Learning ABout Google "Glass"

Over the past few months the news of some of the latest wearable tech has been coming out steadily, in anticipation for a soon to be consumer launch surprisingly not all of it has been as positive as one might initially think.

I relate of course to the many controversy’s surrounding Googles new consumer tech product “Google Glass” for those of you not yet familiar with “Glass” it is the name given to a wearable computer with an optical-head-mounted display which come installed on a pair of wearable glasses. The tiny on-board computer has a small and I mean tiny android Operating System built in as well as the more prominent High Definition camera/video recorder.

It has been noted by a well-known Internet Tech reporter” Mike Elgan” who has also had a hands on beta with the device that suggests it’s not the camera that’s the most renowned thing about Glass, it seems however that’s all that people seem to be talking about and not the applications that are visible and makes Glass so different, I generally agree with this but the camera is still a great on-eye feature.

Glass is not just a novelty tech accessory but it can be a personal aid, I think would be the more appropriate way of describing it. As I mentioned Glass comes with a built in Operating System with a lot of potential, the built in glass gives the user a User Interface right in front of their eyes “without being intrusive and only there when you the user want it to do something” Let’s go over some things that you could potentially use google Glass for, 

Glass, Innovative application of wearable Tech

You can install apps onto “Glass” just like most devices these days, so as you’re going about your daily routine facts and information will appear on the Glass screen from the apps you have installed, whether you will have a dedicated Facebook app with push notifications remains to be seen but so far things such as new email notifications, todays weather, and relevant information on places you visit are all in.

Another great use is having a Google Maps inspired 3D view of directions appear right in front of you which with the built in GPS also moves as you move which would be great for the outdoor and trekking types .

Going on holiday will have some great additions for Glass as well, not least the idea of constantly having a 5 mega pixel still image and 720p HD camera which is always with you at hand and always pointing in the same direction as the action you want to capture. Just imagine going to a country where you don’t speak the dialect or understand road signs etc,  as you can see in the example below you merely and seamlessly ask glass to Translate what you are seeing  you are starting to become aware just how powerful Glass can be and how very, very useful.

Another example would be if you were at an airport or train station and need some up to date information just ask Glass and the information will be fetched and displayed on screen no fuss no trouble no time.

Some may argue that you can already do some if not all these things with modern smartphones which you would be right, but what Glass is it’s a wearable stylish accessory that you never put away or have to get out, its always on silent its always accessible instantly combine this with the above features and Glass becomes a very tasty tech prospect.

Being glasses they can be worn in all weather conditions and during most activities, so you can keep in touch with things even when a workout at the Gym, playing tennis, hey even skiing you can still be connected. Did I also mention it has a 5 Mega Pixel camera and 720p HD video recorder which can be activated at a moment’s notice to capture a perfect shot.

Heck Glass is a Google product so naturally it uses the already useful technologies such as video conferencing or hang-out with friends at any time, allowing both parties to see what the other sees, all without holding up a smartphone I might add.

For me one of the most innovative items I have seen on glass in an actual demo is from Indoo.rs, as the name suggest is a company that specialises in indoor navigation and positioning , they have applied this to Glass with some pretty cool results.

Never again will you need to walk into a large complex building reading sign upon sign for a particular department or room, simply ask Glass with the Indoors app and e’ viola you have a system that will actually show you a blueprint right in front of you moving as you do, you can even specify a direction to a certain room and be guided there.

It’s this sort of innovative concept which really excites me about Glass, no doubt more and more possibilities will open up for it as developers get to grips with developing for it.

Here is a beta demo of what Indoors could look like using Google Glass, 

Glass is social and fun

Glass Hunt is one of the many games which can be downloaded for Glass and played very simply, utilising some of the old classic games of shooting targets that appear on screen. The screenshots give an insight into what games you can expect to see, with some even using your hand motions like a fruit ninja style game.

One of the things that caught my eye about this particular game was the fact one of the promo screenshots for the game shows it with the background of an air-plane, now I'm not sure if the internet Wi/Fi capability can be switched on and off manually but this open’s up some more interesting and promising concept’s if you are able to play games on an aircraft while looking for something to do “Angry birds anyone?” surely there must be an app in progress for that.

Going more with the social aspect for a second in the Glass specs it also states that Glass features GPS and SMS messaging; now you can send a message using the Bluetooth smartphone connectivity option even without picking up your phone technically it seems sound.

Glass a product in Debate.

Despite all of this however the Glass product has already seen a lot of negativity which mainly revolves around the camera, just imagine a privacy watchdog committee and anti-tech groups get together and have a party kind of negativity.

Fears that users walking around will invade others privacy is a good even valid point, however I have a very small fear of this at least for now, here’s why to actually record a video or take a picture of something or someone you have to verbally and clearly instruct Glass to do so. So the idea of recording people and invading their privacy in one respect is kind of out, there’s not really an easy way to conceal the fact if a user wishes to utilise these features of Glass.

Some places have even banned Glass for privacy fear in America, ok maybe walking around a bank wearing Glass may not be acceptable but bars I'm not sure, it’s the being connected to what’s going on and the immediacy of connectivity and precious moment capturing that is what Glass is about. I guess it’s a thin line however as Glass does not seem to have a blinking indicator when its recording or taking snaps which could have changed initial opinion over its use and something I think Google would be well advised to implement.

The following extract video seems to highlight some of these issues as the US Congress has made its interest very apparent, drawing on the fact you can save and upload recordings to the cloud, and even have built in face recognition something which I previously was not aware Glass actually utilised.

What immediately does spring to mind is the fact that the focus is always on the camera aspect of Glass and we shouldn't let that detract or even hurt the Glass experience 




Nobody wants their privacy invaded; still unless you are seen to be explicitly telling Glass to do so then Glass will retain itself as a pair of normal stylish head-wear, its something which many places can refuse users to wear for legitimate reasons and in some cases rightly so, however we should be helping project the Glass as a non-fearful non-invasive device and open up to establishments to not judge the wearable tech too quickly.

There is a fine line with Glass though as one Glass beta woman found out while wearing the device while driving and subsequently being stopped by police and receiving a ticket for wearing the device, again the Glass concept allows you to utilise the device as stylish and practical sunglasses/eyewear while the device is not in use, however there is no visual aid to tell when it is and isn’t in use making it easier to be slammed by privacy fears and legal issues.

So Driving while using Glass may cause some issues however in a statement Google stated that they are confident that these types of issues will be resolved as Glass becomes more common place and people learn to recognize when the device is turned on or off. As I mentioned there is no indicator light but apparently those who have tested Glass say that other people recognise a faint light on the Glass screen.

Glass has so many potentials I have reviewed a few articles on it now and it really is a great bit of Tech, I must show the next example video of Glass as an add-on for crucial services, as Glass is currently only being trailed in the US the following is a demo of what fire-fighters could utilise Glass for, now tell me this isn’t a great piece of kit,

Glass allows fire-fighters as is said in the video hands free access to the information they need immediately on the fly, it could also be used for recording situations for case reviews at a later date, or even for future training sessions. The fact that this has come from a fire-fighter that can see some really useful applications is in itself a great thing, no doubt a really useful tool for other such public sector services. Although the military do already have their own head-up display devices other services could also benefit from such technology as is clearly seen.

During beta testing one man reported being asked to leave a restaurant for wearing Glass amidst privacy fears, so there’s a definite scale to the tech; I think people need to be made more aware of the device in the first place. Secondly I believe that places should be explicit in whether they allow do disallow the use of Glass while on their premises in order to make this new tech more friendly without going beyond the invasion barrier.

Glass users, also ultimately need to be respective of others and their attitudes towards Glass and similar wearable technology. Even though it has a way to go and some hurdles to cross Glass is shaping up to be a very clever product. We live in a time when cars that can self-drive, robots that can be sent into perilous situations and other such technologies are emerging and firmly believe that Glass deserves its place and should be embraced as such. At last we are one step closer to our childhood cyborg dreams, now if only you can change the GPS to speak as Arnold Schwarzenegger “ahhh, can’t just be me”?

Already wear Glasses?

Anyone that already wears normal prescription glasses is catered for too with specialised prescription glass lenses and frames to be created for the user with eye sight companies, so that is a really big plus for those that rely on glasses for normal use, this would just be an extension to that.

I'm betting that Glass will also double up with recent smart-watch technology, and as Glass becomes closer to being release to the mass consumer market other companies are also nearly ready to offer similar offering’s, are you ready for Glass and the innovations it brings, looking over this you probably should be.

 Do you agree that Google Glass is too much of an invasion privacy tool, or do you see some of the endless possibilities it could bring to your everyday life stories, would you even consider buying one or something similar?

Glass Specs

Here are the official specifications of the Google Glass currently available,

Camera

·         Photos - 5 MP

·         Videos - 720p

Audio

·         Bone Conduction Transducer

Connectivity

·         Wifi - 802.11b/g

·         Bluetooth

Storage

·         12 GB of usable memory, synced with Google cloud storage. 16 GB Flash total.

Battery

One day of typical use. Some features, like video calls and video recording, are more battery intensive.

Charger

·         Included Micro USB cable and charger.

While there are thousands of Micro USB chargers out there, Glass is designed and tested with the included charger in mind. Use it and preserve long and prosperous Glass use.

Compatibility

·         Any Bluetooth-capable phone.

·         The MyGlass companion app requires Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or higher. MyGlass enables GPS and SMS messaging.