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Why I'm Sending Back Google Glass

Posted by Unknown on from the you're-not-cool-enough dept.

Lucas123 (935744) writes "After using Google Glass for several weeks, Computerworld columnist Matt Lake had plenty of reasons to explain why he returned them, not the least of which was that they made him cross-eyed and avoid eye contact. Google Glass batteries also drain like a bath tub when using either audio or video apps and they run warm. And, as cool as being able to take videos and photos with the glasses may be, those shots are always at an angle. Of course, being able to do turn-by-turn directions is cool, but not something you can do without your smart phone's cellular data or a mobile hotspot. The list of reasons goes on... Bottom line, if Google Glass is in the vanguard of a future class of wearable computers, the future isn't the present."

14 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. Pretty obvious by Carrot007 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I do want them but I am holding out until they are a little more powerful.

    Anyone who expects them to be anything the than a preview of what is yet to come is an idiot.

    But please feel free to clutter up the world with more pointless articles.

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    +----------------- | What is the question!
    1. Re:Pretty obvious by Trepidity · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I see a future were we just get used to it, the same as we ignore people checking their phone already.

      It's possible, but at least in my social circles so far people haven't really adapted to carrying on a conversation while checking phone, at least for more than brief glances. When someone looks down at their phone for more than 3-4 seconds, the conversation pauses, and resumes when they look back up again. The explicit looking-at-the-screen aspect essentially communicates out-of-band the "am I paying attention to this conversation or not?" aspect that's used to fairly seamlessly pause and restart the conversation. So far, I've found it hard to do that with people wearing eyepieces (I've had conversations with people wearing prototype versions on and off since 2004), since you don't get the explicit notification of now-looking-at-screen, now-looking-back-up attentional state that you get with smartphones.

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      10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
    2. Re: Pretty obvious by ranton · · Score: 4, Informative

      Shut up you apple fanboy. Retina display is marketing speak to fool the sheeple who will buy anything if it has an apple logo

      He said Retinal Display, which means a display that is directly implanted into the eye, or perhaps intercepts the communication from the eye to the brain. That has nothing to do with the Apple retina display.

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      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
  2. As a long-time Glass user, he's a bit off by Schezar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can easily see how he could have these problems. His use case is ridiculous.

    I can't imagine a sane human being putting on Google Glass and thinking "hey, I'll watch video or read web pages on this thing!" That's almost the opposite of a normal use case. I can't imagine looking at the screen for more than a few seconds at a time.

    The value of glass:

    1. Non-distracting notifications of emergent information

    I don't take my phone out of my pocket every time it buzzes. I don't constantly read twitter every time I happened to pull it out to see what that buzz was. Instead, I just live my life. If I'm walking somewhere, and glass buzzes, I can, at my leisure, cock my head slightly to turn on the display and read the message. If there's a short followup, I speak it into Glass. If there's a long one, I, at my leisure, deal with it later on my phone.

    2. Navigation

    I'll be honest. For driving, or especially biking/touring, the turn-by-turn is worth the current price of admission even if that is the SOLE use. Trying to mount a phone on a motorcycle/bicycle, let alone pull a phone out of one's pocket while biking, is laughable. The navigation is amazing to behold the first time you use it. For a frequent biker/traveler, it's already indispensable/

    3. Candid photos

    I have a large collection of interesting shots of my life now. The photos are indeed at an "angle" much of the time. Who cares? If I want to take a picture, I use my phone, or a real camera. I use Glass solely to catch, again, emergent moments. Something interesting happens, and I snap a photo discretely and immediately. For that use case, I defy a regular camera or smartphone to be deployed and used quickly enough without similar "angle" or "shot framing" issues.

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/...

    Glass is primarily a notification tool coupled with a navigator and a quick-draw smartphone.

    I'm not saying Glass is perfect. Far from it. It has a long way to go. But this guy appears to be trying to use it in the least imaginative and least useful ways possible. He's doing the equivalent of complaining that he cant edit 4k video on his phone, or that he can't easily make toast with his flamethrower.

    --
    GeekNights!
    Late Night Radio for Geeks!
    1. Re:As a long-time Glass user, he's a bit off by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I have a large collection of interesting shots of my life now.

      Yeah, I love all the shots of traffic and your rabbit's bedding. Priceless memories there.

    2. Re:As a long-time Glass user, he's a bit off by Dan+East · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Okay, so explain to me why Google Glass has to be a stand-alone computing device (requiring wlan connectivity, more powerful CPU, larger batteries, etc) to meet your 3 points, instead of a simple optional display / camera peripheral that is used with an existing cell phone? I don't remember any genius deciding that cell phones should all be crammed into bluetooth headsets because a certain portion of the population likes to wear bluetooth headsets all the time.

      Google Glass is in the form factor of a display device that has been overextended into the all-in-one device. That makes more sense for a less obtrusive form factor like a wristwatch, but not for something that you have to wear like a cyborg. It will never, ever gain traction as the core mobile computing device, because people that don't want to wear it on their head all the time won't tolerate having to switch back and forth between it and their cell phone. I think the adoption rate will be no better than bluetooth headsets at best.

      How much less would Google Glass cost (and weigh) if it was just a low-power bluetooth peripheral with a display and camera? 1/5th the price?

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      Better known as 318230.
    3. Re:As a long-time Glass user, he's a bit off by CastrTroy · · Score: 4, Informative

      You can get turn by turn navigation in a bike specific GPS for way less than the price of Google Glass. And you load the maps right on the device so you don't have to worry about data plans or losing cell reception. Personally, I would love it if my cell phone could do everything, but GPS seems to be one of those things where a dedicated device just works so much better. The GPS on my phone will work ok in a pinch, but for things like cycling and hiking, there's no comparison to using a real GPS.

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      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    4. Re:As a long-time Glass user, he's a bit off by Sockatume · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Take all those useful features, put them somewhere other than my face. Problem solved.

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      No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
    5. Re:As a long-time Glass user, he's a bit off by internerdj · · Score: 4, Informative

      From the Head mounted displays that I've worked with, the optics portion tends to be the limiting factor for dimensionality and weight. It isn't like going with just a GPU on the thing is going to make it into a set of eyeglasses. You've also got a lot of overlap in passing/processing video and general information passing/processing. You probably aren't going to save a lot by making it just a phone accessory. You definitely aren't going to see a lot of difference from an aesthetic perspective.

  3. Solution without a problem, for now... by milgram · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While I still consider Glass to be a solution without of problem, unless people use and find problems with them, innovation will not occur. There is a process of failing that precedes success. I understood when I bought Glass there would be issues. I wear them to find these issues and attempt to improve them. That is why I love to program. I like to make things better.

    I read the complaints on the Explorer board, and I am shocked that people expected a perfect product. This is meant to be beta testing. Google has been very clear about this.

    If you don’t wish to seek innovation, and you are afraid of things not going perfectly, send them back. You are probably not the type of person who seeks to improve the world around them.

    1. Re:Solution without a problem, for now... by Lumpy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I have Glass and I rarely use it anymore... I replaced it with a product that I dont worry about losing or damaging and provides what I need in the same really easy to get format.

      I replaced my Glass with a Pebble watch. Quick glance at any of the info I need, plus I can easily interact. And It's $129 (whine at Best Buy and they will discount it) so if I smash it or get robbed, I dont care.

      I still wear Glass for special occasions or if we dress up to go out, Nothing screams rich like wearing a $1500 toy on your head, It's the same as wearing a Rolex only you get more nods from the other rich guys.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    2. Re:Solution without a problem, for now... by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 5, Interesting

      While I still consider Glass to be a solution without of problem

      A local school is testing them in flipped classrooms. The teacher wears GG as the students attempt to solve problems and type the solutions into a computer. GG displays a grid of the classroom that indicates which students are struggling. The teacher moves around the classroom, quickly going to where help is needed most. It seems to work well with most of the teachers, although some don't like it. This is still a research project (no education money is being spent), and the cost of the device will have to come way down before classroom use becomes widespread.

    3. Re:Solution without a problem, for now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I still wear Glass for special occasions or if we dress up to go out, Nothing screams rich like wearing a $1500 toy on your head, It's the same as wearing a Rolex only you get more nods from the other rich guys.

      And this is the reason the term "glasshole" was coined.

  4. Not pointless at all. by westlake · · Score: 4, Insightful

    But please feel free to clutter up the world with more pointless articles.

    The article sums up two fundamental problems for Google Glass:

    It's called glassing out. You look cross-eyed. People can't make eye contact with you, and they read things into your lack of eye contact.

    I had surgery to gain control over a "wandering" eye when it became obvious how much my inability to maintain eye contact was costing me both at home and at work.

    People fear surveillance. They don't want a recording device waved in front of them. And that's how many people see Google Glass. People avoid talking to you when you wear them.

    No amount of frames or shades conceals the glowing prism at the front that brands you a Glass-exploring neo-cyborg.

    Loss of eye contact makes it difficult to build trust --- and the ever-present "in-your-face" camera only makes things worse.