Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’ • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#31

Post by Devilboy » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 1:32 AM UTC

kingkawn wrote: post #6

Cushman wrote: post #5

Some people who have interacted with Glass testers feel that sometimes people seem to temporarily drop out of a conversation to process something they see on the display. How does Glass avoid being something that removes us from our physical environment? My feeling is that this effect might fade away as people become more used to the device. Anyone who wears glasses can tell you that the first time you put them on, t…

"My feeling is that this effect might fade away as people become more used to the device." The effect of removal from the environment will not fade, but the social ramifications for the user will. People are less pissy now when someone stops to check their phone during a conversation, but that's more due to the expectations of those around them rather than our expanded ability to functionally multitask.

In the Ghost in the Shell series you'll often see one person talking to another only to eventually realise that the other person was 'diving' (using the internet) and not listening to a word they say.

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#32

Post by shangrila » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 2:22 AM UTC

Groxx wrote: post #4

astrodust wrote: post #3

Is it just me or is the likelihood of this taking off a little lower than the Segway revolutionizing transport worldwide?

Segways would need parking / secure storage, or lots more upper body strength on the average person to get them up stairs. Costly physical barriers to widespread use. Something like this pretty much just needs something to charge from. Like your computer while you work, and the wall while you sleep, from a USB port perhaps (which you already have). Not making any claims as to which are more useful / applicable to mor…

All of those problems with the Segway could be solved if people were determined enough to use them. The Segway didn't take off because PEOPLE LOOK RIDICULOUS on them.

"Wearable" computing has the same issue, and will only take off if it can be made to look stylish enough for fashion-conscious people. This is Google we're talking about, so it's safe to assume the product will be about as stylish as an industrial vacuum cleaner. Some other company will have to come along and fix it before it becomes popular.

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#33

Post by KevinEldon » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 2:39 AM UTC

Google Glass can be divided into (at least) two distinct parts. The camera and the display. The camera is what Google is pitching very heavily right now. I'd guess they're doing that because it's something people can relate to... taking pictures from your perspective, taking them without putting some device between you and your subject. The tiny camera that takes pictures from your eye level is a big enough draw to get early users interested. (The killer app is "real-life" DVR... why should you have to stick your camera phone in front of your face to take a picture or record a video... how many times have you thought "damn... if I just would have had my phone ready I could have grabbed an awesome shot").

The display is harder to understand. What information do you need in front of your eyes right now that actually helps you? Today you might check Yelp for a restaurant review or Google Maps for directions, but you rarely ever keep your phone in front of your face while you walk through New York... it's a reference, not a constant aide. It's a cool idea but most people (even some of the geeky ones who visit Hacker News) don't see the value.

I think the big vision here is that you'll have a camera that consumes the world around you and a system that can process what the camera is seeing, and give you real useful information about the world around you immediately. You walk into the office and the system tells you that you're looking at "Sarah" and you have a meeting with her at 3pm, or that the menu item you're looking at has 615 calories and most people who order it love it, or that the product you're about to buy is $50 cheaper at an online store and can be shipped to you in 2 days. Glass doesn't offer any of this right now... but it will some day. I want one and if I'd attended Google I/O I'd have spent the $1500 for the early prototype.

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#34

Post by Groxx » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 5:01 AM UTC

shangrila wrote: post #32

Groxx wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Segways would need parking / secure storage, or lots more upper body strength on the average person to get them up stairs. Costly physical barriers to widespread use. Something like this pretty much just needs something to charge from. Like your computer while you work, and the wall while you sleep, from a USB port perhaps (which you already have). Not making any claims as to which are more useful / applicable to mor…

All of those problems with the Segway could be solved if people were determined enough to use them. The Segway didn't take off because PEOPLE LOOK RIDICULOUS on them. "Wearable" computing has the same issue, and will only take off if it can be made to look stylish enough for fashion-conscious people. This is Google we're talking about, so it's safe to assume the product will be about as stylish as an industrial vacuu…

I keep hearing that theory around Segways, but I keep seeing people riding them on tours and whatnot. I heard a few people claim ridiculous when they first came out, but I don't hear it from anyone, anywhere, in person, any more. Only on the internet.

Honestly, I think it has more to do with them costing $5k and being less mobile than a bike, which you can pick up. That alone makes them absolutely worthless beyond their battery range, and to anyone who encounters stairs in their day to day life. And out of the price range of an enormous percent of USA's population, and it only gets worse for families.

But opinion battles have no end. We disagree at a rather fundamental level, I'm happy to leave it at that.

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#35

Post by rudasn » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 10:01 AM UTC

r0s wrote: post #26

Control input will make or break this thing. I don't think a single button and touchpad will cut it for general computing. They're riding the wave of hope that voice controls have now, maybe I'm naive but it's going to have to improve by miles for anything beyond novelty use. I could see this focusing on a tighter use case, like content aware eye mounted cameras with social features, and why not two of them for stere…

My bet is on brain waves/some sort of EEG. I don't know much about the subject but at the moment it's impossible for a device like Glass to function as an EEG but I think we are not too far away (maybe 10-15 years) from figuring out a sexy solution.

http://www.emotiv.com/

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#36

Post by ippisl » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 10:09 AM UTC

KevinEldon wrote: post #33

Google Glass can be divided into (at least) two distinct parts. The camera and the display. The camera is what Google is pitching very heavily right now. I'd guess they're doing that because it's something people can relate to... taking pictures from your perspective, taking them without putting some device between you and your subject. The tiny camera that takes pictures from your eye level is a big enough draw to g…

I don't think this device alone would make this big difference. we already have phone that are able(especially with the cloud) to do augmented reality. In many use cases we don't need this immediate response. we can "take the time" and get our smartphone.

We point our phone at that product, or at our lunch, or at the home diy project we need to do, or at some hobby we're doing, or at the car repair we're doing. we don't need glass for that.

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#37

Post by kingkawn » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 6:16 PM UTC

Cushman wrote: post #9

kingkawn wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"My feeling is that this effect might fade away as people become more used to the device." The effect of removal from the environment will not fade, but the social ramifications for the user will. People are less pissy now when someone stops to check their phone during a conversation, but that's more due to the expectations of those around them rather than our expanded ability to functionally multitask.

I feel like you didn't really read my post, since I was making a case that the "effect of removal from the environment" will fade that you didn't address... That aside, I think you're making a good point. Part of the promise of the information age is general cognizance of the fact that we live in an incomprehensibly vast and complex universe, and that we are only able to perceive the most infinitesimal mote of it dur…

cmon its not complete horseshit, getting to know somebody not just through their written or spoken idea but their facial expressions, their scent, their subtle body language is all meaningfully a part of our cognitive experience. Just because those things haven't necessarily been incorporated into cutting edge technology does not make them less relevant. We're all very impressed with ourselves for making cool gizmos that do wonderful things, but the backslapping and focus we have on our own achievements doesn't lessen the importance of the parts of our experience that nobody has even begun to effectively tackle. There are parts of human interaction that are not replaced by technology, at least not in its presence or near-future form. Period.

I did read your post, I disagree that the tune out will ever end, its just how it's read by others will culturally shift. you're still gonna be withdrawing your mental presence from the space, an externally triggered space-out.

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#38

Post by bergie » Sat, Jun 30, 2012, 11:24 PM UTC

KevinEldon wrote: post #33

Google Glass can be divided into (at least) two distinct parts. The camera and the display. The camera is what Google is pitching very heavily right now. I'd guess they're doing that because it's something people can relate to... taking pictures from your perspective, taking them without putting some device between you and your subject. The tiny camera that takes pictures from your eye level is a big enough draw to g…

I think Google Now is the "public beta" of the sort f automatic and immediate information they intend to deliver to the Glass.

Sort of shame, really, as we had some plans to build a service exactly in the same space (though more base on learned routines a bit like Bret Victor's The Magic Ink describes)

Re: Google Glass Team: ‘Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm’

#39

Post by r0s » Sun, Jul 01, 2012, 6:33 AM UTC

rudasn wrote: post #35

r0s wrote: post #26

Control input will make or break this thing. I don't think a single button and touchpad will cut it for general computing. They're riding the wave of hope that voice controls have now, maybe I'm naive but it's going to have to improve by miles for anything beyond novelty use. I could see this focusing on a tighter use case, like content aware eye mounted cameras with social features, and why not two of them for stere…

My bet is on brain waves/some sort of EEG. I don't know much about the subject but at the moment it's impossible for a device like Glass to function as an EEG but I think we are not too far away (maybe 10-15 years) from figuring out a sexy solution. http://www.emotiv.com/

Once you dig into the technology a bit it's somewhat disappointing. The best layman summary I can make:

EEG or other electrical signals are scrambled in the skull, bouncing around inside, making discovery of origin impossible from the exterior. The best we can do is binary on or off, which is how the emotiv device works, along with detection of facial/other head muscle movements.

MRI can detect origin of signal, but the machines are huge, like the size of a car; and power hungry, and crazy expensive, and the resolution is something like one minute per signal.

Sorry to be a bummer ;) I want to see brain-computer interface as much as anyone.