Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

onthemedia.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 206 posts

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#151

Post by lotu »

icebraining wrote: post #137
User8712 wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It also seems rude to be wearing a headset while socializing. People take their headphones out of their ears. If you have a bluetooth headset, I feel like I'm not getting your full attention. Even if you're not on a call, I still feel like I come second. It would be the same with Glass. If I'm talking to someone and they're wearing Glass, it seems rude. If they glance to the screen, even more so. Then, it's unnecessa…

The conversation seems easily solved: you just need to be able to raise the Glass screen/camera, like you would with sunglasses. Seems like an easy design fix.

The glass screen is always raised. You don't wear glass in front of your eye it is worn above your eyes. This allows you make eye contact with other people easily.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#152

Post by XorNot »

d23 wrote: post #72
3pt14159 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't the invasiveness of glass that is the trouble. It's the minimum focal length of the eye and the speed of focusing. I want an overlay that is in focus, not to read email while I'm walking my buddy's dog. Once glass is directly on the optic nerve things will be better.

> Once glass is directly on the optic nerve things will be better. I really hope we get to see biological interfaces in our lifetimes. If there's a singularity, I'm guessing that's where it'll begin to take off.

Unless there's a big advance in magnetic field manipulation, I doubt it.

Basically - unless we find a way to inject data non-invasively using an advanced version of transcranial magnetic stimuation.

The basic problem with bioscience - in fact anything that's not computer science, is you can't just hit "recompile" when you screw up. We can't just replace an optic nerve that goes bad, in fact anytime you do even minor surgery you run the risk of an infection that wipes out whole systems of the body from a tiny mistake.

Abstraction is a big problem, basically.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#153

Post by Zigurd »

I believe the wearable format of Google Glass has a good chance to succeed because it is radical enough to deliver enough value from its capabilities. Watches are too tame, and too limited.

It can't be stopped. I want to know, based on face recognition, is the cop walking up to my car known for aggression or for professionalism? I want to know the population density of Bt and PLMN radios around me. I want a subconscious sense of direction. I want to see impurities in air and water. I want senses nobody has thought of yet. Glass is only the beginning, and it is only perhaps minimally capable in the wearables spectrum of capabilities.

It is very likley this means multiple body-worn sensors. Maybe they will be small, but, if not, they will probably become accepted as much as glasses, rings, belt buckles, and other functional adornments.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#154

Post by thechut »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #121

I don't think the Walkman is a good comparison at all. Instead, look at the boom box. Big headphones today, or the Walkman in the 80s didn't invade someone else's space. They allow a person to withdraw. Boom boxes, and Google Glass, on the other hand, are explicitly outwardly focused. They force your presence upon others.

You clearly haven't used Google Glass. With the exception of the camera, everything is inward focused. Everything you do and see and interact with glass happens with only visibility to you. Nobody else can see what you are seeing.

I wouldn't compare it to the boombox at all.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#155

Post by er35826 »

r0s wrote: post #64
resu_nimda wrote: post #44

I am actually pretty shocked at the responses here on HN, of all places. Not because, as technologists we should all automatically love any new technology, but because, as technologists we should have perspective on its inexorable march. How many times have we laughed at definitive statements, pontificating on this or that newfangled thing, that were proven to be wildly off-the-mark only a few years later? How many t…

Just look around at people wearing headphones right now. Have attitudes really changed? As a technologist, do you see someone with headphones and think "progressive"? Of course not, you meerly ignore it unless there's a practical reason to care. Someone on the bus with headphones is likely ignoring everyone else. Someone crossing the street with headphones is likely not paying enough attention to traffic. Is glass di…

> Just look around at people wearing headphones right now. Have attitudes really changed? As a technologist, do you see someone with headphones and think "progressive"? Of course not, you meerly ignore it unless there's a practical reason to care.

I don't normally consciously acknowledge that someone is wearing headphones, and that is the point. The article is pointing out how little we think of people wearing headphones in public now, while they used to be very noticeable and with largely negative connotations.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#156

Post by thechut »

I have been using Glass for almost 3 months now. I have tried out almost all the different apps for it at least once. And even written my own apps. My experience has changed greatly over time.

When I first got glass, I felt extremely weird wearing it, it didn't feel right on my face (I have never worn glasses for vision). But not only that, i was very self conscious about it, it looks weird and I knew it. I would maybe wear it for a little while and then take it off when I saw someone.

However, as time has progressed I wear it much more often. I have started to see the value in it, hands free headset. Driving directions, step by step instructions for things, and then the standard watch type functionality of SMS and email alerts.

It doesn't feel weird on my face anymore and I don't feel like an ass hole wearing it around anymore. It just took some getting use to.

It has been said here several times already, but the real key here is usefulness. There needs to be a Glass killer-app, and I think that we are close to having it. There will be lots of great use cases soon, and more will crop up as time goes on.

If you are at ITEXPO this week and want to try glass and see a cool demo of how it can be used in a real world situation, contact me and stop by our booth and check it out.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#157

Post by icebraining »

lotu wrote: post #151
icebraining wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The conversation seems easily solved: you just need to be able to raise the Glass screen/camera, like you would with sunglasses. Seems like an easy design fix.

The glass screen is always raised. You don't wear glass in front of your eye it is worn above your eyes. This allows you make eye contact with other people easily.

Sure, but is it enough? And it's not just about the screen; the camera too would be unable to record, which seems important to many people.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#158

Post by abvdasker »

fizx wrote: post #58

No one cares if you wear headphones. You're a jerk if you order coffee with earbuds/bluetooth in. I've never seen anyone flip up a Google Glass to the top of their head to have a conversation, but if that was standard behavior, Google Glass would be widely accepted. The problem today as I see it isn't the camera ($diety knows tourists take enough pictures of you in SF), its people (influenced by clueless Google marke…

The idea of a google glass that can be temporarily disengaged (flipped up) is a really interesting one. It seems like that gives the wearer more control over where they would like to direct their attention. It also signals to whoever they're dealing with that their attention is undivided.

This is probably the single biggest difference between headphones and google glass. I wonder if the designers at google will figure that out.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#159

Post by pkinsky »

3pt14159 wrote: post #62
resu_nimda wrote: post #44

I am actually pretty shocked at the responses here on HN, of all places. Not because, as technologists we should all automatically love any new technology, but because, as technologists we should have perspective on its inexorable march. How many times have we laughed at definitive statements, pontificating on this or that newfangled thing, that were proven to be wildly off-the-mark only a few years later? How many t…

It isn't the invasiveness of glass that is the trouble. It's the minimum focal length of the eye and the speed of focusing. I want an overlay that is in focus, not to read email while I'm walking my buddy's dog. Once glass is directly on the optic nerve things will be better.

I'm waiting for contact lenses with displays and gaze tracking.

Re: A 33-Year-Old NPR Story Convinced Me Google Glass Will Stop Looking So Dorky

#160

Post by bct »

resu_nimda wrote: post #44

I am actually pretty shocked at the responses here on HN, of all places. Not because, as technologists we should all automatically love any new technology, but because, as technologists we should have perspective on its inexorable march. How many times have we laughed at definitive statements, pontificating on this or that newfangled thing, that were proven to be wildly off-the-mark only a few years later? How many t…

> we should have perspective on its inexorable march.

There is no such thing. There are only specific technologies. Some march inexorably, some are jokes (if they're remembered at all).

Post reply on HN