it every now and then, and I noticed that after looking for a second I was usually half a fo…

Why would they ban voice-enabled cars and force people to hold phones? That doesn't make any sense.

If you cannot comfortably see the map while driving: stop, memorise fragment, then drive. Where you cannot stop, road signs are usually available. Most automatic assistants in cars say the instructions out loud exactly so that you don't have to look at the screen.

New cars already display that kind of information on HUDs. They're usually minimal, so that you do no see the whole map.

(PS. Please do not drive with a phone in your lap. This is extremely dangerous. Just stop and find your way.)

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#22

Post by alexqgb »

Evbn wrote: post #4

Because this thing that they have never used and isn't yet on the market is the most pressing threat to public safety? Methinks they just want an excuse to subpoena some devices to play with. Or are they going to ban dashboards next, since they distract drivers from the road?

They don't give fig about playing with Glass. They care about money. It's a shake-down, don't you see?

New technology emerges, gets a lot of buzz, and catches the attention of corrupt legislators, attracting "interest" in the way a successful fruit stand on the Lower East Side would attract attention from mafia types selling "protection". Google responds by commissioning studies showing the fear is baseless and hires lobbyists to present these findings, along with large checks made out to the reelection campaigns of the legislators in question. Wash, rinse, repeat.

There's a variation on this racket in which a business with a competing product or service registers the development as a threat, commissions its own study detailing the dangers, and hires lobbyists to present these "findings" to lawmakers. And of course, these also come with checks. A skillful politico will play one side off against the other, shaking them both down for more and more contributions as the issue is "studied" in greater and more excruciating detail. Barring any reason for the general public to get involved, and start sending letters, this racket unfolds in peace, day-in-day out.

"So why", you ask, "don't we set up a system of public election finance and attack this system at the root?" Because (mumble, mumble, mumble) Freedom! Also, "Ah don whan ta see mah tax dahllers goin' to some pinko commie freak tryin' to destroy America."

Okaaay.

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#24

Post by niggler »

johneth wrote: post #17
niggler wrote: post #11

Some cars already project information onto the windshield. Are they going to ban those too?

> Some cars already project information onto the windshield. Yes - information such as speed. Driving related things which the driver would normally need to know while operating the vehicle. Google Glass is a distraction in much the same way a mobile phone is while driving - it's removing your attention from the road to do things such as texting. So you can't compare the two.

There's no reason to believe that google glass wouldn't be aware of the fact that you are driving (e.g. Looking at distance traveled) and tailor information accordingly (traffic reports, best path)

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#25

Post by viraptor »

astar wrote: post #3

Google glass is probably about as distracting as the various LED and console displays that already exist, including GPS ones

Current devices in the car cannot cover the centre of your view with some graphics. In most cases they're designed so that it's actually impossible. Can the same be guaranteed for Glass? I'm not even thinking about notifications and apps. What about a random app crash / reboot - how will that affect your visibility while driving?

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#26

Post by jonknee »

johneth wrote: post #17
niggler wrote: post #11

Some cars already project information onto the windshield. Are they going to ban those too?

> Some cars already project information onto the windshield. Yes - information such as speed. Driving related things which the driver would normally need to know while operating the vehicle. Google Glass is a distraction in much the same way a mobile phone is while driving - it's removing your attention from the road to do things such as texting. So you can't compare the two.

> Google Glass is a distraction in much the same way a mobile phone is while driving - it's removing your attention from the road to do things such as texting.

Google Glass could be a distraction in much the same way as a mobile phone is while driving, it also could be a huge help in driving. A driving app could display speed, navigation, highlight pedestrians, provide blind spot assistance, etc etc. It's really too early to tell and definitely too early to legislate.

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#27

Post by kpanghmc »

alexvr wrote: post #18

People should have the right to do whatever the heck they want with their property. While these "lawmakers" are at it, they should ban all of the voice-enabled cars and force people to text and hold the phone while driving. I was driving down the road in an unfamiliar place with my iPhone and Google Maps in my lap, looking at it every now and then, and I noticed that after looking for a second I was usually half a fo…

No, people should not, and do not, have the right to do whatever the heck they want with their property, especially when what they're doing puts other people's lives in danger. That's why we have laws against things like drinking and driving.

That's not to say that I think Glass should be outlawed while driving. But lawmakers certainly have the right and responsibility to question whether it should be.

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#28

Post by jonknee »

enraged_camel wrote: post #9
donohoe wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wear glasses - legally obliged to when I drive. Google Glass will work eventually on prescription glasses. Those prescription glasses work even if 'turned off'.

Except regular prescription glasses will still be available. And I don't think you'll be able to convince any cop that the only pair of glasses you have available is one that costs $1,000+.

Who says Google Glass will always cost $1,000+? If it or anything similar catches on the prices will drop like a rock (see mobile phones as an example).

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#29

Post by jonknee »

viraptor wrote: post #25
astar wrote: post #3

Google glass is probably about as distracting as the various LED and console displays that already exist, including GPS ones

Current devices in the car cannot cover the centre of your view with some graphics. In most cases they're designed so that it's actually impossible. Can the same be guaranteed for Glass? I'm not even thinking about notifications and apps. What about a random app crash / reboot - how will that affect your visibility while driving?

> What about a random app crash / reboot - how will that affect your visibility while driving

If Google Glass crashes you just see whatever you would normally be looking at, the display is transparent.

Re: Lawmakers seek to ban Google Glass on the road

#30

Post by saulrh »

As I've said before, maybe people should actually try one of these things before they assume they know how they work. I've seen them before. I've used them. One of my professors does research with them. In particular: A person displaying contextual task information - like GPS navigation - with a head-mounted display spends less time switching contexts, is less distracted by context switches, and is generally more focused on the task, than someone using a text-to-speech display, a piece of paper, or a conventional display. They are able to complete tasks more quickly, more precisely, and more accurately. That's not intuition or experience; that's data. PDF: http://dmrussell.net/CHI2010/docs/p1695.pdf
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