Submitted by Steve Mann on his 35-year history building and wearing computerised eyewear. “Was it blind luck (pardon the expression) that I was wearing this vision-enhancing system at the time of the accident? Not at all: I have been designing, building, and wearing some form of this gear for more than 35 years.” Glass has the potential to have a huge impact on the world – and just like with the advent of the mobile phone, people are afraid, cynical, and unable to see the possibly huge benefits of systems like this.
I remember reading about this guy after airport security ripped off his electrodes in 2002: http://it.slashdot.org/story/02/03/14/2051228/airport-security-vs-c…
I guess I could understand why being part cyborg would be difficult at the airport when they don’t even let me bring toothpaste.
Reatards are retarded, what else do you expect?
And people that don’t have imagination think that we will not be wearing computers in near future.Think computerized fabrics and glasses that are much less obvious than Google Glass of today.
Generally, it’s not the benefits that can cause problems. Some people might be “afraid” because they can see some of the drawbacks, others might be cynical because they can’t see those drawbacks yet. I doubt anyone would be afraid or cynical if they’d be sure there’d only be benefits of everyone&dog recording everything all the time. Me, I’d love to be able to watch a movie while staring in front of me and looking smart during long meetings and boring talks
Other than that, I also could appreciate high light sensitivity smart glasses during night driving, or automatic face recognition at large conferences. But the recording stuff… I really couldn’t care less.
As a motorcyclist, I think I have the right to be somewhat afraid.
http://backmarker-bikewriter.blogspot.nl/2013/02/google-is-going-to…
If you think the writer’s exaggerating, then you haven’t seen how dangerously the average soccer mum in her stupid ugly vehicle (suv) drives in normal, non-distracted conditions yet.
Edited 2013-03-05 15:08 UTC
As a fellow motorcyclist, I agree.
On a related point, I realize this might be an unpopular opinion in a community filled with technophiles, but isn’t there a point where we become too reliant on technology in our daily lives? Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and I work in IT for a living, but even I realize the need to ‘detach’ myself from technology and learn to enjoy simple pleasures such as a walk in the park, reading a book, or just soaking in the peace and quiet.
Personally, I have no desire to be constantly connected to the world via a device on my head. I value my independence from technology too much.
Edited 2013-03-05 15:43 UTC
Be bold. Use aeroplane mode!
Pretty much how I feel.
At the weekend I am straight on my bicycle putting in the miles or out with my friends.
I completly agree !
I recommend to just step away of your computer …. Get a nice wine bottle and THEN DRIVE !!!
really… if you feel some much safer if the other driver is crazy but not using tech … go ahead…
please do not address the real problem and try to remove reckless drivers of the road !
While I’m sure you are a good and “safe”
motorcyclist, the activity itself is necessarily less safe than other modes of transportation. As I advise all friends who ride, be safe.
Having said that, Google Googles have the potential to make motorists more safe. They wouldn’t have to glance at their phones/gps devices for directions. And possibly Google could integrate some of its self driving car technology to alert drivers to dangers like motorcycles in blind spots, or that the driver is too tired, or experiencing some kind of a medical emergency.
I tend to believe that less is more when it comes to operating a vehicle. Anything that abstracts the process of driving away from the driver is trouble waiting to happen. Even something as seemingly trivial as an automatic transmission incentivizes people to ignore what their vehicle is doing and busy their hands/minds with something else.
Then you would agree that having a heads up display would be a good thing, right? I mean, having no reason to take your eyes off the road would reduce driver distraction and cause people to pay more attention to the road.
Only if it displayed information strictly relevant to the operation of the vehicle, which likely wouldn’t be the case with a product like Glass.
There are cars with HUD, projected on the windscreen. Thing is, that’s usually just for speed, and sometimes the arrows of GPS (plus the usual voice commands of course).
But Glass is about different things…
There’s a close parallel (comparable speeds) with a skydiving course at my place – recording devices are strictly prohibited.
And as a pedestrian, I think I have even more cause to be afraid. Anyone who hasn’t seen how inconsiderate the average motorcyclist can be when it comes to obeying traffic signals could use a wake-up call. Agree with you on the SUVs though, and not saying you are an inconsiderate cyclist, but felt the need to point out that bikers can be just as prickish.
I laughed my ass off when I read this post. This guy has come and gone for decades and he’s looking for a moment in the sun. But his best story about the benefit of wearable computing required him accidentally getting run over. Seriously! You can’t write comedy like that.
Obviously, Google Glass works differently and you wouldn’t need to have a car crush your expensive electronic prosthetic so that it would capture a still from a live video feed, but in this day and age… when I hear someone driving INTO my house, the first thing I am going to do is run outside with my smartphone, camera already ready.
His other examples are cooler but not anywhere on Google’s map since it requires multiple video inputs being processed live and beamed directly into the user’s vision (which requires a mount of near surgical precision).
Otherwise, his most relevent stories are about getting harassed, browbeaten, groped, manhandled by people who are repulsed, frightened, ignorant, or scared.
If this guy is the poster child for wearable computing, Google should rethink putting up the posters.
[quote] people are afraid, cynical, and unable to see the possibly huge benefits of systems like this. [/quote]
You forgot to mention the certain creepiness factor along with the huge privacy concerns.