http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Light
It's a short story in the same universe as Rainbow's End, and deals extensively with wearable computers.
I'm all for computers helping us perform tasks but sometimes things go a little too far.
That is, if you're an internet company. To find out that AT&T is logging your location indefinitely (since 3.5 years ago), you need the FOIA:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/09/secret-memo-...
There was a great TEDx talk on the (well-executed) use of humor, and satire in particular, to get points across when they would otherwise be disregarded, or to make bland points more viral: http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_bliss_comedy_is_translation.h...
I don't see a reason to discourage sarcasm out-of-hand, or any other form of humor. Based on the merits of the individual comment, sure.
Most scanners to date have been moderately vulnerable to blocking devices. Say, a backscatter laser of some sort. And if personal identifiers are based on you carrying a broadcast device (e.g.: an info-leaking phone), one simple solution is ... don't do that.
I suspect that both the technology and its countermeasures will first be utilized by government (and corporate) "security forces".
Hrm ... related query: is it possible to build a simple device which would short out RFID scanners? If it becomes trivial enough to destroy the readers, then ubiquitous, obnoxious uses might at least become more expensive.
Here's hoping they thought of issues like: Guy wears his new "Google Goggles" to a racy late-night sales meeting, and Gmail serves how wife ads for divorce papers.
But really, the privacy implications are significant. I think Google knows this, and will take the necessary steps. At least, I sure hope so.
Any idea how they're making the screen usable at that focal length? Don't VR headsets usually need optics much more bulky than sunglasses for comfortable viewing?
Anyway, even if it's smartphone-like functionality in a more convenient form factor, I'm looking forward to being an early adopter.
Vuzix is doing something really interesting with transparent displays using waveguide technology (http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/12/vuzix-augmented-reality-s...). This, to me, is the future of HUD glasses. A solution with a screen blocking one eye, as it seems Google is doing - I can't see that working out, unless they are sitting on some breakthrough display technology.
Word Lens seems to be doing it just fine on an iPhone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2OfQdYrHRs
Seriously, foreign language translation would be a natural for a product like this.
Only about 20% serious.
http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.h...
"Hi...uh..."
puts on glasses
"...Bob."
One could imagine something like Klout running in the background and telling you who's important, who has similar interest to you, etc... The social implications are mind blowing.
Still an amazingly aggressive technology product.
(On second thought, maybe that's what you meant by "bluetooth to a central pack")
i wouldn't be surprised if google has a bunch of engineers working on the technology that could be used in HUD glasses, but i would be very, very surprised to see anything ever come to market. google will not enter the hardware market with such a risky product.
AR won't really come into it's own until such a platform exists. Holding a phone in front of your face is just too awkward.
- read any language
- never forget names
- navigational aids (obviously)
- identify any bird, plant, etc.
- a whole raft of products just geared around augmenting the museum experience
- look at a printed equation and see it solved
- look at a printed question and see it answered (within certain constraints obviously)
- look at binary, hexidecimal, etc. and see it converted to decimal
- look at a color and see pantone and hex color codes
- read existing printed books, but with access to immediate dictionary lookup, references, etc.
I could go on and on... if this ever hits, the ramifications will be extraordinary.
On a second thought. Some people already use glasses all day long. It would be great for most of them to have a little display with the current time, mail status, incoming calls, and along... At least, for me sounds nice.
Con: The glasses hit you up to join G+ every 30 seconds.
Con: You show your friend the cool notification bar and they say "looks like they just took it from iOS 5"
Achievement Unlocked: Alpha & Omega: have the highest and lowest rated comment in a top rated thread.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/18/wearing-your-comput...
"Kids will play virtual games with their friends, where they meet in a park and run around chasing virtual creatures for points."
Lucky kids. I suddenly feel like Old Man Luddite because I grew up playing with sticks and crap.
Related:
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-...
From simple reminders, augmenting my environment with meta data, or giving access to real time updates about almost anything the possibilities are almost endless.
Batteries are going to truly be the limiting factor IMO. Forget plastics, the future is batteries. I assume version 1 of the product will require some kind of external battery pack, I'd think it was certainly worth it if the tech is what it should be.
Have you tried to wear 3D glasses over your existing pair?
I wonder how lightweight they'll be, especially if you factor in batteries.
Driverless car, now digital glasses. I'm positively impressed that Google keeps pushing the envelope in all these different fields.
"""A HMD without head tracking is counter-productive – the view feels like it swims opposite every tiny head motion."""
This guy knows his pixels. :-) Tweet was just this week, I believe. He's had a few others w.r.t. head tracking, FOV / display issues with fancy new displays. Definitely interesting to see his challenges.
1. I can lay in bed and read an ebook without having to hold a device.
2. Google can parse any situation I may be in and recommend the optimal action based on its data of every single other human on earth.
I'm as excited about the prospect of viewing the world through a HUD as the next guy, but I can't imagine these glasses looking sleek in the slightest, and they will likely be rather bulky.
But beyond ugliness, it seems to me that someone would rather pull out their smartphone than put on a pair of HUD glasses for any given use case for this product. Augmented reality is "cool" but I've never used an AR app more than two days after I downloaded it.
I think for it to catch on, this technology would have to be baked into glasses that are designed to be worn all the time, not just put on when needed. People aren't going to carry around AR glasses in their back pocket with their phones and wallets. So a place to start might be enhancing the glasses used by people with vision trouble, rather than creating a whole new glasses product.
Motorcycle HUDs have existed for quite some time now, but more competition especially from someone as big as Google will inject some much needed innovation.
I can also see this being popular with running enthusiasts. During my races I wear a paper band around my wrist with my ideal times for each mile, and then have my GPS watch set to show instantaneous pace. A race involves constantly looking between watch, paper printout and your surroundings. If I had a HUD, I might even enjoy the race a bit :) (that was slightly sarcastic)
I doubt this iteration will be very advanced, but the article definitely made me think.
http://www.ted.com/talks/jesse_schell_when_games_invade_real...
Worth listening to, it gets kind of scary toward the end.
After their Safari tracking system fiasco they announce this: the ultimate form of tracking. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Google would make this considering the rest of their products.
I love Google and their products, but I feel this takes it over the line. At what point will Google be satisfied with the amount of information they're able to collect? Maybe the world will become some strange Utopia where products like these glasses are acceptable and Google made the right call, but Google should take a step back and realize they're making technology for humans, not robots.
If this trend continues I bet we'll see Google Children roaming our street. Ok, that's pretty hyperbolic but you get my point.
They're just giving you more choice, not less ala apple
http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/valves-gabe...
Well timed.
Actually, it sounds like the 90s kids show Knightmare :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciIfcYwI6Ps
Exercise: taking the hardware as a given, what would you do with it, what software do you need?
Steve Mann: 20 years ahead of the curve.
wonder how many Steve Mann patents they are using? ~ http://www.eecg.toronto.edu/~mann/
'nuff said.
I hope there isn't a good one hand keyboard interface (chording?) so you can write email/code while bicycling/driving/etc -- with my simultaneous capacity, it would be my death...
