Sergey Brin Shows Project Glass Glasses to Journalists (Video)

Not too many years ago, people who carried on conversations with folks the rest of us couldn't hear were considered demented (or drunk). Then came the cellular phone headset, which meant normal people could walk along, carrying on conversations with people we couldn't hear, although many researchers came to believe that a large percentage of so-called "normal" cell phone users were also demented (or drunk). Now Google's Project Glass means people can walk along, seeing things no one else can -- and carrying on conversations with them. Are Google's Project Glass users demented? Are they drunk? Or are they looking at heads-up displays mounted on glasses frames or attached to prescription glasses? Inquiring Slashdot editor Timothy Lord wanted to know, so he joined a Glass demonstration hosted by Google co-founder Sergey Brin (whose company is not related to Barney Google, as far as we know) to find out for himself -- and to share his findings with you.

Comments

Yes, users are demented.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's going to be like the Segway crowd. A bunch of demented, Aspergers, singularity freaks who think technology has all the answers and who have tunnel vision into their dream future while conveniently ignoring all the troubles of the world which their "cool tech" does nothing to help.

This will not become mainstream.

Re:Yes, users are demented.

[bmo]

No, you could never have technical documentation show up in front of you, hands free, while you're working on something like a car, machine, or plane or anything else. no, it would never happen. A soldier, police officer, fireman could never have a lightweight video feed coming from the drone overhead, either. No, never happen.

--
BMO

Re:Yes, users are demented.

[negativeduck]

I disagree, I think that there is potential for things like this and we really are starting to glance the surface of what can be done when information can be readily snapped to the user without them even asking about it. In BioMed alone this form of technology can bring alot to the table. You wear a pair of //safety// glasses. as you enter a room the camera see's room number or a bar-code and snaps to your display the information on that patient without even looking. Even simple things like names or allergic reactions.

In Construction if you have a 3d blueprint you walk through the skeleton of a site and you see the plumbing that isn't yet installed on the display and an realize that 3 days earlier a cross member was installed in the wrong place. You can correct it now or advise the plumber in advance of a change keeping the project on track.

Likewise though, if you start out small then //larger// implementations become even simpler using the same technology they can easily expand to other fields having already licked the miniaturization.

hell map a large datacenter and "I need to find server XYZ, follow the yellow line!"

DIY kiddies, call a central company I'm installing X. They bring up your video feed and can football style draw circles lines and point to the part and help you through whatever has gotcha buggered.

Re:Yes, users are demented.

[jellomizer]

I personally don't prescribe to the Gene Roddenberry future where technology will solve all our problems and make us good and happy people. Every technology you use has a trade-off. Now the trick is to determine if the trade-off is worth it.

When we went from horses to automobiles, it was haled as an environmental achievement. Horses make a big mess on the streets, that needs to be clean and can cause the spread of diseases to people. Automobiles also let people go longer distances, and faster. However there was a trade-off. With Automobiles we needed a smoother road infrastructure, that cost tax payers a lot of money. With less daily maintenance and newer cheaper cars more people have cars creating traffic concerns, and more people driving create a higher air pollution rate. Now if we all had cars and used them the same way people used horses last century, the earth will be a cleaner place. However we got trade-offs, faster speed, more efficiency = more use.
If we make a more efficient engine, that means people will buy bigger cars they will keep their consumption about the same, they will just get a bigger car... Unless gas costs are too high then they get smaller.

We have created a new computer infrastructure, at a trade-off.
1. We allow people to work from anywhere in the world... That means we can hire people cheap in other countries.
2. Computers automate a lot of repetitive tasks... That means a lot of good entry level positions that teach college grads the ropes of business are now gone.
3. We now have access to more information... So each person is expected to do more... Harder work.

We really can't hold technology back for the sake that it offers tradeoffs. however we need to think of new ways to adjust to these chances.

Re:Yes, users are demented.

[bmo]

In my experience when something is merely a technological hump to get over (and not depending on a breakthrough in physics), the person saying "it can't be done" is invariably wrong.

--
BMO

Re:Yes, users are demented.

[Anonymous Coward]

1. We allow people to work from anywhere in the world... That means we can hire people cheap in other countries.

And you can travel to those countries to keep earning your current wage (or slightly lower) and live there like a rich person.

2. Computers automate a lot of repetitive tasks... That means a lot of good entry level positions that teach college grads the ropes of business are now gone.

I fail to see what's wrong in not having to do boring tedious stuff and be able to move to more intellectually challenging and stimulating jobs. Or are you afraid of using your brain?

3. We now have access to more information... So each person is expected to do more... Harder work.

Yep, I don't see any correlation between A and B, so you have a brain problem or have been lobotomized to think there is a correlation. Seriously, who mods this crap insightful?

Re:Yes, users are demented.

[Anonymous Coward]

For me the killer app would be for IKEA. Think of how annoying it is to build furniture. But, using augmented reality and 3d barcodes, when you looked at each part, you could see exactly where it goes. With 3d barcodes on each bag of screws, it could quickly tell you where each screw is.

Also, it would be very useful with something like Pepakura Designer, which converts 3D models to 2D ones that can be printed on paper. People build full costumes with this like and iron man costume. http://www.therpf.com/f24/speed-building-filesntricks-4-days-foam-iron-148889/

Glass in Google IO keynote

[Anonymous Coward]

I was really disapointed with the demonstration in Google IO keynote. The only thing,they've showed for half an hour, was as a digital camera replacement. A digital camera that "doesn't get in the way of life".

Re:Talking to imaginery voices...

[JaredOfEuropa]

Any video of the glasses themselves, preferably a "through" view showing what the actual overlay looks like, and what sort of info will be displayed? I am really not all that interested in a video of a bunch of people wearing those things...

The thing that comes to mind...

[SomePgmr]

As bad as I want one of these, I can't help but think about how badly we need a low cost, community developed version of this to function as a totally open, arduino-esque option.

Everything about these things coming to market as a popular, locked-down device creeps me out. Maybe it's too many years of scifi, but if history tells us anything, it's that we need a technological escape route at all times.

So uh, where can we source the display technology for these things? Because the rest seems entirely doable.

Re:Surprise!

[ShieldW0lf]

The difference is, when the government does it, they have an asynchronous advantage over the citizenry. When the citizens do it themselves, they erase that advantage. Your privacy was always an illusion... now you're finally being empowered. It's a positive development.

Been there, done that

[Dross50]

I can think of a whole host of problems this device will have, starting with it is see through device and therefore is competing with greatest power source in the solar system, the sun. Also, this device is interfacing with a set of genes that evolved millions of years ago on the plains of Africa. And it's a mono display, the brain does not handle mono well, just ask the Ah-64 pilots. These guys need to talk to some Army Aviation folks, at Mother Rucker. Been there done this, like about 15 years ago......

Re:Here is the full video of the demo

[scubamage]

It would be nice to see what the glasses actually show people. Seeing a lot of video showing things from a headcam isn't super exciting. I know it's an alpha product right now, but what we're seeing as "glasses in action" is nothing that my buddy's 10$ groupon headcam can't do already - and apparently at higher framerates and resolution. In the demo we see people saying that they see notifications around the room, but you get no sense of that at all.